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Fire in the Firehouse

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FIRE DETECTORS SOUNDING WOKE UP THE ENGINE CREW at St. Cloud, Minnesota, Fire Station 3 Friday morning.  The three firefighters on duty dashed out to the engine bay where they found their front-line engine burning, so they grabbed the bay wash hoses and knocked it down while assisting companies were coming to help.

St. Cloud Times photo

The engine that was burning, a 1997 Ford/Louisville, was a total loss and a 2nd engine had extensive damage but it isn’t yet know how much.  A brush unit was exposed to the fire but will probably be ok.  KARE-TV Ch. 11 ran this video report:

 

The State Fire Marshal office is investigating the cause and a building engineer will be evaluating the firehouse to determine how much damage it sustained.  The FD plans to run Co. 3 out of a nearby municipal garage temporarily and will place a trailer next to it for living quarters.

SCFD website photo of Fire Station 3

The St. Cloud Times has the STORY.
St. Cloud Fire Department WEBSITE.

Posted by on October 31, 2010 • Filed under: apparatus, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Extensive Damage Caused by Burning Ambulance

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AN AMBULANCE PARKED IN A STORAGE AREA caught fire in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Saturday afternoon causing additional damages.  The building is used by the Parkland Ambulance Care to store backup ambulances along with their disaster trailer, the rescue trailer, and an ATV.  In addition, the oxygen tanks are stored in the garage also.

Daily Herald

Besides the ambulance that burned up, there were four others plus a show car that were all removed from the building before they became involved in the fire.  However, the ambulances were pretty well contaminated by the smoke and will have to undergo and thorough cleaning.  The building is less than 2 years old and did suffer from some fire damage as the ambulance blaze was starting to extend to the interior of the facility when the FD arrived.  The firefighters had the fire knocked down in about a minute.

Prince Albert firefighters take a blow with snow on
the ground and ice in the trees.  (Daily Herald)

While it is too soon to learn the cause, the inspectors are looking at the charging line for the truck’s battery which is connected at all times.

The Prince Albert Daily Herald has the full STORY.
Parkland Ambulance Care WEBSITE.
Prince Albert Fire Department WEBSITE.

Posted by on October 31, 2010 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, fire, Fires • Tagged: ,

A Sunday Emergency !

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Season Four, Episode 15

Transition

 

A former gridiron hero finds the real-life emergencies of a paramedic more frightening than a football game.

Posted by on October 31, 2010 • Filed under: Sunday Emergency • Tagged:

It Wasn’t Santa ….

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WHEN HAROLD OWENS ARRIVED TO OPEN up his restaurant in Virginia Beach, Virginia Saturday morning,  he knew that something was amiss.  The first clue was the mess made by the range hood’s fire suppression system that had gone off before he got there shortly before 9 am.  The second clue was the pair of legs dangling from the exhaust vent.

Owens called the police and the fire department who combined to free the trapped intruder and then arrest him.  The Virginian-Pilot adds:

(C)rews responded at about 9 a.m. to cut away the metal duct to free the man, Fire Department Battalion Chief Ken Pravetz said. The man had climbed into the duct at about 3 a.m. in what Pravetz said was likely an attempt to enter (Harold’s Restaurant) on Virginia Beach Boulevard near Town Center.Owens said the trapped man, whom police did not identify, was a former employee who apologized for trying to climb through the duct. The man spent about eight hours in the 18-inch-by-18-inch exhaust vent before rescuers dislodged him at about 10:45 a.m.

Virginian-Pilot photo

Owens was most unhappy with the antics of the burglar.  The rescue effort caused substantial damage to the exhaust system and the restaurant will necessarily be closed until the expensive repairs can be completed.  

“We’re a small business struggling in this economy,” Owens told the Virginian-Pilot. “We’re going to do the best we can to get going again.”

Read the full report HERE.

Posted by on October 31, 2010 • Filed under: crime, rescue, Rescues • Tagged: ,

Morning Lineup – October 31

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If you want to talk about a town that lives up to its name, you can’t beat Washaway Beach, Washington.  You can pretty well guess how this oceanfront community in Pacific County got its name, but it’s hard to understand why anybody lives there.  Well, I suppose the cost of purchasing a home is pretty low compared to surrounding areas. 

Seattle Weekly

According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, Washaway Beach has the most rapidly-eroding coastline in the western United States.  The unique geographical confluence of currents and weather systems, along with a tidal channel that is getting wider and deeper, has been nibbling away about 100 feet of coastline every year.  But this year has been especially brutal, reclaiming neary 800 feet of beachfront property.  When the people who owned the house above bought the vacation cabin 27 years ago, it was a 15-minute walk from the beach.

Over the past couple of decades more than 20 homes plus a school and a coast guard station have been washedaway.  This video report from KING-TV Ch. 5 Seattle was posted earlier this week when Mother Nature moved in on another one:

 

You can read more about it and view a more extensive video from KOMO-TV HERE.

Ok, let’s roll up our pants legs and get this equipment checked out.  I’m going to see how the Sunday breakfast is coming along and then start some more coffee.  It looks like autumn is here to stay now.

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Posted by on October 31, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup

Earthquake Response Training in Italy

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AN EXTENSIVE EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE DRILL was held in the Florence region of Italy on October 22 and 23.   “Giotto 2010″ was organized by the Province of Florence and the Mugello Mountain community Fiorentina, in close collaboration with the Tuscany Region and the Prefecture.

All photos provided by the Vigili del Fuoco

The exercise has involved, in addition to the Fire Department, agents of the State Police, the Carabinieri, the State Forestry Department, University of Florence, Civil Defense, the Provincial Police and the Land of the Province of Florence and the Tuscany Region Earthquake Prevention Coordination.

The exercise began on Friday 22, with a simulated earthquake of magnitude 3.4.  Part of the extended drill included the evacuation of 52 schools involving 9700 students, in addition to the regular emergency agencies.

On Saturday 23, after a second quake of magnitude 4.9, the system was tested on collapses of buildings and relatede structural damage. In particular, it simulated the partial collapse of a hospital where they had involved forty people.

The system of exercise, which was designed to highlight the critical nature of this type of intervention, required that the rescue agencies respond from their actual places of employment. 

 

Being semi rural, remote areas were simulated and also measures for landslides. In addition they included veterinary emergencies.

On an experimental level, the Documentation Center of the Fire Brigade carried out a streaming broadcast of the event allowing the remote coordination of command to see the actual events taking place.

The Vigili del Fuoco website has the STORY.

Posted by on October 30, 2010 • Filed under: Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Floating Fishboat Fire Update

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ON WEDNESDAY FIREGEEZER REPORTED on the fish processing ship Athena that caught fire in the Celtic Sea.  The factory workers and part of the crew abandoned ship in life boats and were rescued at sea by a cargo container ship.  Thirteen of the Athena’s crew remained on board to contain and fight the fire while it steamed toward safe harbor in Falmouth, Cornwall, England.  You can read/review our REPORT HERE.

You may recall that the container ship Vega and another ship were escorting the Athena to Falmouth with hopes of reaching it by Thursday night.  The BBC News reported:

The fire had been kept under control while the vessel sailed in from the Atlantic under its own power.

Twelve Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service personnel specially trained in dealing with marine fires were airlifted on to the Athena by helicopter on Thursday.  The group, and other specialists brought on board to assess the situation, joined 13 crew members who had remained on the vessel to tackle the fire.

The fire started to get worse again from about 1700 BST on Thursday, Martin Bidmead from Falmouth Coastguard said.  ”A large release of carbon monoxide from somewhere on board this vessel caused the fire officer in charge on board make the decision that the vessel should be evacuated for the safety of the 28 persons on board,” he said.  The vessel has no power after heat from the fire affected the engine room.

The Falmouth Packet newspaper continues:

After carrying out an initial assessment of the fire and the stability of the ship, which showed that several hundred thousand cardboard packing boxes were alight on two decks of the ship, the team began fire fighting operations to try and contain the blaze. As well as carrying out fire fighting operations, the crews were also involved in boundary cooling to ensure that the fire did not spread and pumping out water to help ensure the stability of the ship.

 By 8.15 pm the fire crews were faced with heavy seas and increasing amounts of thick smoke throughout the ship. It is then thought that a pipe from a refrigeration plant was ruptured pumping ammonia gas into the air. At the same time the carbon monoxide detectors carried by the fire fighters were also indicating high levels of carbon monoxide gas.

 At 8.30 pm the decision was made to batten down the ship and evacuate the fire fighters and the five remaining members of the ship’s crew.

A British coast guard tug took the Athena under tow late Thursday evening and is holding it about 5 miles offshore from Falmouth harbor while a Dutch tug equipped with fire nozzles is spraying the hull to keep it cool.

The Falmouth Packet has more details on the final evacuation and what is going on HERE.

The crew of the Athena arrived in Falmouth
from the vessel Vega.

Posted by on October 30, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, rescue, Rescues • Tagged: , , ,

Dollar Store Update

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IN THE EARLY HOURS OF OCTOBER 7, THE MIAMI-DADE Fire Rescue Department was called out to the Family Dollar store on 94th Street.  When they arrived on the scene they found heavy smoke coming from the store.

After cutting through the burglar bars on the doors, they were able to get inside and put the fire out.  No other information was released on the fire.

WSVN-TV Ch. 7 carried the STORY.

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CLARK COUNTY, WASHINGTON, FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED to the Dollar Tree store parking lot on October 18 for a car fire.  They found a custom kit car burning at the rear end and put the fire out in just a few minutes.

Clark County Fire District #6 photo

The car was a 1964 Volkswagon that had a fiberglas kit body that looked like a classic MG sports car.  The 78-yr.-old owner said that he had just installed a new electric fuel pump on it and that is the area where the fire was centered.  He said that he had owned the car since 1978 and installed the kit body himself.

The Columbian quotes him:  

Howell, who was driving the car, said the MG had sentimental value.  “I had an MG TD in the Navy,” said the retired personnel manager for Boeing in Portland.

He said he thinks the car might have been worth $18,000.  “I will salvage a lot of parts,” he said. “That car will never be on the road again as a car.”

Read the STORY.

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CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, FIREFIGHTERS were called out to the Family Dollar store in Rosebud Plaza Tuesday night, October 26, when smoke was spotted coming from the roof.

WBOY-TV

WBOY-TV Ch. 12 tells us:

Dink Love was coming out of another store, and saw smoke pouring out of the roof of the Family Dollar store. He ran inside to alert employees and firefighters.

“I was coming out of Rite-Aid and I was standing out there and I smelled smoke, and I looked up the road there by the dollar store and I realized there was smoke coming out of the ceiling, so I went in to the dollar store and asked the ladies in there, told them that I think your guys’ building is on fire,” Love said.

Firefighters were on the scene at 8:45 and found only smoke in the roof area.  Clarksburg Fire Inspector Danny Hamrick believes that the fire was smoldering for a few hours before the smoke was noticed.

It originally appeared to be an electrical fire, but Hamrick ruled that out although a definite cause can’t be made.  There was no damage to any of the stores and power was restored to the Family Dollar and two other stores the next day.  WDTV Ch. 5 posted this video report:

 

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IN TORONTO, ONTARIO,  A 2-alarm fire ignited just before 4 a.m. Thursday October 14 at a dollar store at 101 Danforth Ave., near Broadview Ave., and spread to two other businesses.

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 IN VOLUSIA COUNTY, FLORIDA, A HOMELESS MAN who was confined to a wheelchair was found on fire in the parking lot behind the Family Dollar store in Ormond Beach on October 19.  A Beach Patrol officer saw smoke coming from behind the store around 5 pm and went to investigate where he found the wheelchair burning with the man in it and a growing grass fire nearby.  After pulling the victim off the chair he called for the ambulance and then began giving him aid.

The Ormand Beach FD was already en route to that location responding to the grass fire that was later determined to have been accidentally started by the vicitm when he tossed a cigarette butt away.

The ambulance took him to the hospital and he was later transferred to a burn unit in critical condition.

Central Florida News has the STORY.

Review the archives of Dollar Store Updates HERE.

Posted by on October 30, 2010 • Filed under: Dollar stores

Don’t Drink and Chase Fires

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A CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, EMS SUPERVISOR has been suspended from duty following an incident Thursday night where he showed up drunk at a fire scene.

The incident began when police received a call around 8:30 pm about a man who had gone berserk in his home, beating his wife with a club, then threatening to set the house on fire.  The man barricaded himself in the house with threats of violence, so the SWAT team was deployed and an EMS supervisor was automatically dispatched.  Thomas Eden, 48, chief of the Gloucester Township EMS Alliance responded along with an ambulance.  After he arrived, some other first-responders pointed out to the police that he appeared to be drunk or under the influence of something.  They gave Eden a field sobriety test which he failed.  He was then charged with driving while intoxicated, and using or being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance. He was released on his own recognizance to a family member.

The man who started the whole affair, Victor Serrano started smashing up household furniture and then set the first floor of his house on fire.  After the smoke drove him upstairs he showed up at a second-floor window seeking escape from the growing flames.  The police convinced him to jump and they arrested him before the FD moved in to put the fire out.

The Philadelphia Enquirer reports that Serrano was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, aggravated arson, terroristic threats, and resisting arrest.  He was taken to John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Stratford with injuries related to smoke inhalation. Serrano has a history of “outbursts,” police said.

The Cherry Hill Courier-Post has more DETAILS.
Gloucester Township EMS Alliance WEBSITE.

Posted by on October 30, 2010 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, fire, Fires, labor • Tagged: , , , ,

Morning Lineup – October 30

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The “instant news era” can certainly be fascinating.  With most cellphones capable of recording brief video clips and storing thousands of photos that can be instantly emailed to anyplace in the world, we now have literally tens of millions of citizen reporters  wandering the earth, ready to record the moment.

Jupitor Images

This is just what happened on Thursday when a confused, old woman drove her 20-yr.-0ld Buick  down the off-ramp directly into oncoming traffic on I-95 in Philadelphia.  Completely oblivious to her surroundings and actions, she merrily tooled along in what she thought was the right-hand lane, but was actually the passing lane for the oncoming traffic. 

Citizen reporter Tim Flemming who was traveling in the same direction, but in the proper lanes, positioned his car in the closest lane to her and cranked up his cellphone’s video feature to record the bizarre event.  Amazingly enough, she didn’t crash head-on with some unfortunate commuter, but she did cause at least four related wrecks involving vehicles that had to dodger her charge.  Watch this report from WABC-TV about the incident which includes Flemming’s video:

 

Now this brings up several questions in my mind about this whole episode.  First, I wonder about Flemming’s motive here.  Did he “smell blood in the water” and hope that he could record a grisly head-on crash filled with carnage and flying debris?  Listen to his comments on the video interview.  He reiterates his thought that he just knew somebody would get killed.  So was he hoping that it would happen?  Did he have visions of instant fame and fortune from his certain royalty payments from his video?  After all, he did get himself positioned for the best shot and endangered himself by driving down his passing lane while operating his camera.  At times he even has it aimed to his rear while he’s driving forward.

If blood-and-guts wasn’t the first thing on his mind, why didn’t he call 9-1-1 first and report the excessively dangerous situation before he turned his cellphone into a camera?  The Pennsylvania State Police have confirmed that he never called.

And how about the poor dear who briefly stepped on heaven’s doorstep?  Since that video report was broadcast, the driver has been located.  People watching the evening news in the Philadelphia area started calling in tips of auto’s and people who matched the description.  The police were amazed at how many 20-yr.-0ld blue Buicks with faux wood paneling are still being piloted around the greater-Philly area.  But the one they were looking for was located and interviewed by a Delaware State Trooper who found the 84-yr.-old lady in Wilmington.

The Pennsylvania authorities haven’t charged her yet, but methinks they will before long.  So what do you do with her?  You can’t really lock her up at that age, can you?  Do you start legal procedings to take her driver’s license away?  (She’s in another state, remember.)  Or do you have her relocated to Florida where the trust fund widows drive like that all the time?  Inquiring minds want to know.

While we mull that over, let’s get this equipment checked out.  I’m going to start some more coffee.

Posted by on October 30, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup, Videos

Weekend Caption Contest

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WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY finally found the end of his first due.  But I’m not so sure that’s what is going on here.  Naturally, this photo arrived without any explanation of what’s happening, so it’s up to you to send in the proper caption for this image.  Like always, post your entry in the Comments section for all to see and enjoy.

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Posted by on October 29, 2010 • Filed under: caption contest • Tagged:

London Strike Talks Collapse – Again

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TALKS BETWEEN THE FIRE BRIGADES UNION(FBU) and the London Fire Authority  have broken down defeating attempts to stave off a planned work action on Bonfire Night, November 5.  Following this past Saturday’s 9-hour walkout (see Firegeezer report HERE) the FBU announced an additional stoppage beyond the already-planned November 1 walkout, namely a 47-hour walkout wrapped around Guy Fawkes Night on the 5th  (Firegeezer REPORT).

Alamy photo

The latest talks were doomed when the leader of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority was a no-show at the table despite his promise to attend.  In an apparent attempt to “up the ante” in negotiations, the FBU placed a list of additional demands into their grievance:

  • A £10,000 raise to offset the proposed shift change
  • Three hours overtime pay for every part of an hour that they work over
  • An increase of 10% in their “London”premium (geographical cost of living adjustment)
  • A 20-year contract
  • Extra pay for working weekends and holidays
  • Guaranteed “uninterrupted” paid dinner breaks
  • An additional  5 days of paid leave each year

See the related article in The Daily Mail HERE.

The Fire Brigades Union has issued this press release:

Last night on national television, the leader of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), Brian Coleman, invited us to conciliation talks at 9am this morning. It’s dreadfully disappointing that after four hours there was still no sign of him or the Chief Fire Officer, Ron Dobson. Regrettably, the brigade representatives in attendance had nothing new to say to us.  

Where was Councillor Coleman at 9am, having said that he would be here in talks with us? He is not taking this issue with the seriousness that firefighters and Londoners expect of the leader of the LFEPA.

The LFEPA proposals on new working hours would seriously disrupt firefighters’ family lives and lead to cuts in fire cover. All the same, the LFEPA does not have to reach agreement with us on shifts to get us to call off the strikes. They just have to withdraw the sacking notices that were sent out on August 11th.

Our message is that we will cancel all planned strikes if the brigade agrees to lift the mass sackings. We can then negotiate a fair settlement as equal parties.

Ambulance Crews Ordered to Hang Back Until Strike Breakers Arrive at Accidents and Fires

The London Ambulance Service wants their employees to refrain from engaging in any fire or rescue activity in which they have not been trained during the periods that the temporary firefighters are manning the reserve engines.  The London Evening Standard reports:

A secret memo reveals (the ambulance crews) have been told by bosses not to try to rescue victims from car crashes or fires if they arrive at call-outs before the temporary crews.

Stand-in crews from private contractor AssetCo, employed by the London Fire Brigade to provide cover during the walkouts, were criticised for their delayed response to a house fire in Enfield during the first strike last Saturday.

Now brigade chiefs face further pressure after the memo warned that the temporary staff were likely to take longer to arrive at incidents and have little experience of tacking emergencies. The AssetCo staff are understood to include pub bouncers and security guards.

Despite the fact that the temps have little or no firefighting experience and their training was a mere two weeks of orientation, the London Fire Brigade continues to insist that the replacement crews have been “professionally trained.”

Stay tuned.

London Fire Brigades Union WEBSITE.

Posted by on October 29, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, labor • Tagged:

Finding New Ways To Get Fired

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TWO HIGH SPRINGS, FLORIDA, FIREFIGHTERS have resigned following a police investigation into a complaint about a “game” they played on a sleeping colleague.

The North Florida Herald is reporting today:

Two High Springs firefighters have resigned and another had to be restrained and nearly Tasered after an investigation showed that two firefighters were playing a game of exposing themselves.High Springs police were alerted to the situation when a firefighter reported on Oct. 1 that after he awoke from a nap at the fire station, he found a photo on his laptop computer. That photo showed another firefighter exposing himself as he stood over and close to the sleeping man.

According to a High Springs police investigation, firefighter Michael Steele, 28, admitted to standing over the sleeping man and exposing himself while firefighter Kyle Lewis, 26, took a photo with a camera phone.

Lewis told police a similar story and said he uploaded the photo to the victim’s computer using a USB cable.

This is at least the third complaint about similar activities over the past few months that have been filed.  While the investigations proved them all to have occurred, no criminal charges have ever been filed.  The Alachua County Today has reported:

One High Springs resident, who did not want to be named in order to protect their source of information, said the High Springs Police Department is currently conducting eight separate internal investigations on the fire department regarding complaints stemming from alleged acts of hazing among firefighters.

Read the full story in the North Florida Herald HERE.

For some additional thoughts, read Dave Statter’s essay today on the perceived need for “ethics training” for firefighters at STATter911 HERE.

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

Arrest Made in Albany Warehouse Fire

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AN ARREST WAS MADE WEDNESDAY in connection with the fire at a former cold-storage warehouse in Albany, New York, that burned for several days.  The exasperating fire in the 11-story building with cork-lined walls was left to burn by the fire department because of the excessive potential danger to firefighters and no life or propety hazard inside.

Fire Critic reported last week HERE when the fire first began on Friday and subsequent coverage by Firefighter Nation HERE showed that the fire was allowed to burn until it self-extinguished three days later.

Albany police announced Thursday evening that a former contractor who was working illegally inside the warehouse accidentally started the fire while he was sawing metal items with the intent to steal and sell them for scrap.  George Ellis, 35, was arrested at 3 pm Wednesday and arraigned in City Court, then sent to Albany County jail where he remains today held without bond.

The Troy Record reports:

George Ellis, of 1619 Fifth St., and his employees were illegally sawing scrap metal in the colossal abandoned structure on Oct. 22 when sparks started a fire in the building’s cork insulation, police said.

Ellis had a contract to perform work in the building that expired in June, police said. Since the expiration of that contract, they allege Ellis and three of his employees took $26,000 of scrap metal from the building — some 200,000 pounds worth — and sold them to a Cohoes junkyard.

WXXA-TV Ch. 23 has this latest video report on the arrest and a recap of the fire:

 

Ellis has been charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree criminal mischief.  He was not charged with arson because there was a lack of intent when he started the fire.  He also has a past criminal record and has spent time in state prison.

The Albany Times Union has more details HERE.

Posted by on October 29, 2010 • Filed under: crime, Fire Rescue Topics, Videos

Morning Lineup – October 29

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I will readily admit it …. I am terrible when it comes to timely responses to emails.  I am always late “getting back to you” when I should have already gotten back to you.  Even my closest relatives are kept waiting for my messages and updates.  I don’t do it on purpose, but I am aware that I’m guilty of the practice and I don’t know why I have such a problem with it.

Maybe it’s a time-management thing.  I know all about that kind of stuff, but I am reluctant to do something about it.  I am truly envious of people who, no matter how busy they are, always reply to my emails within nanoseconds.  How do they do that?  About once a month I make a personal commitment to improve my digital communicative skills, but it seldom makes it past the first day of reform and I spend the rest of the week disappointed in myself.

Despite my failings in this phase of electronic information sharing, I found out yesterday that I am far from the worst culprit in this practice.  I was lifted emotionally when I read THIS ARTICLE about the Thames Water authority in the UK.  Thames Water supplies the drinking water for all of London and the upper Thames Valley, thus millions of customers.  It has just come to the public’s attention that back in March of this year it was discovered that one of their email boxes in the customer services department had accumulated nearly 4,000 emails that hadn’t even been read, let alone responded to.

Of course, like any good governmental entity, they have an excuse.  It seems that the “correct” email address for the agency begins with customer.feedback, with that dot in the middle.  But if anyone typed in the more obvious customerfeedback, then instead of their email automatically bouncing back to them, it was stored in the mailbox that was set up to collect them.  For seven years it collected them.  It’s just that nobody thought to check.

Naturally there is the  usual hand-wringing apology and promises to do better, but it’s going to cost them, too.  There is a regulation that requires a £20 compensation to the customer if the water co. fails to respond within 10 working days to any complaints or account inquiries.  And if they fail to make the payment within 10 days after that, then additional compensation is tacked on.  They’re working their way through the list now and assuring the customers that, “Thames [Water] has taken action to address the root causes of the failure and has put in place measures to prevent it being repeated.”

Yeah, that’s the ticket.  I’m going to take action and put measures in place to keep my email box cleared.  Maybe I’ll just put a dot in the middle of Fire.geezer.   But not yet… I have to get the coffee started.  Let’s get the equipment checked out while I do that, then we’ll meet back in the day room.

Posted by on October 29, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup

Lonely Fire Engine Tracks Down the Crew

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WHEN A SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ENGINE COMPANY responded to assist the medics on a medical emergency Wednesday night,  they positioned the engine just around the corner and about 300 feet from the house.  Then they walked to the house and entered to join the medics.  Moments later, they heard a crash very close to where they were and stepped out front to see what it was.

KXLY-TV

They found that their fire engine has decided on its own to join the gang and it literally started rolling, went around the corner and down the road where it jumped over the curb and came to rest against the front porch.

KXLY-TV

It knocked out a couple of the porch roof supports and broke a small hole in the front of the house.  But considering the weight and force of the moving vehicle, the damage was very slight.

KREM-TV

This video report from KXLY-TV includes an interview with Fire Chief Bobby Williams who had to go see this one for himself:

Investigators are trying to figure out what went wrong and how the engine followed the firefighters’ path to the house.

Posted by on October 28, 2010 • Filed under: apparatus, Fire Rescue Topics, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus, Videos • Tagged:

Bent Treasurer Update

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IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, FIREGEEZER REPORTED (HERE) on the arrest of the treasurer of the Warwick Community Ambulance Association in Lititz, Pennsylvania.  James A. Reynolds had been charged with stealing $388,000 from the squad, an amount that grew to nearly a half-million dollars after further investigation.

James Reynolds

Following his trial in June in which he pleaded guilty, Reynolds, now age 40, was sentenced yesterday (Wednesday) to 2-½ to 5 years in the state prison.  He told Lancaster County Judge Margaret Miller that his actions were “greedy and self-centered.”

The Intelligencer Journal reports:

“The guilt will remain with me forever,” Reynolds said, apologizing to members of the ambulance association and community for betraying their “faith and trust.”  Struggling to control his emotions, Reynolds apologized to his wife and two young children.  “They’ve sacrificed tremendously for my terrible actions,” he told Miller, “and I’m sorry.”

Prosecutors said Reynolds spent some of the stolen $497,941 to pay for living expenses and debts, but most of it went to finance his dream of owning a hunting supply business.

(Judge) Miller called Reynolds’ actions “the most self-centered, blatantly greedy betrayal of trust.  I am horrified at your shopping list,” the judge said, reading through the list of jet skis, hunting rifles, clothing, trips, toys and other items Reynolds had purchased.

Read the full story with more details in the Intelligencer Journal HERE.

Posted by on October 28, 2010 • Filed under: crime, EMS Topics, News • Tagged: ,

Looking Back

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………. Fire Engineering, November 1972

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Posted by on October 28, 2010 • Filed under: Looking Back • Tagged: , ,

Time To Go Shopping

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WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS ON THAT TRUCK?

Big Brown has just brought in the first shipment of the MONOPOLY – EMS VERSION games.  If you have placed a pre-order, then it will be getting into the mail to you soon.  If you’ve been waiting until they arrive before you order yours, then NOW is the time to CLICK HERE and place it.

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WHO HASN’T SPENT HOURS LOOKING THROUGH the National Geographic magazine?  All those terrific articles on places and people along with the best photographers in the world illustrating them.  You just can’t put one down after you pick it up.  Maybe you have wished that your children could be exposed to those marvelous, educational materials.

Well, now they can!  National G. has put every single edition from 1888 through 2008 onto DVD-ROMs …..

 

Every printed page–every article, photograph, advertisement.  Plus a nifty feature called Geobrowse, where you just point to a place on the globe to be linked to all the articles about that area.  And the good news is, you can order a set for your family now while the price is knocked down 14% to $59.95.  Just CLICK HERE  to read more and order yours.

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And while you’re letting your fingers do the shopping, take a moment to order your own Firegeezer Travel Mug.  These practical, 16-oz. insulated mugs have become a popular item, and understandably so.  The hefty, fire engine-red mugs have the best “sip lid” we’ve seen yet.

And along with the familiar Firegeezer logo, they have the narrow base that fits into most cup holders.  Perfect for that morning commute to work while keeping your coffee hot for more than an hour.  You can order yours using your credit card safely from the Firegeezer Shop HERE.

Posted by on October 28, 2010 • Filed under: education, EMS Topics, shopping • Tagged: , ,

Those Pink Fire Stations

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ON MONDAY’S LINEUP (HERE) WE WERE talking about some of the ways that different departments were participating in the focused campaign on Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  We mentioned that the East Hartford, Connecticut, FD would be illuminating the outsides of their five fire stations all this week with pink lighting.

Fire Chief John Oates has sent us some photos of two of their stations to share with you today.

If you have any pictures of your department’s activities that you’d like share, send them along and we’ll post them.

Thanks, Chief Oates.
East Hartford Fire Department WEBSITE.

Posted by on October 28, 2010 • Filed under: charity, culture, current events, News • Tagged: , ,

And Another Treasurer Goes Down

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A FORMER ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYEE of the Garner Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department in North Carolina was arrested Wednesday and charged with stealing nearly $394,000 from the department’s bank account.  

Amy McKinley Moore, 43, was charged with obtaining property by false pretense and larceny by employee in excess of $100,000.  She was released after posting a $50,000 bond.  Moore was a 10-year employee of the department and handled the FD’s books.  Her husband David Moore is a detective in the Raleigh Police Department.

Late last year the FD had an outside audit of their accounts for the period July 2008 through June 2009 that exposed the discrepancy.  The FD officials then notified the Garner city authorities about the missing money and they brought the State Bureau of Investigation in to follow up on it.  At that time Moore abruptly resigned.

The Raleigh News & Observer reports that, according to an indictment, Moore wrote 301 checks to herself from the department’s bank account, totaling $393,949.56 and then recorded those in the account ledger as either money paid for operating expenses for fuel or not recorded at all. The indictment states the alleged crimes occurred between Jan. 14, 2003, and Dec. 23, 2009.

The department receives most of its funding from the Town of Garner and Wake County.  Since this incident was exposed, the Town has required the VFD to completely revamp their procedures and overhaul their Board of Directors.  The Town also insisted on the the resignation of the fire chief this past June.  WRAL-TV has the details of the reorganization HERE.

Garner Fire Rescue Department WEBSITE.

Hat tip to Peter T. who also suggests we set up one of those electric dollar totalizors to keep a running count of funds embezzled from fire and ambulance associations.

Posted by on October 28, 2010 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, crime, Fire Rescue Topics

Tonight’s Netcast

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Tonight on the Voice of Reason- join Art “Chief Reason” Goodrich as he looks to put some closure on those crazy fire service stories we’ve been dealing with recently- including the Obion County, Tennessee fiasco, and the “what was he thinking” video from Georgia.

 Art brings in fellow Netcaster John Mitchell to address these issues as well as the back-and-forth between Rhett Fleitz and Dave Statter- are they beating a dead horse?

 Of course, the real purpose of this live podcast is to engage you, the listener. So join them on the net Firefighter Netcast, on the phone (347-327-9920), or in their chat room to give them a piece of your mind as well.

The live netcast begins at 9 pm Eastern, but like always the programs are archived and can be downloaded to listen to at your convenience.  But if you catch the live show, you can participate through the BlogTalk Radio format.

Posted by on October 28, 2010 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Fire-ology • Tagged:

Maybe They Didn’t Know How To Spell It?

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A FIRE COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE CAFETERIA of the Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, Tuesday afternoon.  But the sheriff’s department, along with many others, are puzzled over why nobody ever called 9-1-1 when the fire broke out at 4 pm.  They do have a record showing a call recieved on the sheriff’s regular non-emergency number from the school security office, but that’s it.

Not a hose line in sight in this photo from Brandon Gillihan.

There were two separate fires that started about a half-hour before the dinner meal was scheduled to be served and they were well underway before any fire equipment arrived on the scene.  The entire cafeteria was burned out and the roof has largely collapsed.  This video report from KLRT-TV tells about this unusual incident.  Firegeezer also notes the nonchalance of the students who don’t seem to be the least bit concerned about the loss of a valuable piece of property:

 

KATV posted an early report on the fire along with some video Tuesday evening HERE.
Batesville Fire Department WEBSITE.

Lyon College is a small liberal-arts school founded in 1872, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and has about 500 (hungry) students.

Photo by Monica Mitchell

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

Morning Lineup – October 28

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Let’s start off the day with one of those “nice stories” that don’t require any thinking to understand or absorb.  Just enjoy the moment while I tell you about a surprise legacy for a religious order of Catholic nuns.  The School Sisters of Notre Dame based in Baltimore, do charitable missionary work all around the world, thus always seeking donations to carry on their mission.

Recently a man whose own sister was a nun passed away and left all of his possessions to the order to dispose of how they saw fit.  The lawyer handling the estate notified the Sisters that one of the items that was being kept in a safe deposit box is one of the 60 Honus Wagner baseball cards that are known to exist.  He had apparently purchased it in1936 before such things had achieved the collectable values that they have nowadays.  There was a note with it in the safe deposit box that read,  “Although damaged, the value of this baseball card should increase exponentially throughout the 21st century!”

Honus Wagner

Honus Wagner (Feb. 24, 1874 – Dec. 6, 1955) played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1900 to 1917 and later served as a coach for the team from 1933 – 1951.  Eight times he was the major league batting champion with a career batting average of .327,  and five times he led the league in stolen bases.  His unusual speed on the base paths earned him the nickname “Flying Dutchman.”  In 1916 he became the oldest player ever to hit an inside-the-park home run.  When the Baseball Hall of Fame was created in 1936 he was one of the five original inductees.

His baseball cards that were issued by a cigarette company are legenday for their value due to their scarcity.  The last known sale of one was at auction in 2007  when a mint-condition card went for $2.8 million.  The American Tobacco Co. used the card as a premium from 1909 to 1911, but Wagner was reportedly uncomfortable with the enticement to children to buy cigarettes in order to get the cards.  So he refused to renew his contract with ATC and the card went extinct.  The exact number distributed is unknown except that there were less than 200 of them released.

The mint-condition card.

This card though, is in a very shabby condition.  Three of the borders have been trimmed off and there is a severe crease across it, and at some time it was laminated.

The card currently being offered.

The Sisters have decided to auction this gift now in order to convert the asset to usable funds for their mission and it is being offered through the Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas.  Their initial estimate of the value of this poor-condition card was $150,00 to $200,000, but as I am writing this the top bid so far is $180,000.  The auction closes on November 4 at 10 pm Central time and as you know, the big money shows up at closing time on these.  So if you want to follow the bidding (and maybe get in on the action?), CLICK HERE to watch the bid counter.  There is a reserve on the sale, but the webpage says that they will disclose the reserve today.

While we’re waiting for that revelation, let’s get this equipment checked out.  I’m going to get the coffee started now and then we’ll meet back in the day room in a little while.

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

Floating Fishboat Fire Heads For Port

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AN OCEAN-GOING FISHING AND PROCESSING SHIP caught fire earlier today in the Celtic Sea just southwest of the Isles of Scilly.  The vessel catches the fish and processes them immediately in a plant that is an integral part of the ship.   The Athena, which is registered in Faroe Islands, had 111 people on board when the fire broke out in a compartment used for storage of packing supplies.

French Navy photo

The captain immediately ordered all non-sailors to abandon ship and put out a distress call.  The lifeboats were lowered and 98 workers were safely evacuated.  The 13 remaing crew went to work containing the fire by isolating it in the compartment and trying to cool it down or extinguish it.

French Navy photo

Five ships responded to the mayday call and the nearest, a container ship, the Vega rescued all 98 people without incident.  Although it was a difficult retrieval for the crew of the Vega because of the high hull that they had to hoist the victims up and over.

The ship’s owners, Faroe Islands-based shipping company Thor, said in a statement:

“Around 6am this morning a fire broke out on board Athena while she was sailing to her next fishing area. The fire appears to have started in packing material stored on the port side of the ship. The fire safety crew on board have remained on board to try to contain the situation. All but the 13 firefighting crew have abandoned the ship, and all are safe. The firefighting crew are safe and are in no immediate danger.”

The Vega was bound for Jamaica, but has diverted to Falmouth, England, with the rescued workers and is also serving as an escort to the Athena which is steaming along at about 8 knots per hour.  They hope to reach Falmouth sometime Thursday evening.

The Athena was constructed in 1992 and rebuilt in China this year after another fire on board in 2007.

The Bridgewater Mercury has the STORY.

Company handout photo of Athena

Thanks for assistance from Fireball

Posted by on October 27, 2010 • Filed under: fire, Fires, rescue, Rescues • Tagged: , , ,