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Promotional Opportunities – It Pays to Rise to the Top

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Fired Fire Chief Gets Great Golden Parachute

WESTERN AUSTRALIA FIRE CHIEF Jo Harrison-Ward was removed from her position as chief executive of the state's Fire and Emergency Services Authority on Wednesday.  She wasn't fired outright, but just shoved aside while plans are made on where she will be transferred to.  But since she was fired from her fire chief's position, she is entitled to one year's salary as compensation for her job loss.  This amounts to a $300,000 golden handshake for somebody who was let go for incompetency.

Harrison-Ward  (Western Australian photo)

Perth Now reports:

Ms Harrison-Ward was dumped on Wednesday after a scathing report by former Australian Federal Police boss Mick Keelty exposed serious problems with WA’s fire fighting capabilities.  The Keelty report into how 71 homes were destroyed by February’s Roleystone-Kelmscott fires was scathing of how FESA handled the incident.

It also found that FESA staff, including chief operations manager Craig Hynes, tried to cover-up these failings when giving evidence to the inquiry.

The report said FESA failed to comply with procedures and policies when the blaze tore through Roleystone and Kelmscott on February 6 and destroyed 71 homes.

Mr Keelty found the animosity between FESA and other fire fighting agencies was "palpable'' and their "fractured relationship'' was well known across the country. He said this led to a lack of coordination and cooperation on the ground.

The state's firefighters celebrated the change of leadership and publicly expressed their joy with the decision.

The West Australian has more HERE.
The Sydney Morning Herald explains some of the political fallout HERE.

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Posted by on August 19, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, labor • Tagged: ,

Morning Lineup – August 19

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Friday Morning – Time to Re-Boot

Digital Tech Week continues with yesterday's blockbuster news that Hewlett-Packard is planning on exiting the home computer business.  Their PC's are far and away the largest-selling PC brand in the world and have been the leader for many years now.  But looking ahead and trying to project the company's future business outlook, the new CEO of  H-P Leon Apotheker believes their best bet is to go with software for business systems and related projects.

While their P-C sales are still doing well, the overall future of the desktop is bleak with  more and more sales drifting over to the tablet-style units and even the laptops' predictions don't show any growth.  Even now, the PC's profits are so low that they are believed to be planning on spinning the division off into a separate entity very soon.  The PC division accounts for one-third of their income, but only brings in 6% of their profits.  H-P's late entry into the cellphone and tablet market was a bust, primarily because of their delayed marketing, but also because they didn't have anything different to draw sales to them instead of Apple's iPad and iPhone. 

Hewlett-Packard, which was founded in 1939, never did want to get into the computer business but decided it would help bolster their primary mission of developing business services.  They were thrust to the top of the PC heap in 2002 when they acquired Compaq.  You can read more about this surprise move by H-P HERE, HERE, and HERE.

What I am wondering about now is, what is the future of home computing?  What will I be using for my extensive use of personal computing that not only includes my work on this website, but my interest in digital photography and imaging?  I don't see where the tablets have the ability to provide the power and flexibility to carry on the "heavy duty" needs of the desktop.  Maybe they will in a couple of years, and that would be nice.  Just think of all the space that would open up without the need for the dedicated computer desk shoved against the wall.

Let's get dedicated to checking out the equipment now.  I need to get some more coffee going, pronto.  See you back in the day room and then we'll mull over the future of home computing.

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Posted by on August 19, 2011 • Filed under: morning lineup, technology • Tagged: , ,

The Circle of Certification

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Mike restarts his EMS caregiver adventure

For a while I was a "Paper Paramedic." Had the certification, did the continuing education and worked the absolute minimum required field rotations. Often weaseled field time, counting EMS Supervisor tours instead of ambulance time.

Taught the summer semester cardiology course to keep up-to-date on rhythms and medications. My internal justification was that I had a dozen years as an ALS provider. A closer examination will reveal that half of that time was spent in staff, suppression or training assignments.

In Room 2 of my Johari window – things known to others but not to me – it was clear that I was "faking it" as a medic.

I did not exhibit the ease and familiarity of a medic who frequently started IV's, like Medic 9 did a half dozen times a day.

A Forced Change In Behavior

The department had not implemented fire company paramedic response, but two of the three fire officers assigned to Engine 9 were ALS credentialed. We got a prototype engine medic bag.

My counterpart on Medic 9, Harry Scott, knew I was hiding. The medic crew decided that the engine paramedic would start every third IV.

I learned this after walking into a house to assist with a 50-something alcoholic with chest pain.

Normally, Harry and his crew are quick. The engine's role is to help pack up and move the patient out to the ambulance. On this bright afternoon, it seemed that everyone was waiting on me.

A Rush of Flop Sweat

Starting IV's have been a challenge. It was the skill that took the longest to demonstrate consistency. Would never get to mastery.

I remember three specific patients. 

My first IV attempt was in a clinic, with a physician assistant preceptor. I was sweating more than the guy having the heart attack – he asked if I was OK. The preceptor started mopping my brow.

The second patient was a teenaged girl struck by a car. I was a paramedic intern, 0 for nine attempts that month. The Lieutenant was patient and supportive, but was starting to talk about extending my ALS internship.

The girl had life-threatening injuries, including significant blood loss. I had no time to think. The 14 gauge catherer sunk like a hole-in-one.

The take-away lesson that day was that I was thinking too much when picking up the 18 or 22 gauge catherer, sabotaging the muscle memory developed through practice. Finished the internship on time.

Standing in that drunk lawyer's sun-drenched home office is my third vivid memory. It was a dozen years since I kneeled on hot asphalt sticky with plasma and willed a 14 into the antecubital fossa.

The flop sweat started.

Took the starter kit from Harry and stopped thinking. 

Started the IV.

Lived Happily Ever After … (Really?)

If this was an afterschool special or an ems textbook sidebar, the paper paramedic would become empowered and evolve into an unconciously competent caregiver. That did not happen.

Harry broke my habit of hiding on ems calls. Which was helpful since Engine 9 was working three or four life-threatening ems calls a month, waiting for a much further away transport units. Medic 9 and Ambulance 9 were some of the busiest units in the department.

Working in a community of poverty and blight, I started more IVs and defibrillated more patients from Engine 9 than I did on the medic unit during my internship. It was a fantastic three year run.

Drifted back into hiding when transferred to a nicer part of the county, with a much slower EMS workload.

Things keep drifting away …

Could not stay engaged as paramedic in my home community after retirement. ALS credentials not renewed – 22 years certified. Gotta admit I felt a weight released when I made that decision.

Stopped teaching EMT refreshers for the fire academy because of other obligations. Need to teach to maintain instructor status – 28 years as a state EMT instructor. Still credentialed to teach EMS for the District of Columbia. A mix of frustration and relief

When I went to recertify as a Virginia EMT-Basic in Fall 2009, discovered that my agency affiliation was removed. Should have kept that part-time fire academy gig. No affiliation means no recertification test. That hurt.

… and then come back.

Have written a little bit on the massive EMS changes within the unique city-state called the District of Columbia:

On top of the complete adoption of the National Registry of EMT credentialling process, there is a strong city-centric push within the regulations.

All of our faculty and lead instructors hold Virginia or Maryland ems certifications, many without National Registry credentials. Ahh, that may create future problems.

Deja Vue all over again

My medical director allowed this lapsed EMT to teach instead of attend an EMT-Basic class.

Taught a Spring 2010 course to undergraduates:

Getting signed off on the Psychomotor exam took much more time than I expected. Not that anyone was being passive-aggressive in an organization that thrives on years-long conversation over a vital issue.

Today completes my teaching an accelerated seven week EMT Summer Program for 17 to 20 year olds interested in Health Science/Emergency Medicine. 

10:00 to 17:00 every day … 50 question weekly quizzes … Tuesday/ Thursday afternoon "enrichments" … so thankful that a colleague was between jobs and could help out with the lectures. 

They took their 120 question course final Tuesday.  Ninety minutes after the last student left I was getting a palm vein scan at a PearsonVUE test center.

Mother … Jugs … and Speed

I took my first EMT-Ambulance state certification exam May 1971.

Now that I have passed my National Registry EMT-Basic exam, need to affiliate with a District of Columbia response agency.

It would be nice if it was affiliated with the university.

DC Fire Station 23 does not use volunteers.

Oh yeah, the student-staffed Emergency Medical Response Group – EMeRG.

Their busiest time are the first few weekends of the Fall semester, handling two dozen incidents 9 pm Thursday to 3 am Sunday.

Most patients are freshman discovering the limits of alcohol, physiology and physics.

I hope that I pass my application interview. 

Wonder where my EVOC certificate is?

Mike "FossilMedic  Speed" Ward, NREMT-Basic

August 19, 2011

Updated:  Title changed from "It Was Almost 40 years ago today …"

Posted by on August 19, 2011 • Filed under: ambulances, EMS Topics, Training & Development • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Respond to a Galleon Fire …”

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The Old Met the New at the Docks of Genoa

IT WAS "FIRE SHOWING" FROM THE STERN of an old Spanish galleon tied up to a dock in Genoa, Italy, on Tuesday afternoon.

Liguria Nautica

The warship is actually a replica that was built about 30 years ago for the Roman Polanski movie "Pirates" and it has been used several times since then for other films and video features.  It is also open for tours and there were visitors on board when the fire broke out.  This home video picks up before the fireboat and the firefighters arrived on the scene:

 

Everybody on board were able to evacuate safely even thought the flames were spreading rapidly at first.  The Vigili del Fuoco arrived promptly along with a Genoese fire boat that knocked the fire down quickly.

La Repubblica Genova

The cause of the fire is tentatively given to a discarded cigarette from one of the tourists.  The employees on the ship "Neptune" discovered the fire promptly and one of them injured  a foot while trying to put the fire out.  Damages were contained to the area where the fire started and the ship was reopened to visitors on Wednesday.  This video shows some of the firefighting activity:

 

La Repubblica Genova has the STORY.
La Repubblica has a photo gallery HERE.

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Posted by on August 19, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Firefighters Become Fleafighters

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Preplanning Venture Upgrades to Rolling Haz-Mat Incident

WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ENGINE 2 HAD just cleared a medical assist when they decided to check out an abandoned house for some preplanning.

Do NOT go back inside this house.  (WHDH-TV image)

After they had finished looking through the structure, the crew of four got back in the engine and started returning to their station when suddenly everybody began itching like crazy.  A quick self-inspection revealed that all of them were literally covered with fleas…."thousands of them," as one of them described it.  With the number of bites-per-person already mounting in the hundreds, they navigated directly to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Not wanting to take their new friends into the hospital with them, and thus cause a real problem, they went through a de-con in the parking lot, disrobing and putting all their clothes in the quarantine bags before going inside the emergency room where they were examined and treated.  They are also being checked for any diseases that are commonly carried by fleas such as bubonic plague.  Their clothes and running gear are getting the de-con wash jobs and the engine was towed to an exterminator's shop to be fumigated throughout.

NBC News has the story and a good video report HERE.
Hat tip:  Mark D.

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Posted by on August 18, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, inspections, safety • Tagged: , , ,

School Arson Update

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Million-Dollar Bond Set

THE NOW-FORMER SCHOOL TEACHER who was arrested Monday for burning down the Lincoln, Nebraska, school district's headquarters building in May was formally arraigned yestereday (Wednesday).  Sharon Brewster, 44, was first arrested for suspicion of first-degree arson, but at yesterday's arraignment she was charged with second-degree arson.  The Lincoln Journal-Star tells why:

The charge means prosecutors do not have to prove Brewster had reason to believe anyone was inside the building at the time, just that she intentionally started the fire, Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly told reporters after Brewster's afternoon court appearance.

The charge also means Brewster, 44, faces a possible sentence of one to 20 years in prison, not the 50-year maximum that comes with a conviction for first-degree arson. Other possible penalties include restitution and a fine of as much as $25,000.  County Judge Mary Doyle set Brewster's percentage bond at $1 million.

Sharon Brewster

While the police are not disclosing all of their evidence, they are saying that they believe Brewster used a lighter to set a pile of papers afire on her superior's desk.  At the time there was another school employee in the building who discovered the fire.  The Journal-Star continues:

Asked if he believed Brewster intended to destroy the entire building at 5901 O St., (County Attorney) Kelly answered: "No, and I don’t have to prove that. All we have to prove is that she intended to start a fire that was gonna damage the building.

"The investigation has developed a lot of good information about what a motive might have been," Kelly said. "We have quite a bit of information about that, but it’s not appropriate for me to talk about that now.”

Read the full report in the Journal-Star HERE.

The Omaha World-Herald ADDS:

Although LPS officials on Monday pointed to Brewster’s employee badge and electronic key-card as evidence that she had been in the building that day, Lincoln Chief Fire Inspector Bill Moody said it was old-fashioned shoe leather that identified Brewster as a suspect.

A witness had reported seeing someone matching Brewster’s description on the scene, he said. Investigator Ken Hilger’s detective work and interviews of school employees helped him develop a hypothesis that pointed to Brewster.

"We worked 2 1/2 weeks at the fire scene, and we couldn’t come up with anything remotely accidental for a cause," Moody said. "Then we started looking at the people who had come and gone, and Ken developed her as a person of interest. . . . He did an outstanding job."  Moody declined to offer possible motives for setting the fire, saying more information would be available later in court documents.

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Posted by on August 18, 2011 • Filed under: arson, investigations, Law & Justice, News • Tagged: ,

Looking Back

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Fire Engineering Magazine – October 1959

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Posted by on August 18, 2011 • Filed under: Looking Back • Tagged:

San Antonio Update

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Other Victims May Possibly Be Buried in the Rubble

THE SEARCH RESUMES TODAY in the San Antonio apartment complex where a major fire Wednesday morning burned down two buildings (See Firegeezer report HERE) containing 24 dwelling units.  Our initial report said that a 6-yr.-old boy and an adult woman were missing and presumed to be buried in the burnt rubble of the buildings.  Efforts were made yesterday to begin searching for them and other possible victims who also have not been located or accounted for.  But there were still too many hot spots, flare-ups, and partial collapses yesterday preventing any search.  Also the debris was too hot for the paws of the cadaver dogs that have been brought to the scene.

Express – News photo

The boy's mother remains in the intensive care unit at the hospital.  The missing woman was in another section of the apartments, but it is not certain that she was in the apartments when they burned. 

 

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Posted by on August 18, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fire Rescue Topics, investigations

Video Captures Live Rescue of Baby (Deer, that is)

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A New Use For an Old Tool

FILE THIS UNDER THE "WHO YOU GONNA' CALL?" Category.  Our long-time friend Rich H. passed along this video clip on YouTube that is introduced presumably by the person who posted it, Eddie Bett.  Following is his statement that accompanied the video:

On the Morning of May 18th 2011 my wife noticed a deer in our yard that appeared to be frantically looking for something in the rocks that form a wall on property line in Brush Prairie Washington. When we first went out with our neighbors, we didn't see anything but the deer wouldn't leave our yard. We went back to our house and watched when after a few minutes the deer came back.

We went out to the area the deer was concentrating on and could hear a baby fawn crying in the rocks. We moved some of the rocks and smaller boulders and saw baby fawn's face in the rocks. He had apparently fallen in or crawled in through one of the gaps and was now trapped. The larger boulders were too heavy to move and we didn't want to have the rocks cave in on the baby deer.

We finally called our Clark County Fire District 3. The B Shift team came out and they were able to move the larger rocks out of the way with the Jaws of Life enough to be able to reach in a pull the baby fawn out and reunited it with its momma. The fawn was probably stuck in there most of the night and quickly went on to nurse off its momma. One of our neighbors took some video clips of the fire department's rescue. I edited the clips into this short clip. After sharing it with some friends they thought that it was just too cute not to share with more people. So my neighbor agreed to let me upload the final clip.

 

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Posted by on August 18, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, public relations, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: ,

The News Ticker

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Some More Stories From the News Ticker

 

IN WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND, A MOTORCYCLIST had an accident in the early hours of Sunday morning.  Michael Colley, 33, fell off his bike and was laying injured in the roadway when two passsers-by found him unconscious but breathing.  The phoned for an ambulance and stood by waiting.

A few minutes later another ambulance came along the road transporting a patient to the hospital and the Good Sammaritans  tried to wave down the ambulance to warn the driver of the victim laying in the roadway.  Instead, the ambulance drove over Colley and killed him.  Read the details in the Swindon Advertiser HERE.

THE TEXAS RANGERS BASEBALL TEAM will commission a bronze statue designed to honor all their baseball fans, but will also memorialize (and be modeled after) Fire Lt. Shannon Stone and his 6-yr.-old son Cooper.  Stone, you may recall, died at the ballpark on July 7 when he fell out of the stands while trying to catch a ball that an outfielder had tossed to him.  His widow will help design the statue that will be paid for by the team.

Read the story about this tribute HERE.

THE KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, FIRE DEPARTMENT had a bit of do with one of their tiller trucks the other day.  It appears that the front end started responding to a call before the back end was ready.  FirefighterNation has the video of the outcome HERE.

We're talking major structural damage to the firehouse here.

THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE HAS TOUGHENED the laws against the insidious practice of "ambulance chasing."  The activity is officially known as barratry and it just got harder for Texas sleezeballs to ply their trade.  These are the guys who show up at the hospital just minutes after an accident victim has been brought in and get them to sign an agreement to let the attorney represent them in the sure-to-come civil trial for mega-bucks.

In some states it is not unusual for people who have been in an accident to receive a constant stream of phone calls at home from the predators trying to snatch their business.  Most state legislatures hesitate to do anything about the practice because the legislators themselves are lawyers and they tend to take care of each other.  KRIV-TV Ch. 7 Houston reports on the new law:

That new law, which takes effect Sept. 1, makes barratry punishable by a civil fine of $10,000.

"When someone is injured in a car wreck, as a lawyer, I'm not allowed to go to the hospital and knock on their door," FOX 26 legal analyst Chris Tritico said.

The Texas legislature passed a bill that toughens the current law on barratry, the term for ambulance chasing.

It levies fines against attorneys who make contact in person, through a representative or by phone with potential clients who did not approach the attorney first for their legal services.

"That's what this law is trying to prevent, it’s stopping people from catching people and taking advantage of people at their worst moment. In the hospital bed, right when they get out of jail – grabbing them and signing them up," Tritico said.

Channel 7 filed this video report:

 

Thanks to Mark D. for assistance to this report.

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Posted by on August 18, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Videos

Morning Lineup – August 18

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Thursday Morning – Answer the Phone

Here it is …. I've got the proof right here:

Scott's Law …
"The perforations are always stronger than the paper"

But you probably already knew that, didn't you?

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The geek observers probably noticed that on Monday Google announced that they have come to terms with Motorola to purchase Motorola's Mobility Division for $12.5 billion, pending approval from the governmental authorities.  The Mobility branch designs, makes and sells their portable wireless devices such as cellphones, smartphones, cable modems and video boxes, etc.  But the experts believe that the main objective was for Google to acquire Motorola's  17,000 intellectual patents related to the wireless communications that Google uses in its Android software which is licenesed out to several cellphone manufacturers.

Right now all the cell phone manufacturers and software designers are suing each other all over the globe for patent infringements and it was threatening Google's Android business and future.  This whole mess is much deeper than I want to try and comprehend, but if you're wishing to get into the nitty-gritty of the deal, then a simple web search for "Google Motorola" will give you satisfaction.  For the rest of us, this video report from PBS is very enlightening and will give you the basics of the deal and its resulting benefits for Google:

 

We'd better get the equipment checked out now.  My little gray cells are overwhelmed with this wireless stuff and I need to get some more coffee going.  See you back in the day room.

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Posted by on August 18, 2011 • Filed under: morning lineup, technology, Technology & Communications, Videos

Upcoming Events

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Some Upcoming Events to Plan on Visiting

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Aug 27, 2011 – 14th Great Milwaukee Muster

Milwaukee Fire Department Museum & Historical Society

The muster is a family friendly event that promotes the rich history of the Milwaukee Fire Department as well as fire safety and education. The muster has antique firetrucks on display, a vendors market, Milwaukee Fire Department Special Teams on display, food & beverages for purchase, and other planned events. The event is free to the public and is held at the Milwaukee Safety Academy, 6680 N. Teutonia Ave. from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. We hope to see you there!

1615 W. Oklahoma Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53215

Phone: (414) 286-5272
Website: http://www.visitmilwaukee.org/member.php?mid=38527HYPERLINK "http://"
Email: katpatward@aol.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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Cruisin' For Our Heroes, Motor Muster and Tribute

September 10, Fire Museum of Maryland
Lutherville – Timonium

Outside Events – 10 am to 2 pm; Museum Open 10 am to 4 pm

Baltimore County Sheriff's Office and the Fire Museum honor area Fire, EMS, Police and Military Personnel along with the men and women who responded to the events of 9/11/2001.

As many as 30 antique and modern apparatus on display, plus antique and custom cars, police vehicles and motorcycles, airport crash trucks, pumping demonstrations with the 1898 Hale Water Tower. Fire Engine models on display, Food and games for the children. Inside the Museum are 42 antique fire apparatus, dating from 1806.

Outside events and pumping demonstrations are free, Museum admission is $12 Adults, $10 Seniors and Fire Fighters, $5 Children (2-18)

Fire Museum of Maryland, info@firemuseummd.org, , 410-321-7500
Website:  http://www.firemuseummd.org
 

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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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info@fairfaxfireofficers.org

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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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ANNUAL FIRE MEMORABILIA AUCTION

Novermber 5 – Southborough, Massachusetts

Handtub Junction, USA
508-786-0977; handtubjunction@aol.com

Hours and location TBA

http://www.handtubs.com/
 

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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 August 17, 2011 • Filed under: Upcoming Events

Tonight’s Netcast

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Taking It To The Streets with Chris Naum

Join in on Wednesday August 17th at 9pm ET for another special and exciting program continuing our series of discussions on the Emerging Tactical Renaissance in the Fire Service.

This edition of Taking it to the Streets will be looking at the New Fire Ground and the First-Due.

Grab a cup of coffee and sit down for a special one hour program with Taking it to the Streets on FirefighterNetcast.com where we’ll be discussing developing concepts, methodologies and operational perspectives affecting today’s emerging and evolving fire ground and the considerations for the First-Due with Christopher Naum and two special guests, fire service leaders Division Chief Ed Hadfield and Deputy Chief Jason Hoevelmann.

CLICK HERE to log in to listen and join in the discussion on Firefighter Netcast.  If you can't join tonight, don't forget that all programs are archived and can be listened to later HERE.

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Posted by on August 17, 2011 • Filed under: Training, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , ,

Two Missing in San Antonio Apartment Fire

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Fast Spreading Fire Raises Suspicions

A FIRE EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING swept through a San Antonio, Texas, apartment complex destroying at least 40 dwelling units.  Ten people were injured in the blaze including two people who were critically injured after jumping out of their window.  Two more residents are missing, one of whom is a 6-yr.-old child and an adult woman who are presumed dead.

KSAT-TV

The fire started shortly before midnight and spread rapidly leading to many people leaping from their windows to escape the flames.  The response was elevated to three alarms bringing more than 100 firefighters to the scene.  They had the fire extinguished shortly before dawn today and a search will be made for the two missing people as soon as the FF's can get into the suspected area.

The fire had already spread from the building where it started to two other buildings before the fire department arrived on the scene.  The rapid spread adds to the suspicion that the fire may be an arson.  Firefighting efforts were also hampered by a cache of 2,000 rounds of ammunition and a store of black powder in one of the apartment units.

KENS-TV Ch. 5 has an extensive video report:

 

WOAI-TV filed this early report that includes fire footage:

 

More than 70 residents have been displaced and the early damage estimate is $3.5 million.

It is too early to have a determination of the cause and point of origin.

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Posted by on August 17, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , ,

The Brushfire Beat Goes On

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You Gotta Have the Raking Rhythm

STOPPING A GRASS FIRE IN ITS TRACKS is so much easier when you've got the right beat as these Modesto, California, firefighters demonstrate:

 

Thanks to ModestoNews.org for putting together this light-hearted clip and sharing it with us.

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Posted by on August 17, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, fun, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Promotional Opportunities – Fire Chief Hit With 30-Count Indictment

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Facing Heavy Sentence if Convicted

FIRE CHIEF JACOB BARLOW OF THE COLORADO CITY / HILDALE Fire Department in Arizona was arrested Tuesday on an indictment issued August 4 charging him with 27 counts of violating the duties as custodian of public funds, two counts of participating in a criminal syndicate and one count of assisting in a criminal syndicate.  Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, are twin cities that straddle the border and are infamous for being the settlement for a religious cult that openly practices polygamy.  The community has been in the news constantly over the past several years, most recently when the cult's leader, Warren Jeffs was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for child rape connected with the cult's practices.

Fire Station 3  (News-Herald)

The community fire department operates three stations on both sides of the border and 16 months ago in April 2010 the Mojave County, Arizona, sheriff's office raided the main fire station along with the homes of both Chief Barlow and the Colorado City Manager David Darger.  The Mojave Daily News reports this morning:

The investigation looked into the alleged misuse of the fire department’s credit cards for personal use in connection with the fire departments and the city government. Seized in the raid were computer hard drives and cameras. The computers were examined by experts from the state’s Attorney General’s Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety in Phoenix.

Volunteer firefighter waits outside while warrants from
both states are served in last year's raid.   (The Spectrum photo)

There is evidence that as much as $2 million has been misappropriated over a seven-year period prior to last year's raids.  Barlow faces the possibility of a 12-year prison term on the criminal syndicate charge alone.  He will be arraigned on August 26.

Read STATter911 background report on the fire department following last year's raid HERE.

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Posted by on August 17, 2011 • Filed under: crime, Fire Rescue Topics • Tagged: , , ,

Morning Lineup – August 17

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Wednesday Morning

 This Morning's Lineup Will Be
Conducted by "Firehat," Patrick Mahoney
 

Do you remember that TV show Quantum Leap? This was the one about the time-jumping physicist on a mission to "put right what once went wrong." Scott Bakula played the good doctor, ably assisted by Dean Stockwell as his sidekick Al. The program ran on NBC from 1989 to 1993 and was a modest, but memorable, hit. I was a youngster in those days but I watched the show with the devotion and attentiveness reserved for all first encounters with inventive creativity, those theretofore unsullied by the realization that everything has been done before.

The show focused on Sam Beckett as he "leapt" into different people through time and worked to turn their lives, and the lives they touched, back toward the good and proper path. He inevitably saved the day and kissed the girl (if there was one handy) just in the nick of time and "leapt" on to the next wayward life path. This is a fantasy that many people have indulged, the idea of changing one crucial wrong turn, and a story of a do-gooding stranger with which we are all familiar. WIth the sci-fi twist it was somewhat unique but in other respects it was a fairly straight-forward, three-act, white hat / black hat adventure drama.

There was, however, something else here, something that I didn't realize until I was grown and recently rewatching the show occasionally on late-night syndicated television. That "something" is pretty darned subversive:  Sam Beckett, the prototypical white American male (the character was from an Iowa farm, in fact) played by the movie star handsome Scott Bakula, was shown in place of the person into whom he had leaped. That is to say, those characters, be they black, women, mentally handicapped, or any other minority, were depicted by this clearly white Anglo-Saxon Protestant archetype whose job it was to bear their burdens.

For a young white Anglo-Saxon Protestant watching the show this was truly an inventive dramatic device that taught empathy to the involved viewer. The stories themselves offered concise moral and ethical dilemmas and conflict in the aim of their resolutions. Stories are good for that sort of thing; the enduring ones are really told for those purposes. The stories we take inside our minds to become part of ourselves are invariably about morals, ethics, resolution through conflict, and, sometimes, empathy.

We'll have time for those stories later, and maybe even time for the one about the guys on B-Shift flouring the rookie the other day. In the meantime, I'll start some more coffee while you guys get the apparatus checked out.

 

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Posted by on August 17, 2011 • Filed under: commentary, FireHat, morning lineup • Tagged: ,

The News Ticker

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Some Other Stories From the News Ticker

IN A TURNABOUT FROM THE USUAL culprits in similar situations, a patient in a Southampton, UK, ambulance faced charges for groping a female medic and making sexually-explicit comments to her.  After hearing the evidence and testimony, the judge sentenced him to 18 months supervision and a stern warning:  "If you mess the order about, I will re-sentence you and I will have no option but to send you to prison."

The Daily Echo has the STORY.

THE SECOND OF TWO TEENAGERS WHO WERE TRIED for murdering a retired firefighter in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced Monday to serve 25 to 50 years in prison.  The 55-yr.-old retiree was out walking his dog one night in March, 2010 when the two men chose him at random to rob him.  In the course of the crime, Mark Barry was shot and left for dead when the murderers ran off without getting any money off his person.

The other perp was already tried and sentenced in May, recieving 40- to 80-year sentence.  They both accused each other of pulling the trigger, but the one who owned the gun was presumed to be the shooter and received the longer term.  The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has the details of the entire incident and how they were caught HERE.

Detroit, Michigan, firefighters responded to what is believed to be the world's largest stove fire Sunday night.  As a series of lighting storms moved across the area, it is believed one of the bolts struck the 25-ft.-high replica of a wood stove that was made of wood and burned it down.

The stove was a replica of the products built by the Michigan Stove Co. for the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.  After the fair where it advertised the stove company's products, it was brought back to Detroit and displayed on Belle Isle Park for many decades before the 15-ton novelty was relocated to the Michigan State Fairgrounds where it met its end.  The AP describes its final moments HERE.

IN VERMONT, THE TOWN OF ESSEX IS CHIPPING IN $200,000 to help neighboring Essex Junction to buy a new 100-ft. aerial truck and replace the old one.  Essex does not have its own ladder, so they directly benefit from the Junction's truck that responds to all building fires in Essex.  The Burlington Free Press has the STORY.

Thanks to Mark D. and Gnome Handler for assistance.

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Posted by on August 16, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics

Toronto Fire Officer Designs New Sprinkler Shutoff Tool

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Goes On The Market Now

A TORONTO, ONTARIO, DISTRICT CHIEF has brought to market an invention of his called the Shutgun that is designed to shut off a sprinkler head with a one-hand operation.

In a press release issued today (Tuesday) the Technicraft announces the product which is not only designed for firefighters' use, but they encourage building managers to keep them on hand for accidental activations.   The biggest feature that is also a first that we've seen is the inclusion of a fusible link within the tool that will release the device if a fire rekindles and permit the head to extinguish it once again.  Their selling point is that you can restore the system to service right away without having to wait for a replacment head.

Made of aluminum and pocket-sized, it will also work on recessed heads.

This YouTube video that they have posted shows the tool in action and the activation of the fusible link:

 

They are advertised as retailing for $50 each with an introductory price of $35 through the end of August.

You can read the entire press release HERE.

Firegeezer has a couple of problems with the tone of their selling points.  This release is aimed toward the business owner and real estate managers, not the fire departments.  It is questionable to use the fear factor in listing all the claimed instances that will cause an accidental sprinkler discharge.  We know that doesn't happen (A tenant’s child throws a baseball down the hall. A chair bumps a sprinkler head during an office move, a decoration was ill-hung at a shopping mall, etc.)  These are the same types of false claims that are being used to counter the home sprinkler ordinances and this only lends credence to them.

As to being able to restore the sprinkler system after the fire because of the fusible link in the shutoff tool, fire codes require buildings with sprinkler systems to keep a cabinet with replacement heads next to the sprinkler shutoff valve.  The system can be restored anyway.

This should not detract from the benefit to the firefighter, though.  I wouldn't hesitate to try one of these out and see how well it works for the firefighter.

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Posted by on August 16, 2011 • Filed under: commentary, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations • Tagged: ,

Repo Man Writes to Fire Department

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"Pay Up Before We Take Your Truck"

THE ATA-BEXAR VFD in Texas was surprised to get a letter from a bank in Kansas threatening to repossess their front-line fire engine for failure to make the payments on it.  They are calling for an overdue $10,000 payment by the end of this week.

But the VFD doesn't make the payments for their trucks or their maintenance.  That is the responsibility of the local fire district board that oversees three fire departments in the area near San Antonio.  Now they are saying that they didn't know anything about this and are blaming the FD for not telling them sooner.

WOAI-TV Ch. 4 tries to sort it all out in this video report:

 

Read all the details HERE.

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Posted by on August 16, 2011 • Filed under: apparatus, Fire Rescue Topics, Videos • Tagged:

Teacher Nailed for School Building Arson

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Career Change Imminent

A LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, SCHOOL TEACHER was arrested Monday and charged with setting a fire in May that destroyed the school district's headquarters building.

Omaha World-Herald

Sharon E. Brewster, 44, a "gifted education coordinator and reading recovery" teacher, resigned from her job yesterday and surrendered to police who arrested her on suspicion of first-degree arson, a class 1 felony that carries a 50-yr. prison term.  The fire knocked out the district's computer and email system and destroyed every paper document stored by the school system.  The total damages reached $20 million.

Sharon Brewster

Brewster is suspected of setting the fire in a cubicle not far from her own desk during an evening when several other employees were also working in the building.  She was located at the scene by her electronic employee's badge that records everyone's entry and exit at the building.  The authorities are not making public her motive for the arson.

KMTV Ch. 3 has this video report:

 

The Omaha World-Herald has the DETAILS HERE.

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Posted by on August 16, 2011 • Filed under: arson, Fire Rescue Topics, Law & Justice, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Morning Lineup – August 16

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Tuesday Morning – Pressure's Up

If any of you were in Raleigh, North Carolina, Saturday for the Firetruck parade capping off the South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo, then you had a real treat.  The Charlotte FD firefighters brought their fully-restored horse-drawn steamer and it was the hit of the parade.  And in a stroke of good showmanship, the parade organizers had a modern tiller truck following right behind the steamer in the parade.

Mike Legeros photo

Dubbed "Old Sue," the truck is a 1902 American LaFrance Metropolitan.  Following the parade, Old Sue was stationed in front of the convention center and put on a pumping demonstration drafting from a portable tank.

Mike Legeros

Our reporting comes from Mike Legeros, publisher of Raleigh/Wake Firefighter Blog and also official historian for the Raleigh FD.  Mike documented the parade and the steamer appearance, and he has some related pages on his website that I recommend for you to view.  First of all, CLICK HERE to go to the entry page.  Make sure that you scroll down to the bottom of the page where Mike has many links to No. Carolina steamer histories and photos along with more parade photo galleries.

Also, view his 92-image photo gallery of the parade HERE.  Then check out the 93-image gallery featuring the steamer HERE.

I certainly envy the Charlotte firefighters for their opportunity to restore, maintain, and demonstrate for the public that beautiful specimen of firefighting history.  They made this video last year and posted it on YouTube:

 

Ok…back to the modern era now, so let's get our own equipment checked out while I get some more coffee started.

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For a

Posted by on August 16, 2011 • Filed under: antique apparatus, morning lineup • Tagged: ,

Low-Level, High Water Elevator Rescue

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A First Even For New York

A PAIR OF WORKMEN STUCK IN A STATEN ISLAND ELEVATOR that was slowly filling with water were sure that they were done for Sunday morning.  Their dilemma began around 9:30 am when they were working in the former Staten Island Hotel which is being converted into an assisted-living facility.  Outside at the same time a record rainfall for NYC was just finishing up an 8-inch deluge that overwhelmed the storm sewers.

As the two men, Edward Tyler and Wendell Amaker were moving some construction equipment from one floor to another, they rolled a trolly filled with equipment onto an elevator and pressed the button for their desired floor.  But the car didn't stop.  Instead it kept on traveling while the passengers were punching buttons in hopes of finding one that worked.  They did….it was the basement signal that connected and the car began its descent to bottom.

Google Street View of the former hotel building.

Alarmingly, as they approached the basement the elevator shaft was filling up with storm water that was rising in the shaft as the car was going down.  When they hit the flooding, the elevator sank slowly to the bottom of the shaft.  Then the water started rising inside the car and the men became really worried.  Alone in the building, nobody could hear their calls for help.  One of them had a cell phone and called 9-1-1 to report their plight, but they didn't know the address, only the nearby cross street.  FDNY Capt. James Melvin of Ladder 86 tells the Staten Island Advance:

"Just a stuck elevator, period, with no address," Melvin said. The dispatcher tried calling the men back, with no luck — their phone had gone dead, firefighters found out later.

The firefighters checked out the former hotel first, and went to the front gate, where a security guard told them nothing was going on.

"Just on a hunch, we said, 'You know what, let's drive around the back,'" Melvin said. They saw a door ajar, and "sure enough, we heard these guys screaming."

Melvin sent two firefighters to the roof to cut the power. Inside, they found the men in the elevator, sewer water up to their necks. They were standing atop the carts they were using to move the supplies, he said.

The truckies lowered a ladder down through the roof hatch of the elevator car and rescued the men from the "movie-thriller" episode that was playing out with them.  Melvin said he's responded to hundreds of stuck elevator calls in his FDNY career, but he'd never seen anything similar — "This was like something you'd see on television, in a movie."

Read the full story in the Advance HERE.

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Posted by on August 15, 2011 • Filed under: rescue, Rescues • Tagged: ,

Vol. Fire Chief Pleads Guilty to FD Embezzlement

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This is Why Many Departments Have Term Limits

WHEN CHECKS WRITTEN ON THE BRAMWELL (West Virginia) Fire Department bank account started bouncing, it caught the attention of the town treasurer and the mayor.  An investigation revealed that the department's fire chief James Carver had been withdrawing funds for his own benefit for the past five years totaling more than $160,000.

Carver, who has been the fire chief for 30 years, pleaded guilty last week to a felony charge of embezzlement and made arrangements for restitution.  The Bluefield Daily Telegraph reports:

(Prosecuting Attorney) Sitler said the plea deal came about when Carver’s attorney, Mark Wills, contacted the Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. According to Sitler, Wills acknowledged his client had taken money out of the account and wanted to pay restitution.

Carver cashed in a 401K retirement plan, and paid an immediate $60,000 in restitution to the town.

Carver also agreed to resign his position, cooperate with the investigation and disclose all account records to the mayor, who reviewed them back to 2006, Sitler said.

The plea was made “to enable Mr. Carver to face up to what happened. He pled to a felony offense, and paid substantial restitution.”

Read the full details in the Daily Telegraph HERE.

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Posted by on August 15, 2011 • Filed under: crime, Fire Rescue Topics, News

Around the Fire Web

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Some Recommended Postings on Other Fire/EMS Sites

*  STATter911 had an interesting turnabout over the weekend.  Dave criticized a firefighter's choice of words in a Facebook posting and the guy wrote back agreeing with him.  It's a little more involved than that, but an interesting take on the situation that is worth reading HERE.

*  Wildfire Today is staying on the story of the Coal Canyon fire in South Dakota where one FF perished and another is being treated for extensive burns.  He has several postings over the past few days, so just start at the top and scroll down the page HERE.

*  You might recall that incident in Connecticut last January when a truck slid into two Stratford fire engines protecting a wreck scene and cause extensive damage to both of them.  FireTruckBlog has an update today about how the truck driver had all charges dropped.  Scratch your head and read about it HERE.

*  Did you remember that National Firefighter Health Week began yesterday?  The Backstep Firefighter, Bill Carey has the lineup for the week's focus points and links to participatory sites HERE.

*  Firefighters Worst Enemy has a discussion drill on ordinary construction in downtown mixed-use buildings HERE.

*  FireRescue1 has the story about a proposed new firehouse in San Francisco that will bring in a company that responds on average, 27 times a day.  The neighbors are concerned about the the 24 hours of non-stop noise all day and all night, but the manager of the sex shop next door to the proposed site says it will help dress up the neighborhood.  You betcha!  Read about it HERE.

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Posted by on August 15, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Blogs, Fire Rescue Topics