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Warren RI 9/11 float at July 4th parade

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Nice Tribute

Warren RI fire department pays tribute to the victims of 9/11 during the Bristol RI 4th of July parade 2011.

from CBEMT at IACOJ.com:

I'm on the opposite side of the street from the camera (video posted by milfordwoman) , last in line with another FF carrying water walking past me as I come into view.

Mrs. CB is camera-side. We're both pretty much visible at 00:23.

The monument at the rear of the float has the names of every FDNY, EMS, NYPD, and PAPD member killed that day, right down to Sirius the dog.

Eric Dickervitz writing for EastBayRI.com:

When the Warren Fire Department’s float, a living tribute to 9/11, passed by Rae Jodoin, she and other onlookers were moved by the image of twisted metal and the tired firefighters who stood tall alongside it.

As the float passed by Ms. Jodoin’s Hope Street home, she ran into the street to hand the firefighters a small flag bearing the name of a 9/11 victim.

She and her husband, Mike, had turned their front yard into a memorial for the people who died on 9/11.

A few nights before, the couple were joined by over a dozen family and friends in writing a name of a 9/11 victim on a small American flag.

All 2,977 flags were then displayed on the Jodoins’ front lawn.

Click on the headline to read the rest of: A spectacular Bristol Fourth of July parade

Nice float!

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward
 

Posted by on July 9, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

EMS Car Smashed By DUI Suspect

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Young Woman Tested For Drugs

AN AMR SUPERVISOR'S VAN was heavily damaged Friday morning when an Evansville, Indiana, woman drove into it while it was not moving.  The EMS car was stopped while waiting to make a left turn in Evansville Friday morning, when a young woman came veering right him in her car.

WFIE-TV

The AMR official told police that he saw her coming and tried to back up to avoid her, but he was too late.  She came across the median and smashed right into the van, heavily damaging  both vehicles.  Nobody was hurt in the crash, but the woman was taken away to the sheriff's office for a drug evaluation test.

WFIE-TV filed this raw video taken at the crash scene:

 

You can read the story and view another video from WFIE HERE.

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Posted by on July 9, 2011 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances, Videos • Tagged: ,

The News Ticker

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Some Good Stories Coming Off the News Ticker

A LIGHTNING STRIKE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON in Essex Junction, Vermont, started a fire in a church parish hall that led to the destruction of the community center.

Free Press / Russell

The 120-yr.-old building was the social center for two Roman Catholic churches in the town and held an activity almost every day or night of the year.

The Burlington Free Press has the full STORY.

Hat tip:  Mark D.

LOS ANGELES' MOBILE MAYOR Antonio Villaraigosa has appointed LAFD Asst. Chief Bryan Cummings to serve as interim fire chief until the now-open chief's position is filled.  Current chief Millage Peaks recently announced his retirement to become effective tomorrow, July 9.  KCAL-TV has this brief video report:

 

THE DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF of the Friendship Volunteer Fire Dept. in Smiths Station, Alabama, was arrested last week and charged with embezzling more than $5,000 from FEMA grants that were awarded to the fire department.  It's a tight community in Smiths Station.  The accused deputy chief, Angelia Curran, 44, is a former city councilwoman as well as the daughter of the long-serving fire chief.

Her father, Chief Roy Trobaugh says it's just a misunderstanding.  In an interview four years ago, Curran told the Ledger-Enquirer, "I love doing what I do for my community and I love helping people.  I don’t volunteer to win awards — I volunteer because I like the way it makes me feel inside, the warm loving feeling that you get from helping others.”

Read the details of her latest warm, loving feeling in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer HERE.

THE NATIONAL FIRE SPRINKLER ASSOCIATION announced that they are launching a web-based video channel on July 12, 2011, providing the fire sprinkler industry with easier, more convenient training and the public with education about fire sprinklers.  A press release states,

The new website, www.nfsa.tv, will provide a platform serving three primary purposes:

· Hosting live video training and education events, functioning as a virtual classroom for fire sprinkler industry professionals to further their proficiency in the trade

· Serving as a resource for conveying fire sprinkler information to the general public, legislators, and other interested parties

· Functioning as an additional and technologically advanced advertising outlet for NFSA members and organizations that want to reach its membership

"Training dollars are shrinking and with them the opportunities for fire sprinkler professionals to travel to on-site locations for needed in-class training that helps them grow their expertise," said John Viniello, president of NFSA. "NFSA.tv will keep NFSA at the vanguard of organizations promoting fire sprinklers while providing an additional outlet for public education about the life-saving benefits of fire sprinklers."

Follow the link for more information.

THE FIREFIGHTERS IN ASCIANO, ITALY, HAD to temporaily switch from fire fighters to cattle punchers this morning.  Responding to a structure fire at a cattle breeding farm, they arrived to find a large barn on fire that contained to major impediments to effective firefighting.  One was a large quantity of straw throughout the barn and the other was … 250 head of cattle.

Vigili del Fuoco photo

The buckaroos were able to free the entire herd, except for two calves that perished, before they set about to successfully contain the fire to the one burning building in the farm complex. 

The National Vigili del Fuoco website has a photo gallery HERE.

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Posted by on July 9, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Videos

Garden Shop Destroyed by Fertilizer-Fed Blaze in France

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Fire Advanced Before Fire Brigade Arrived

A FIRE AT A LARGE RETAIL GARDEN CENTER DESTROYED the entire business Thursday afternoon in Saint-Brieuc, France.

The shop was closed for lunch and the five employees were outside relaxing with their meal when they heard the fire alarm sounding.  After inspecting the building and seeing nothing abnormal, they returned to their lunch without notifying the fire brigade.  After their lunch they returned to the shop and discovered a fire already well in progress.  This time they called the fire department.

Ouest-France photo

Engines from five towns brought 46 firefighters to the scene at 1 pm where they found the back of the building in full blaze.  As the fire grew it set off several small explosions from gas bottles stored inside and the blaze expanded rapidly as it spread into the fertilizer supplies.

Le Telegramme

The incident commander pulled all the FF's out of the building and went into containment operations.  About 90 minutes into the incident the roof of the building came down.  The fire was brought under control about two hours after the alarm was dispatched.  The building is a total loss.

Le Telegramme

The thick smoke from the burning products covered the area's roadways and the town's ring road, creating a large traffic jam for the rest of the afternoon.

Ouest France filed this raw video that captured the roof collapse:

 

 

 

 

 

Ouest France has the STORY. 
Le Telegramme has more plus a photo gallery and additional video HERE.

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Posted by on July 9, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires

Hot Pop Star Cuts Show Short After Fire Breaks Out On Stage.

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Sometimes The Act is Just Too Hot

SUPER-POP SINGING STAR RIHANNA was performing at the AA Arena in Dallas, Texas, last night (Friday) when a fire broke out in some of the overhead lighting fixtures.  The blaze started spreading and dropping sparks and flaming debris down on the stage.

She had to cut and run, so to speak, and the audience was told to exit the venue, which they did in an orderly way as smoke started filling the arena.  The stage crew used portable extinguishers and had the fire out before Dallas Fire-Rescue arrived.

This raw video posted on YouTube was captured by one of the concert-goers and documents the early stages of the fire and the evacuation:

 

The balance of the concert, which was nearing its conclusion anyway, was canceled.  KDFW-TV filed this video report this morning:

 

It's not yet known what caused the fire, but damage was limited thanks to the cool response of the stagehand who went topside with the fire extinguisher.

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Posted by on July 9, 2011 • Filed under: culture, fire, Fires, News, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Morning Lineup – July 9

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Saturday Morning – Let's plan a day-trip.

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There are just nine days until the Firehouse Expo opens in Baltimore, so that means there are twelve days until the exhibit hall opens for the 3-day run.  If you've been reading Firegeezer regularly for the past couple of months, then you know that we will have a booth in the exhibit hall again this year.  Joining us again will be Dave Statter and his gang from STATter911 along with the crew from Firefighter Netcast, Rhett Fleitz and John Mitchell.  The Netcast guys will have their recording machinery set up and will be taping interviews to be netcast later.

It gets pretty lively in there and we have a ton of fun meeting the thousands who tread down the aisle to Booth 743 to visit with us.  Dave likened the atmosphere to "Gilligan's Island meets Barnum & Bailey," but I assure you that it's safe for the whole family.  And if you follow simple directions easily, you can get in for FREE!  To get your free pass that is good for all three days (a $15 value) just do this:

To get your pass to the Firehouse Expo exhibition hall, you register online. There is no limit to the number of people who can get one, but each has to be registered individually.

Step 1:

Go to this webpage:

https://www.xpressreg.net/register/fire071/reginfo.asp?st=&o=85236&pc=&iq=&aban=

Step 2:

Fill out the registration form and in the Promo Code Information box,
use Promo Code EX 79.

Step 3:

Finish out the registration process and you're done.

Step 4:

When you arrive at the convention center, pick up your badge at the registration center. Also…. make sure you stop by Booth 743 and say hello!

That's all there is to it.  Each visitor has to be registered individually and in advance, so keep that in mind.  There is no limit to the number of passes we can give out, so get a group together from the firehouse or ambulance station and come down en masse.  I hope to see many of you there.

Now let's get the equipment checked out while I go start some more coffee.  See you back in the day room.

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Posted by on July 9, 2011 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged:

Ambulance vs. Dump Truck – 1 Dead, 4 Injured

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Failure to Yield

A DADE COUNTY, MISSOURI, AMBULANCE COLLIDED head-on with a dump truck on a 2-lane country highway in Polk County, Missouri, Friday afternoon shortly before 2 pm Central.

Herald-Free Press photo

The Bolivar Herald-Free Press describes what happened:

Four people were reported on board the Cox Medical Center—Dade County Unit ambulance. One was a male patient, who died at the scene, according to Polk County Coroner Roy Harms. The patient had been picked up in Greenfield and was being transported to Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar.

The wreck apparently happened when some number of westbound vehicles on Mo. 32 slowed as the eastbound ambulance approached them. The westbound dump truck skidded and fishtailed out of control behind the other westbound vehicles and then collided with the ambulance. The truck came to rest facing east.

Springfield News-Leader

Four air ambulances were called to the scene to transport the injured victims.

No further information has been given out yet.  The investigation is just beginning.

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Posted by on July 8, 2011 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , , , ,

Metal Thieves Strip Antique Pumper

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 Irreplaceable Parts Taken Also

UNCONSCIONABLE THIEVES CUT THROUGH the metal wall of a storage building in Cowpens, South Carolina, Tuesday night where the town's fire department keeps their "parade piece."  The 1940 GM truck was the 2nd fire engine of the town and kept in running shape for parades and block parties, etc.

WYFF-TV image

The cretins stripped out most of the copper electrical wiring and stole the chrome bell off the pumper.  They also took the original wooden ladder mounted on the side and several sections of hose along with some antique nozzles and many parts from the motor.

WYFF-TV image

WYFF-TV Ch. 4 Greenville filed this video report Thursday:

 

Cowpens Fire Department WEBSITE.

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Posted by on July 8, 2011 • Filed under: antique apparatus, crime, News • Tagged: ,

Friday’s Missing Caption

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WE ALL KNOW THAT THE ROOKIE always gets the worst housework assignments, but in this department they're really brutal about it.  Unfortunately, when the AP sent this photo out, the caption went off in a different direction.  So we're not certain about what this probie's assignment is today, but if he had a paddle instead of a shovel we might have a better idea.

If you have an idea of what he's doing here, please post it in the Comments so that we can hopefully find out.

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Posted by on July 8, 2011 • Filed under: caption contest • Tagged:

New Questions Arise in Minnesota Fatal B & B Fire

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Business License Had Not Been Renewed

SOME NEW CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS have come up related to the B & B fire in New Ulm, Minnesota, last Saturday.  (See Firegeezer report HERE.)  The fire roared through one of the town's more famous dwellings that has in recent years been operated as the Bohemian Bed & Breakfast.  Six people died in the blaze, the owner, her two young daughters, and three guests that were sleeping also.

New Ulm Journal

The nearby carriage house, which also housed paying guests, had two families staying in the two of the three rooms there and they all escaped as the fire never extended to it.

During the course of the investigation it was discovered that the house did not have a current business license and thus had not been inspected by the city fire marshal.  It had previously been licensed and inspected, but when the FM visited it this past December he was told that the house was not going to be used for lodging.  The carriage house was licensed, however, and it passed the inspection.  Now there is a question of why the guests were in the main house.  One of the survivors of the fire said that his party and one other had paid to stay in the rooms over the holiday weekend while they had a reunion.

The fire marshal, who is also a volunteer firefighter, stated that when he arrived on the scene he could hear smoke detectors sounding in the burning structure.  The state fire marshal office is not involved because they only inspect lodging facilities of six rooms or more.  The main house had but four.

While the cause of the fire is still unknown and continuing to be investigated, the fire officials stated that they are not ruling out arson.

KSTP-TV posted this video report from Thursday's press conference:

 

References:
Minneapolis Star-Tribune HERE.
The Leader HERE.
The Mankato Free Press HERE.

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Posted by on July 8, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, investigations, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Nimby Snobs Protest Firehouse Plans

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"We all love firemen, and I appreciate the great work they do,"  …. but,

THE BOILING SPRINGS FIRE DISTRICT in Greenville County, South Carolina, needs a new fire station.  A surge in housing developments coupled with a recent ISO inspection points out the necessity of locating an additional fire station.  The new firehouse is required to maintain their current Class 1 rating and to achieve acceptable response times into the expanded area of coverage.

There is a $2 million bond proposal to purchase an unused church building and either convert it or replace it with a firehouse.  The fire chief points out that the location of the property is ideal to meet their needs.

This vacant church is being considered for the new station.
(WSPA-TV image)

But Wednesday night when Fire Chief Steve Graham addressed a public gathering to explain the where's and why's of the new firehouse, he was met with a gaggle of self-important snobs who can't stomach the thought that their McMansions might become contaminated by the proximity of (gasp) firetrucks and firefighters.  Judging from their comments at the meeting, it appears that some of them have all the intelligence of a cocker spaniel:

"I'm just not excited about when they pull out with as much traffic, and they're going to blare their sirens to get out. I can see quality of life being affected here."

"I do know that if you're on a call and you're in an emergency response and you're driving on these roads, I'm not sure how many accidents it's going to cause in these curves,"

"But do you want it right next to you or would you rather have it in a more commercial location? People who buy near commercial properties are more readily willing to accept it."

"You can see the roof of it from my front yard."

Welcome to the world of the NIMBY, Chief Graham. 

WHNS-TV reported on the community meeting in this video report:

 

The county finance committee will be meeting Monday night to consider the bond request.

WSPA-TV has additional video and more HERE.

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Posted by on July 8, 2011 • Filed under: commentary, Fire Rescue Topics, fire stations, Videos • Tagged: ,

Off-Duty Texas Firefighter Dies at Baseball Game

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Fell Out of Stands Trying to Catch a Ball

A BROWNWOOD, TEXAS, FIREFIGHTER DIED THURSDAY night after falling from the stands in the Texas Rangers' stadium in Arlington.

Associated Press

The man identified as Shannon Stone, 39, was reaching out trying to catch a ball that had been tossed to him by the left fielder when he tumbled over the railing and fell 20 feet to a concrete pad.  The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports:

The fan tumbled over the railing at approximately 7:30 p.m. after asking Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton for a foul ball hit by Oakland outfielder Conor Jackson in the top of the second inning. Hamilton tossed the ball up to him, he leaned over and caught it and then went headfirst into the gap between the seats and out-of-town scoreboard.

"I tried to grab him, but I couldn’t," said Ronnie Hargis, a 50-year-old from Hawley who was seated next to him. "I tried to slow him down a little bit. He went straight down."

ABC News posted this video report on the tragic accident:

 

One of the players on the visiting team from Oakland said that Stone was conscious when he was put on the stretcher and was telling people that his son was alone up in the stands and asked that somebody take care of him.  Arlington Fire Department officials said Stone "went into full arrest" while being transported by ambulance. He was pronounced dead at a Fort Worth hospital less than an hour after he fell.

Stone was a fire lieutenant and had been on the FD for about 18 years.  Brownwood is about 150 miles southwest of Arlington.

The Associated Press has a detailed report HERE.

 

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Posted by on July 8, 2011 • Filed under: current events, News, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Morning Lineup – July 8

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Friday Morning

File this under the "everything old is new again" category.  Back on Tuesday the government of Nova Scotia issued a press release announcing that the province has put a 2-stretcher ambulance in service.  It's not going to be used on emergency calls, but as a transport unit to move patients from one health facility to another.

That brought to mind a posting and discussion that we had about 2 yrs. ago, maybe a little more, about the old high-top ambulances that many fire departments had before the advent of the "box style" that we use today.  Many ambulances were built by firms such as Miller and Superior who built their business on providing hearses for funeral homes, etc.  They used the same dies to contruct ambulance bodies on commercial automobile frames.

For an extra cost you could get a high-top that not only gave you more working room, but allowed you to install hangers that would hold folding stretchers, all of which came with the unit, and you could carry four litter patients in the ambulance. 

Several other readers commented on their experiences with them and how useful they were in remote rural areas where car crashes could leave a high victim count and rescue squads were few.  Sometimes you'd take a load to the hospital and then respond back to the wreck to pick up some more.  No IV's or monitors, just primary first aid: breathing, bleeding and immobilization.  Nobody who wrote back was able to match my personal record of nine patients on one trip – four litter patients and five walking-wounded.  They all lived.

And now let's prolong the life of these trucks and get our equipment checked out.  I'm going to start some more coffee, the life-blood of the emergency services.  See you back in the day room later.  The absolutely last and final space shuttle flight is supposed to lift off around 11 am Eastern this morning.  Unless they come up with another excuse to postpone it.

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Posted by on July 8, 2011 • Filed under: ambulances, morning lineup • Tagged: ,

Stadium Roof Collapses in Netherlands

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Construction Work Was Underway at the Time

THE ROOF OVER ONE OF THE GRANDSTANDS at a major Dutch soccer stadium collapsed Thursday killing one construction worker and injuring at least 14 others, two seriously.

All photos via Telegraaf

The large stadium is located in Enschede, Holland, and is the home pitch for the FC Twente, one of the top teams in the country.

BBC News is reporting:

The accident happened during building work at the ground of top Dutch football team FC Twente. The victims are thought to be construction workers.

The roof fell on top of a bank of seats behind one of the goals – Dutch media say two girders had buckled.

"It collapsed with a huge noise like a house of cards," a witness told the Dutch news agency ANP.

Firefighter teams and police helicopters were at the scene shortly afterwards. Rescue workers had to free people from the rubble.

The Grolsch Veste, as the stadium is called, is being expanded to accommodate more fans before the fall season begins.

The roof over the southern grandstand came down at noon, trapping several workers under the debris.  Twenty-five fire companies, two dozen ambulances and a rescue helicoper were dispatched to the scene.

It is two early to determine the cause, but one observation claimed that two girders had buckled.

 

 

Expatica Netherlands has MORE.

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Posted by on July 8, 2011 • Filed under: rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Online Dating Service Dumps 30,000 Ugly Members

3 comments

"Beauty is in the Eyes of the Voter"

SURELY EVERYBODY KNOWS BY NOW about those online dating services where you sign up – or maybe just click in – and you have the opportunity to meet people who share your interests.  For many it's a convenient digital gathering place where you just might connect with that special person.  One of the more exclusive dating services is Danish-based BeautifulPeople.com that enforces a higher standard of acceptance than most others.  It has a world-wide active membership but is restricted to only "beautiful men and women" so that the members don't have to mess around with a bunch of uglies when they are really only interested in boppin' it with people who are as beautiful as they are.

When someone applies for membership, along with the privilege of paying out $25 mo. to be part of the club, the current members vote them up or down, thereby maintaining the beauty level according to the opinions of the paying members.  Or something like that.  It can be brutal at times.  Last year the gang expelled about 5,000 members after they appeared to have put on too much weight over the Christmas season.

But the UK Guardian reports that there's trouble in Paradise this year after a malicious hack altered the standards level in the main computer program and suddenly tens of thousands of applicants who aren't quite so beautiful were approved and diluted the gene pool considerably.  This led to a wholesale purging after the members-in-good-standing got an eyeful of what was going on.  The website gave the boot to approximately 30,000 newly-admitted members and was obligated to dispense with over $112,000 in refunds along with setting up a helpline with counselors on hand to administer to the distressed rejects.  "We can't just sweep 30,000 ugly people under the carptet," said Greg Hodge, managing director of BeautifulPeople.com, "(But) we have to stick to our founding principles of only accepting beautiful people – that's what our members have paid for,"   The Guardian quotes further:

Rachel Godfrey, a 31-year-old Australian nanny living in LA, said she received an email telling her she was rejected two weeks after being accepted. "I was getting on really well with this American guy and we were going to go on a date and then they said I'd been chucked off and they locked me out of the site," she said. "Now I can't get in touch with him."

Godfrey said she is planning to have a makeover and professional photo shoot before reapplying to the website. "What if he's the one? This is only way I'll be able to get in touch with him," she said. "If that doesn't work I'll see what I can do with Photoshop."

You can read the entire ARTICLE HERE.

Firegeezer notes:  It's a good thing people don't stop and take a vote before they let the ambulance crew in the front door.

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Posted by on July 7, 2011 • Filed under: culture, News • Tagged: ,

Looking Back

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Fire Engineering Magazine – October 1959

 

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Posted by on July 7, 2011 • Filed under: Looking Back • Tagged: ,

Where There’s Smoke …. There’s Drugs

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Salvage and Overhaul Takes On a New Meaning

FIREFIGHTERS IN LA GRULLA, TEXAS, responded to a fire call Tuesday evening around 6 pm.  But when they arrived at the smoking house, their investigation into the source was impeded by 151 bundles of marijuana.

The police were called to take care of the mop-up and they arrested two people at the scene.  The load they hauled away was too large to fit in their evidence room, so they took it to nearby jail.

KRGV-TV filed a video report from the scene HERE.

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Posted by on July 7, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fire Rescue Topics • Tagged:

Haz-Mat Incident / Fire in Sacramento Exposes Budget-Cutting Deficiencies

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City Shifting Burden of Haz-Mat Protection Onto Neighboring City

THE SACRAMENTO (California) FIRE DEPARTMENT along with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District responded to a call for smoke coming from a parked trailer in an industrial truck repair yard Wednesday morning.  When they arrived on the scene they found chemical fumes coming from a truck trailer that contained about ten different chemicals stored inside it.

KCRA-TV

Not knowing which chemicals had mixed and reacted inside the trailer, the IC elevated the call to a Level 3 Haz-Mat incident, calling for evacuation of about 50 nearby businesses and full HM response including decontamination team.  Unfortunately, one of Sacramento's two haz-mat units was sidelined less than a week ago due to recent budget cuts and they had to special-call the haz-mat unit from the City of Roseville.

The Sacramento Bee picks up the STORY:

Crews ventilated the trailer and evacuated more than 50 nearby businesses, Ogan said.
It was determined that oil containing refrigerant had leaked from a container in the trailer and likely mixed with another chemical to create the fumes, said Sacramento Fire Department Assistant Chief Niko King. Three people were transported to a hospital for some "inhalation irritation," King said.

The situation seemed to be resolved around 1 p.m., when fire officials turned the cleanup over to Clean Harbors, a hazardous chemicals disposal company based in Massachusetts that was storing the trailer at Mike & Son's, Rexroad said.

However, Ogan said, officials believe that before the truck could be unloaded, two non-compatible chemicals came into contact and ignited a fire around 5 p.m.

The fire was contained using hose streams and several units were held on the scene through the entire night.

KCRA-TV Ch. 3 was on the scene also and filed this video report:

 

Sacramento's fire chief has been very outspoken while informing the citizens on how their fire and rescue services have been degraded since the city council began cutting back the resources over a year ago.  His policy of being upfront with it is quite evident in the video interviews with the chief-level officers.

NewsChannel 10 strongly hammered that point home in this video report that also includes some fire footage:

 

This morning the FD announced that the situation has been mitigated and the property was turned over to the truck repair company.

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Posted by on July 7, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, Funding & Staffing, HazMat, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Morning Lineup – July 7

1 comment

Thursday Morning

The Gnome Handler pointed out to me yesterday afternoon that it was the 67th anniversary of the tragic Hartford Circus Fire when the big top of the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus caught fire during an afternoon performance with the tent packed with families.

July 6, 1944 – "The Day the Clowns Cried"

It was a typically hot, summer day in Hartford, Connecticut, as 7,000 patrons filed into the big top for the great show.  All the seating was portable wooden bleachers arrayed around the the entire sidewalls of the tent.  About 20 minutes into the performance, the cat tamers had just finished their performance at the #3  ring and were herding their animals through the chutes that led them to the animal wagons.  This activity was temporarily blocking two of the exits.

Circus workers assembling the animal chute
prior to the start of the act.

Suddenly a fire shot up the sidewall behind the #1 ring and the band leader noticed the flames right away.  He stopped the music and instructed the band to play Stars and Stripes Forever, the universal distress signal for all American circus workers.  Every hand in the circus came pouring into the big top and began to try and keep the crowd from panicking and assisting the exodus from the tent.  The fire rapidly got into the roof of the tent where it had been waterproofed by sealing it with a mixture of paraffin and kerosene, a standard practice at the time.  It was happening so fast that as the patrons came streaming out of the performance area, the tent was fully engulfed within a few minutes. 

One of the patrons had his movie camera with him to record the circus acts and captured the people exiting in reasonable order while the tent burns above them:

 

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Amateur home movie cameras were very rare in those days, and having color film loaded in them was even more rare.  But somebody was there with one and the recorded the fire taking over the tent and the rapid collapse of the roof:

 

It was all over before the fire department had a chance to arrive and begin any sort of rescue operations.  While most of the people made their escape, there were piles of burned bodies left behind when the fire was out, many of them unrecognizable and some nothing more than scattered pieces of bone.  It was all over in just six minutes.  Six minutes of terror, stampede and bravery.

This film was taken immediately after while steam was still rising from the ashes:

 

The official death toll was 168 souls, but that is only the number of proven victims as many were never identified or fully recovered.  Most of the dead were found in piles near the exits where they were trapped by the congestion of panicked people crowding into the exitways when the flaming tent roof dropped down on them.  A few people at the bottoms of the piles survived by being protected by the bodies on top of them.

Circus workers view one of the piles of
bodies fused together by the heat.

The cause of the fire was never officially determined, but arson was suspected early on.  In 1950 a man who was a serial arsonist and serving a 40-yr. prison term in Ohio, voluntarily confessed to setting the fire, claiming that he had a vision of a flaming woman who told him to start it.  While it was a preposterous claim, he did relate several facts about the fire that had never been made public and would only have been known by him if he was there.  But most investigators and historians discount his claim and the real arsonist is still legally unidentified.

References:
Time Magazine July 17, 1944 HERE.
Wikipedia entry HERE.
HartfordHistory.net entry HERE.
CircusFire1944.com collection HERE. (has large collection of photographs)
A good eyewitness account from a woman who, as a young girl, was sitting directly
     in the area where the fire started with her family is HERE.

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I think we had better get the equipment checked out now.  I'll go start the coffee.

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Posted by on July 7, 2011 • Filed under: culture, history, morning lineup, Videos • Tagged: ,

A Feline Rescue without pipe-cutting or positive pressure.

2 comments

Demythologizing an Urban Legend

Mike Seely, writing in today's Seattle Weekly blog, describes a July 5th dilemma.

After exhausting all other means to get Quincy down:

I decided to pay a personal visit to our local firehouse three blocks away.

Through a window, I saw a handful of firefighters hanging out near the front door, and rang the after-hours bell.

They answered, and I sheepishly asked them if they'd be willing to rescue a cat stranded on a roof down the street.

They chuckled at the request, but quickly agreed to have a look.

Upon meeting me at the house, the leader of the squadron informed me that if they were to receive an actual emergency summons, they'd have to promptly split and come back, provided things calmed to a point where they could come back.

You need to read the rest of the article here: Firefighters Really Do Rescue Cats: Demythologizing an Urban Legend

There is excitement, intrigue and a frozen peanut butter and banana pie.

Tip of the helmet to the Seattle Fire Department Ladder 13 crew from Highland Park!

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

PS: Seattle Fire Department's 22 page 2009 Emergency Response Report is another great approach showing OUTCOME based criteria to support budgeted activities. 

Worth a look! Click HERE.

Posted by on July 6, 2011 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, culture, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, News, public relations, Special Operations, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

The Bottle Rocket That Thought It Was A Drone

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They're All Getting More Sophisticated Now

SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT TUESDAY MORNING, a fire was spotted in a vacant duplex in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania.  As one neighbor put it, the fire had a "good start and was blazing" when they spotted it.

WNEP-TV

The Mount Carmel Fire Department found a good blaze going in the 2nd and 3rd floors when they arrived on the scene and called for a second alarm.

Videographer Carmine Scicchitano documented the fireground action:

 

Part Two of the video sequence can be viewed HERE.

The fire was knocked down in an hour and was successfully contained to the two original homes.  One of them had been undergoing renovations.  The News Item reports:

Mount Carmel Fire Chief Jack Williams Jr. said the blaze, which was reported at 11:55 p.m., caused between $80,000 and $100,000 damage to 431-433 E. Third St., which are located between Plum and Locust streets.

Williams said a bottle rocket flew through a screen door on the second floor of 433 E. Third St., causing a fire that heavily damaged the top two floors of the property. It caused minor fire damage to the third floor at 431 E. Third St.

The fire has been labeled accidental, but a criminal investigation has been launched regarding the incident.

Three firefighters were injured during the action, but all three were treated and released.

News Item photo

Read the full account in the News Item HERE.

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Posted by on July 6, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Upcoming Events

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Upcoming Events to Plan On

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Pennsylvania Pump Primers
Antique Fire Apparatus Show & Muster

July 9 – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
10 am to 4 pm at River Park.
Mass pumping demo. at 11 am

36th Annual Antique Fire Apparatus Show & Muster featuring over 100 antique fire trucks pumping from the Susquehanna River and at static display. A few hand drawn fire apparatus will be on display also. All apparatus must be 25 years or older to participate. Fireman games include Barrell Spin, Barrell Bust and Bucket Brigade, participants / teams need not have apparatus present to participate. 30-40 Firematic Flea Market vendors present.

More information at Pa. Pump Primers Assoc. website:  http://www.papumpprimers.org/index.html

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Los Angeles County Fire Museum presents:

Squad 51 and both Engine 51s
from the TV show EMERGENCY! will be reunited at the "home of the show"
for the first time in more than 30 years!

Open House will be at Sta. 127 from 10 am to 4 pm

Day 2 Open House, July 10 at the museum in Bellflower
For more information:  http://www.lacountyfiremuseum.com/

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The Cradle of Liberty Antique
Fire Apparatus Association

2011 Annual Muster

This year we will homage to the 100th Anniversary of motorized MACK fire apparatus. All makes are welcome. There will be over 50 awards given. See our website for more information and registration forms:  http://www.CLAFAA.org

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Toronto International Fire Buff Convention 2012

August 14–18, 2012 • Toronto, Ontario

Guided Tours of Canada's Largest Fire Department (5th Largest in North America)
Guided Tours of Large Suburban Fire Departments
Apparatus Displays
Professional Workshops
Spouses' Programme
Area Fire Buffing

Web page (URL):
http://www.torcon2012.com/

Greater Toronto Multiple Alarm Association
416-231-3578; gtmaa@gtmaa.com

International Fire Buff Associates, Inc.
schaetzp@msn.com

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German-American Firefighters Association 28th Annual Fire Muster

August 28, 2011 • Southampton, Pennsylvania
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

The muster will be held rain or shine. We are expecting about 100 fire companies, vendors and fire buffs that will display antique, modern, special, unusual and otherwise interesting fire fighting apparatus. There are prizes for antique and modern vehicles owned by departments as well as individually owned. All entries will receive a dash plaque and a muster booklet.

Website:
http://sites.google.com/site/germanamericanffs/

contact info:
German-American Firefighters Association
215-332-7538; igafa@igafa.com

　

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59th Annual International Fire Buff Associates Convention

September 6–10, 2011 • Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey

-Seminars including 9/11 First Responders
-Antique Fire Muster and Display
-Hudson River Harbor Cruise
-Demonstration and Display of Neptune Large Caliber Foam System
-Urban Search and Rescue Demonstration and Display
-Fire House Tours
-Tour of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, Intrepid and other points of interest.

Web page (URL):
http://www.fbanj.com/

Contact:  Paul Schaetzle, President
schaetzle@fbanj.com

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132nd Annual Firemen’s Association of the State of Pennsylvania Convention

September 21–24, 2011 • Kidder, Pennsylvania

Event hours:
Sept 21 11:30am onwards
Sept 22 8:00am-10:00pm
Sept 23 8:00am-11:00pm
Sept 24 8:00am onwards

One of our goals this year is to celebrate the proud history of the fire service by showcasing hand, horse and motorized antique fire apparatus. We will be displaying many of these units during the fire expo.  More info. on website:  http://www.2011pastateconvention.com/

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WPI Firefighters' Fund 7th Annual Stop-Drop-n-Roll Chili Cook-Off

When? Saturday, October 15th, 2011 10 am – 5 pm

Where? Parking lot of Bass Pro Shop in Grapevine, TX

An October Texas tradition, the annual Stop-Drop-n-Roll Chili Cook-Off brings in thousands of rabid chili enthusiasts nationwide. Admission is free, and all-day chili sample cups are $5 a pop. Every dollar contributed or donated goes directly to the WPIFF: no expenses, no red tape, and no neglected firefighters.

$20 to register your chili team, prizes awarded to winners, vendor booths, kids activities, live music, raffle, and much more!

More info? Visit www.wpiff.org or call 888.616.7976 or email wpiff@williams-pyro.com

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Kansas Firefighters Museum Parade

October 15, 2011 • Wichita, Kansas

The parade features antique fire engines, modern fire trucks, antique cars, local ROTC groups,
the Kansas Firefighter Calendar contestants, food, drinks, games and more.

Website: http://members.cox.net/ksfm/

 

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Do you have a fire-related event, muster, antique show, flea market, etc., coming up? Send us the info. to: geezerguys (at) yahoo (dot) com.  Be sure to include website links, graphics and phone contact, and we'll post it in our Upcoming Events listings.  (Special thanks to Collectors Weekly for assistance  http://www.collectorsweekly.com/  )

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Posted by on July 6, 2011 • Filed under: Upcoming Events • Tagged:

Tonight’s Netcast

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The Brotherhood Instructors Come to Town

Tonight at 9pm ET, join Firefighter Netcast as John and Rhett welcome the crew from Brotherhood Instructors. Fortunate are the firefighters who have had the Brotherhood Instructors training experience come out to their department or training centers and actively participate in a hands-on environment of training focused completely upon their local needs. Not many fire departments have the access to the myriad of training equipment and props that can make the difference between understanding a concept and mastering its performance.

http://brotherhoodinstructors.com

As you listen in to the seasoned instructors, you’ll gain a true appreciation of their ability to pass along their knowledge with a level of excitement that is simply contagious, leaving the students completely charged up and ready to perform at their peak. Whether it be hoseline management, victim rescue, truck company operations, forcible entry, or any other fireground skill, find out why Brotherhood Instructors has become one of the hottest tickets in town, in fact, all across the United States and Canada.

As always, you can call in to share in the chat, follow along in the chat room, or simply listen in, find out more by visiting Firefighter Netcast. Time and again, they prove that this ain’t your daddy’s fire service radio podcast.

CLICK HERE to join in tonight's netcast.

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Posted by on July 6, 2011 • Filed under: Training, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: ,

Linesman Makes Daring Fire Rescue

9 comments

Sign This Guy Up!

AN ELECTRIC CO. LINESMAN WAS working off of a bucket Tuesday in Somerville, Massachusetts, when a hydraulic line burst and started a fire in the bucket.  With the truck's motor running and causing the hydraulic pump to keep feeding the flames, the entire bucket and the nearby transformer were quickly becoming fully involved.  The linesman desperately leaped from the burning platform and grabbed the power lines, hanging on for dear life.  (Note:  One of our readers points out that is probably a cable tv line he is grasping….ed.)

Wicked Local / Metzger

Fortunately for him, another truck was working nearby and that linesman drove immediately to the scene and started up his platform to rescue the trapped co-worker.  As he got close, his own truck started catching on fire from the first one and the stranded worker swung out and dropped into the rescue bucket.  Adding to the risk, flaming debris dropped onto a car directly underneath the men and it began burning as well, creating still another hot spot to get out of.

As they were lowering down to the ground level, the second truck was burning so fiercely that they both had to dive onto the truck's cab before it reached the  ground.

A neighbor who heard the initial noise from the fire grabbed his videocam and recorded the entire event. 

Update:  For whatever reason, Wicked Local has removed the videos and withdrawn permission to post them.  You can still view the news report from WCVB-TV that includes part of it HERE.

The entire video can be viewed on Wicked Local's website HERE.

Both power company trucks and the affected car were all total losses.

The Somerville News has the story and more photos HERE.
Wicked Local has MORE.

Hat tip:  Frank Lee

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Posted by on July 6, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Firetruck vs. Bus Leaves 2 Dead

2 comments

At an Intersection ….. Again

A HAMBURG, GERMANY, FIRE ENGINE COLLIDED with an articulated transit bus at noontime today (Wednesday).  The impact was heavy and it drove the bus into the front yard of a house, stopping short of striking the structure.

Abendblatt

Two people were killed in the crash, both of them passengers on the bus, and ten people were critically injured.  All five of the firefighters were were injured and several of them were ejected from the engine.

DPA

Abendblatt

Morgenpost

The fire company was responding on an emergency call and struck the bus amidships at an intersection. 

It is still early in the investigation and no information has been made available about the circumstances leading to the crash.

CityNews has the early STORY.

Hat tip:  Christian Lewalter

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Posted by on July 6, 2011 • Filed under: apparatus, Fire Rescue Topics, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus • Tagged: ,