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New Jersey Sinkhole Swallows Occupied Forklift – Indoors

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Sinkholes Rare in Bergen County

A FORKLIFT OPERATOR ESCAPED WITH minor injuries Monday when the forklift he was riding suddenly dropped into a sinkhole in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Record

Danny Rodriguez was working inside a warehouse that stores non-perishable food products when,around 12:30 pm, the 40-ft. diameter hole opened up, dropping him about 8 feet to the initial bottom of the hole.  He was able to get himself out of the hole before the fire department arrived, and was transported to the hospital with back pains.

The Record reports in more detail:

Witnesses described the hole as being 30 to 40 feet wide and six to 10 feet deep. It was filled with a dark, oily liquid that authorities later said was cooking oil and soy sauce that was being stored in the warehouse and fell into the hole when the floor gave way.

Rodriguez managed to get out without serious injury, authorities said.

"Fortunately for the operator, the forklift went straight down and didn’t tip to the side because then he could have really been hurt," said borough Police Chief Larry Minda.

Sarah Entena, the administrator for AM Express Freight, said Rodriguez has worked for the Carlstadt-based company for about 30 years — "He’s the best forklift driver we have," she said. "The forklift protected him" from drowning or serious physical harm, she added. "And thank God for that."

News12

The warehouse is part of a nine-building attached complex and the local code inspector sealed off the warehouse along with the occupancies on each side until the building's owner is able to make corrective action to make it safe.

Later in the afternoon the incident was revised from "sinkhole" to "floor collapse" when it was determined that the floor collapsed into a sealed-off, and unknown to current occupants, basement.

View News12's informative video report HERE.

Hat tip:  Mark D.

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Morning Lineup – May 21

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Tuesday Morning – Horrible, Simply Horrible

This young week has been a terrible one so far for the emergency crews in the Southwest.  On Saturday a young, just-married, firefighter in Phoenix lost his life in a freak accident on the fireground, just a few hours after a city police officer was also killed in the line of duty.

Then comes yesterday's tragic death of a Dallas firefighter, and experienced man with more than 20 years on the job, who was caught in the collapse of a burning apartment building.  Still more tragedy landed on the region when that monster tornado swept through Oklahoma yesterday afternoon.

AP / Ogrocki

That one was just indescribable in its size and fury with a funnel cloud that was at least a mile in diameter when it touched down.  We can see the pictures, but there is no way we can get a sense of the terror that those people felt as it roared through their communities.  No way.  Just as amazing is the relatively low death count (so far) for such a destructive force, but everybody is giving credit to and praising the modern, early warning system that is set up in Oklahoma now.  Computer models coupled with advance radar technology are projecting highly accurate predictions of when,, where, and what size the twisters will be and where they are most likely to be traveling through.  God bless their souls.

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We have another kind of technology update for you this morning.  There has been an apparent breakthrough on the cellphone recharging stage.  I'm referring to the built-in battery packs installed in the phones.  An 18-yr.-old high school senior from Saratoga, California (San Jose area), has won a major prize for inventing a device that will recharge your cellphone in 20 to 30 seconds.  PC Magazine tells us:

California native Eesha Khare won a $50,000 scholarship for inventing a supercapacitor that can charge a cell phone in about 20 seconds.

The Harvard-bound teenager last week received one of two Intel Foundation Young Scientist Awards for her work with energy-efficient storage devices. Khare developed a small device that fits inside cell phone batteries, allowing them to charge in 20 to 30 seconds. It also has the potential to work on car batteries.

Her invention, which weighs in just over an inch long, according to CNN, pushed Khare to the top of the class, helping her beat about 1,600 young scientists who competed in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

KPIX

She's already reportedly being courted by Google and other Silicon Valley giants to come to work for them, but she plans to pursue her college degree at Harvard University first.  When asked what led her into researching this line of power storage, she simply said "My cellphone battery was constantly going dead."

As simple as that.

Now let's keep it simple here and get this equipment checked out.  I'll get the techno-simple Bunn-O-Matic going before we meet back in the day room shortly.

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1 Dead After Taxi Crashes Into Fire Van

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Four Firefighters Injured

A COOLBAUGH TOWNSHIP VFD fire police van was transporting four firefighters shortly before noon Sunday in the Pocono region, when the driver of a taxi coming the opposite direction lost control and and slid sideways into the path of the oncoming fire police vehicle.

The van impacted the taxi in the center of the passenger side caving it in and causing the taxi to roll over, killing the driver of the cab. 

Pocono Record

The Pocono Record continues:

The taxi cab driver, Michael West, 55, of Stroudsburg, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:12 p.m., said Monroe County Coroner Bob Allen. There were no passengers in the taxi at the time of the crash, Allen said.

Four Coolbaugh Township volunteer firefighters in the van were taken to area hospitals. As of Sunday evening, two of the firefighters had been released from the hospital, but two were still in the intensive care unit of Geisinger-Community Medical Center, said Coolbaugh Township Chief Bill Weimer.

The fire vehicle was declared not to be at blame for the wreck.  It was traveling at a low speed and did not have any emergency lights or siren activated.  It hasn't been disclosed where they were going.

Read the full account in the Pocono Record HERE.

Hat tip:  Mark Donovan

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Promotional Opportunities – Another Chief and His Honey Get Caught With the Money

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Moving Out So That Others Can Move Up….

NOW-FORMER SMITHERS VFD Fire Chief Timothy Whittington and his wife Patricia Whittington were indicted by a Fayette County, West Virginia, grand jury this week for embezzling "thousands of dollars" from the fire department.

The Gazette-Mail reports:

On Wednesday, former Chief Timothy M. Whittington was indicted on one count of felony embezzlement. His wife, Patricia A. Whittington, was indicted on one count of felony fraudulent schemes.

The indictments followed a yearlong investigation by State Police into who used a government-issued credit card for personal use.

Whittington told other firefighters in the department during the summer of 2011 that he had accidentally paid one of his personal bills using Fire Department funds but had paid the money back. An audit later showed thousands of dollars missing from the department stemming from the credit card.

W. Va. Film Board

WOWK-TV continues:

A grand jury gathered enough evidence to believe that Whittington embezzled money from the department between July 21, 2010 and September 6, 2012, according to a copy of the indictment.

Former chief Timothy Whittington admitted to our cameras last year that he had used fire department funds to pay his personal bills that totaled nearly $4,000.

He said he and his wife plugged the fire department's checking information into their online bill pay and continued to use that account for a period of about three months.

Whittington said it was an honest mistake and that he took out a loan and paid the department back. Officials said Whittington stepped down from his post in January 2013.

Read WOWK-TV's full account of the story HERE.

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Scores Injured As Car Plows Into Walking Parade

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Driver May Have Had Medical Episode

AS MANY AS 60 PEOPLE were injured Saturday afternoon in a small Virginia mountain town when a car suddenly went out of control and barreled into a walking parade.

The Associated Press is reporting:

About 50 to 60 people were injured Saturday when a driver described by witnesses as an elderly man drove his car into a group of hikers marching in a parade in Damascus, Virginia.

The black car is the one that ran over the hikers.  TriCities.com

Washington County director of emergency management Pokey Harris said no fatalities had been reported.

The injuries ranged from critical to superficial, he said. Three of the victims were flown by helicopters to regional hospitals. Another 12 to 15 were taken by ambulance. The rest were treated at the scene.

It happened around 2:30 p.m. during the Hikers Parade at the Trail Days Festival, an annual celebration of the Appalachian Trail in Damascus, near the Tennessee state line.

A spectator captured some raw video from the early moments of the accident and uploaded it to YouTube:

 

It isn't yet known why the driver, described by witnesses as "an elderly man," suddenly drove into the hikers.  Authorities report that the vehicle involved in the accident was a 1997 Cadillac that was actually participating in the parade.  The initial sizeup is that he had some sort of medical emergency that incapacitated him.

Reports were saying that the car bolted for about 100 ft.knocking hikers over and coming to rest on a few of them.  Bystanders rushed to the car and lifted it high enough to get 3 or 4 trapped victims out from beneath it.

There were several volunteer fire units and ambulances in the parade as well, so there was an immediate response of help to triage and treat the victims.

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Thieves Put Fire Station Out of Service

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Satellite Station Hit

DOUGLAS COUNTY, WISCONSIN, is a sparsely populated rural area on the Minnesota border near Duluth.  The Dairyland Volunteer Fire Department is a small organization with 11 active firefighters that normally responds to about 40 calls a year.

Dairyland VFD Main Station  (GoogleStreetView)

The area they cover is large and, like many rural departments, they keep some equipment stored in an outlier or satellite station.  It was Dairyland's satellite that was hit by thieves last month, taking advantage of the remote location and an April snowstorm to cover their deed when they broke into the station on April 22 between the hours of 11 pm and 1 am the next morning.

The Duluth News Tribune  is reporting yesterday:

The thieves took fire gear, saws, medical supplies, air tanks, a gas detector and more from the fire department’s satellite station at 16567 S. North Road. They also cut radios out of two trucks, putting both vehicles out of commission.

According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office report, more than $44,000 worth of items was stolen.

"We have enough resources, we have enough mutual aid — that’s not a problem," Dairyland Fire Chief Mike Knutson said. "But it’s the principle: to steal the stuff from the fire department."

Two gloves, a blue baseball cap and some cigarette butts were found at the site after the April 23 burglary. Once the snow melted, deputies were able to get impressions from vehicle tracks outside the building, which appeared to have been made by a shorter SUV like a Blazer or Jeep.

Stolen Totalled Tanker Update

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Thief Dies – Insurance Lacking

THIS PAST FRIDAY MAY 10, Firegeezer brought you the story (HERE) of the Harrison Twp., Ohio, VFD's tanker that was stolen from the station in the middle of the night.  The thief got only about a mile away before he crashed-rolled the truck, causing total destruction of it.

WBNS

The man who committed the crime has been publicly identified now as Brently Montgomery, age 19.  He was found near the wreckage after having been ejected from the truck and was unconscious.  The Chillicothe Gazette tells us now that he never regained consciousness and was declared brain-dead on Sunday evening.  It wasn't announced until Monday after surgery to harvest his donated organs.

Brently Montgomery

Read the entire report in The Gazette HERE.

The Harrison Township VFD has become financially pressed as a result of this crime.  They carry insurance on their vehicles, but they learned that it does not cover replacement value, thus leaving a large gap in resources to replace the tanker and its equipment.

The VFD has posted a special webpage to explain their plight and kick off a fund drive to help with the replacement of the unit.  They write:

On 5/10/2013, someone broke into our station and stole our 2000 gallon tanker. After backing through a wall in the station, the truck was crashed and totaled less than a mile down the road.

We are an all volunteer fire/rescue and EMS station that covers 36 square miles. We also provide mutual aid with an additional 92 square miles with three adjoining townships and a state forest.

While our insurance is working very well with us, there are going to be many costs for replacement equipment, supplies and gear that we simply cannot cover. We have no tax base, no levies and our only funding for fire comes from the townships general fund and two fund raisers we hold every year.
Even with the generous support we are receiving from the people in our township, surrounding departments and our volunteers, we still need assistance with the things we simply cannot repair and cannot afford to replace.

Their goal is to raise $10,000 to fill the gap.  Take a look at their webpage HERE to take a look and catch a little bit of dept. history while you're there.

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Firefighter Dressed Up Like a Bear Run Over By Fire Engine

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Bear-ly Avoids Tragedy

A TORRINGTON, ENGLAND, RETAINED FIREFIGHTER* narrowly escaped an ugly demise Saturday night when his own fire engine ran over him during the town's annual carnival parade.

Justin Matthews was dressed up in a bear costume and participating as a "walker" in the parade, strolling along in front of his fire brigade's pumper when he accidently got caught up in the front wheel of the fire engine.

A parade bystander provided immediate first aid
to Matthews while awaiting the ambulance.
(North Devon Journal / Ellen Vernon)

The North Devon Journal continues:

The incident happened as the carnival was making its way around the roundabout next to Torrington Cottage Hospital at the top of Calf Street.

Ellen Vernon, who lives in Torrington, said there was "horror" among the crowd as everyone realised what had happened.

"I was sat on the roundabout as he came around the corner," she said. "The fire engine had several walking people in front of it.

"There was a guy on stilts or in some tall costume and another dressed as a bear. The fire engine was turning very slowly around the roundabout to back up towards Calf Street.

"As it turned the bear was walking on the inside of the roundabout and it appears the front wheel caught him.

"The bloke who had been hit starting screaming "back up, back up." Because he had the bear head on I think he had not seen or heard the fire engine."

The parade was temporarily halted while an ambulance was called to treat Matthews and he was transported to the hospital.

Graham Rooke, Incident Manager, told the Journal: "It was a low-speed incident. He was wearing a bear suit and walking in front of the fire engine. It's for the children really.

"His foot became trapped under the front offside wheel. He has broken his tibula in his left leg and his foot is swollen but other than that we don't think there are any other injuries. It just shows accidents can happen to anyone – even the emergency services aren't immune.

Read the full STORY HERE.

*  Similar to North America's paid-on-call firefighter.

Thanks to Mark Donovan

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Ready For The Weekend, Amigo?

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Some people have fallen into the advertising trap that was set out about 40 years ago that wants us to think that May 5 is also known as Cinco de Mayo, a make-believe holiday from Mexico.  It's harmless fun, but in this era of the soundbite and failed public education systems there are many who think it's for real.  So this morning I will reprise the Morning Lineup from four years ago, May 5, 2009.  Learn and enjoy (like we do every day at Firegeezer):

Did you ever wonder where all this Cinco de Mayo stuff came from? Out of nowhere we’re being potty-trained into thinking that today is some major Mexican holiday and all the once-a-year Irish are now encouraged to become Mexican for a day of celebration. But a cursory check into the cultural history of Mexico discloses that May 5 isn’t a holiday there. Not just that, but most of them don’t even know what you’re talking about if you were to ask.

In fact, Cinco de Mayo is a regional celebration followed in the state of Puebla where the Battle of Puebla took place on May 5, 1862. A French invasion force had entered Mexico for the purpose of collecting a large debt that the Mexican government was trying to renege on and when they were met by a greatly-outnumbered Mexican army, a battle ensued in which the Mexicans routed the superior French forces. That event is the seed of the "holiday."

Fast-forward to the 1960′s and some problem-solving committee meetings at the Coors Brewery in Colorado. Coors had two large obstacles facing them. One was a major push by American Hispanic groups to boycott their products because of some well-publicised hiring-discrimination activities. Their secondary challenge was a sizeable drop-off in beer sales every May as the nation’s colleges finished up their Spring semesters and the partying students headed back home.

So the grand idea was formed: Create a reason to celebrate something Mexican that calls for beer-drinking. Some simple research discovered this lost holiday and the big publicity machine went into action. And the rest, as they say, is modern advertising history. But by the 1980′s it still hadn’t caught on outside of the college campii where it was targeted and the Mexicans were still as puzzled as ever about "what’s the big deal?"

As sure as the sun comes up in the East, more breweries jumped on the phony holiday bandwagon and more than most, the Mexican breweries invaded America looking for their share of the "holiday" prize. That led to some of the most outrageous ethnic exploitation seen in over 40 years. Coors started it’s "Sabemos como celebrar!" (We know how to celebrate!) campaign and Mexico brewery Tecate launched its "Let’s party!" program. The one that went over the top though, was Corona’s campaign parading a "party parrot" wearing a sombrero, sunglasses and a serape while holding a bottle of Corona in each claw and squawking, "Drinko for Cinco!"

In 1997 a consortium of Hispanic cultural groups got together and started to turn the make-believe holiday into something more positive along the lines of the Pulaski Day and St. Patrick’s Day ethnic celebrations and now we are seeing more positive promotions that allow the Hispanic members of the population a chance to display and celebrate their heritage. Myself, I’ll help out by opening a bottle of Dos Equis today.

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Promotional Opportunities

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"Moving Out So That Others Can Move Up…."

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THE NOW-FORMER FIRE CHIEF of Midland, Pennsylvania, was formally charged Friday with stealing more than $14,000 from the fire department.

The Beaver Times reports:

James Ulizio, 60, of 1252 Ohio Ave., Midland, faces more than 60 charges, including 47 counts of access device fraud, six counts each of forgery and theft, and two counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds.

Trooper Edward Hermick Jr. wrote in a criminal complaint filed Friday that unauthorized electronic transactions and withdrawals from a special fund account at the First National Community Bank's Midland branch were discovered by fire department officials who told state police Jan. 29.

After obtaining AT&T records with a search warrant, police determined Ulizio used the fund to make 46 payments to the phone company and one payment to Peoples Natural Gas between Feb. 13, 2008, and Jan. 13 of this year. The payments totaled $12,274.49.

Additionally, Ulizio cashed four checks made out to him that totaled $1,912, police said. Ulizio, they said, forged the signatures of then-assistant fire chief Howard Sweed and his wife, department treasurer Tracy Sweed, on the checks.

Between the money used to pay his phone and gas bills, bank fees and cashed checks, Ulizio took $14,186.49 from the department's fund, Hermick wrote.

Ulizio was tripped up in March when one of the department officers discovered two beneficiary death claim forms filed with the FD's group life insurance policy.  They both bore his own forged signatures leading him to turn the information over to the State Police.  Shortly after that, Ulizio was expelled from the fire department.  He will be formally arraigned on May 28.

Read the full story in The Times HERE.

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NEWPORT, KENTUCKY, FIRE CHIEF Paul Eubel was driving his department-issued car to work last Wednesday (April 24) when he was observed by a citizen striking the curb several times, hitting a guard rail, and leaving the roadway more than once.  When he pulled into the fire department property he struck a parked car.

When the police arrived to take the accident report, one of the officers smelled alcohol on his breath and he was transported to the hospital to be "checked out."  Later that same day he turned in his resignation from the department.

Two days later on Friday, it was discovered that Eubel had already been under investigation by the police for an undisclosed reason.  He had more than 20 years in the FD and was eligible for retirement if he chose.

The Kentucky Post has the details and full STORY HERE.

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Country Music Superstar George Jones Passes – age 81

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"He Stopped Loving Her Today….."

ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR country music singers of the last 50 years, George Jones died this morning at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville.  He had been hospitalized on April 18 for a problem with his blood pressure, but the cause of his death has not been released.

With his greatly successful recordings, he is often elevated to the same level of respect as Hank Williams, Jimmy Rogers, Johnny Cash and Roy Acuff.  He had 14 Number One record hits beginning in 1959 with "White Lightning."

 

Some of the others that followed were:  She Thinks I Still Care, Walk Through This World With Me, We're Gonna Hold On (with Tammy Wynette), and his biggest hit that came in 1980 He Stopped Loving Her Today.

Just as notorious as his recording success was his constant battle with alcoholism and his headline-grabbing antics while drunk that generated more news than his singing success.  Most notably were his six tumultuous years of marriage to the late Tammy Wynette.  You can read about what has become known as The Wild Years in his Wikipedia biography HERE.

George and Tammy singing their signature duet

When his illness struck last week he was in the midst of his "Farewell Tour" that was booked through the year and scheduled to conclude in November.

Funerary arrangements have not yet been announced.

 

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8-Story Factory Collapse Kills Scores In Bangladesh

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Death Toll Continues To Rise

UPDATE:  As of late Thursday night the death toll has risen to 149.  Scroll down.

A FACTORY BUILDING FILLED WITH an estimated 2,000 workers collapsed suddenly Wednesday morning in Savar, Bangladesh.

Reuters

The 8-story building housed several garment producers where fabrics are cut and sewn into clothing that is primarily sold to U.S. retailers.  The collapse was sudden and buried as many as 2,000 people, about 600 of whom were pulled out alive by passersby immediately after the collapse.

The Associated Press is reporting:

Workers in the Rana Plaza building said it had developed such severe cracks the day before that it had been reported on local news channels. They hesitated to enter the building Wednesday morning, said Abdur Rahim, who worked in a garment factory on the fifth floor. But a manager from the factory assured them there was no problem, so they went inside, he said.

"We started working. After about an hour or so the building collapsed suddenly," he said. He next remembered regaining consciousness outside the building.

Sumi, a 25-year-old worker who goes by one name, said she was sewing jeans on the fifth floor with at least 400 others when the building fell. "It collapsed all of a sudden," she said. "No shaking, no indication. It just collapsed on us."

Volunteer rescuers used rolls of fabric to jury-rig
rescue chutes for many survivors.  (AFP)

She survived because she managed to reach a hole in the building through which rescuers pulled her out.

According to the PR director of a major hospital nearby, at least 87 people have been confirmed dead and he knows that approx. 600 others have been rescued.

The garment factories operated at full capacity 24 hours a day, so it is presumed that this building was fully occupied when it collapsed around 8:30 am.

The Telegraph has more HERE and provided this graphic raw video:

UPDATE 11 pm Thursday:
Late Thursday night (Eastern) the rising death count had reached 149 with many victims, both alive and dead, still trapped in the pile of concrete rubble.

CBS News reports:

Searchers worked through the night to cut holes in the jumbled mess of concrete with drills or their bare hands, passing water and flashlights to those pinned inside the building.

"I gave them whistles, water, torchlights. I heard them cry. We can't leave them behind this way," said fire official Abul Khayer.

On a visit to the site, Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir told reporters the building had violated construction codes and "the culprits would be punished."

Abdul Halim, an official with the engineering department in the Dhaka suburb of Savar, said the owner was originally allowed to construct a five-story building but he added another three stories illegally.

Local police chief Mohammaed Asaduzzaman said police and the government's Capital Development Authority have filed separate cases of negligence against the building owner.

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2nd-Bomber Takedown Video

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Massachusetts State Police Video

AFTER ASKING BOSTONIANS TO keep their eyes open and help police find the terrorists who bombed the Marathon, the police suddenly locked down the city and told everyone to staty inside.  After failing to nab the younger Tsarnaev brother after a door-to-door search, the curfew was lifted and everyone allowed back outside.

Within ten minutes David Henneberry went out into his back yard and found the bomber hiding in a boat stored there.

This video which was disseminated to the press by the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing Division, shows through their night-vision camera the approach and removal of the boad cover by a robotic arm.

This is followed by a few views of the concussion grenade discharging in the boat, and then viewing the motionless, injured Dzhokhar Tsarnaev who was then taken into custody.

 

Thanks to Carmine S. and his YouTube site mcfdtv.

Mother-Of-The-Year Gets Bail Set At $30,000

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"Susan is a great mom" ….. Neighbor.

Examiner / Twitter

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, MOTHER Susan Becker, 43, of East Northport, was arrested Friday and charged with multiple counts of criminal mischief and engangerment of a child following a 2-week spree of driving three teens around in her car while they shot a BB-gun and parked cars.

Police had learned that she had been driving around with her 13-year-old son, her 15-year-old daughter and another 15-year-old boy, encouraging them to shoot out car windows with a BB gun she had bought for them.  They know of at least 60 incidents of damage to parked cars in Hauppauge, Commack, and Islandia over the 2-week period.

WNBC-TV filed this video report:

 

She was arraigned in Suffolk County District Court on Saturday where her bond was set at $30,000.

WCBS-TV has the story and more video HERE.

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Battling Fire Chief Gets Suspended

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A Little Embarrassing, Perhaps

RICHMOND, INDIANA, FIRE CHIEF Mike Crawley was suspended with pay for one week on Friday by the city's mayor.  Earlier that day, Chief Crawley was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct resulting from a fist fight with another man, Chad King, on April 8.

The Indianapols Star tells us:

According to witnesses at the scene, Crawley and King engaged in an altercation, with some witnesses saying both men threw punches while others said they didn’t see any punches thrown but Crawley was spitting blood at King and telling him to leave his wife alone.

Crawley told police he was struck at least three times by King, which caused injuries to his nose and at least one tooth, which was chipped. King told authorities Crawley struck and spit on him during the incident.

Crawley and King each have initial court appearances set for 8:30 a.m. on April 30 in Wayne County Superior Court III.

The Richmond Palladium-Item has the STORY.

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“Cap Cam” Catches 2nd Blast

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One of Monday's Marathoners Was Wearing a Cap Cam

THE RUNNER WAS JUST A FEW yards short of being in the blast zone with his video cam running.  But he was close enough for the concussion to knock him over.

Watch this eyewitness video of the blast.  Some other interesting footage was tacked onto this video for an interesting close-up view of the incident unfolding.

 

Hat tip:  Carmine S.

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Boston Bombing Update

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First Bomb Reconstructed Already
Less Than 24 Hours After Detonation

FBI AND ATF BOMB EXPERTS have already compiled evidence that shows that the bombs were packed in pressure cookers, then carried in backpacks, set down and detonated by a remote control.

Boston Globe

Associated Press is reporting:

The bombs that ripped through the Boston Marathon crowd appear to have been fashioned out of ordinary kitchen pressure cookers, packed with nails and other fiendishly lethal shrapnel, and hidden in duffel bags left on the ground, investigators and others close to the case said Tuesday.

Officials found that the bombs consisted of explosives put in common 1.6-gallon pressure cookers, one containing shards of metal and ball bearings, the other packed with nails, according to a person close to the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe was still going on. Both bombs were stuffed into duffel bags, the person said.

At a news conference, Richard DesLauriers, FBI agent in charge in Boston, confirmed that investigators had found pieces of black nylon from a bag or backpack and fragments of BBs and nails, possibly contained in a pressure cooker. He said the items were sent to the FBI for analysis at Quantico, Va.

Pressure cooker bombs are popular devices used by Al-Qaida, but their plans on constructing them are widely available on the interenet after they were publish in the terrorist organization's English-language magazine four years ago.

The Telegraph writes:

The recipe – along with a rationale for post-9/11 terror – was printed three years ago in al-Qaeda’s English-language promotional online magazine, Inspire.

In an article, it instructed readers on how, as its headline writers put it, to "Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom." It gave the types of explosive, timers and other ingredients needed – along with, it said, a pressure cooker.

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The Richard Family / Zuma Press

Bill Richard's family were all gathered near the finish line to cheer several friends of theirs  as they came to the flag.  His young daughter had run in a kid's race on Saturday and was ecstatic over winning a prize ribbon.  One of the blasts killed the oldest son Martin, age 8, (left, above) and his mother Denise suffered a brain injury.  The little girl lost a leg and lived through it only for the fast and efficient work of a nearby paramedic.

NBC News reports:

"My dear son Martin has died from injuries sustained in the attack on Boston," father Bill Richard said in a statement released on Tuesday. "My wife and daughter are both recovering from serious injuries. I ask that you continue to pray for my family as we remember Martin."

Friends and neighbors in the Richards’ middle-class neighborhood of Dorchester, Mass. were stunned by the family’s loss.

The family was a "typical, all-American, lovely family," neighbor Margaret Admirand said, choking back tears. "It’s devastating. He was an adorable little boy," she said. "It’s very hard to talk about. He was a sweet little kid."

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Also from NBC News:

Two brothers who went to the Boston Marathon to cheer on a friend each lost a leg in Monday’s bombing, their family said, asking the public for prayers.

NBC News via Facebook

Paul Norden, 31, and his brother, J.P., 33, were being treated at separate hospitals on Tuesday, their worried relatives rallying around them.

Paul’s girlfriend was being treated for burns at a third hospital.

The brothers, both roofers who had recently been laid off, were at the marathon to support their friend, firefighter Mike Jefferson, who escaped injury.

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Firefighter Jailed Following Armed Robbery Attempt

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Career-Altering Decision Fails

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, FIREFIGHTER Joseph Caimi, 31, is in jail today following a botched armed robbery attempt in a convenience market.

City police said Joseph Caimi, 31, tried to rob a Uni-Mart store on Brownsville Road in Carrick on Wednesday night, but a clerk grabbed Caimi's gun and the firefighter hit his head on a store counter in the ensuing struggle.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tells what happened:

(The clerk) behind the counter was Tom Sayenga, who took matters into his own hands.

Police said Mr. Sayenga told them that as he was handing money over to the gunman, he grabbed the man's gun with his free hand and "piledrived" his face into the counter. Mr. Sayenga chambered a round in the gun and pointed the gun at the man and ordered him to leave, according to Pittsburgh robbery squad Detective Michael Chlystek.

Mr. Sayenga said the robbery suspect threw the money in the air and ran out of the store, leaving behind the gun, a 9 mm Beretta.

Later Wednesday, police arrested Joseph J. Caimi Jr., 31, a city firefighter, and charged him in the attempted robbery.

Police determined the gun was registered to Mr. Caimi and went to his house, in the 2200 block of Lucina Street, where they saw a man matching his description sitting with another man next door. Police asked Mr. Caimi if he owned any guns, and he said he used to own three, but sold them all. Asked when he last saw his Beretta, he said: "Today. I already know what you're here for, but I'm not saying anything. I already know why you're here," Detective Chlystek wrote.

Read the entire article HERE.

KDKA-TV filed this video report:

 

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Gwinnett County Hostage Wrap-Up

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A Fast Finish Leaves Perp Dead

THE HOSTAGE STANDOFF IN SUWANNEE, Georgia, was wrapped up with a large degree of success.  (See earlier Firegeezer posting on the crisis HERE.)

Around 7:46 pm Eastern the SWAT unit determined that the gunman had become more threatening to the lives of the four firefighters he was holding hostage.  The inserted the flash-bang devices into the house along with the stun blast, then moved in quickly.  The perp tried to open fire on the police and they responded in deadly force killing the man.  Unfortunately, one of the officers was wounded in the gun battle, but he was believed to be not seriously injured.

The firefighters were all scraped up a bit from the blasts and the commotion of the raid, but they were treated on the scene before being transported as a precaution.  The police spokesman said that they would all be released soon and be back home tonight.

 

Some other points that have been brought out following the conclusion to the standoff:

*  The resident who committed the crime had financial difficulties leading to having his utilities and tv cable, phone, etc. all cut off.  Also, records show that his house had been repossesed by the bank and foreclosure procedings were underway.

*  He feigned a heart attack on a 9-1-1 call that brought the Gwinnett County firefighters to his house for medical care, and then took them hostage at gunpoint.  His ultimate goal was to have his utilities all turned back on in exchange for the release of the hostages.

*  The officer that was wounded was shot in either his hand or an arm.  It is not considered critical.

*  The firefighter who first communicated their plight to dispatch relayed that the man had "multiple" handguns and rifles in his possession.  RadioReference.com provided a compressed recording of the initial mayday call from the firefighter:

 

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Gunman Holding 4 Firefighters Hostage – Unknown Motive

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Standoff in Gwinnett County, Georgia

UPDATE, 7:45 PM:  Situation is over.  SWAT moved in and killed perp in gunfight.  One officer wounded, appears to be non-life threatening.  ALL FOUR FIREFIGHTERS FREED UNINJURED.

UPDATE, 7:35 PM:  There are indications that the situation may be mitigated.  Several flash-bang type explosions suggest that SWAT made their move.  Man two doors down talking on his phone tells Fox News that suddenly all the police on scene are relaxed and moving easily around the house.  Ambulances on standby, but no medical activity.

AN UNIDENTIFIED MAN IN SUWANNEE, Georgia, took hostage five firefighters who had responded to a subdivision house on a medical call late Wednesday afternoon.

Early reports say that the call was routine and there was no apparent threat to the firefighters until they were inside the home.  Not long after the standoff began, the gunman released one of the firefighters to go outside and move their firetruck.

Fox News

There is no indication so far of anybody being injured.  The house is surrounded by a SWAT squad and a negotiator has already begun making contact with the gunman.

Updates will be posted as warranted.

 

 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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The situation began shortly before 4 pm when the fire co. responded to the home.  It has since been suggested that the man has been distraught from financial difficulties.

The news crews on the scene have been asked by the police to not show any visuals, videos or photos from the immediate scene in order to keep the police movements and positioning from being observed by the gunman.

 

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Read the Firegeezer post-incident wrap-up with additional information and video HERE.

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Chief Siarnicki to Receive Fire Service Leadership Award

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Executive Director of the NFFF To Be Honored

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has issued the following press release that we are happy to pass along to you in its entirety:

Chief Ronald Siarnicki to Receive 2013 Mason Lankford
Fire Service Leadership Award

Emmitsburg, Maryland – For his outstanding leadership and commitment to improving life safety standards for our nation’s firefighters, the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) Board of Directors announced today Chief Ronald J. Siarnicki, executive director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), will receive the 2013 CFSI/Motorola Solutions Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award.

Chief Ronald Siarnicki  (NFFF photo)

"Chief Siarnicki has a long and rich history of bringing diverse groups together for the betterment of the fire service at the national and local levels. This award truly recognizes Ron’s leadership and commitment to those important efforts and accomplishments, as well as his contagious passion for ensuring that all firefighters have the tools and resources necessary so they can do their jobs effectively and safely, then go home to their loved ones at the end of each shift," said Chief Dennis Compton, Chairman of the NFFF Board of Directors.

The Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award was established in 1998 by CFSI and Motorola Solutions to recognize an individual who has been proactive at the local, state, or federal government level to improve fire/emergency services and firefighter life safety issues.

Chief Siarnicki joins some of the nation’s most notable fire service leaders who have set the national standard of a fire service that emphasizes preparation and readiness of all responders, including: Marcine Goodloe, Ronny Coleman, Kevin O’Connor, Steve Edwards, and Hal Bruno.

Chief Siarnicki began his career as a volunteer firefighter in Monessen, Pennsylvania. He joined the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department in 1978 and, over 24 years, progressed through the ranks to Chief of the Department. In 2001 he retired from PGFD and was appointed Executive Director of the NFFF.

Under his leadership, the NFFF has expanded services to assist the survivors of firefighters who died in the line of duty and developed programs to address firefighter safety and reduce the number of line-of-duty deaths. One of his most important contributions to the fire service is the 2004 Firefighter Life Safety Summit which resulted in the creation of the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.

In addition, Siarnicki has been recognized for his outstanding leadership by numerous organizations, including: The Everett E. Hudiburg Award, The Fire Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award, Alan Brunacini Fire Services Executive Safety Award from the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Metropolitan Fire Chiefs' Presidents Award of Distinction, University of Maryland, University College Distinguished Alumnus, American Burn Association's Moncrief Award and the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Silver Medal of Valor.

Chief Siarnicki holds a Bachelor's Degree in Fire Science and a Master's Degree in Technology Management from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC).

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VFD Set To Close After 110 Years

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Declining Funds, Declining Membership

CAYUGA COUNTY, NEW YORK, IS LOSING one of its volunteer fire departments at the end of this month.  The Meridian Fire Department has officially announced that after 110 years of service they are shutting down permanently after April 30.

Meridian FD station  (Waymarking.com)

The MFD is receiving a yearly stipend from the village, but it is a small amount that would not cover even the cost of their insurance.  The volunteers relied heavily on a contract with the town of Cato for the bulk of their budgetary needs, but Cato has recently decided to drop Meridian and contract with the Cato Fire Department for coverage.

The (Auburn) Citizen is reporting;

"We will cease fire operations April 30," said Brenda Gallaro, president of the Meridian Fire Department. The contract the department has with the village of Meridian only provides $7,500 annually, Gallaro said.

"No, that wouldn't even pay for the insurance on the vehicles for a year," she said. "There's no way we could operate properly and give the village the fire and rescue protection they needed with the funding."

According to Meridian Village Clerk Marilyn Cole, the village board passed a resolution Feb. 11 to dissolve the department and its contract with the village. "They came and asked us if they could be abolished," Cole said of the fire department.

The remaining 11 members are giving full effort to continue responding to calls with the same dedication as always until it comes time to lock the doors on May 1.  The building will stay open and there will still be fundraisers to keep the building running and pay the mortgage, Gallaro also told the press. May 1 will bring with it the sale of all apparatus and equipment.

The Citizen continues:

Niel Rivenburgh, deputy director of emergency services for Cayuga County, said a combination of factors led to the Meridian department's demise.

"Over the course of the last five years, recruitment hasn't been effective for them," he said. "It's getting harder and harder to keep them going."  In addition to low membership, internal struggles were cited as a problem — one that plagues most volunteer fire departments in the nation, Rivenburgh said. "Internal struggles happen in every fire department," he said. "There's been some leadership issues, and that's not unique to Meridian."

Volunteer fire departments are also expected to do more with diminishing resources and increasing state mandates.

Read the entire ARTICLE HERE.

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Promotional Opportunities

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Payroll Fiddling Catches 5 City Officials

THE CURRENT CHIEF OF THE SUMTER County, South Carolina, Fire Department was indicted last week on charges stemming from his previous position in Jasper County.

It was disclosed that Chief John Ekaitis is one of five former officials of the Hardeeville city government who were charged with a variety of misdemeanors relating to the abuse of the city's leave cashing policy.

Chief John Ekaitis pictured shortly after his
appointment as Sumter County Fire Chief in 2011
(Americus Times-Recorder file photo)

The Southern Political Report tells us that the five indictees are:

Eric Washington, former police lieutenant, for the period August l, 2005 through April 15, 2006.

Santesia Henderson, former city treasurer, for the period June 1, 2005 through April 15, 2006.

Randall Shane Haynes, former city manager, for the period Aug. 1, 2005 through April 30, 2006.

John Ekaitis, former fire chief, for the period Oct. 1, 2005 through Feb. 15, 2006.

James Hubbard, former police chief, for the period Jan. 1, 2006 through April 15, 2006.

Documents released by the S.C. Attorney General's office Thursday detail the charge of misconduct in office as when an individual did "knowingly, intentionally, and willfully engage in acts of misconduct by engaging in acts and omissions in the form of malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance, in breach of his duties to the public of good faith, honesty, and accountability."

The State newspaper adds:

The indictments do not outline specific acts of misconduct. All of the alleged misconduct occurred between 2005 and 2006.

The S.C. Law Enforcement Division launched a criminal investigation into Hardeeville’s finances in 2008 after a four-year forensic audit identified irregularities.

Mayor Bronco Bostick, who was elected in May of that year, said at the time that he turned over the audit’s results to SLED so agents could review the conduct of the city’s "previous administration."

All five of them have previously been either fired or resigned from their jobs. Ekaitis, who was hired as the Sumter County Fire Chief in 2011, served as the fire chief in Hardeeville from 2003 to 2007.

For more details read the complete report in The State HERE.

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City Votes to De-Fund Their Fire Department

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Judge Points Out Disinformation Campaign
That Led to Upcoming Disbandonment

THE CITIZENS OF CENTRAL COVENTRY, RHODE ISLAND, voted Tuesday night to de-fund their fire department, knowing that it will probably cause a complete shutdown of services.

The special town meeting and vote for the action brought a large turnout to the local high school and when the results were tallied the measure to increase the fire levy to rescue the department was defeated by a 3-1 margin.

The line of voters outside the high school prior to the
special town meeting was long.  (Coventry Patch)

The problem began several years ago when 4 of the town's 7 fire districts merged into one.  When the new combined fire district wanted to prepare their budget, the Town Clerk's office told them to expect a certain amount of fire levy revenue to operate with.  Unfortunately this figure was about $700,000 too high but was not caught until three years later after the fire district had become $2.8 million in the red …. effectively bankrupt.

After being taken over by a state administrator to straighten the mess out, the solution presented to the taxpayers was for a 36% increase in the fire tax and that is what they voted down last night.

The next step taken is up to the judge overseeing the situation and it is possible that they will have to lay off all of their firefighters and sell off the assets (re: real estate and trucks) to pay off the debt.

TV Channel 10 reports:

Firefighter's union president David Gorman said firefighters will keep going to work until a judge tells them to stop. He said he was disappointed in the outcome, saying "Misinformation did not help. The judge alluded to that. I'm not surprised at all."

Richard Land, court appointed special master for the fire district says the likely next step is to sell off the assets. Land also says, while other districts in town have been asked for plans to help out, there's no plan yet to provide the same level of fire service.

Many who voted against the budget said the price tag was too steep.

Ch. 10 also filed this video report from the meeting:

 News, Weather and Classifieds for Southern New England

The alternate plan that was proposed to be put in place if the levy failed was sealed by the court until after last night's vote.  It should be disclosed soon.

The Coventry Patch has the best review of what took place at last night's meeting along with a description of what has happened so far and the possibilities ahead.  They have links to their previous articles in the sidebar that touch upon the deliberate misinformation campaigns that a group of citizens and some town council members engaged in.

Read that ARTICLE HERE

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Morning Lineup – March 26

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Tuesday Morning – Have a Seat.

Are you still trying to find that perfect desk chair so that you can surf the web in comfort?  It's one of the oldest problems in home or office work production.  Well, here is a suggestion for you that might do the trick.  I have not had an opportunity to try one (yet) but it looks promising and I hope I get the chance to use one someday.

Preston Moeller, 26, from Cleveland, North Carolina, was an Industrial Design student at Appalachian State University when he started collecting rubber bands and adding them to an ever-growing rubber band ball.  (Who hasn't done that at some point during their growing years?)  But the artist in him diverted his bands from the ball to art work, mainly copies of musical instruments.

But then, as thousands more rubber bands came bouncing in, he got the idea – as industrial designers do – to try and make an office chair out of them.  To make a long story short, after 336 hours of designing and building it, Preston ended up with a 3-ft.-tall chair made from 65,000 rubber bands.

The chair, which weighs 35 lbs., has a wire frame that maintains its overall shape but
retains a springiness that allows movement and a comfortable "give."

Moeller entered his project in an annual chair design contest and won the first prize.  That fame amongst the design people launched him to fame of sorts, and has caught the fancy of lots of people world-wide.  The chair is not just functional but very comfortable too, which was the point after all.  Preston wrote on his personal website:

'It has been moved around to multiple shows and I have been using it for the last couple months as my computer chair and it still looks as good as new.

'On the other hand, I have other smaller pieces that have started to dry up after around four years so I'm not sure how long the chair has to live.

'It looks as if the frame under the rubber bands is helping to keep them fresh but I don’t expect it to last forever.'

Preston continues:

"It was important that the chair kept the look and feel of the rubber band all the way through."

He added: "When guests go to sit in it, they start by bracing themselves with their arms and slowly lowering themselves into the chair.

"Within minutes, they're jumping up and down on it. It's a reliable chair and feels very safe – every office should have one."

There are several articles about this new form of function online, but the best to check out is posted by the Daily Mail HERE.  They have more photos, too.

Mr. Moeller has a lot of his other creations (not all rubber bands) on his personal, professional website HERE.  Check it out, too.  (Click on the photos for details)

I'm running late this morning, so we'd better get cracking on the equipment check.  I'll refresh the coffee pot and then arrange the chairs in the day room.  See you there.

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