Some Other Items From the News Ticker

SO, WHO NEEDS ONE ANYWAY?  The Saginaw, Michigan, city manager had a meeting with the three battalion chiefs of the fire department to discuss "efficient management" and the still-unfilled fire chief's position.  They all decided that they don't really need a fire chief for the time being, so the BC's will divvy up the workload (a la North Providence) and just not hire a fire chief until financial times get better.

The Midland Daily News tells about it HERE.

FOLLOWING UP ON ANN ARBOR, Michigan, Fire Chief Chuck Hubbard's  proposal to close two more stations and concentrate his firefighters on fewer, but better-staffed units (see Firegeezer report HERE), the Ann Arbor Chronicle published a very thorough and accurate report on Chief Hubbard's report to the City Council  last week.  While the minutiae of the work session might not interest all of you, Firegeezer is very impressed with the Chief's insistence on honesty about the coverage issue instead of blathering politically acceptable double-speak.  An example:

Lumm noted that the move to three stations is based on current staffing levels and she applauded Hubbard’s efforts to optimize the resources he had. She went on to say that she felt a more appropriate question that the community and the city council should ask is: What is the appropriate level of resources needed to meet or exceed the standards? She asked for Hubbard’s thoughts on the idea of determining the amount of resources required, as opposed to simply optimizing what he currently had.

Hubbard understood Lumm’s question to be essentially: What would it take to achieve the four-in-four coverage without closing any stations? He told her he’d have to hire at least 30 additional firefighters. Mayor John Hieftje then questioned whether that approach would actually deliver better service than Hubbard’s proposal. Hubbard’s answer: Yes, absolutely.

Lumm wanted to know why Hubbard thought it was good enough, under his proposed station model, to meet the standard only 70% of the time [490 out of 681 fire locations]. Hubbard said, "It’s not that I think it’s good enough," but rather that staffing levels dictate this approach. He said he was working within his means.

No false promises here, just straight talk.  If only more chiefs would stand up and tell it like is, and if only more newpapers would give this sort of coverage that the citizens really need to know.  John X. sent us the link to this exemplary ARTICLE HERE.

THE EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO, HOUSE FIRE early Sunday morning that killed a man and his three young children (see Firegeezer HERE) has been ruled to be an arson, according to the Ohio State Fire Marshal office.  Understandably, no other details are being released while the investigation is ongoing.  The East Liverpool newspaper, The Review has this latest disclosure plus some additional details HERE.

DESPITE OUR HOPES THAT the Los Angeles Mayor and Fire Chief would honestly address the glaring short-comings of their current operations of the LAFD on Monday, they declined.   Instead, they closed ranks and "defended" their failed programs.  (See the Firegeezer report on their response time and dispatch problems HERE.)  The Highland Park-Mt. Washington Patch has a good report on this PR deception including this gem:

(Mayor) Villaraigosa said the decision in 2009 to switch to the new computer data system was to create a more stringent assessment of the LAFD. He called the department transparent and said it was one of the few in the nation to publicly release response times.

The voters in Los Angeles might believe that fable, but we certainly know better.  Read the entire report in The Patch HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

More Stories Off the News Ticker

Updating the story on the ambulette that drove at speed into the rear of a flatbed truck (see Firegeezer HERE), comes reports that the ambulance company has a record of administrative problems with the 13-yr.-old vehicle which has 342,000+ miles on it.

TV10News

The license tags were expired (the firm says it was a "maintenance error" that led to the tabs being placed on another set by mistake), Columbus10TV News has this update and a video report HERE.

A Montana firefighter was injured Wednesday when the tanker he was driving got onto a soft shoulder and rolled.  The Great Falls Tribune reports:

Capt. Ray Hitchcock of the Cascade County Sheriff's Office said a Lewis and Clark County Rural Fire (tanker) apparently rolled into a coulee while firefighters were fighting a large grass fire. One firefighter was taken to the hospital via helicopter.

Eastgate Volunteer Fire Chief Ken Mergenthaler said the truck rolled at least four times after the water tender got onto a soft shoulder and went off the road. The firefighter was the only person inside the truck and was recently released from Benefis Health System with non life-threatening injuries.

Full story HERE.

In France a volunteer firefighter was killed and three others injured when their engine went off the road and dropped 300 feet down a ravine Thursday evening.  They were operating at a large brush fire in an area dotted by quarries in the Ardeche area in southeast France.  Corporal Anthony Di Mano perished in the accident and the other three FF's were injured, one of them seriously.  It is not yet known why the firetruck left the road.  Corporal Di Mano was not the driver.

Le Pointe has the STORY. 

At the annual town meeting in Gilsum, New Hampshire, the question came up about replacing the town's old fire engine by leasing a new one. Fire Chief William Johnson explained that the truck it would replace is 43 years old and not safe to be on the road. He said he hesitates to take it out on hills since the brakes aren’t that great.  The Keene Sentinel tells how the vote turned out HERE.

Some rural areas in Estonia are running out of money and are unable to maintain their fire departments.  So some communities are planning to organize volunteer departments to avoid the otherwise 20-minute wait for a fire engine to arrive. ERR News is reporting:

Due to budget cuts, the Rescue Board is closing nine fire stations this coming May, which has left many dismayed locals before two choices: accepting delayed responses in emergency situations, or taking the initiative.

A rural southern town, Võnnu, has opted for the latter, planning to set up a volunteer firefighting brigade. On its part, the Rescue Board has vowed to supply the local governments with a building – the former rescue station – as well as 5,000 euros, training for the firefighters, and possibly equipment.

"The municipal governments have the space, the will, and a little bit of money. All we need now is thirty to forty volunteer firefighters," said Võnnu elder Tõnu Muru.

Read the full STORY.

Elmira, New York, the "fire engine city," has applied for a grant to assist them in hiring five additional firefighters.  WETM-TV adds:

If the grant request is approved Elmira Fire Chief Pat Birmingham says he would add one firefighter to each shift and use the fifth to fill in for illnesses or injuries.

Chief Birmingham added that would help in the critical early response to a fire. The fire chief says the additional firefighters would also help reduce overtime. A decision on the grant is expected during the Summer or early Fall.

The full report is HERE.

Hat tips go out to:
Bob Hess
Mark Donovan
Fireball Laurence Delorme
Peter Lupkowski

*  *  *  *  *  *  *