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Texas Cop Charged With Arson

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A MINERAL WELLS, TEXAS, POLICE OFFICER WITH AN IMPECCABLE RECORD was arrested early Tuesday and charged with setting three fires in the early morning hours.

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John Gore, who was describe by Police Chief Mike McAllester as “a model officer for the three years he has been (here),” was detained shortly after three businesses were set afire in an industrial park. Responding officers quickly got witness statements desribing a pickup truck speeding through the area at the time of the fires and they located Gore not far away. He had a can of gasoline in the back of his truck and has been cooperating with the investigators.

WPFW-TV Ch. 4 has this video report:

The three businesses were an old army barracks that was used as a storage building, an aviation company that contained museum artifacts worth approx. $1 mllion, and a fireworks stand. He is now being investigated for any connection with a string of arsons that have been committed in the area over the past few months.

The Mineral Wells Index has the complete STORY HERE including some interesting revelations on Gore’s Myspace web page.

Posted by firegeezer on February 17, 2010 • Filed under: arson, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, Videos • Tagged: Mineral Wells Texas, police officer arson, police officer John Gore

Morning Lineup – February 17

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Yesterday was Mardis Gras day and I almost forgot about it. One of my little quirky traditions is to fix a New Orleans-style “Peacemaker” sandwich on Mardis Gras Tuesday. Putting it in basic terms, a Peacemaker is a fried-oyster sandwich or sub, and they are delicious.

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This commemorative habit dates back to when my father was living in New Orleans. He worked for the Federal government and was occasionally transferred to different cities whenever he was promoted. His last posting before he retired was in New Orleans where he lived for about seven years. So you can bet that I took advantage of that and visited several times including three Mardis Gras celebrations. It was a fun place to visit back then, but unfortunately the city has deteriorated and lost its charm now. But I’m lucky in that I was able to witness the good times while they were there, including the last bit of the original New Orleans jazz scene.

One of the reminders of those times are the Peacemakers which are a prevelant menu item at lunch rooms and sandwich shacks in the area. So I fix them for me two or three times each year including Shrove Tuesday. Some people don’t like oysters, but that’s usually because they don’t give them a fair chance. The darn things are so ugly that they look unappetizing to most people. In fact, there’s an old joke line that says that the bravest man in world history was the first one who ate a raw oyster.

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While I enjoy raw oysters and oyster stew, my favorite is fried oysters, and when you pack those babies into a hollowed-out sub roll, it’s the greatest sandwich of all.

We’ve got a busy day ahead, so let’s get this equipment checked out. I need to get some coffee started. I’ll be ducking out for a couple hours this afternoon for a dentist appointent, and that is never a treat. See you back in the day room in a little while.

Posted by firegeezer on February 17, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: fried oysters, Mardis Gras, oysters, Peacemaker sandwich, raw oysters

Updates

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UPDATES FOR SOME RECENT POSTINGS

EARLIER TODAY WE POSTED THE STORY of a high rise fire in the Bronx (HERE) that has the photo of a woman holding a baby out a window for air while waiting for the firefighters. Dave Statter at STATter911 has added the fireground audio of the incident and an interview with the woman who took the photo HERE.

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THE PATIENT IN THE JAMESTOWN, NORTH DAKOTA, ambulance that rolled over on Monday February 8 died three days later. (see Firegeezer report HERE.) The 92-yr.-old man was being transported from Jamestown to Fargo when the ambulance hit an ice patch on a highway bridge, went off the road onto the median strip, rolled over once and landed on its wheels. KSJB radio news has the update HERE.

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DO YOU REMEMBER THE STRANGE MAYOR OF NEWTON FALLS, OHIO, who blocked a responding ambulance and wouldn’t move? Firegeezer had a video report on January 16 (HERE) about the unusual event where the mayor stopped his car in an intersection “because that’s what you’re supposed to do” and prevented the ambulance from passing. According to the ambulance driver, Mayor Layshock then cursed and gestured at the ambulance before finally pulling away and driving off.

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On Tuesday of last week a judge issued a warrant for his arrest for disrupting public services, a 4th-degree felony. The following day, Wednesday he voluntarily turned himself in to the police station where he was then released on a summons. A court date has not been set. The Tribune Chronicle has the latest chapter in this unusual STORY HERE.

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ONE OF OUR MORE UNUSUAL STORIES was reported in February of last year when an “exotic dancer” at the Babes ‘n’ Beer Sports Club in Tarzana, California, was set on fire by a disgruntled woman who had been refused employment there as a lap dancer. See the story and photos in our first report HERE. The woman who committed the crime was immediately identified and a few days later she was arrested and charged with attempted murder. The victim, Roberta Dos Santos Busby, is a Brazilian national and was so severely injured with 2nd- and 3rd-degree burns over 40% of her body, that it was doubtful at first whether she would survive.

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Roberta dos Santos Busby

The assailant was tried last week and on Thursday a Los Angeles County Superior Court jury found Rianne Celine Theriault-Odom guilty of aggravated mayhem and torture and acquitted her on the charge of attempted murder. She faces a life sentence in prison with the possibility of parole. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4.

The Los Angeles Daily News has a good story on Busby’s ordeal, recovery and rehabilitation over the past year HERE.

Posted by firegeezer on February 16, 2010 • Filed under: current events, Fire Rescue Topics • Tagged: Babs 'n' Beer Sports Club, Bronx high rise fire, Jamestown North Dakota ambulance, Mayor Layshock, Newton Falls Ohio, Rianne Celine Theriault-Odom, Roberta Dos Santos Busby

Mystery Minute 04.16

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Truth Tellers begins at Part One HERE
Previous episode Part Fifteen is HERE

Part Sixteen

Finny was getting nowhere fast. Turning back to Mousey, “So tell me who’s gonna say you were at home last night, Mousey.”

“Nobody… I was by myself. Hey, youse not gonna pin nuttin’ on me here! I don’t go ’round settin’ fires, I’m a law-abidin’ citizen.”

Finbar closed his eyes for a moment and thought to himself, “Cripes, this is not going to be any fun at all.” Then he realized that soon he’d be having to face Mayrie next. Double-cripes.

Read Part Seventeen HERE.

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Posted by firegeezer on February 16, 2010 • Filed under: Mystery Minute • Tagged: Mystery Minute

Auto Fire Brings 17 Engine Companies

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AN AUTO FIRE IN AN UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE that is connected to an apartment building started spreading to more cars. The fire took place in Nice, France, on Sunday and eventually burned 19 cars sending a large volume of smoke into the apartment and venting outside. There were up to 250 cars parked inside at the time.

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There were 73 firefighters and 17 engines on the scene along with 2 doctors and 3 paramedics. Twelve firefighters suffered from smoke inhalation and were treated on the scene.

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One woman was trapped in her car and suvived by staying in it, turning on her emergency flashers, and honking her horn to guide the FF’s to her location where she was saved and then transported to the hospital. The FD was on the scene for 6 hours.

SDIS06, the fire department, has a 3-page photo gallery of official photos HERE.
SDIS06 also has the report on the operation HERE (in French).

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Posted by firegeezer on February 16, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: Nice France, SDIS06, underground parking garage

Looking Back

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……….Fire Engineering, February 1956

Posted by firegeezer on February 16, 2010 • Filed under: Looking Back • Tagged: Myers Bulldozer Fire Pump, Myers Pumps, The F. E. Myers & Bro. Co.

Belgian Train Crash Update

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FOLLOWING MONDAY MORNING’S COLLISION of two passenger trains in Belgium (see yesterday’s Firegeezer video report HERE), the following disclosures and events have taken place.

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* The death toll from the accident has been revised downward to 18 dead, 15 men and 3 women. It appears that this will be the final count.

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* The driver of the train that passed the stop signal survived the crash but is in serious condition. After throwing on the emegency braking system, he started sounding the horn rapidly until the last moment when he then dove out the door of the cab. He is in the hospital but unable to be interviewed by the investigators due to his extensive injuries.

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* Part of the accident investigation is focused on how and why the train passed the stop signal. The London Times reports:

Mr Spiessens could not say whether the driver had missed a red signal in the snowy conditions, or whether the signal had been obscured or faulty. An inquiry is under way after the black box recorders of both trains were recovered.

There are also claims that automatic braking equipment had not been fitted to the smaller commuter train, which should have prevented it from passing a stop signal and colliding with the 12-carriage express.

Luc Lallemand, vice-chairman of Infabel, which manages the rail network, said that, if both trains had the automatic equipment “it could have been avoided.”

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* Late Monday, a statement from Belgium’s national rail company SNCB and infrastructure operator Infrabel said the crash had been “lateral” and not head-on as previously reported.

“For reasons that are still unknown, the two trains collided laterally at points at the exit of Halle station on the way to Brussels,” the statement said.

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* A spontaneous strike by Belgian railway workers began Tuesday morning in protest of poor working conditions. BBC News reports:

Train workers were striking on Tuesday in protest at what they described as deteriorating working conditions, which they said could lead to accidents such as the one at Halle.

SNCB said the “spontaneous” strike was being widely followed and that there would be widespread disruption to train services in southern Belgium, or Wallonia, throughout Tuesday.

There is a 26-image photo gallery of aerial views HERE.
A 90+ image photo gallery (3 pages) HERE.

Posted by firegeezer on February 16, 2010 • Filed under: rescue, Rescues, Videos

Dramatic Rescue Attempt by Chattanooga FF’s

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TWO CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, FIREFIGHTERS LITERALLY WENT into the flames in a dramatic rescue attempt of two infants Monday afternoon.

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WTVC

When the units arrived on the scene there was fire coming from the windows of both floors of a 2-story apartment unit and reports from people outside of two infants still upstairs. Two firefighters immediately charged up the stairs and found them in a bedroom with a 7-month-old baby in a crib and a boy age 3 nearby on the floor. Snatching both of them, the FF’s dashed outside as the turnout coat of one of them caught on fire.

Unfortunately, the baby was already dead from smoke inhalation. The older boy was also burned and died a few hours later at the hospital. The babies’ mother had left them in the care of her 9-yr.-old autisitic son while she visited with a neighbor three doors away. Investigators are working to determine the cause and are also considering criminal charges against the mother.

This video report from WTVC-TV Ch. 9 includes some gripping home video showing the rescue and the FF coming out of the apartment with the baby tucked inside his running coat that is burning at the same time. Later in the video they show his colleagues using a handline to extinguish his burning coat:

The Chattanooga Times Free Press has the full story and additional video HERE.

Hat tip to Nathan C.

Posted by firegeezer on February 16, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: Chattanooga Fire Department

Multiple Rescues in the Bronx

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Update, Wednesday AM: Video added, scroll down.

A FIRE IN A BRONX, NEW YORK CITY, HIGH-RISE Monday afternoon presented FDNY firefighters with a rescue challenge. When they first arrived at the 2 pm fire there was a woman trapped behind window safety bars holding a 7-month-old infant out of the window to give it air to breathe.

*Feb 15 - 00:05*

Vanessa Scott holds her infant cousin out of the
4th-floor window while they await the arrival
of the firefighters.
(New York Daily News photo by Maya Tucker)

The firefighters immediately laddered the 5th-floor window securing the baby and then removed the bars, freeing eight more people who were trapped by the flames.

The fire is believed to have started in a closet and spread into the foyer preventing them from escaping. Another occupant, a man, survived by jumping from another window in the apartment, but he suffered serious injuries from the fall. Twelve people altogether were injured, mostly from smoke inhalation, and were transported.

WNYW-TV later filed this video report:

The fire took about an hour to be extinguished.

NY1 has more and a video report HERE.

Posted by firegeezer on February 16, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Rescues • Tagged: Bronx, FDNY, high-rise rescue

Moning Lineup – February 16

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child text The revolution in telephone technology and usage is really picking up speed now. All of a sudden there are new features and programs being tested and introduced by the cellular industry, including the phone makers, the networks, and the program developers. I’m starting to feel like I’m being left behind now as this stuff is really racing away. I’ve known for a while that I’m “behind the curve” when I read about 8-yr.-old children “texting” exam answers across the classroom.

So far, I’ve resisted the texting fad because it hasn’t had any draw or necessary use for me, as well as the extra cost involved. But GeezerDotter and Son of Geezer are both fully conversant in it, mainly because that’s about the only way they can get their kids to talk to them these days. It looks like the text messages are replacing a lot of phone calls, though. Instead of dialing a number, waiting for the ringing, then listening to the voice mail prompts and leaving a message (Whatcha’ doin’?), you just punch in your important message (wht u doon) and it goes right through….interrupting dinner and making immediate contact.

Within the last two weeks there has been an explosion in technological announcements as various companies have tried to keep their products relevant in this runaway market. For instance, there have been phone instrument upgrades in attempts to compete with iPhone and Android (HERE ), programmers racing to keep their products compatible with the newer sytems, such as Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 (HERE), and even mighty Google is setting up an “app store” to sell business-related apps for smartphones (HERE).

And as we mentioned the other day, Skype and Verizon will be making their joint announcement any minute now on their new collaboration that will permit cell phone callers to talk to people in other countries using the VOIP on the phone instead of their computers. Just think, soon you will be able to connect directly to someone in Slovakia and ask them, “Vatch ya’ doin’?”

If you’re off work today, and you’re in the U. S., the afternoon has tv coverage of the USA vs. Switzerland men’s hockey game from noon Eastern time to 3 pm, followed by men’s curling from 3 to 6. This is our first view of curling this year…so don’t miss your chance to start learning the game that we talked about HERE. Both programs are on the USA Network today.

We’d better get this equipment checked out now. I’ve got to get some coffee going.

Posted by firegeezer on February 16, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: Android, Curling, iPhone, Skype, texting, Windows phone 7

Proper Probie Preparation

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A PROBATIONARY FIREFIGHTER’S TRAINING AND PREPARATION is intense and continuous. The flow of information, tips, and advice seemingly never stops as the shift Lieutenant keeps the information flowing in an attempt to bring the probie up to full firefighter status.

Firefighter Steve Piper in Missouri teamed up with “Fireball” Laurence Delorme to create this training video on one of the most important facets of a probie’s training:

Posted by firegeezer on February 16, 2010 • Filed under: fun, Training, Training & Development, Videos • Tagged: probie training

Silent Bob, Southwest Air and a “Safety Concern”

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A GUILTY PLEASURE THIS PRESIDENT’S DAY is following the evolving story of Kevin Smith’s ejection from a Saturday night Southwest Air flight from Oakland to Burbank.

TO FAT TO FLY?

Kevin “Silent Bob” Smith purchased two round trip seats. Had tickets for the 7:30 pm return flight. Arriving hours earlier, Smith went standby for the 5:10 flight.

The 5:10 flight was almost full, Smith could only get one seat.

After stowing his carry-on and sitting down, he was told that the captain had a “safety concern” and Smith had to deplane.

While waiting for a later flight, Smith started posting Twitter messages. While not as popular as Sockington (the cat), Smith has 1.66 million followers. Southwest has 1.03 million.

Smith maintains that the armrests could go down and he could buckle his safety belt without an extension.

You can get the album version of Smith’s experience in an one hour and 27 minute “SModcast” posted last night. SModcast #106

Gawker posted one of 970+ articles about the incident (HERE). This conflict was covered on this morning’s National Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal, and was posted in Hungary’s #1 news site. After saying no, a representative from Good Morning America showed up at Smith’s house Sunday night.

SOUTHWEST RESPONSE

Southwest and Jet Blue are considered the most customer-oriented air carriers. The gal working the Southwest Twitter account quickly responded to the first flurry of tweets from Smith.

In later tweets Smith says that her response “… was buried in the wave of responses I got.” Gawker caught a screen shot of the responses:

Southwest posted an apology and explaination yesterday. Gadling.com made a screen copy before the Southwest servers crashed Sunday night. (Apology Statement HERE)

Smith disputes some of the facts in the apology, that he “always” buys two seats and that he received a call from Customer Relations. Until two hours ago, 36 hours after the incident, Smith said that he has not received a phone call from Southwest.

LARRY KING TONIGHT?

About five hours ago @kingsthings reaches out to Smith “Lots of news about KevinSmith & Southwest, I would love to interview him about this tonight.”

Three hours ago “good news I’m in LA. too. No need to go to the airport. Would love for you to stop by tonight and we can talk.” Smith responds ‘kay Thanks

LINDA FROM SOUTHWEST

Within the hour of the last @kingsthings response, Smith tweets about a phone call he gets from Southwest. “If the call I just had was legit, a Linda from @SouthwestAir just apologized & said the pilot DID NOT single me out for Fatty-ejection. Waiting on a call back now.”

What would make things right for Smith is:

They could start by blogging the stuff Linda told me. I told her I would sign any document promising I’ll never sue @SouthwestAir – all they have to do is tell the truth.

I’ll go back to using @SouthwestAir if they just nut-up and admit a) they did, indeed, f-up and it got out of control, b) I (& y’all) were misled by the blog posting on @SouthwestAir: I was not, in fact, ejected because I couldn’t fit in my seat/was Too Fat To Fly. Just be honest.

Everyone’s so scared to admit to fault/f-up, for feat of getting sued. In front of all of y’all, I say this: I’ll never sue @SouthwestAir no matter WHAT facts may emerge. I don’t want any @SouthwestAir $$$, I want south western justice! You should get that, as you guys are Texans! .

Once these tweets were posted, there were media reports that Southwest made a second apology to Kevin Smith. Twitter has been over capacity for much of the time I have been writing this item.

EDITED TO ADD: Southwest’s Conversation with Kevin Smith

From My Conversation with Kevin Smith by Linda Rutherford:

Although I’m not here to debate the decision our Employees made, I can tell you that I for one have learned a lot today. The communication among our Employees was not as sharp as it should have been and, it’s apparent that Southwest could have handled this situation differently. Thanks, Kevin, for your passion around this topic. You were a reasonable guy during our conversation.

SO, LET’S CONSIDER THIS SCENARIO …

Instead of Southwest Air, it is your fire department. One of your crews is involved in a major citizen mess-up. Your department posts a response that is based on incomplete information from the crew.

A day later you get additional information that makes your first response appear mean-spirited and evasive. Admitting this situation will destroy a hard-fought reputation as being the municipal “good guys.” It will embarrass the elected officials and fire chief’s boss. This may result in additional budget cuts.

Would YOU accept Smith’s offer?

Mike “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 fossilmedic on February 15, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, News, Twitter, Urban Commander • Tagged: fossilmedic, Kevin Smith, Linda Rutherford, Silent Bob, Southwest Air, To Fat To Fly

Mystery Minute 04.15

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Truth Tellers begins at Part One HERE.
Previous episode Part Fourteen is HERE.

Part Fifteen

“I didn’t ask you that, Joey. I want to know where you were,” Finny pressed on.

Joey looked back at him and answered, “I was at da Waffle House, just a couple a’ blocks from Tony’s.”

“All night?” Finny asked incredulously.

“Almost… from about 6 ’till my goil got off at midnight.”

Reads Part Sixteen HERE.

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Posted by firegeezer on February 15, 2010 • Filed under: Mystery Minute

Quick Repeal of FD Billing Law

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WHEN THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS in Cherokee County, South Carolina, approached the County Council for some legal help, they were gladly accomodated. The VFD’s were expending large sums of money on expensive operations on I-85 that usually involved vehicles from out of state.

The costs of providing haz-mat cleanup, extensive extrications, and other services were burdensome to the departments’ financial situations. Two years ago the departments began billing out-of-state users for the costs of service and they were usually paid by the victims’ insurance companies. But lately the insurers have been balking at paying with the claim that there isn’t a law that authorizes the FD’s to charge for their services.

The county Fire Chiefs Association then approached the council requesting an ordinance to permit the practice and the council obliged, passing it after the three required public hearings early this month. It was then that it all “hit the fan” when it was discovered that the new law allows the VFD’s to bill anyone who is at fault for a fire or vehicle accident.

WSPA-TV reported:

The President of the county Fire Chiefs Association says the law will apply only to out-of-county residents who cause vehicle accidents—even though it is worded to include anyone who is at fault in a wreck or a fire.

Josh Parker says volunteer fire departments – especially those that have I-85 in their district – spend a lot of manpower and equipment responding to accidents caused by people who are not paying for their services.

“We just want to recoup some of that cost,“ says Parker, who is also Chief of the Buffalo Volunteer Fire Department. “In the end, this ordinance will save Cherokee County taxpayers money because it will keep us from having to buy new material so frequently.“

But intentions don’t count for much in the word of law, and the misconception and outcry was immediate as shown in this video report from WSPA-TV Ch. 7 this past Thursday:

Reaction from the county council was just as swift and Saturday they repealed the ordinance before it went into effect. At the regular meeting on Tuesday night they will complete the process of repeal. The County Administrator says that it is now “a dead issue.”

The Spartanburg Herald Journal has more HERE.

Posted by firegeezer on February 15, 2010 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Fire-ology, Videos • Tagged: Cherokee County South Carolina, volunteer fire department billings

Blazingly Fast Response

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A NORTHERN IRELAND AMBULANCE SERVICE unit was responding to the Antrim Hospital with a patient Sunday afternoon when the driver notice smoke starting to come into the cab.

He immediately pulled over and the crew got the patient out safely just seconds before the ambulance broke out in flames. It was completely destroyed while a passerby loaded the patient and paramedic into his van and completed the trip.

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The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said that an investigation into the fire has been launched. The Service insisted that the ambulance fleet is safe and said that “no vehicles will be withdrawn at this stage”.

The Belfast Telegraph has the STORY.

Posted by firegeezer on February 15, 2010 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, fire, Fires, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: ambulance fire, Belfast Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service

Commuter Train Crash Kills Dozens

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FIREFIGHTERS IN AND AROUND BRUSSELLS, BELGIUM, are working a messy mass-casualty incident this morning following a head-on crash of two loaded commuter trains.

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The accident happened near a station where one of the trains went through a stop signal, approached the other on the same track, and they collided at speed head-on without ever applying the brakes. The tumbling rail cars struck a third train on the next track that was stopped at the station causing further damage and injury.

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The latest casualty count has 25 dead and more than 150 injured, but both totals are expected to continue to rise throughout the day as rescue and extrication operations are carried out. AFP is reporting that several surgeons are on the scene performing amputations on-site to free victims from the wreckage.

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The two trains hit each other near the town of Halle, about nine miles southwest of Brussels.

The London Times has a recent report and a video HERE.

Firegeezer will be updating the report during the day after confirmed information becomes available.

Posted by firegeezer on February 15, 2010 • Filed under: Mass Casualty Incident, rescue, Videos • Tagged: Brussels, commuter train crash, mass casualty

Morning Lineup – February 15

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Even though it’s Monday, I’m off to a leisurely start today, definitely low-key. That may change as the caffeine level rises, though. As far as “leisure” goes, though, most of the world’s spare time focus is on the Winter Olympics that is now gearing up to full speed.

The Winter Games are the ones that I enjoy watching the most. There is plenty of visual excitement and drama of competition with things like ski jumping, free-style skating, hockey, and bobsledding. I always liked the bobsledding. Partly, I believe, because this is the only time you get to see it and I enjoy the speed. Of course, you know that I like the hockey. But when it comes to watching Olympic events, I have another favorite: Curling.

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You read that right….. I said Curling. That strange game that gets many Canadians through the winter that was brought over to North America by Scots immigrants more than a hundred years ago that involves sliding a granite stone slowly down the ice and attempting to score in the same manner that a shuffleboard game is played. Curling is widely recognized by the strange practice of a couple of teammates trying to trot along ahead of the stone with brooms and sweeping the path clear for the stone.

I first got hooked on the game eight years ago watching the 2002 games and I found out that if you pay attention to what’s going on, there is genuine drama there. It’s subtle but it’s real, albeit a lot slower than most other contests. But once you get into the game, it’s gripping at times. Knowing that most tv viewers are unfamiliar with curling, the announcers usually do a good job of explaining what’s going on. And if you know how shuffleboard is played, then you can grasp the rules easily. The strategy of the team play is what makes it exciting.

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There is one more reason why I enjoy curling, and that is because the game is a purely amateur sport. No high-dollar pro’s coming in and dominating the games. These are just ordinary folks who love the game and work their way up the competition ladder to make it to the Olympics. People of any age, sex, or size can do it, and that is what I think the entire Olympics should be. In the last games four years ago, one of the men’s teams that was in the finals was a group of employees and the owner of a little pizza parlor in a small town in the far north of either Saskatchewan or Alberta, I can’t remember which. That was absolutely great, just watching this group of good friends making their once-in-a-lifetime appearance on the world stage.

The first televised coverage of the sport will be tomorrow, Tuesday, so if you want to get familiar with the game ahead of time, CLICK HERE for a website that gives you the basics. The Milwaukee Curling Club has a series of informative videos that explain how the game is played HERE.

We’re all set here….we’ve already got the brooms. So let’s get the equipment checked out and I’ll get the coffee started.

Posted by firegeezer on February 15, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: Curling, winter olympics

Mystery Minute 04.14

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Truth Tellers begins at Part One HERE.
Previous episode Part Thirteen is HERE.

Part Fourteen

Turning back to Mousey, Lonnigan says to him, “I’m not here about the bleepin’ extinguishers, Mousey, and you know it. I want to know about the fire at Tony’s house last night.”

“Fire?! What fire?” Mousey cried with obvious pretense of surprise. “What’s wit’ Tony? Is he ok?”

“Don’t know, there was a burned up body in the kitchen and we haven’t ID’d it yet.” Then leaning across the counter, Finny says, “Where were you last night, Mousey?”

“I was home….home, man. What’s goin’ on here?”

Finbar ignored his question and then turned to the mug, “What about you, Joey? Where were you last night?” he asked, already knowing where he was.

“I don’t know nuttin’ bout no fire….” Joey responded.

Read Part Fifteen HERE

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Posted by firegeezer on February 14, 2010 • Filed under: Mystery Minute • Tagged: Mystery Minute

7 Dead, Many Still Missing in Tenement Fire

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A FAST-GROWING FIRE IN A CICERO, ILLINOIS, tenement building that spread to others has left seven people dead and an unknown number still unaccounted for.

The fire began Sunday morning around 6:30 Central time in a multi-family building that had four or five residencies in it. There are no immediate numbers of how many people were living there, but some estimates put the number at 20 to 40. It spread to another building that housed more families. There are indications that both buildings were illegally over-occupied with unauthorizd sub-dividing within the units.

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Larry Shapiro

Authorities are trying to determine how many people may have been living in the buildings while the fire department continues to sift through the debris searching for more victims. So far, about 20 survivors have been provided emergency relief by the Red Cross.

More than 60 firefighters from six surrounding departments responded to the blaze and they had it knocked down before 11 am.

The Chicago Tribune has an updated REPORT HERE.

Fire photographer Larry Shapiro has a 180-image photo gallery of the fire HERE.

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Larry Shapiro

Posted by firegeezer on February 14, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: Cicero Illinois, over-occupied, tenement fire

4 Infants Perish as Baby Sitter Bails Out

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FOUR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 5 perished Saturday night when a fire swept unchecked and unreported through a townhouse in Flint, Michigan. One of the children lived there and the others were being watched by the child’s father, a 28-yr.-old man who was cooking something and fell asleep.

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Flint Journal / Hollyn Johnson

When he woke up, the fire was well advanced and he dove out a first-floor window to escape. The children ages 4, 3, 2, and 1 were all upstairs and trapped in the fire. At about that time, shortly after 11 pm, a neighbor saw the fire breaking out the windows and called the fire department.

Battalion Chief Andy Graves told the Flint Journal that the home was fully involved when the units arrived, but they made an attempt anyway, advancing a hose line up the stairs while knocking down the fire. However, all the children were already dead by that time. Chief Graves added that the prolonged response time of seven minutes was created by the closure of a nearby fire station. He also said that none of the smoke detectors in the public housing unit were working and that contributed greatly to a delayed alarm.

The fire got up into the common attic and spread throughout the building, damaging the other five units in the structure.

The Associated Press has MORE.

Posted by firegeezer on February 14, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Response times • Tagged: closed firehouse, fatal fire, Flint Michigan

A Sunday Emergency !

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Season Two, Episode 14

School Days

A paramedic trainee loses his confidence on his first call.

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Posted by firegeezer on February 14, 2010 • Filed under: Sunday Emergency, Videos • Tagged: Emergency

FF’s Want to Veto Chief’s Appointment

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THE MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, FIREFIGHTERS UNION has filed a suit with the State Supreme Court asking them to annul the appointment made last September of a new fire chief because he is not qualified.

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In September the Mayor Clinton Young appointed Al-Farid Salahuddin to head the fire department. The city’s civil service rules state that anyone appointed to the chief’s position must have one year of experience as a paid deputy fire chief prior to being appointed. The union claims that he not only fails to meet that qualification, but he also failed to pass the necessary civil service examinations required for the position. They are petitioning that the appointment was “arbitrary and an abuse of discretion.”

The Lower Hudson Journal News reported the story HERE after they came across the legal filing while scanning through a list of recent court filings.

Interestingly, even though this appointment was made five months ago, the city’s official website HERE still lists the previous fire chief as head of the department.

Posted by firegeezer on February 14, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, labor • Tagged: Al-Farid Salahuddin, Mayor Clinton Young, Mount Vernon NY Fire Department, New York State Supreme Court

Illinois FF Designs Rescue Device

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ROSEWOOD HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, FIREFIGHTER JUSTIN WILKINSON had an idea. Identifying the need for some sort of assisting device to remove downed firefighters from hazardous environments, he designed a webbed strap that is easily carried and just as easily utilized to drag a firefighter to safety. Cyntha Ellis at the Alton Telegraph writes:

“I had this dream that is finally become a reality,” Wilkinson said. “I’m so excited. I’ve wanted to do something to help firefighters, and this is something that does that.” Wilkinson has worked on the lightweight, military-grade webbed device for nearly two years.

“I took my idea to Marcal Roping and Rigging Inc. in Alton, and they built it for me,” he said. The tool is made from tubular webbing and is nearly 9 feet in length. It resembles a long rope with two loops on one end that are offset.

Wilkinson said the purpose of the device is to hook onto a handle built into the turnout gear or onto the self-contained breathing apparatus of a downed firefighter. This particular device allows two firefighters to connect to the downed firefighter and drag him or her to safety.

Dragging a firefighter is necessary when conditions dictate that rescuers remain low or manpower is limited. This device allows for firefighters to drag the downed firefighters from an upright position or the crawl method.

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The device has two large loops on one end that permit the rescuers to utilize their strenght better by using their shoulders to pull the strap. The two loops are offset so that they can drag in single-file through narrow passageways. The Telegraph continues:

Although Rosewood Heights firefighters have done some exercises with the device, the first time it will be used by another department in training will be on Monday with the Bethalto Fire Department.

Wilkinson said Monday also will be the first time the device is sold. The apparatus will sell for between $30 and $35. “Once orders are taken, Marcal will make them,” he said. “The company has been great.”

Read the entire informative STORY HERE.

Wilkinson’s device is called the Wilki Rescue Strap and will be able to be purchased online at his new website that is now open while it is being developed. Go to his website at http://www.wilkirescuetools.com/ to learn more about it.

The Alton Telegraph also created a video demonstration of the strap being applied and used that you can view HERE.

Posted by firegeezer on February 14, 2010 • Filed under: Firefighter Safety & Health, health & safety, Training & Development, Videos • Tagged: firefighter rescue strap, Justin Wilkinson, Marcal Roping and Rigging, Rosewood Heights Illinois Fire Department, Wilki Rescue Strap

Fire in French Plastics Factory Contained

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A FIRE STARTED IN A MACHINE USED TO MAKE plastic sheets in Robaix, France, Thursday morning sending a dozen workers out of the building. The fire soon spread into the storeroom where the stock inventory is kept.

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Fifty firefighters from across the city worked the fire which was quickly contained. The thick, plastics smoke created a health alert calling for area residents to remain inside their homes. The amount of damages was not reported.

robaix b LaVoix du Nord has the STORY.
Nord Eclair has a 13-image photo gallery HERE.

Posted by fireball on February 14, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires • Tagged: plastics fire, Robaix France

Morning Lineup – February 14

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I’m going to call this The Winter That Won’t Go Away. I think you know why, so I’ll just leave it at that. A four-point-something earthquake in Chicago just caps it off.

It was only recently that the internet “phone” service Skype came to an agreement with AT&T to become available over their 3G cellphone network. Now it appears that they have also come to an agreement with Verizon Wireless to do the same. Skype and Verizon reported on Friday that they will be holding a joint news conference on Tuesday at the 2010 Mobile World Congress being held in Barcelona and “industry insiders” say that the topic will surely be announcing this agreement.

I’ve never used Skype, or any other VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) service, but I have a basic idea of what it is. So far, the companies who operate these systems do it on a subscription basis where subscribers pay a monthly fee and can talk to each other with no further charge using the internet as the voice carrier. It looks like the Skype plan will permit the same usage on cell phones with the added feature of being able to call any landline number in countries other than your own by paying a small fee for the call if the recipient is not a subscriber.

Have I got that right? Help me out here and correct me in the Comments if I’m not quite accurate with it. Also, please feel free to add in your own opinions on this or let us know of any additional benefits that will come from this joint operation.

Skype was created by a Swedish company who chose to operate out of Luxembourg. They were purchased by eBay in 2005 and this past September a group of investors bought 65% of the company and eBay plans to spin off the balance into a new corporate entity.

So, it looks like it won’t be long until this sort of stuff evolves into the ability to just dial any number directly to most of the free world just like you call cross-country now.

But first we have to go cross-bay and get this equipment checked out. I’ll go make some more coffee and see how the Sunday breakfast is coming along. See you back in the day room.

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