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Third Time’s a Charm

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AN UNFORTUNATE HOMEOWNER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, went through the experience of having three fires in a 12-hour span Sunday.

KTRK-TV reports:

The first flames broke out around 2:30am on Cinnamon Oak near Queensbury. Firefighters say the fire started in a detached garage, destroying that structure and a greenhouse.”We were able to cut the fire off at that corner,” said Deputy Chief Terry Stone. “While the house suffered some fire damage, most of it’s OK.”

Most of it maybe, but not all.  The HFD was called back later for what may have been a rekindle and they put the second fire out quickly.

The news wasn’t quite so good later when they responded Sunday afternoon for the third time and found the entire top floor of the house on fire.  Investigators haven’t yet determined what caused the original fire.

3fire a KTRK

After the first fire, most of the house was still there.  (KTRK-TV)

Posted by on January 11, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: ,

Pennsylvania County Abolishes VFD

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FACING A LOUD, AND SOMETIMES HOSTILE, CROWD OF CITIZENS, the Perry County, Pennsylvania (near Harrisburg), Penn Township supervisors voted Friday afternoon to abolish the Perdix Volunteer Fire Company.  Perdix was the primary fire department for the entire southern half of the township.

The supervisors then contracted with the Duncannon VFD, that currently covers the northern half of the township, to provide coverage for the entire district.  In a very unusual move, the supervisors made it a criminal act for any Perdix volunteer to respond with a penalty of jail time and/or fine.  “To a point it angers me that they would do something like this,” Chief Shade Reidlinger told WHTM-TV.  Its 20 active members have been shut out. In fact, it’s illegal for them to fight fires, or respond to crashes and medical emergencies.
“We will be arrested, placed in jail for 30 days and given a $300 fine,” Reidlinger said.

WHP-TV Ch. 21 Harrisburg filed this video report from the supervisors’ meeting Friday:

This conflict apparently stems from the Perdix department’s failure to provide proper financial statements to the supervisors.  Both departments are contracted by the township and the funds are what operated the FD’s.  The Carlisle Sentinel reports:

Officials cited several issues, including problems obtaining financial records, refusal to provide aid to township police and concerns over call responses.

“They should have been more than willing to provide that information,” Supervisor Ce Ce Novinger said about requests to both Perdix and Duncannon for monthly reports on department finances.

Duncannon provided the township with more than adequate materials, but Perdix did not, she said.

The supervisors and the two FD’s have been working for a year to try and resolve the problems, but progress was never made.  The Perdix officers were notified last month that this was going to happen.

Read the full STORY HERE.

Duncannon Fire Company WEBSITE.
Perdix Fire Company WEBSITE has been taken down.

Posted by on January 11, 2010 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Fire-ology, Funding & Staffing • Tagged: , , ,

Morning Lineup – January 11

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Is it Monday already?  I’m not ready for that.  And I’m not ready for this cold spell that’s covered the entire East all the way down into Florida.  January and February are when all the people from up north take their Florida vacations, and this year’s visit will be a memorable one, for sure.  Where I am right now in Virginia, it is 9º.   That’s called minus-12 in Canada.  We do not embrace that kind of weather down here.

On another subject, I read something that I found interesting yesterday.  YouTube is getting approximately 20 hours of new video uploaded every minute.  That’s hard to comprehend.  Of course, probably 98% of them are videos of nimrods taking pictures of themselves at arm’s length.  But I would like to learn how and where YouTube has the storage space for all this digital accumulation.  Three minutes of video compressed into YouTube’s .flv format takes up about 8 Mb of file space. 

Not only do they need lots of digital file storage now, but their growth demand is constantly expanding.  No doubt YouTube has several server facilities scattered around the country and in other parts of the world, but still…..  And, is all this stuff backed up?  Do they have two of everything stored somewhere?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Speaking of puzzling thoughts, I have always wondered how crossword puzzle writers go about designing their creations.  You know there has to be some sort of a trick to doing it, otherwise it would take way too long to hack one out in a reasonable amount of time.

crossword

Keep in mind that not only do they have to assemble an interwoven collection of valid words, but the finished product has to end up with a symmetrical layout of black squares.  That drives me nuts….how do they do that? 

There is undoubtedly a trade secret that they possess that allows them to whip one out every 5 hours, or so, and  I am curious about how they do it.  Maybe a benevolent crossword designer will make a home video of how it’s done and post it on YouTube.

Alright, put on your helmet cam and start recording this procedure to check out the equipment.  This is Monday, so we’ve got some extra items to cover.  I’ll make sure there’s plenty of coffee.

contest b finals banner

You’ve still got the rest of today and most of tomorrow to get your votes in for your favorite in the Fire/EMS Blog of the Year contest.  The balloting stops at 6 pm eastern time tomorrow, so don’t put it off any longer.  You can vote every six hours if you want to support two or more of your favorites.  There aren’t any prizes being handed out, it’s just a winter pastime to have some fun while we’re waiting for the hydrants to thaw out.  So CLICK HERE and cast your vote now.

See you back in the day room.

Posted by on January 11, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: , ,

Some Cool Gadgets From CES 2010

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WHILE THE LOUDEST NEWS COMING FROM the 2010 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has been centered on 3-D TV, newer and more powerful netbooks, here are some things that the 30-second reports on the news shows are not covering:

First is this LED television from Samsung that is claimed to be the slimmest tv that is planned to be released.  Some thinner models have been made, but they are not going into mass production.  This model which is 0.3 inches thick also comes with a remoted control device that is a touch-screen:

Next up is this pocket-size Radar Gun.  Not a radar detector, but a device that measures speeds of hurtling objects.  I don’t know what kind of beam they are using, but this cool gadget will be coming on the marketplace in March for $250.  But what would you use it for?  Take a look:

Mechanized weight-reducers have been fleecing people’s pockets for over a hundred years.  Digital microchips carry on the tradition:

 

I still don’t know what good a transparent laptop screen is, but it certainly is a remarkable technological achievement.  Can somebody please tell me why you would want one?

The word was out that the market will soon be flooded with Kindle-type wannabe’s, and sure enough, there was an entire area devoted to the new devices that will be slugging it out for market share:

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Posted by on January 10, 2010 • Filed under: technology, Technology & Communications, Videos

Not a Safe Place to Be

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GUNSHOTS AND ARSON MARKED THE HIGHLIGHT of the day in a Chicago, Illinois, apartment building Friday night.  It all began around 10 pm during a domestic dispute when a man refused to let his woman friend leave her apartment, detaining her with a handgun.

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Chicagoist.com

The police arrived, set up a protective barricade at the apartment and began a period of lengthy negotiations.  After about 2-½ hours, the woman tried to escape by running out the front door.  While fleeing, the man shot her, critically injuring her.  She then bumped into a policeman causing him to discharge his weapon and shoot himself in the leg. 

Other officers returned fire on the man who then ran back into the apartment and jumped through a closed window, cutting himself and running down the fire escape where he broke into a 2nd-floor apartment and started a fire before finally being captured.  The  fire spread to two floors and went to two alarms, destroying six units on two floors.  By the time it was over 3 hours after it all began, 20 people were left homeless. 

WFLD-TV has this video report that sums it up:

Both the policeman and the victim were hospitalized in critical condition.  The criminal, who turns out to have a lengthy record, is also hospitalized for his injuries from going through the window.  He has been arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated arson and aggravated battery with a firearm.

The Chicago Tribune is carrying the STORY HERE.

Posted by on January 10, 2010 • Filed under: crime, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

A Sunday Emergency !

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emergency header

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Season 2 – Episode 7

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Fuzz Lady

 

Posted by on January 10, 2010 • Filed under: EMS Topics, fun, Videos

Last 3 Days of Voting

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contest c finals box

BALLOTING CLOSES AT 6 PM Eastern on Tuesday evening for the Fire/EMS Blog of the Year contest.  If you haven’t voted at least once, make sure you do so  NOW by going directly to the ballot page HERE and casting your vote.

If you have already voted, you can do it again every six hours.  So if you have two websites that you’re rooting for, or you want to stuff the ballot box for your favorite Firegeezer Fire/EMS blog, take advantage of it.

The winner will be announced two hours later at 8 pm.

Posted by on January 10, 2010 • Filed under: Fire Blogs • Tagged:

(Another) Pittsburgh Firefighter Arrested

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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, FIREFIGHTER TIMOTHYCOYNE, 23, was arrested along with two other men early Saturday morning and charged with assault, burglary, public drunkeness and prowling at nighttime.

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FF Tim Coyne

The incident began when a man who lives in South Side opened his door to complain about a man who was urinating in his front yard.  That’s when Coyne and his cousin, Brian Coyne, 22, rushed at the homeowner, Aaron Gilkey, grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against a wall inside Gileky’s house.  The police report says that a third man — identified as Patrick Byrne Jr., 22 — stood watch outside the house.

A woman in the house called 9-1-1 and reported the intrusion and assault, and officers found them a short time later in an SUV with ten people inside it.

A Pittsburgh Fire Bureau spokesman says that Coyne, who has been on the department for 3 years, has been suspended without pay pending a trial board hearing that will be held within 30 days.

KDKA-TV has the STORY HERE.

Posted by on January 10, 2010 • Filed under: crime, Law & Justice, News

Ambulance Firm Owner Charged With Theft

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JEFFREY WALKER, 51, OWNER OF THE MAXIMUM CARE AMBULANCE SERVICE of South Amboy, New Jersey, was arrested and charged with stealing $155,000 in employees’ health insurance contributions from May 2008 to May 2009.  The funds were supposed to go for employees’ health insurance premiums and 401k contributions.

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The Monmouth County Prosecutor also charged Walker with stealing $37,000 from the all-volunteer Hazlet Fire Company No. 1, where he was the treasurer.

His crimes first came to light when the ambulance workers began having their medical claims denied by the insurance company because the premiums hadn’t been paid.  When the prosecutor’s office began investigating the crime, they uncovered the discrepancies at the fire company where Walker had been writing checks to himself.

The Asbury Park Press has the STORY.
Maximum Care Ambulance Service WEBSITE.
Hazlet Fire Company No. 1 WEBSITE.

hazlet

Posted by on January 10, 2010 • Filed under: ambulances, crime, News • Tagged: , , , ,

Preserving Digital History

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On April 12,1945, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, commander in chief of the Allied military forces, visited the Ohrdruf concentration camp.

After viewing the evidence of atrocities, he ensured that these unbelievable scenes would be witnessed and documented so that firsthand testimony of the crimes could be given. Eisenhower ordered members of the U.S. military forces to see what had been done and urged politicians, dignitaries, reporters, photographers, and filmmakers to inspect the camps and describe the atrocities they saw to their constituencies.

Eisenhower, in a letter to Chief of Staff George Marshall dated April 1945:

“I have never felt able to describe my emotional reaction when I first came face to face with indisputable evidence of Nazi brutality and ruthless disregard of every shred of decency. I visited every nook and cranny of the camps because I felt it my duty to be in a position from then on to testify at first hand about these things in case there ever grew up at home the belief or assumption that the stories of Nazi brutality were just propaganda.”

Eisenhower’s comment shows his foresight in thinking that we must preserve documentation and photographs to remind the world of the horrors that took place in the concentration camps.  (source document HERE)

Even with that effort, some believe that the Holocaust did not exist. Your grandchildren’s kids will be told that 9/11 is a myth.

DIGITAL HISTORY

digital_history_coverProfessor Dan Cohen is the Director of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University and a historian who explores—and tries to influence through theory, software, websites, and a blog —the impact of computing on the humanities.

Cohen wrote Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web (2005). The book explores the repercussions of copyright law and fair use for scholars in a digital age, and examines more cutting-edge web techniques involving interactivity, such as sites that use the medium to solicit and collect historical artifacts. Finally, the book provides basic guidance on insuring that the digital history the reader creates will not disappear in a few years.

THE SEPTEMBER 11 DIGITAL ARCHIVE

The September 11 Digital Archive uses electronic media to collect, preserve, and present the history of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath. The Archive contains more than 150,000 digital items, a tally that includes more than 40,000 emails and other electronic communications, more than 40,000 first-hand stories, and more than 15,000 digital images.

In September 2003, the Library of Congress accepted the Archive into its collections, an event that both ensured the Archive’s long-term preservation and marked the library’s first major digital acquisition.
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The information on FDNY comes from the New York Times. If we want to assure that our grandchildren’s children never forget, it may help to beef-up the fire department digital records. There are four special collections. Maybe there needs to be a fifth special collection, covering FDNY.

How about documenting the lasting effects of “WTC cough” and related illnesses that will eventually kill thousands of public safety, construction and others who worked on the pile.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on January 10, 2010 • Filed under: Technology & Communications, Training & Development • Tagged: , , , ,

Morning Lineup – January 10

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We had a bit of downtime yesterday afternoon when the FireEMSBlogs server malfunctioned for a few hours, taking all of us down with it.  But the web-wizards got it fixed and everything is back and running properly this morning.  Please don’t ask me what went wrong because I am in a perpetual fog when it comes to digital mechanics.  I have no idea what a server error log file is, or any of that other tech talk.

I want to tell you about some recent additions to the Fire/EMS Blogs family, though.  Four more quality blogs have just been added to the lineup and they are all top-notch sites.  Three of them are already established in the Fire/EMS web community and the fourth is a fresh start that is going to be just as good as any other.  Sunday is a good day to kick back and review these recently-added sites, so let’s check them out:

First, take a look at Traditions Training - http://blog.traditionstraining.com/ - a purely training-oriented site that is maintained by a group of ten fire officers who also put on training programs at schools and conferences around the country.  A top-notch site and they have thoughtfully posted a “Welcome to our Site” message on the homepage that tells you who they are and what they’re up to .  Give it a click.

new blog a traditions

Second, check out Command Safety – http://commandsafety.com/ - Christopher Naum’s well-known website that concentrates on building construction and risk management for firefighters and officers.  Most of you are already familiar with this excellent publication.  I am particularly glad that it’s in the Blog family because now  I will be able to check it more easily and keep up with Chris’ postings.

new blog b commandsafety

Next comes another of Chris Naum’s quality websites, The Company Officer – http://thecompanyofficer.com/ - part of his BuildingsOnFire series of websites.   This one is fairly new to the blog scene having started up in November.  But it has a good pedigree, so browse in confidence that you’re getting good “stuff.”

new blog c companyofficer

Lastly, we’ll introduce you to a brand-new blog,  A Firefighter’s Own Worst Enemy – http://firefightersenemy.com/ - published by Jason Hoevelmann who is a chief fire marshal in the mid-west and is a noted instructor.  He writes primarily about about prevention and how it relates to your situational awareness, but he also posts on related items.

new blog d FFownworstenemy

The FireEMS Blog family is still growing, as you see, and getting better all the time.  Again, I will suggest that the best way to scan web for your latest and most accurate fire/ems news and information is to first start with your daily dose of Firegeezer, and then log on to FireEMS Blogs – http://fireemsblogs.com/ - where you’ll find a dynamic listing of all the latest postings as they happen and it makes a perfect launch pad for your browsing.

Now let’s launch into getting this equipment checked out.  I’ve got to check and see how the Sunday breakfast is coming along and then get some more coffee started.  See you back in the day room.

Posted by on January 10, 2010 • Filed under: Fire Blogs, morning lineup

6 Alarms Working in Massachusetts

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Update, Sunday morning.  Scroll down.
Update #2:  Video added.

A FIRE BROKE OUT IN A LARGE APARTMENT BUILDING in Malden, Massachusetts, this morning (Saturday) just before 6 am.  The large, U-shaped brick building is five stories high and the first-arriving firefighters found fire showing from a top floor unit.  In short order, the fire demanded a total of six alarms in the sub-freezing weather and brought fire units from 17 departments.

malden a bostonherald Garfinkel

Boston Herald / Garfinkel photo

The fire was declared “contained” at 10:30 am, but it is still an active incident.  Firegeezer will update this story later when more information is made available.  Read the early report in the Boston Herald HERE.

Update, Sunday morning:
The fire was extinguished after 20 fire companies had been mustered to attack the 80-yr.-old brick building.  The Boston Globe summarizes:

“It was extremely difficult firefighting,’’ said Malden Assistant Chief John Colangeli, standing before the badly damaged Mystic Side apartment building yesterday afternoon as firefighters continued to contend with hot spots more than nine hours after the call came in. A charred sink, blackened house plant, and other debris from upper floors littered the soot-covered mulch in front of the building, where shrubs were encased in ice from the fire hoses.

The fire started in a corner apartment on the upper floor of the 4 1/2-story, U-shaped building at roughly 5:30 a.m., Malden and state officials said. The 80-year-old brick building, which sits at 503-509 Pleasant St., has 30 one-bedroom units on each side. On the east side, all 30 were left uninhabitable. On the west side, residents will be displaced until officials declare that half structurally sound, city officials said.

Three residents were taken to the hospital  for smoke inhalation, including one woman pulled from the upper story by firefighters on Malden’s Ladder 3.  Three firefighters also sustained minor injuries.  The fire and hot spots were completely out after about ten hours.

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Boston Globe / Ryan

The Boston Globe has a good photo gallery HERE.

Update:  WCVB-TV has this video report with some fire footage:

Posted by on January 9, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Apartment Fire Takes Young Family

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Narrow street calls for expert aerial placement.

Narrow street calls for expert aerial placement.

A FIRE IN THE CITY CENTER OF BORDEAUX, FRANCE, killed two young children and their mother, leaving the father in critical condition early this morning (Saturday).

The fire started around 2:30 am on the 3rd floor of the 4-story apartment building and when the fire department arrived the entire unit was well involved.  The firefighters were able to make entry into the unit and rescued the father, but the children ages 3 and 5 years, along with their mother, 42, had already perished from the smoke.  The father, 38, is in the intensive care unit at the hospital and is listed as “gravely injured.”

The building housed another 13 tenants and they all escaped safely, but will not be able to immediately return to their dwellings.  Investigation has started on the fire cause, but the police have said that is not considered suspicious. 

The fire brigade responded with 16 units and 40 firefighters on the scene.

Sud Ouest.com has the full story and more photos HERE.

 

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Posted by on January 9, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: , ,

Short Lays

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FLAMING HEARSE LEADS TO ARREST.  In Vallejo, California Friday afternoon, a man driving a hearse with an occupied casket inside was involved in a non-injury hit-and-run accident.  Instead of stopping at the wreck he caused, he continued on with his trip to deliver the coffin to a funeral service, driving with a flat front tire that was shooting sparks into the undercarriage of the hearse.

The California Highway Patrol got the call at 2:20 pm and when they caught up with the reluctant chauffer, the hearse was fully involved with fire.  The man had pulled over in time to pull the casket out of the vehicle and drag it away from the burning hearse.

The police arrested him for DUI.

The San Jose Mercury News has the DETAILS.

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A BAYFIELD COUNTY, WISCONSIN, AMBULANCE SPUN out of control on an icy road Friday and rolled over.

The Beacon Ambulance was transporting a patient from one hospital to another when the wreck occurred.  According to the sheriff’s report, the accident took place about 10:15 am when the westbound ambulance spun into the eastbound lane, then slid back across the roadway and rolled over in the westbound ditch.

bayfield amb a KQDS

KQDS-TV

The paramedics – driver Joseph Jacobson, 41, and Alicia Perttula, 25, both of Bessemer – were transported to St. Luke’s hospital in Duluth. The 66-year-old patient was flown to St. Luke’s by Life Link helicopter.

KQDS-TV Ch. 21 has the STORY.

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JUNIOR FIREFIGHTER GOES TO SENIOR JAIL for arson conviction.  Andrew Kildea, 17, of Saddle Brook, New Jersey was vacationing with his family in upstate New York  in early July when he sneaked onto a neighbor’s porch early one morning and started a fire.

Kildea pleaded guilty to arson in the fourth degree on Jan. 6 and would serve a six-month sentence at Warren County, New York, jail. After completing his sentence, Kildea will receive five years probation, which could be transferred to New Jersey.

New Jersey.com reports:

Kildea, who was a junior firefighter for Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 in Saddle Brook, was dismissed from the fire department in early July after the filing of the criminal complaint.

Despite Kildea’s age, Hogan indicated the arson conviction could not be expunged from his record.  “Arson is a red flag,” Hogan said. “There’s no youthful adjudication. That’s a felony conviction on his record.”

Kildea also received a no-contact order with the victim’s family and was required to submit his DNA for a governmental database.

Warren County Sheriff’s officials indicated Kildea set the blaze “with papers” on a porch built around a mobile camper. The fire travelled up the exterior wall of the camper, creating flames and heavy smoke, authorities said. Smoke detectors alerted the occupants of the trailer who were able to get out and extinguish the fire.

Posted by on January 9, 2010 • Filed under: ambulances, arson, fire, Fires, Law & Justice, News, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Ambulance Red-Light Rollover

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A LEIPZIG, GERMANY, AMBULANCE WAS INVOLVED in a traffic accident on Thursday night that left the ambulance laying on its side and four people injured.

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The ambulance was responding to a hospital with a patient when it entered a controlled intersection against the red light.  An automobile traveling with the green signal failed to notice the ambulance in time to avoid a collision and struck the unit in the rear section, causing it to roll over.

The 71-yr.-old patient and his companion were both seriously injured.  The “orderly” and the emergency doctor, who were both also in the rear, suffered minor injuries.  The 26-yr.-old driver of the car and the ambulance driver escaped injury.

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Firegeezer notes:  Look how well the cot was anchored.

Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk has the story and a VIDEO HERE.

Hat tip:  Christian L.

Posted by on January 9, 2010 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , , , , ,

Largest Digital Picture – 26 Gigapixel

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dresden

dresden

The photo was taken on the roof of the building “Haus der Presse” and starts at the left side with the Ostragehege. You can see the Congress Center and the Maritim Hotel rightwards. In the center is the city of Dresden with the famous Semperoper (back view), the castle and the Church of Our Lady. In the background is the television tower and you can identify outlines of the Saxon Switzerland. In the right part you can see the south of Dresden.

The picture was made with the Canon 5D mark II and a 400mm-lens. It consists of 1.665 full format pictures with 21.4 megapixel, which was recorded by a photo-robot in 172 minutes. The converting of 102 GB raw data by a computer with a main memory cache of 48 GB and 16 processors took 94 hours. With a resolution of 297.500 x 87.500 pixel (26 gigapixel) the picture is the largest in the world. (stand December 2009)

Link to website where you can manipulate the full picture HERE

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on January 9, 2010 • Filed under: News, photography • Tagged: ,

Morning Lineup – January 9

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One of the main attractions at the Consumer Electronics Show that is running in Las Vegas this weekend is the introduction of consumer-ready 3-D television.  It’s going to be a while before those of us at the home front will be sitting there watching that stuff, but the “industry insiders” say that this is really big because of the technology breakthrough that it represents.  Apparently there is more to it than just sitting there with the clunky glasses watching people throwing rocks and knives at us through the screen.  But I don’t have the imagination to think of what that might be.

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Very soon, all the Blu-ray dvd players will be 3-D enabled and all you have to do is throw away your $3,000 HD television and buy a new $5,000 3-D television set.  But most people haven’t bothered buying a Blu-ray player yet, mainly because we just don’t need it.  All the regular dvd players have the so-called “upconvert” feature that makes regular dvd’s compatible with a high-definition receiver and we’re perfectly content with buying standard dvd’s instead of paying a premium price for the Blu-rays.

Because of consumer reluctance to switch over, the prices of Blu-ray players have plunged to nearly as low as the standard players.  So before long , most people will have the capability to play the HD dvd’s and the migration to Blu-ray for all dvd purchases will pick up.  Selling prices of the discs will also match the standard price.  But now, before most of us have bothered to upgrade, here comes a new concept that will necessitate still another equipment replacement – a player that will transmit 3-D.  Between that and the tv replacement, it will be few years before there’s a rush to move up.

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I’m still puzzled over the whole HD thing, though.  I was under the impression that when we made the Big Switch to all-digital tv last year that it was going to include a total conversion to HD as well.  Naive me thought that all the tv stations would be transmitting everything in high-definition and that’s why we needed the HD receivers and cable boxes.  But nooooo.  Only some shows are sent out in HD and all the networks are now using two separate channels to show their bland programming.  I don’t understand the need to have a separate channel.  If your tv doesn’t get HD, you can still receive the signal and watch it.  So why not just show everything on the primary channel?  And why isn’t everything transmitted in HD anyway?  The tv stations have all the equipment.  Don’t they?  I don’t know, but I’ve always admitted that I’m a digital dunce and am slow to grasp the technical reasoning behind this stuff.  I just punch the buttons and watch.

We’d better go punch our equipment buttons now and get everything checked out for the Saturday emergencies.  I have to punch the button on the Bunn-o-matic and get more coffee flowing.  See you back in the day room.

Posted by on January 9, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: , , ,

You Don’t Say !!

2 comments

 

Summer Camp is where parents
spend $1,200 so that their
boy can learn how to make
a 50¢ clay ashtray.

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Posted by on January 8, 2010 • Filed under: You Don't Say

Short Lays

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IT ALL STARTED IN A MICROWAVE OVEN when a Des Moines, Iowa, resident wanted to warm a washcloth.  A few minutes later she smelled smoke and found the towel smoldering inside the microwave.  Forgetting about the nearbysink, she tossed the cloth out the window where it landed next to some boxes.  The cloth flared up, caught the boxes on fire  and the flames climbed the outside wall up to the attic.  By the time the FD put it out, there was $25,000 damage done.

Source:  Des Moines Register.

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 A MALFUNCTIONING KITCHEN APPLIANCE is listed as the probable cause for a fire Wednesday night that destroyed a 2-story apartment hotel in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

myrtle a sun news Slate

Sun News / Slate photo

View the extensive photo gallery in the Myrtle Beach Sun News HERE and you will appreciate the terrific job done by the FD in containing the fire with a lot of close, combustible exposures.

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 THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE that led to the death of the firefighter in Hintersee, Germany, on Tuesday (Firegeezer report HERE) has been attributed to a short circuit in the plug of a space heater.  The fallen firefighter’s name has not been released.  In Germany that information can only be released by the family if and when they choose to do it.

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A WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, AMBULANCE WAS STOLEN from in front of a residence while the crew was inside tending to a patient.  The Winnipeg Free Press reports:

A thief made off with a Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service ambulance early Thursday morning before leaving it abandoned nearby.A WFPS official confirmed the ambulance was left running outside a home on the 200 block of McGregor Street early Tuesday morning at about 4 a.m. while paramedics answered a call. Paramedics left keys in the ambulance’s ignition, but had an anti-theft security system on.

All ambulances have factory-installed anti-theft devices that are activated when ambulances are left running.

The ambulance was recovered abandoned a short time later.  The only thing taken was a pair of leather gloves.  None of the drugs or equipment were stolen.  The WFPS in investigating to find out why the anti-theft system failed to operate properly.

Read the full story in the Free Press HERE.

Posted by on January 8, 2010 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Fires, Line of Duty

Deadly Storm Crash on I-70

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A CAREENING TANK TRUCK CAUSED AN ACCIDENT on Interstate 70 just outside of Springfield, Ohio, that left several people dead and injured.  The tanker was traveling westbound in the heavy snowstorm that was passing through the area when it lost contol and started sliding.  After clipping an auto in the adjoining lane, the truck slid across the median and hit a mini-bus head on in the eastbound lanes.

The mini-bus was carrying about 10 mentally-disabled adults and the crash killed the bus driver and three of the passengers.  Six more were hospitalized with injuries.  WDTN-TV has this video report:

The Ohio Highway Patrol says it plans to examine both vehicles on Friday. Authorities say the snow-covered highway was slick, but they aren’t sure if the truck was operating at a safe speed.

i-70 b news-sun Lackey

The lettering on the side of the tanker reads:
“Safety Focused … Quality Driven”
(Springfield Sun-News photo by Lackey)

The Springfield News-Sun has the full story along with a 40-image photo gallery HERE.

Posted by on January 8, 2010 • Filed under: rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

Proof is in the Pudding

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From Bill Kehoe, MIFireE
US Branch Membership Chair, Institution of Fire Engineers

Sit back, relax and absorb what is in this article; then, act on it as if were the most important thing to do. We can help ourselves and each other. Read on. . .

(The) United States Fire Administration (USFA)/National Fire Data Center (NFDC) released their “Fire in the United States, 2003-2007” report, dated October 2009. This document is the15th major edition of “Fire in The United States” published by the USFA and covers the 5-year period of 2003 to 2007 with a primary focus on 2007. (HERE)

Ozzie Mirkhah

Ozzie Mirkhah

The good news is that the national fire loss statistics continued on a downward trend. The report indicates that annual deaths from fire in the United States were estimated at 12,000 in 1974, the year in which the USFA was established; and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimated fire deaths in 2007 was 3,430.

Yet despite all the improvements during the past three decades, the report indicates that

“nevertheless, the United States has a fire death rate 2 to 2 1/2 times that of several European Nations and at least 20 percent higher than many other Nations. Of the 25 industrial Nations examined by the World Fire Statistics Centre, the United States ranked as having the fifth highest fire death rate. This general status has been unchanged for the past 27 years.”

No, that isn’t the bad news either. Actually it is rather important for us to be aware of such global statistics and comparisons, since they help us better realize where we truly stand, recognize the shortcomings, and point out to the areas that we need to focus to do even a better job in the future. (…)

Here lays the problem. While it is true that “the public, the media, and local governments generally are unaware of the magnitude and seriousness of the fire problem to individuals and their families, to communities, and to the Nation“, I sincerely believe that the same exact lack of awareness also exists among our very own peers in the fire service.

read Ozzie’s entire article HERE

Why you should care what Ozzie says:

Mr. Mirkhah, Firehouse.com Contributing Editor, is the Fire Protection Engineer (FPE) for the City of Las Vegas Department of Fire & Rescue. His responsibilities include reviewing all building fire and life safety system designs and submittals to insure compliance with the federal, state and local fire and life safety codes and standards. Mr. Mirkhah is also involved in the development of fire & life safety codes and standards for the city.

Mr. Mirkhah is a registered professional engineer with more than 25 years of work experience in the field of fire protection engineering. Mr. Mirkhah joined the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue (LVF&R) more than 12 years ago. Prior to that Mr. Mirkhah worked as a consultant designing fire protection systems for some of the most internationally recognized fire protection consulting firms.

Mr. Mirkhah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME), and a Masters degree in Public Administration (MPA). Mr. Mirkhah is a 1999 graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. Mr. Mirkhah is a Certified Building Official, Certified Fire Inspector, Certified Mechanical Inspector, and Certified Plans Examiner through the International Code Council (ICC).

Mr. Mirkhah is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and served on the national NFPA 13 Technical Committee for Sprinkler System Discharge Design Criteria. Mr. Mirkhah is a member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) – USA Branch. Mr. Mirkhah is also a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). You can contact Mr. Mirkhah at: amirkhah@lasvegasnevada.gov.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on January 8, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Fire Prevention & Education • Tagged: , ,

A Gripping Moment in Indiana

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BRAZIL, INDIANA, FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED on the scene of a vehicle fire last night to find a tractor-trailer well involved and not-so-well positioned at a set of gasoline pumps. 

brazil a WTWO

WTWO-TV

The fire was reported shortly before 10 pm Central time Thursday night.  The pumps had been shut down and the FD evacuated the area until they had the fire safely extinguished.  The cargo which was burning was entirely plastic goods.

WTHI-TV Terre Haute has a brief video clip of the fire:

The fire destroyed the trailer, but no injuries were reported. Firefighters were challenged with roiling flames and heavy smoke as they worked to extinguish the blaze in the trailer that extended out from under the fuel pump island’s roof.

WTWO-TV is reporting that the driver left the truck unattended while he was fueling and the fire began while he was gone.  The fire department was hindered by frozen hydrants in the area.

Posted by on January 8, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, HazMat, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Morning Lineup – January 8

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This is one of those days where I definitely am not starting off with “a spring in my step.”  Far from it…..I’m content to just sit back and chill out for a while.  Sometimes that just plain feels good, doesn’t it?  Ok, it always feels good.  I’ll still get things done, but it’ll be at a more casual pace than usual.  We don’t want to enter the weekend at full-frenzy, do we?

I haven’t been studying it, but the weather is certainly the big item for emergency responders all around the northern hemisphere this week.  The upper half of the U. S. is being assaulted by a wave of winter storms that keep passing by.  While an 18-inch snowfall is just another day for them, these weather systems are bringing unusually frigid temperatures with them.  And these record cold air systems are reaching all the way down to Texas and Florida.  Some truly record cold temps. in Texas.  Over in Europe, snow is making the news.  Some places in England are literally buried today (and canceling some of the horse racing!)  and most of western Europe is facing the same cold/snow combo. that we are here.  And I’m sure you saw our “fun” story the other day of the beer in China freezing as it’s being poured out of the bottle (HERE).

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An update came in overnight from contest headquarters for the Best Fire/EMS Blog of the Year contest.  They refined the vote-counting program to operate more efficiently and the new mechanism (or whatever it is that runs these things) now permits you to vote as frequently as every six hours.  So if any of you want to engage in some ballot-box-stuffing, you can pick up the pace a little bit.

contest b finals banner

Even if you only plan on voting once, go ahead and get it done now instead of putting it off.  CLICK HERE to get the online ballot and take the few seconds required to make your selection and send it in.  Then later, be sure to take some time to view any of the blogs that you’re not familiar with.  You will probably find some new joy in there.

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If you haven’t had enough Tiger Woods news yet, here’s a fresh snippet for you.  The police-side dispatch tapes of his most famous drive were released yesterday.  The condensed recording only runs for 4 minutes and is police only, no EMS.  But you might want to take a listen anyway.  It’s at the 15-second mark where the “vehicle vs. pole” call gets dispatched.  CLICK HERE to listen to the tape.  There’s a lot of demand on that server, so be patient while it downloads.  This is the first and the last Tiger Woods news that you’re getting from me.

tiger trophy

Tiger poses with his most recent trophy

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We’ll have a separate posting for the updates from the Consumer Electronics Show later on.  For now, we have to get this equipment checked out.  I’ll drag myself back to the kitchen and make sure there’s plenty of coffee started.  See you in the day room.

Posted by on January 8, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup

Hot Pursuit Stops Armed Robber

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A ROBBERY SUSPECT IN SANTEE, CALIFORNIA (San Diego area), met his maker in a fiery crash after he piled his motorcycle into the side of a truck and then into a Highway Patrol car.

santee b KSWB

KSWB-TV

The 39-yr.-old man had just held up a convenience store for some cigarettes when a patrol car spotted him and gave chase.  After trying to elude the police cars that had converged to capture him, he made an unwise choice and sped his motorcycle onto a road that was closed ahead for construction.  At the same moment, a CHP officer was talking to the construction crew to warn them of the high-speed chase in the area.  The Union-Tribune continues:

That officer was facing south in his patrol car talking to a Caltrans employee who was sitting in his truck facing north on the highway between concrete barriers when they heard the motorcycle approaching at high speed.  Both men jumped out of their vehicles and took refuge behind the barriers.

The rider had nowhere to go and crashed head-on into the truck. The bike became wedged underneath it and pushed the truck into the patrol car, before bursting into flames, [a CHP spokesman] said.

The motorcyclist was thrown about 200 feet. Emergency personnel tried to resuscitate him, but he died at the scene about 2:30 a.m.  Neither the CHP officer nor the Caltrans worker was injured.  A revolver was found in the debris.

KFMB-TV Ch. 8 filed this video report from the crash scene:

All three vehicles were destroyed by the crash and fire.  Read the full STORY HERE.

santee a union-tribune

Union-Tribune

Posted by on January 7, 2010 • Filed under: crime, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , ,

What Is He Doing?

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THIS PHOTO OF A SUPER-STRONG FIREFIGHTER HAS BECOME separated from the story that it was illustrating.  We don’t have any idea what he is doing, so you can help us out and supply the caption that should go with this picture.  Enter it in the Comments section to get this story wrapped up.  Firegeezer thanks you.

strong firefighter

Posted by on January 7, 2010 • Filed under: culture, fun, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus • Tagged: ,