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Metropolitan Fire Department – 1865

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State law established the Metropolitan Fire Department (MFD) on March 30, 1865. The law also abolished the volunteer fire departments operating in Manhattan.

The MFD Board of Directors/Fire Commission and Chief Engineer reported to the Governor of New York.

From the first Metropolitan Fire Department annual report to Governor Ruben Fenton:

This Department was organized on the second day of May, 1865, pursuant to the provisions of section 23, chapter 249, Laws of 1865, passed March 30th, 1865.

On the 3d day of May, 1865, suit was commenced to test the constitutionality of the law creating this Department, and an injunction was granted by the Supreme Court restraining the Commissioners from acting as such.

The Court of Appeals of this State, to whom the case was appealed, after adverse decision in the Supreme Court on the 23d of June, 1865, reversed the decision of the court below, and affirmed the constitutionality of the law.

The Comptroller of the city of New York, on demand of this Department, issued, under date of June 24th, an order to all persons holding possession of real estate in use by the New York Fire Department, to surrender the same into our custody.

The Street Commissioner of the city of New York also surrendered the personal property under his control, in use by the firemen of said city, pursuant to the provisions of section 10 of the law creating this Department; the Board of Estimate therein named met, and on June 23d unanimously estimated the expenses of the Department for the year 1865 at $600,000, and for the year 1866 at $750,000

By the end of 1865 the MFD relieved from duty 3,810 volunteer firefighters, including the Zouvares.
MFD hired 540 volunteer firefighters. Men selected for their “good character.”

MFD also procured 109 horses and made modifications to the former volunteer-operated fire stations to accommodate the animals and steam pumpers.

Found no notation on the assessment of the character or temperament of the horses selected for fire duty.

next week: A rough first year: discipline and arson

<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Mike worked on a project about Reconstruction after the Civil War
This is one in a series of articles about the Metropolitan Fire Department established in Manhattan in 1865.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on September 30, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership • Tagged: , , ,

Fire Takes Entire Nashville Apartment Building

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A THREE-ALARM FIRE IN A NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, garden apartment complex Wednesday destroyed an entire building that contained 24 units.

WSMV-TV

The fire began around 11 am and when the FD arrived there was extensive fire throughout the building.  Partly due to the time of day, everybody self-evacuated and no injuries to any residents have been reported.

The Tennessean prepared this video report:

WSMV-TV Ch. 4 has more plus additional videos HERE.

This was the 2nd multi-alarm apartment fire of the day for Nashville FD.

Shortly after midnight Wednesday morning a fire took out 14 units of another complex sending 24 residents running outside ahead of the flames.

WTVF-TV Ch. 5 filed this video from the scene earlier:

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Posted by on September 30, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Ambulance Crash, Rollover

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A WALKER COUNTY, GEORGIA, AMBULANCE was involved in a head-on collision Wednesday evening near Rome, Georgia.  The crash left a car destroyed and the ambulance laying on its side after rolling over following the wreck.

News-Tribune

According to the State Police, the ambulance which was carrying a patient did not have its lights or siren on when it inexplicably veered out of the left lane of the highway into the oncoming lane where it struck a small sedan head-on.  “The driver can’t remember what happened,” Trooper Rick Ceballos said. “Eyewitnesses said he just went into the other lane.”

News-Tribune

Along with the patient, the two EMS workers and the driver of the auto were all transported for injuries, but not are classed as life-threatening.  The investigation is continuing.

The Rome News-Tribune has the STORY.

Posted by on September 30, 2010 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , , ,

Inside Hockey

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DEDICATED FANS OF PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY know that there has been growing concern in the past couple of years about the increasing number of illegal checks to the head.  Seemingly, the league has been ignoring the outbreak and few suspensions or major penalties have been dished out for flagrant violations of the rule.

After last Spring’s Board of Governors and the General Managers’ meetings, some firm and more demanding and mandatory penalties were hashed out and prepared for this season.  Now the league office is on board and the referees have been instructed to enforce the rules vigorously.  During the team training camps that are currently being held prior to the season’s beginning, the NHL is circulating this video around for all the players and coaches to watch and have no doubts of what the rules do and do not allow.

Fans will also like watching the video to help you understand better what the strengthened rules allow.
(Note:  If the video player fails to load, CLICK HERE to watch it.  The NHL is having some difficulty with their videos this morning.)

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Posted by on September 30, 2010 • Filed under: culture, Videos • Tagged: ,

Paint Stripping Starts Another One

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A HOUSE IN DAVENPORT, IOWA, was heavily damaged Wednesday when a fire started by a heat gun got into the attic.  The 2-½ story Victorian home has been undergoing a careful restoration by the owners who recently completed a full renovation of the interior before beginning on the exterior.

KLJB-TV

The Quad City Times reported:

Jane Corsiglia was stripping paint Wednesday morning before going to pick up the couple’s 11-year-old daughter, Anna, at school. She checked to see if the wooden shakes were cool and said they were. A few hours later, the couple smelled smoke and discovered the fire.

Jim Corsiglia was on a second-floor scaffold with a garden hose, tearing shakes away from the house when firefighters came and told him to get down.  The couple said that during remodeling, they put in fire stops and took other steps to prevent a fire from happening or spreading.

Fire Chief Mark Frese said the location where the fire started allowed it to move quickly between the outer and inner wall to the attic. The finished attic created problems for firefighters, who had to tear out sheetrock to get at the fire. Flames poked through the asphalt shingle roof in a few places.  “It is a tough day to do this,” Frese said, of the gusty winds and shape of the house. “It is two-and-a-half stories, and you have a lot of angles.  People don’t realize how much heat is generated by heat guns.”

KQAD-TV Ch. 8 filed this video report that includes some fire footage:

The alarm was dispatched at 2:30 pm and the Davenport firefighters were on the scene for several hours chasing the fire through all the concealed spaces in the finished attic.  Early damage estimate is about $100,000.  The firefighers were commended for their exceptional salvage work in protecting the lower floors during the incident.

Read the full STORY HERE.

Posted by on September 30, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos

Third Fire in 9 Months Strikes Paper Storage

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AN OUTDOOR STORAGE FACILITY IN RED RIVER PARISH, Louisiana, burned all day Wednesday.  The property is used by International Paper Co. to store recycled paper that will be processed in a nearby mill.  The paper is stored in tightly-packed bales that can weigh several tons each.

Last January a similar fire spread through the entire storage area and burned for several days.  In August they had a small fire which was extinguished more easily.  Yesterday’s fire broke out around 11:30 am and was first attacked by the Mansfield Mill’s fire brigade and was joined by four local fire departments.  Flying embers that continually started grass fires in the area kept the firefighters busy, but no serious problems beyond the storage area occurred.

KTBS-TV Ch. 3 filed this video report:

The entire site covers several acres, but they managed to contain the fire Wednesday.  The Shreveport Times has MORE.

Posted by on September 30, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos

Morning Lineup – September 30

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Update:  No. 3 entered already.  Scroll down.

Here we are in the last day of September already.  That means the chain stores will be shoving the Hallowe’en candy aside and putting out the Christmas trinkets, even though it infuriates their customers.  Leading off the headlines for today is the announcement that famed actor Tony Curtis has died at age 85 about four hours ago at his home in Henderson, Nevada.

He was a gifted actor who made a point of taking a variety of roles in all genre, stage, film, tv, so that he wouldn’t become typecast.  But he was best known for his motion picture work, appearing in 150 films.  He was also best known for having been married six times, his most recent wife being 45 years younger than him.

Born in the Bronx, he started acting after World War II where he served in the U. S. Marines.  When he got his first film role he assumed the stage name Tony Curtis.  His greatest notoriety came from the movie “Some Like it Hot” in which he co-starred with Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe.   He died peacefully in his sleep this morning with his family beside him.

It was just last week that his contemporary performer Eddie Fisher passed away.  They come in 3′s, don’t they?

CLICK HERE for a detailed obituary.

Update, 10:00 am:
Our colleague Steve Marshall has pointed out that #3 of the current batch of celebrity deaths occurred Wednesday when Oscar-nominated character actor Joe Mantell died following a lengthy illness.  He was 94 years old and had more than 70 films and several television appearances on his list of credits. 

He was one of those true “character actors” whose name was always unknown, but his face was instantly recognized by the viewer.  The Associated Press tells us: 

Joe Mantell

Mantell was a character actor with more than 70 film and TV credits who received an Academy Award nomination in 1956 for his performance as Angie, the best friend of Ernest Borgnine in “Marty.” His oft-repeated line to his sad-sack friend — “Well, what do you feel like doin’ tonight?” — was one of the beloved film’s most memorable lines.

He again became a part of movie lore in 1974′s “Chinatown,” in which he played the partner of Jack Nicholson’s detective character, Jack Gittes. Mantell spoke the film’s famous last line: “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”

Mantell’s other notable credits include “The Birds,” “Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room” and several episodes of “The Twilight Zone.”

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Let’s get started on the equipment check now.  I’m going to get the coffee started.  See you back in  the day room.

Posted by on September 30, 2010 • Filed under: culture, morning lineup

What’s Brewing? Space Beer!

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ASTRONAUTS AREN’T ALLOWED TO DRINK ON DUTY, but what about all those thirsty space travelers who are signing up for the coming private space flights?  Well, according to Mother Nature Network:

The world’s first beer to be certified for consumption in space will soon undergo tests in weightlessness to see if it is brewed with the right stuff.  Astronauts4Hire, a non-profit space research corporation, will conduct the tests on an Australian beer that has been brewed specifically for easy drinking in both microgravity environments, as well as here on Earth.

 The beer was produced as a joint venture between Saber Astronautics Australia, a new space engineering firm, and the Australian 4 Pines Brewing Company, located in Manly, a suburb of northern Sydney.  The development of space beer is intended to coincide with the burgeoning space tourism industry, and as the market expands, industry leaders are anticipating a demand for such products.
Testing for the new space beer is set to begin in November on board Zero Gravity Corporation’s modified Boeing aircraft, which flies a series of parabolic arcs that simulate environments of weightlessness.
Zero Gravity’s space simulator
 
An Astronauts4Hire flight member will act as the primary flight operator. The researcher will perform various experiments – such as sample the beer during weightless parabolas — and record biometric data on body temperature, heart rate and blood alcohol content.  Data will also be collected on the taste of the beverage and its drinkability during weightlessness.
“Space beer taster” is a paying job, but don’t rush down there to apply.  They already have their 17 tasters hired and trained.  Sorry.
Posted by on September 29, 2010 • Filed under: aircraft, beer, News • Tagged: , , ,

Another VFD Embezzler Gets Nabbed

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A RETIRED GLEN COVE (NEW YORK) FIRE DISPATCHER and 44-year volunteer member was arrested Tuesday and charged with stealing more than $196,000 in six years from the department’s general fund.  George William Gray, 68, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to grand larceny, criminal possession of a forged instrument and official misconduct.

Gray was the chairman of the FD’s fund drive committee and it is alleged that he wrote more than 300 checks to himself to pay credit card balances and purchase items such as “gourmet cigars” and model railroad equipment. 

 He retired from his job as dispatcher last year and moved to North Carolina.  He is due back in court on October 4.

The Glen Cove Patch has the DETAILS.

Posted by on September 29, 2010 • Filed under: crime, Fire Rescue Topics • Tagged: , ,

Hot Spots

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*  The Beacon, New York, City Council is considering a recommendation by a consulting group that calls for combining the three volunteer fire departments that serve the citizens into one station and purchasing a quint.  The FD’s are already supplemented with paid firefighters.  Read the details in the Mid-Husdon News HERE.  (Thanks to Tom L.)

*  Detroit’s Fire Commissioner, James Mack, Jr., has finally admitted that the city’s ambulance service is on the brink of collapse.  Speaking to the City Council last night (Tuesday) he said that he plans to hire 20 emergency medical technicians as soon as possible; pressure paramedics to return to routes more quickly after hospital stops; and enlist the media to help educate residents about when to call 911.   While saying that every ambulance in the fleet needs major repairs, nothing was apparently mentioned on how these measures will help that problem.  The Detroit News has the STORY.

*  In Northern Ireland and ambulance returning from a call collided with a trash truck this morning and rolled over onto its side.

Derry Journal

There is no report on the condition of the trash truck.  The Derry Journal has the STORY.

*  In Puyallup, Washington, an off-duty firefighter who was passing by discovered a house fire and rescued the wheelchair-bound occupant.  The News-Tribune has the STORY.

Posted by on September 29, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, ambulances, current events, rescue, Rescues

Wisconsin Firefighters Memorial Flooding Update

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ON SUNDAY FIREGEEZER had a pictorial REPORT HERE on the flooding that occurred on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Firefighters Memorial Park late last week. 

The Memorial’s board of directors immediately announced a postponement of the Annual Final Alarm Ceremony and Procession that was scheduled for this Saturday, October 2.

After learning how extensive the flooding problem was, they have now decided to cancel this year’s event and instead schedule two cleanup dates later in October to restore the park.  The main building and the memorial were both constructed on the 100-year flood plain and were not affected by the rising waters.  The WSFM Board of Directors has just posted this information:

There has been NO DAMAGE to the Memorial Wall, the Statue, the Bell Tower, The Gazebo, the Benches, the Bridge, or to the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center was built high enough so that there was no flood damage at all. We were so fortunate! What has been damaged is a majority of the lawn, shrubs, and mud to most of the sidewalks.

When we schedule the cleanup days, we will need AS MANY VOLUNTEERS AS POSSIBLE! BOTH DAYS! If you can only help for an hour, we would be grateful! We will need rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, leaf blowers and leaf vacuums, power washers, brooms, pitchforks, tarps to haul sticks and leaves, etc.

We will need to power wash all of the statues, the Wall, the sidewalks, benches, light poles, and anything else that has been touched by the flood waters. We will need to check and clean all of the irrigation heads.

There will be sticks, leaves, dead fish, and all sorts of other debris that will need to be cleared. We will pretty much have to hand rake the entire Park! This will be a HUGE TASK! We will very likely have to replace most of the bark mulch around the trees and bushes. All of the stones will be cleaned and checked for placement. Water will have to be pumped from low lying areas to help dry the grass in the areas near the bridge.

If anybody in the upper-Midwest is able to assist on this project, please check HERE or HERE for the cleanup dates as soon as they are posted.  It goes without saying that your help will be greatly appreciated.

Posted by on September 29, 2010 • Filed under: charity, current events, Fire Rescue Topics, News • Tagged:

Burial Blaze Burning in Syracuse

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A MAJOR FIRE IS BURNING THIS MORNING in Syracuse, New York.  Fire units are still working a fire in a vacant factory building that formerly housed the Marcellus Casket Company.  The alarm was received at 3 am Wednesday and the first-in units arrived to find an extensive fire in progress that soon led to partial wall collapses. 

Syracuse Post-Standard

Syracuse Fire Chief Mark McLees said earlier this morning that he expects the fire to burn throughout the day and possibly into Thursday.  The 4-story brick building occupies a city block.  The Post-Standard continues:

Firefighters were dispatched at 3:06 a.m. on the report of someone smelling smoke in the area, McLees said. Firefighters from a nearby station began searching for the source of the smell and were flagged down by a civilian who pointed them to the fire in the old factory, he said.

Knowing that the building has masonry walls and heavy wood floors likely soaked with 100 plus years of industrial oils, the chief said he decided not to risk firefighters or equipment to battle the blaze from inside the building.

“We’re not putting anybody at risk,” McLees said.

Post-Standard

As expected, the fire is already deemed “suspicious,” while it is to early to determine the cause and point of origin.

WSYR-TV Ch. 9 has this early raw video of the blaze:

The building has been vacant since 2003, when its owner closed the coffin maker after more than 130 years in business. Presidents Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were buried in caskets made by Marsellus Casket.

This past November the Syracuse Post-Standard filed this video of the building and the neighbors’ concern about the decay and hazard:

Park Avenue resident talks about vacant Marsellus Casket Co. building

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Posted by on September 29, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Heading to Dallas?

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ARE YOU HEADING TO DALLAS, TEXAS, THIS WEEK for the Firehouse Central and EMS Expo?

Here are a couple of reminders for you to jot down in your planner.  Tonight at 8 pm  the Meetup @ Dallas will be held at the Gators Croc & Roc night spot from 8:00 pm until 11:00 pm.  Gators is located at 1714 N. Market St.

Free admission, free food, and free beverages…a winning combination.  Drop by and visit with your fellow-FireEMSBlogs fans.

Not arriving until tomorrow?  Ok, then head for the main floor of the exhibit hall and stop by the JEMS booth #345.  Some of your favorite bloggers will be there to meet you and chat.  The Thursday schedule at the JEMS booth is:

  • Mike Ward (FossilMedic) – FireGeezer.com – 1:30pm
  • Greg Friese – EverydayEMSTips.com – 2:30pm
  • Kelly Grayson – AmbulanceDriverFiles.com – 3:30pm
  • April Saling – PinkWarmDry.com – 4:30pm

    • Get there early and meet the legendary FossilMedic.  (No, sorry but FG Gnome won’t be making this trip.)

    Posted by on September 29, 2010 • Filed under: current events, News

    Morning Lineup – September 29

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    When there is good news on the techno-retailing front, you know that we like to keep you informed about it.  This week’s good news comes from the flat-screen tv arm of wanna-buys.  There has been a drop in tv sales world-wide this year, mainly due to the economic slowdown, but the LCD screen factories kept pumping out the product.  Of the 52 million LCD’s that were shipped to manufacturers, less than 40% of them made it to the retailers. 

    That’s a lot of overstock sitting around.  As a result, prices are being chopped as I write this and we will see some dramatic drops in tv prices over the next three months.  CNN Money is reporting:

    By the end of this month, LCD TV prices will be about 5% lower than they were at the same time last year, according research firm DisplaySearch. But a tailspin will start in October: In the last three months of the year, the firm forecasts that prices will keep falling until they bottom out at 12% below 2009 levels.

    On Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), 32-inch LCD TVs will drop to an average price of between $249 and $299, with the best deals as low as $199, according to a prediction from research firm iSuppli. The 32-inch LCD TVs currently sell for $349 to $399, on average, with the cheapest model (Emerson’s LC320EMX) selling for $300.

    During the month of December though, the price chops coupled with the shopping season will generate a surge in demand and by the end of December the bottom-prices will climb rapidly back to more profitable levels.  So the best time to add to, or upgrade your personal television receiver stock is sometime between November 26 and December 15.

    Hey, we’re glad to help.  Don’t mention it.

    Let’s get this equipment checked out now.  I’m going to get some more coffee started and then make a list of justifications for spending money on a new television set this Fall.

    Plan to watch the live-stream coverage on Firegeezer this weekend.

    Posted by on September 29, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup, shopping • Tagged: ,

    Storage Facility Fire Burns for 10 Hours

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    A LARGE FIRE IN A PERSONAL STORAGE FACILITY IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Florida, burned for 10 hours Monday night and Tuesday morning.  The blaze that swept through 80 individual storage units kept 30 fire companies busy as they had to force entry into each individual unit.

    WBBH-TV image

    The cause of the fire is not yet know, but the point of origin has been narrowed down to one of two units at the end of one building.  A firewall is credited with helping contain the spreading fire which consumed an area equal to about a half of a city block.  Damage to the structure is estimated at $800,000, not including any personal belongings.

    The effectiveness of the full firewall
    is evident in this image from WBBH-TV.

    WBBH-TV Ch. 2 has this video report from the scene:

    The Sarasota Herald Tribune has MORE.

    Hat tip:  Kirby B.

    Posted by on September 28, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos

    Sea-Tac Donates Retired Firetrucks

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    THE PORT OF SEATTLE AUTHORITY RECENTLY DONATED two surplus Sea-Tac Airport firetrucks to Washington State emergency services training facilities.

    Port of Seattle photo

    One of them,  a 1992 Oshkosh Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting truck that carries 3,000 gallons of water, 500 pounds of dry chemical and 400 gallons of foam, was given to the Washington State Fire Academy replacing a much older aircraft fire truck that was donated in 1998.

    The other, a 1986 Darley structural fire engine will be going to the Puget Sound Skills Center, a school for career preparation and technical education in the Highline School District.  The Port of Seattle regularly retires its vehicles after 12 years in active service and four years in reserve service. The Port has donated four of its retired trucks to regional agencies since 1998.

    The Sea-Tac Blog has MORE.

    Posted by on September 28, 2010 • Filed under: apparatus, Fire Rescue Topics, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , ,

    Squirrel Causes House Explosion

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    A HOUSE FIRE IN CENTERVILLE, IOWA, SUNDAY morning generated an explosion that sent six people to the hospital including four firefighters and an off-duty firefighter.  The blaze began just before 9 am while the elderly resident was out for her morning walk.  After investigation it has been determined that a squirrel on a utility pole created a short that blew the transformer.  The short circuit sent a 7,600-volt surge into the house and started the fire. 

    A neighbor called the Centerville Fire Department and they arrived to find the working fire that had already burned part of the roof off.  While they were inside the burning house a powerful explosion detonated sending fire out all the windows and stunning the firefighters.  They all made it out of the house ok, but had assorted bumps, bruises and burns requiring them to be transported.  Also injured were an off-duty firefighter from another department who had stopped to help and a bystander.  The explosion knocked out the windows, shifted the walls and blew off what remained of the roof.

    WHO-TV

    The investigators discovered yesterday (Monday) that when the underground utilities were laid, that the electic cable and the gas pipe were placed on top of each other.  They found evidence that the power surge started the cable burning and it eventually cause the gas pipe to fail, letting leaking gas follow the line into the house where the working fire detonated the higher pressure leak.

    WHO-TV Ch. 13 Des Moines has a good video report showing the failed utility lines along with interviews of the firefighters who were in the house at the time:

    Centerville Fire Department WEBSITE.

    Posted by on September 28, 2010 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

    Maybe They Really Are Hard to Drive

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    JIM HESELDEN, A MILLIONAIRE FROM YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND, purchased the U. S. company that makes the Segway motorised personal transporters just nine months ago.  On Sunday he was riding one of the machines on his personal estate when he accidently went over a 30-ft. cliff and fell into a river where he was found dead.

    Jim Heselden

    A witness saw him go over from a distance and called the emergency services immediately.  The 62-yr.-old man was found dead on the bank and his scooter was in the water.  It is not yet known if he suffered a medical emergency before he tumbled, or died from the fall.

    The Associated Press filed this video report:

    Information Week comments:

    Dr. Mary Pat McKay, a professor of emergency medicine and public health at the George Washington University, told MSNBC on Monday that the emergency room admission rate for Segway riders is higher than pedestrians struck by cars. Kay said George Washington University Hospital had seen 41 Segway-related injuries between April 2005 and 2008, 10 of which led to hospital admission and 4 of which led to intensive care unit admission.

    Segway accidents aren’t specifically reported by government traffic safety organizations but falls from the two-wheeled scooters are documented, often insensitively, in several hundred videos on YouTube and other video sharing sites. The company’s public position on its scooters has been to support rider training and safety.

    Just about all of the injuries in the report mentioned were head injuries from lack of using a helmet and caused by falling off the device after running into an inanimate object.  A summary of Dr. McKay’s case study can be read in this 5-page .pdf file HERE.

    Posted by on September 28, 2010 • Filed under: EMS Topics, health & safety, News, Videos • Tagged: ,

    Stiletto Races – cont’d.

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    ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF SEPTEMBER in Sydney, Australia, is the annual Stiletto Races.  In years past the charity fund-raising event has been centered on an 80-meter sprint.  But this year a new format was introduced, the 4 X 100 relay.  As in past years, all entrants were checked to verify that they were wearing heels that were at least 3 inches high, and that they had “smooth legs.”

    More then 100 entrants lined up on Tuesday morning to grab the baton and when the starting gun sounded they were off and running.

    One of the teams failed to finish when one of the ladies lost a heel.

    When the dust and heels settled, the winning team, The Pinkettes crossed the finish line in just
    one minute and four seconds.  A new world record for the 4 X 100-meter stiletto. 

     The Associated Press brings us this video report from the race course:

    The Daily Telegraph has the FULL STORY.

    Firegeezer Flashback:

    The anchor runner on this year’s winning team is Brittney McGlone.  Miss McGlone was also the winner of the 2008 sprint that Firegeezer reported on.  In that race there were 265 glams with gams who sprinted 80 meters.  For the sake of historical accuracy, we reprise our video from that race two years ago:

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    Posted by on September 28, 2010 • Filed under: culture, fun, News, Videos • Tagged: ,

    4-Alarm Dumpster Fire

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    A FIRE STARTED MONDAY NIGHT IN (OR NEXT TO) A DUMPSTER placed behind the Torrington Country Club in Goshen, Connecticut.  The ballroom’s fire alarm was triggered at 10:30 pm and when the FD arrived the fire had climbed the outside wall and gotten into the attic area of the clubhouse.

    WTNH-TV

    Calling for mutual aid immediately, the Goshen FD went to work cutting off the fire spread in the attic and made what the fire chief called “a great stop” on it.  While there was an estimated half-million dollars of damage, they did effectively save the building.  About 75 firefighters attended the blaze.

    WTNH-TV Ch. 8 filed this video report from the scene this morning:

    The fire was knocked down in about three hours and the last units left the scene around 6:30 this morning (Tuesday).

    Register Citizen photo of the point of origin.

    Approximately 15 years ago the entire  clubhouse burned down.

    The Register Citizen has MORE.

    Posted by on September 28, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

    FossilMedic Followups

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    Riverside County (California) board of supervisors delay decision on configuration of volunteer firefighters another 60 days.

    For the second time, at the September 14th meeting, the board postponed their decision for another 60 days.  Want to eliminate community-based volunteers for a county-wide reserve system.

    See more in this Valley News story HERE.

    Original August 11th Firegeezer article: The Battered Spouse Syndrome

    He is NOT one of us

    Been in contact with the father-in-law of the motorcyclist who rocketed into the rear of a minivan last Thursday on I-75 near Ocala, Florida.

    He bought the sportbike from a firefighter a few weeks earlier.

    He just got off work and was enroute to meet some buddies at a 24 hour restaurant when he crashed at 2:20 am.

    Still in a medically induced coma with severe brain trauma and two broken legs. Married with an infant, the outlook appears uncertain.

    Original September 24th Firegeezer article: Is he one of us?

    Mike will be at the JEMS booth to meet-and-greet on THURSDAY at 1:30 at the EMS Expo.

    Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

    Posted by on September 28, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, EMS Topics, News • Tagged: , , , ,

    Moonlighting Fire Captain Avoids Jail

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    ROBERT SUMNER, 48, WAS A FIRE CAPTAIN for the Pensacola (Florida) Fire Department and had been on the FD for 26 years until earlier this year.  In March he pleaded guilty to charges of defrauding more than $180,000 from customers and sub-contractors of his part-time building contracting business.  He was facing a potential of 30 years in prison for his crimes.

    Sumner had been accused of performing shoddy work, overcharging customers and not paying sub-contractors for their services.  After his guilty plea he was scheduled to be sentenced on September 15 and following a plea agreement he was sentenced by the judge to five years probation and the loss of his deferred retirement account of $56,000 to be paid to the benefit of his victims.

    Robert Sumner (News Journal photo)

    Now there are further ramifications of his misdeeds because of his collecting $4,681-a-month from his FD pension.  The city has claimed that they cannot negate his pension because his crimes were not commited while he was performing as a firefighter.  But many of his victims claimed that he came to their homes or places of business while he was on duty and wearing his FD uniform.  Now hearings are being held to determine the validity of the accusations and if it can be shown that he did work on city time and used his uniform to gain advantage in his part-time business dealings, then he is liable to lose his pension.

    The hearings are currently underway and you can read about the revelations that are coming out in THIS ARTICLE in the Pensacola News Journal.  Unfortunately for the rest of the firefighters, this hearing will probably have the effect of severely impeding them in many different activities that commonly take place in fire stations, such as personal telephone calls.  Read the full story and see how this is leading.

    Posted by on September 28, 2010 • Filed under: crime, Fire Rescue Topics, labor • Tagged: , ,

    Morning Lineup – September 28

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    This coming weekend is the annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service and program that is held each year in Emmitsburg, Maryland, at the National Fire Academy.  I am pleased to announce that once again Firegeezer will be live-streaming both the Candlelight Service on Saturday evening and the complete Memorial Service on Sunday morning.  As we did last year, we will have a continuously running video player here on the website where you can view the programs.

    Our friend and fellow FireEMS blogger Dave Statter has once again coordinated the technical production through his former employer WUSA-TV Channel 9 in Washington, D. C.  Channel 9 is providing the equipment, technology and personnel to provide the same quality production that they did last year.  Saturday’s Candlelight Service broadcast will begin at 6:45 pm Eastern time with the service beginning at 7:00 pm and ending around 8:00.  The Sunday Memorial Service will come online at 9:30 am (Eastern) with the service beginning at 10:00 am.  It will conclude around 12:30 pm.  Definitely make plans to watch the Sunday morning program.

    Ok, let’s get this equipment checked out now.  Busy day ahead and I have to get the coffee started.  See you back in the day room in a little while.

    Posted by on September 28, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: ,

    10 Rescued in High Rise Blaze

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    A FIRE IN A 9-STORY APARTMENT BUILDING IN ANGERS, FRANCE, burned out two units and caused extensive damage to several others at one end of the building on Monday afternoon. 

    photos via SDIS 49

    The fire started around 1:15 pm and when the firefighters arrived the fire in the 4th floor had already extended to the unit above and some ceilings were collapsing.

    They also found several people trapped on their balconies by the smoke and 8 people were taken off by tower ladders.  Two more were taken out from the inside of the building.  More than 80 firefighters attended the fire from six departments.  It has not been reported how the fire started.

    Maville has the STORY.
    SDIS 49 (the fire department) has a photo gallery HERE.

    Oueste France has this brief video:

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    Posted by on September 27, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, rescue, Rescues, Videos

    Train vs. Dump Truck

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    A PASSENGER TRAIN STRUCK A DUMP TRUCK broadside at an unprotected crossing in Gers, France, at 8:45 am Monday morning. 

    All photos La Depeche

    The train was traveling at 90 km/h (55 mph) when the truck started to cross the tracks.  There was no crossing gate or other signal other than a sign at the crossing.  The driver of the train saw the truck and put on the emergency braking system, but he failed to stop before they collided.  There were three people seriously injured and seven minor injuries, according to the latest report issued by the prefecture.  The driver of the truck is among the seriously injured.

    According to Jean-Paul Lacouture, the director of cabinet of the prefect, who visited the site with the prefect Conus Denis, “The shock was particularly severe.  The chassis of the truck ended up under the train, the cab lies of one side of the track, and the dump body is on the other.”

    According to firefighters and regional management of the SNCF, about thirty people were on board the train from Toulouse to Auch.  Firefighters were documenting three seriously injured that were hospitalized, and seven minor injuries.  The driver of the truck was one of the serious injuries.

    La Depeche has the story and more photos HERE.

    Posted by on September 27, 2010 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Mass Casualty Incident, rescue, Rescues