Skip to content

Archives for fire-rescue-topics

See all posts in the network tagged with fire-rescue-topics

Detroit Suburb Votes to Eliminate Police and Fire Departments

1 comment

These Bumblers Popped Up Last Year

THE CITY OF ALLEN PARK, MICHIGAN, is back in the news again.  One of the nation's most inept city councils voted last night (Tuesday) to balance their budget by completely eliminating both the police and fire departments.

Firegeezer readers were acquainted with these financial wizards in February of last year when they threatened their firefighters with elimination unless they renegotiated their salary structure way down.  (See the Firegeezer video report HERE.)  An agreement was made that included a tax increase on the citizens if they approved of it in a vote.  But that measure failed at the ballot twice, back in November and again this month on May 8.

You may recall that the primary act that bankrupted the city was the city council’s falling for the song-and-dance of a film maker who told them that if they would provide a suitable location for his big-time movie studios and film production school, then he would give the city $2 million to balance the city budget. The council then sold $24 million in bonds to purchase a property and industrial building that was only assessed at $14 million. The studio maven, Jimmy Lifton then took his act to Detroit without “donating” the $2 million and reneging on the deal to make Allen Park a motion picture home.  This all took place in 2009.

Allen Park's $24 million baby

The stunt led to a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into the validity of the city's bond sale with the threat of fraud indictments.  Ever since then the city has been drowning under the debt load of having to pay off the bonds for near-worthless property and unable to provide basic city services.

Now the council has a $4 million deficit and has decided to balance their budget by eliminating the public safety services, police and fire, and contract with a neighboring municipality to provide the services.  They voted last night to pass that budget which includes the public safety layoffs.

There is only one tiny little problem… none of the other towns are interested in taking on Allen Park's emergencies.  All of them are struggling as it is just to cover their own calls.  WJBK-TV was at the city council meeting last night and prepared this video report:

 

The Detroit Free Press adds:

Adding to the appearance of disarray in City Hall, the council voted 6-1 to accept the resignation of the city's top staffer, Administrator John Zech.

And still to be resolved is how the city will pay its bills this year. Appointment of a state emergency manager remains possible, city officials have said.

The city's annual budget had been projected to be $19 million in the next fiscal year, 2012-13, but must drop to $15.8 million because of skidding property-tax revenues combined with $2.6 million in annual bond payments for the city's failed movie studio, according to budget documents. The studio sits largely empty next to City Hall. "Nobody knows what's really going to happen," Mayor William Matakas said before the meeting. None of the cities that Allen Park has approached about contracting for police and fire services has responded, he said.

News Herald photo

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 23, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, Videos • Tagged: ,

Tanker Rollover in Virginia

No comments

Driver-Only Responding

THE DRIVER OF A CHARLES CITY COUNTY fire department tanker is hospitalized in serious condition following a single-vehicle accident Sunday morning.

photo by James Bates

According to Virginia State Police, Michael Buchanan, 51, of Quinton was responding with the 3,000-gal. tanker around 5 am Sunday morning when he drifted to the right drainage ditch, then crossed over the narrow 2-lane road to the left side where he rolled over and struck a tree.

WRIC-TV

The crash destroyed the truck, breaking it into several pieces.  Buchanan was trapped inside the cab and had to be extricated.  He apparently has some serious damage to his legs and was airlifted to Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Hospital in Richmond.

WTVR-TV Ch. 6 has the STORY.

WWBT-TV

Firegeezer will attempt to get more information for an update today.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 21, 2012 • Filed under: apparatus, Fire Rescue Topics, Uncategorized, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus • Tagged: , ,

LAFD Response Times Dip After Station Shutdowns …. (No! Really?)

5 comments

Anybody Besides the Fire Chief and Mayor Surprised at This?

THE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, CONTROLLER Wendy Greul released the report yesterday of an audit her department conducted into the Fire Department's response times.  Using a 2-year baseline from June 2007 to July 2009, the auditors found that after the fire station closings and rotating brownouts took place in July of last year, the response times for ambulance calls increased an average 12 seconds citywide and as much as 20 seconds in certain areas including the San Fernando Valley.  The Daily News reports:

The report found response times for emergency medical calls increased an average of 12 seconds to four minutes, 57 seconds. However, the response time to fires and non-medical emergencies dropped about 21 seconds — also to four minutes, 57 seconds.

Pat McOsker, president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, said the audit confirms his warnings over the past several years.

"You cannot cut the department by the 15 percent it has been cut and not have an impact," McOsker said. "In emergencies, seconds count and we have a system that delays the response."

Not to be overlooked in the report is this observation by the Controller:

She also expressed concern about the quality of the department's response time data, noting that about one-third of the incidents reviewed were not coded properly and it was unclear whether they were emergency or non-emergency calls.

"It's unacceptable that the LAFD has not been able to accurately track its emergency response times," Greuel said, adding she hoped the audit would lay the groundwork for city officials to make improvements.

In her report Greuel also pointed out that 650,000 of the 1.9 million incident reports they reviewed were coded "unclearly" rendering their study unable to be compared with the NFPA response standards.

KNBC-TV Ch. 4 tells more in this video report:

 

View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, left, and Fire Chief Brian Cummings
discuss response times and deployment at a March 13 news conference.
(Barbara Davidson, Los Angeles Times / March 13, 2012)

It has been pointed out that part of the problem is created at the dispatch center where calls are taking longer to be processed before the alarm is dispatched. Again from the Daily News:

(Local President) McOsker said part of the problem is dispatchers are required to go through a list of more than 20 questions before an emergency call is placed with paramedics. The protocol was developed to try to reduce the number of calls made for nonemergencies.

"There was a time that once they determined the nature of the emergency, they could send a unit out," McOsker said. "Now, they have to go through the entire list of questions before they send anyone to the call."

Using their own resources to analyze the raw data, the Los Angeles Times has concluded:

(Times staff writer Ben) Welsh crunched data from more than 1 million dispatches from the department's database and found that the Fire Department falls far short of the standard that rescue units be alerted within one minute on 90% of 911 calls. And average call-processing time has increased, most notably for medical calls, which account for the overwhelming majority of responses.

Five years ago firefighters were dispatched to medical calls within a minute 38% of time, the analysis found. By 2011, that number dropped to 15%.

The Times also found that in the more than 250,000 medical dispatches last year, the department took 75% longer, on average, than the national standard.

You can read the entire 46-page Controller's report (.pdf file) HERE.

On March 18 Firegeezer reported on the surprising announcement that LAFD had been using phony numbers to calculate their response times.  Read that posting HERE where we also addressed the vehicle maintenance problems that are affecting the response times as well.

It was also last March when McOsker opined:  "This department is being held together with bubble gum, baling wire and duct tape."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 19, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, dispatch, Dispatch & Communications, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Response times, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

What Do You Do When the Wreck is So Bad That You Can’t Extricate the Victims?

6 comments

Horrific Crash in Germany Presents the Problem

A VIOLENT, FATAL CAR CRASH ON A HIGHWAY near Petersberg, Germany, Thursday evening created a unique problem for the police department.  Around 5:40 pm local time yesterday, a Honda Civic carrying a family of four people was going through a long curve in the highway at a too-high rate of speed.  The driver lost control and the car drifted to the right shoulder at the worst possible location.  The car smashed at speed into a stone highway bridge that carries another roadway over the path.

All photos credit Osthessen News

The impact destroyed the little car and a fire broke out immediately.

A passing off-duty paramedic stopped and managed to pull a 13-yr.-old boy out of the wreckage, but the other three people were trapped beyond help.  The boy was airlifted to the hospital, but is in extremely critical condition.

The Petersberg fire brigade was on the scene quickly, but were unable to do any more than put out the fire.  The victims were incinerated in the car which was wrecked so badly that extrication operations would have been tedious and lengthy. 

After a consultation with the prosecutor's office, the police decided that in order to mitigate the sensationalism that had created a media circus and spectator event, the car would be transported to a secure location where the bodies could be retrieved  and an investigation could take place without disruption or public display.  A roll-off container with high sides was brought in and the wreckage was placed inside and secured before taken away to the police yard.

The Petersberg Fire Brigade was very adamant in letting it be known that they did not agree with this decision.

Osthessen News has the story and an extensive, 41-image photo gallery HERE.
Osthessen TV has also posted a video report from the scene HERE.

Thanks to Christian Lewalter of Feuerwehr WebBlog.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 18, 2012 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, rescue, Rescues • Tagged: ,

Fire Chief’s Son Charged With Arson

1 comment

Seven Counts With More Possible

JUSTIN ANDERSON, 18, OF TAMA,IOWA was arrested and charged with four counts of second-degree arson and three of third-degree arson for allegedly setting fires on rural properties from March to May.  Anderson is the son of Tama VFD Fire Chief Rod Anderson and had just joined the department in March.  That was also when the string of suspicious fires began.

The Des Moines Register reports:

Damaged were three houses and a barn-type structure, all of which appeared to be vacant at the time of the fires, said Special Agent Justin Wade of the state fire marshal’s office. Three of the structures burned down. Authorities categorized the other fires as "grass fires."

Kucera said the investigation began in the middle of March when deputies first noticed signs of arson and later picked up on a pattern in frequency and location of fires.

Neither the sheriff nor state fire marshal’s officials would release detailed information about what connected the arsons and led to Anderson’s arrest, because the investigation is still open.

WHO-TV posted this video report:

 

Read the full story in the Des Moines Register HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 17, 2012 • Filed under: arson, Fire Rescue Topics, Videos

Woman Seriously Burned by Flaming Rocks

No comments

Gives New Meaning to "Burning a Hole in Your Pocket"

A SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, WOMAN is hospitalized with 2nd- and 3rd-degree burns to her leg after some rocks in her pocket spontaneously began burning.  The 43-yr.-old woman was visiting the beach with her family on Saturday and she picked up a collection of seven multi-colored stones and put them into her pocket.  Later on, they suddenly burst into open flames and burned through her shorts causing the injuries.  Her husband suffered some 1st- and 2nd-degree burns on his hands as he beat out the flames.

What caused this reaction is still being investigated, but the initial speculation is that friction caused by the rocks rubbing together as she walked generated the ignition.  At least two of the stones appear to have a quantity of phosphorus in them and are being tested by the health department.

A follow-up visit to the beach by health inspectors did not turn up any hazards related to this situation and nobody is able to determine where the stones came from.  KGTV Ch. 10 continues:

The rocks combusted and set the woman's (cargo) shorts on fire and continued to burn the wood floor of her Avenida Estrella house, according Capt. Marc Stone of the Orange County Fire Authority.

The woman, whose name was not released, was hospitalized at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana with third-degree burns to her right thigh and knee, Stone said. He added that the victim "stopped, dropped and rolled" in an effort to douse the flames, and her husband suffered second-degree burns to his hands as he tried to help.

The Orange County Health Care Agency is running tests on the rocks, but results could be days away, Stone said.

Two of the rocks were found to contain phosphorous, which can burn like a road flare when ignited, but the other five were cross-contaminated while in the woman's pocket, according to ABC7.

KABC-TV posted this video report on the unusual story:

 

The Orange County Register provided further details:

Her husband also tried to help and got second-degree burns when he tried to pull the shorts off, Stone said. The rocks, described as small, the size of a hamburger patty, smooth and orange and green in color, fell from the shorts onto the floor and continued to burn the wood floor and fill the house with smoke.

Firefighters responded immediately to the home on Avenida Estrella. When they arrived, the husband had successfully gotten the shorts off his wife and was hosing her down on the front deck with a garden hose, Stone said.

Paramedics treated the woman for severe second- and third-degree burns on her right leg from her thigh to her knee and on her right arm, Stone said. The husband also was treated for second-degree burns on his arm.

Read the entire report in the OC Register HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

From Amazon:

Kershaw Hunting and Folding Sports Knives

Up to 50% off  – 3 days only

CLICK HERE to view complete selection and to order yours.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 17, 2012 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Amazing Academic Accreditation Adventure

2 comments

And you thought the fire service had turf wars and arbitrary rules

Spend $11,450 and three weeks at Harvard to attend the "Senior Executives in State and Local Government" program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. You will receive no academic credit.

Possess a state or National Registry EMT-Basic card and some universities will grant three to six semester hours of transfer credit. Even if the instructor's level of education is a General Education Degree – the adult version of a high school diploma.

Welcome to the world of academic accreditation.

Click: "Academic Accreditation Details for "Firefighting 2.0" to read my article posted on the Fire Engineering website.

It is a response to Fire Engineering Editor-in-Chief Bobby Halton's March 2012, Editor's Opinion, "Firefighting 2.0."

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on May 17, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Training & Development • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Is a revolutionary fire resistive coating lost through the death of the eccentric creator?

No comments

Did a hairdresser invent "smart" fire resistive coating?

Richard Fisher, writing in the May 16, 2012, issue of New Scientist, describes the story of amateur chemist Maurice Ward who developed Starlite.

It starts with a March 1990 demonstration at Tomorrow's World:

Fisher describes the "… tale of frustration, power and secrecy, which serves as a sobering reminder that ingenuity and big ideas do not guarantee commercial success."

You can access the article for ten days through a free registration to New Scientist by clicking HERE.

Before Ward's death in May 2011, many organizations and research facilities attempted to analyze and understand the contents of the fire resistive coating.

It appears to be very effective, but the formula for Starlite was never revealed.

Research results

Keith Lewis, head of the thin-film optics lab at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment, was asked to analyze the substance. After a series of tests, Lewis used a scanning electron microscope.

… the surface had subtly altered in response to the heat. In particular, he saw that a network of small voids, each one between 2 and 5 micrometres wide, had formed.

"I thought 'This is it! That's why it works'," he says. Lewis realised that these voids transform Starlite's properties. They act like air bubbles in a foam, providing insulation and reducing the material's thermal conductivity by at least an order of magnitude compared to fresh Starlite. But crucially, they are small enough not to disrupt the material's ability to reflect and emit heat from its surface. It looked as if Starlite was smarter stuff than anyone had imagined.

"What Ward had done, and he didn't know it until I told him, was develop a composite material with an engineered smart protection mechanism," says Lewis. This placed Starlite in the same class as sophisticated piezoelectric materials or shape-memory alloys, which can change their properties in response to heat, pressure or electric fields.

Fisher's conclusion is disheartening:

Even though 20 years have passed since the wonder material made its debut, none of the materials scientists approached by New Scientist could name a polymer composite capable of protecting an egg in the way Starlite appeared to do. Most composites would quickly melt, burn or disintegrate.

Maurice Ward's blog

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on May 16, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Prevention & Education, Fire Rescue Topics, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Promotional Opportunities

No comments

More Space at the Top Comes Available

*  *  *

THE FORMER CHIEF OF the Caribou (Maine) Fire and Ambulance Department was indicted last week on three counts of unlawful sexual contact, one count of unlawful sexual touching and three counts of assault.  The crimes all took place in Caribou and apparently a city employee is the complainant against Chief Roy Woods, 67.

Roy Woods  (Aroostook Republican photo)

The Bangor Daily News reports:

Woods resigned in January after 44 years with the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department, including 21 years as the head of fire, ambulance and emergency management services for the city. According to a copy of his resignation letter, Woods said he was resigning for "medical reasons."

However, Caribou City Manager Steven Buck issued a statement indicating that he accepted the resignation "in lieu of termination" after an investigation into a complaint filed against the fire chief by a city employee.

"An independent investigation into the personnel matter was conducted with an expanded scope," said Buck. "After extensive review and evaluation of the results of the investigation, my own evaluation and after reviewing these evaluations with Woods and a subsequent review of his responses, I accepted his immediate resignation."

Read the detailed story in the Bangor Daily News HERE.

*  *  *

IRVING, TEXAS, FIRE CHIEF MARIO MOLINA was placed on administrative leave last week for undisclosed reasons.  However, it is strongly believed that it is connected to an FBI investigation into corruption.  The Dallas Morning News is reporting:

The move came weeks after a former mayor said two FBI agents questioned him about the chief’s alleged attempts last year to secure an employment contract in exchange for reversing unpopular disciplinary decisions against two department employees.

City spokeswoman Susan Rose did not respond Tuesday to questions about what prompted Molina’s leave or who made the decision to suspend him. Molina reports to City Manager Tommy Gonzalez. Rose also did not respond to questions about whether the chief is on paid or unpaid leave.

Chief Molina

At a politically explosive council work session in March 2011, Molina accused council members of putting political pressure on him to reduce the punishments of two firefighters that angered rank-and-file department employees. The meeting preceded council elections. The firefighter association’s political arm was considered a major force in city elections at the time.

(Former Mayor) Gears, who was up for re-election, said Molina offered to "take care" of the discipline issues that angered firefighters if he would help provide the chief job security through an employment contract.

The Dallas Morning News goes into greater detail about the chief's conflict with his firefighters in their STORY HERE.

*  *  *

A FORMER NEW HAMPSHIRE FIRE CHIEF was sentenced to jail yesterday (Monday) after pleading guilty to a Christmas Eve arson.  Bradley Eldridge, 51, was the fire chief in West Ossipee, N.H., until March 28, 2011, when the West Ossipee Fire Precinct Commission removed Eldridge "for cause" during an executive session.

The Boston Herald tells us:

Eldridge was sentenced to three years with all but 90 days suspended for setting a fire in the barn of William Day Jr. on Porterfield Road in Porter.  Day wasn’t home, but a family across the street called the fire in and was able to extinguish it before firefighters arrived, according to Assistant District Attorney Joseph O’Connor. No one was injured and the animals in the barn survived.

O’Connor said Day was dating Eldridge’s ex-wife, and that Eldridge had made threats that he would "make Mr. Day suffer." A camera caught a man pulling up in a car that looked like Eldridge’s car and entering the barn just before the fire was reported.

When questioned, Eldridge admitted to setting the fire, and admitted he had been drinking heavily when he decided to start the fire, O’Connor said.

Read the full story in the Herald HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 15, 2012 • Filed under: current events, Fire Rescue Topics, labor, News • Tagged: , , , , ,

Let’s Pretend We Have a Rescue Squad

6 comments

Wilmington Rolls Out the Trailer Squad

WHEN THE PENCIL-PUSHERS IN THE WILMINGTON, Delaware, Fire Department decided to lay off 17 firefighters, they worked out a plan that looked oh, so good on paper.  They will just park the two, now-unmanned rescue squad trucks behind two of their front-line engines.  And then when an alarm comes in that calls for a squad in the box, the two firefighters will drop back and bring the squad.

Not so fast, says the union Local.  Their contract plainly states that there will be a minimum of four firefighters on each piece of apparatus.  An arbitrator agreed with the Local and it was back to square #1 for the pencil-pushers.

Lou Angeli, publisher of the commentary blog Fire-Rescue-EMS Around the World tells us what happened next:

In a somewhat bizarre effort to meet the arbitrator’s demand, the Fire Administration has proposed purchasing three (3) 18-foot trailers, which would carry rescue and haz-mat equipment to incident scenes by towing them behind the existing Squad Pumpers (Squads 1 and 3) and the Haz-Mat pumper (Engine 6). The city says that such a change would allow the 4-person crew to remain together on a common apparatus, while at the same time carrying the tools needed for technical rescue.

This is a Rescue Squad  (Lou Angeli)

Fire administration supports their decision saying that the use of pumper-trailers by fire suppression units is "a popular trend" among the nation’s departments. It is true that the concept of using trailers to haul specialty equipment has been around for several years now, however the towing vehicle is never a pumper with a ball hitch, but rather a dedicated vehicle like a Ford F-550 or even a small 5th wheel tractor.

This is Not a Rescue Squad  (Lou Angeli)

Lou goes on to point out the folly of trying to convert a pumper into a tow vehicle, including some things the pencil-pushers never thought of, such as installing the auxilliary trailer air brakes in the fire engine, for example.

Read the entire story in his fire BLOG HERE.

At least one of the City Councilmen isn't impressed.  The Wilmington News Journal quotes him:  Councilman Stephen L. Martelli said the idea of large vehicles towing trailers "seems to be a bit problematic off the jump,"  That same article quotes the Local president as saying that pulling an 18-ft. trailer would be a navigational nightmare.  (not to mention prohibiting the pumper from laying a supply line.)

Read the News Journal's story HERE.

Firegeezer is not familiar with this "popular trend," as the pencil-pusher calls it, of pumper-trailer combo's springing up across the USA.  Can anybody help me out here?

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 14, 2012 • Filed under: apparatus, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing • Tagged: ,

Around The Fire Web

No comments

 

Some Good Postings On the Web We Want to Share With You

*  *  *

*  STATter911 posted a good video report over the weekend on a high-rise fire in The Bronx HERE.  Some good video included.

*  *  *

*  Boron Extrication has posted the airbags and body graphics for the Dodge Avenger HERE.  (you should be checking this site regularly without me reminding you.)

*  *  *

*  FirehouseZen publisher Mick Mayers sends off a close colleague who lost his battle with cancer the other day HERE.

*  *  *

*  Wildfire Today has a good video report on an Ultra High Pressure foam system designed for wildland firefighting HERE.

*  *  *

*  Mike Legeros' Raleigh/Wake Fire Blog has a couple of pix for you antique firetruck fans with a report from the Benson, N. C., fire department that displays a pair of beauties HERE.

*  *  *

*  ChicagoAreaFire is running an occasional series on Chicagoland FD's that use color schemes for their apparatus that are not red.  Check out the latest installment HERE.  (Blue?  Orange?)

*  *  *

*  LifeUnderTheLights presents the case for every medic unit equipped with 12-lead EKG capability.  He tells why and how to get it done HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 14, 2012 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Blogs, Fire Rescue Topics

Looney Trustee Update

3 comments

Inexplicable Actions Have Many Wondering

FOLLOWING THE FIREGEEZER REPORT on Sunday about the loose cannon Trustee of St. Joseph Township in Indiana, we all were wondering how this man was legally able to do the things he did.  (See the Firegeezer REPORT HERE.)  Robert Uhrick has arbitrarily disbanded the EMS activities and sold off the two ambulances at a fraction of their value.  Then last week he sold the boat, motor and trailer without telling anybody until it was done and delivered.  Nobody in the fire department was aware that the boat had been taken from its storage shed until the next day.

Trustee Uhrick  (WANE-TV)

Now the Trustee has told the fire chief that his next move is to sell the fire engine and other equipment, then ask for bids from neighboring departments to provide coverage to their area.  In effect, he wants to shut down the fire department entirely.  It is staffed by three paid volunteer chief officers and the rest of the members are all volunteers as well.

Firegeezer recently had a telephone interview with Fire Chief Jerry Lencke who gladly answered my questions about these topics and filled me in on some of Uhrick's recent actions and the problems they have caused.  Chief Lencke tells us that St. Joseph is one of the most prosperous townships in the state and they do not have any sort of a budgetary problem.  In fact, the twp. has not had to take out a loan for anything in the past 20 years.

The township which is located in Allen County, is overseen by one Trustee who is elected by the citizens.  That is the aforementioned Robert Uhrick.  He has held that position for many years and is usually uncontested at election time.  The Trustee is guided by a committee of three "advisors" who do not have any direct authority over him.  Uhrick's daughter is one of the advisors and his wife is the Township Clerk.  (Nepotism, anybody?)

St. Joseph Twp. Fire Station  (Fire Dept. photo)

The Township owns the fire station and all of the equipment in it.  The VFD is a chartered corporation/fire department, but it does not own any of the equipment.  Trustee Uhrick is solely responsible for the budget and he creates it.  Chief Lencke tells me that they do not have any problem staying within the budgetary limits and this current fiscal year he is under-budget.  There is no monetary problem with the fire department.

The boat that was recently sold sub rosa was worth approx. $8,000 and was fully paid for.  Uhrick offered it to a fire department in another county for half-price, $4,000, and they accepted the offer.  After the boat and trailer were picked up, Uhrick had his wife send an email to Chief Lencke at 9 pm that said, in its entirety:

We have received an offer for purchase and have sold the boat, motor and trailer.  It was picked up this evening……Trustee Uhrick.

That was the first anybody had learned that this was even being considered.  Just as surprised was the Allen County Dispatch Center who still had the emergency unit marked in service.  They next had to go through the labor of revising all of their run cards for the water rescue running orders.  Also, the clueless trustee let the purchaser go off with the equipment that was in the boat (safety vests, throw bags, strobe light, etc.) forcing the township to purchase replacements to be placed on their squad truck.

Chief Lencke  (WANE-TV)

Up until four months ago the dept. had four full-time firefighters to provide constant coverage, but they were laid off.  Then Uhrick had a locksmith come in and padlock the locker room and bunk room.  The department had four live-in volunteers who provided full coverage at nights, but now they are unable to stay there because of this psychotic behavior.  Now when there is a night fire, there is a several-minutes delay in response because everybody is coming from home.

Eighteen months ago, the township purchased $500,000 in vehicles including a pumper, two utility vehicles and a new ambulance.  Like the boat, the ambulance was sold off at a fraction of its value when Uhrick disbanded the EMS coverage and turned it over to a private ambulance firm.  Now he says that he will do the same thing with the fire engine.  As township trustee, he has the legal authority to do these things, even destructive actions such as we have pointed out.

Nobody knows why Uhrick is doing these things.  He has been ducking any questions and has refused for several weeks to have any face-to-face meetings with the fire chief.  Attempts to call him are screened by his wife and she refuses to connect the calls.

Firegeezer will be staying with this situation and will keep you informed of whatever transpires in this Bizzaro world that Uhrick has set up.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 11, 2012 • Filed under: apparatus, current events, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing • Tagged: , , ,

Small-Town Police Chief / Vol. Firefighter Charged With Sexual Assault

No comments

One of Those "Over Many Years" Cases

OLD FORGE, PENNSYLVANIA, POLICE CHIEF LARRY SEMENZA was arrested Wednesday and charged with six counts of aggravated indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, indecent exposure, and failing to report suspected child abuse.  Another police officer and a third vol. FF are also implicated in the unfolding story following formal complaints filed by a woman who was age 14 when the series of sexual misconduct began.

Semenza being led into the courthouse for
his arraignment Wednesday  (Times-Tribune)

Semenza was also a volunteer fire captain in the local VFD and the incidents covered in the complaints took place in the firehouse between November 2004 and March 2007.  The Scranton Times-Tribune continues:

The alleged victim is the same girl Old Forge police Capt. Jamie Krenitsky and former volunteer borough firefighter Walter Chiavacci are accused of sexually assaulting between 2004 and 2005.

The victim, now 23, was 14 when she became involved the Old Forge Fire Department, where Chief Semenza was fire captain at the time, according to the criminal complaint. The victim said she attended fire house training taught by Chief Semenza, describing him as a friend, teacher or mentor, according to the criminal complaint.

The victim told police Chief Semenza took her for coffee, gave her rides to training and took her to purchase new fire equipment, which she was not required to pay for, the complaint says. He also took her to purchase a new fire helmet that cost several hundred dollars, which she did not pay for, according to the criminal complaint.

During the fall of 2004, the victim said the relationship progressed to more of a dating relationship, with the victim visiting Chief Semenza dressed in her Halloween costume in 2004, according to the criminal complaint. Shortly after the Halloween visit, "things became hot and heavy," between her and Chief Semenza, the victim said in the complaint.

The Scranton Times-Tribune has a more detailed report outlining the series of complaints HERE.

The Times-Tribune provided this brief video taken at the courthouse following Semenza's arraignment:

 

Apparently Semenza took recorded admissions from the other two men that they had also participated in the long-term indecencies.  The State Police raided the Old Forge police station earlier this week and seized several records.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 11, 2012 • Filed under: crime, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Case Closed on Topless Coffee Shop Arson

No comments

Thursday Sentencing Concludes the Case

RAYMOND BELLAVANCE, PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED for setting the fire that destroyed the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop in Vassalboro, Maine, was sentenced yesterday (Thursday) to serve 30 years in prison for the deed.  The Kennebec Journal is reporting this morning:

Justice Michaela Murphy imposed the maximum sentence in Kennebec County Superior Court on Thursday.

Raymond Bellavance, 51, listens to his
sentence being handed down.  (Kennebec Journal)

"In the view of this court, the defendant presents a profound threat to public safety and has demonstrated that on multiple occasions," said Murphy, who presided over the 10-day jury trial that resulted in Bellavance's conviction Dec. 30 on two counts of arson. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, but they will be served concurrently.

Acting District Attorney Alan Kelley characterized Bellavance as incorrigible and recommended the 30-year sentence. "He is a very bad man who committed a very bad crime completely in character with what he has been and done his entire life," Kelley said.

Bellavance set the fire on June 9, 2009, at the small-town business located in a former motel.  The coffee shop's owner and his family along with two others resided in the living spaces of the motel and had to flee for their lives from the fire.  Fortuitously, the fire was discovered by a passing ambulance crew that just happened to be going by on their way back from a call.

AP / Joel

Firegeezer covered this story from the beginning with a report on the FIRE HERE. This was followed by a report HERE on the re-opening of the business under a tent while the former motel dining room was being rebuilt.

Later in the following December it was announced that the fire was an arson and that a warrant was issued for Raymond Bellavance. But he immediately beat feet to South Carolina where the U. S. Marshals found him in May 2010 (see Firegeezer report HERE). After being extradited back to Maine he had been held without bail since then.

In the trial several witnesses said that Bellavance was always hanging around the shop vying for the favors of one of the waitresses who was a former girl friend of his. He became angry when she rebuffed him while she was having a sexual affair with the owner whose wife and another two girlfriends of his also lived there. It gets complicated.  The prosecution's key witness was a man who was with Bellavance that night and witnessed him setting the blaze.

WCSH-TV had a camera in the courtroom yesterday and filed this informative video report:

 

At his sentencing, Bellavance did not speak but did issue a written statement:

You can read the entire statement (.pdf) HERE.  Bellavance has a lengthy criminal record already.

Crabtree gave up trying to re-establish the business last year and sold the property while moving to another community in Maine.

Read the detailed report on yesterday's court activity in the Kennebec Journal HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 11, 2012 • Filed under: arson, Fire Rescue Topics, Law & Justice • Tagged: , , ,

Islamic Terrorists Eyeing Forest Fires

1 comment

Dedicated to Killing Americans

AN ENGLISH-LANGUAGE AL QUEDA PUBLICATION is advising its demented followers in the U. S. to start forest fires as a means to inflict personal and financial pain, and fear on Americans.

The Rapid City (South Dakota) Journal is reporting:

Terrorists who want to strike fear in the hearts of Americans would do well to set wildfires in Montana, al-Qaida advises in the most recent issue of its English-language magazine, Inspire.

"It is difficult to choose a better place other than in the valleys of Montana where the population increases rapidly," Inspire’s "AQ Chef" columnist writes.

The magazine disappeared for a while after its founders, Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, were killed last year in a U.S. missile strike. But it recently reappeared online, its grammatically challenged cover urging "It is of your freedom to ignite a firebomb." Inside, the AQ Chef gives three pages detailing the recipe for an "ember bomb" – along with the suggestion to deploy such bombs in Montana.

Read the entire informative article HERE.

The article includes detailed instructions on how to build an "ember bomb" along with hints on which weather conditions are favorable and the best locations for rapid fire growth and spread.  CBN News illustrates these tactics in this video report:

 

Despite the emphasis on Montana, all the western states are taking this threat seriously and adding it to their check sheets and email lists to let everybody know that there may be some related activity from the fanatical fringe.

KOB-TV in Albuquerque reported on how New Mexico is responding to this release:

 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 8, 2012 • Filed under: arson, Fire Rescue Topics, forestry, Videos, Wildland • Tagged: , ,

Promotional Opportunities

No comments

Twin-Hatter Chief Faces Felony Charges

A LOUISA, VIRGINIA, POLICE OFFICER will be appearing in court today to be tried on felony charges that he embezzled thousands of dollars from a volunteer fire department where he also served as volunteer fire chief.

Mark McGhee, 31, was arrested February 24 following an investigation into the Trevilians VFD financial accounts following a tip.  McGhee had resigned from the fire department six months previously and that is when the investigation began.  He was also placed on administrative leave by the Town of Louisa Police Department.

WTVR-TV Ch. 6 Richmond filed this video report following McGhee's arrest in February:

 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 8, 2012 • Filed under: crime, Fire Rescue Topics, News, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Looney Trustee Starts Selling Off Fire Department Equipment

9 comments

Wants to Sell the Fire Engine Next

THE ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP, INDIANA, VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT is being "sabotaged" by its Trustee Robert Uhrick.  The coot has decided that it costs too much to run a fire department and wants to force its closure so that the Township will contract with a neighboring  FD to cover their area, a suburb of Fort Wayne.

Chief Jerry Lencke  (WANE-TV)

Earlier this year Uhrick arbitrarily laid off the four full-time paid firefighters and then padlocked the bunkroom prohibiting the volunteer live-ins from staying there.  Yesterday (Saturday) Fire Chief  Jerry Lencke called a press conference to announce that on Thursday he received an email from Uhrick's wife that the department's boat, motor, and trailer had been sold and were taken from the storage bay where it had been kept.  Adding to the mess, Uhrick never notified the Allen County Dispatch Center that the boat had been removed from service.

Uhrick is claiming that the department is draining too much money from the township's budget, but Chief Lencke says that the budget has not only remained at the same level for the past three years, but they are under budget for the current fiscal year.

This video report from WANE-TV Ch. 15 goes farther into the story of what's going on:

 

Chief Lencke called the press conference in hopes that the citizens will become informed of what Uhrick is doing to their fire department.  Despite repeated requests by Lencke to have a meeting to discuss ideas for saving money, Uhrick constantly gives him the brush-off and refuses to talk with him.

Trustee Uhrick  (WANE-TV)

INC (Indiana News Center) is REPORTING that Uhrick admitted that he has put the fire engine and two other FD vehicles up for sale.  Read the INC story for more details on the looney trustee's thoughts and plans.

Update, May 11:
Firegeezer updated report with more information has been posted HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 6, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, apparatus, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Fire Captain Sues His Fire Chief and FD For Harrassment

6 comments

Suspended After Reporting Safety Violations and Poor Training

HONOLULU FIRE DEPARTMENT CAPTAIN GEORGE KAOPUIKI had no recourse but to file a lawsuit against his employers Friday following a series of harrasing investigations and a suspension.  Following a fire late last year in which an elderly woman was saved by firefighters yet died later at the hospital, Capt. Kaopuiki attended a staff meeting in December and told the five captains and a battalion chief that several costly errors were made by the companies on the scene that could have been prevented with proper training and guidlines.

Capt. Kaopuiki  (KHON-TV image)

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser continues:

The mistakes include not hooking up to a fire hydrant to ensure an ample water supply, and not starting a rescue search sooner because a sufficient water supply had not been secured early on, Kaopuiki told five fire captains and an acting battalion chief during a December meeting.

Fire personnel did not call Emergency Medical Services for 19 minutes after Kaopuiki carried the woman out of the fire, alive and breathing, he said at the meeting. He blamed the department's lack of training for the errors.

"Acting Battalion Chief Mark Nakagawa cautioned everyone present, 'This is an internal meeting. This information stays in-house with lessons learned,'" the lawsuit said.

The suit alleges Kaopuiki was retaliated against when he was subjected to an investigation Jan. 16 for false allegations of mistreating a firefighter at the Kakaako station, which he was told was at the direction of (Fire Chief Kenneth) Silva. That firefighter told Kaopuiki he never made a complaint against him.

Kaopuiki alleges he was retaliated against by being subjected to investigations based on false allegations, being suspended and being transferred, which resulted in loss of pay.

Kaopuiki says that he reported the errors up through the chain of command and then the harrassing actions began.  He is suing the City and County of Honolulu, the Honolulu Fire Department, and Fire Chief Kenneth Silva. 

KHON-TV filed this video report Friday that includes a good interview with Capt. Kaopuiki:

 

He also said that he was reprimanded and warned for writing a 2008 memorandum to an assistant chief about a firefighter who created a safety hazard by taking an unreasonably long time to respond to emergency calls, being unable to drive the firetruck into a correct position to raise a ladder in an emergency situation and being unable to provide medical emergency care.

He has been a member of the HFD for 23 years.

Posted by on May 6, 2012 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, labor, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Mock Wreck Turns Dynamic

1 comment

Safe-Driving Display Gains Unwanted Realism

YOU HAVE ALL PARTICIPATED in one of those mock car accidents designed to teach teenagers about the dangers of careless or drunk driving.  That is what was going on in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Friday morning when the town's fire department and police department were staging a crash with injuries along with the safety lectures, plus the extrication and first aid demonstration by the firefighters, for the Detroit Lakes High School students.

WDAY-TV

With the entire student body of 400 gathered on portable bleachers, the demonstration began with a police officer giving the lecture and a few students and community volunteers acting as trapped, injured victims.  Without warning, the unmanned fire engine started rolling and it was aimed right for the "crash" scene.  It struck the two wrecked cars at a low speed (less than 5 mph) causing some minor injuries to the police officer, an EMT and two of the student actors.

The demo became real as the FD had to perform genuine extrications and ambulances were called for real-blood injuries.  Six people were transported, but all were treated and released for minor cuts and bruises.  It hasn't been determined yet for sure why the pumper started rolling.  At the time it was believed that the parking brake had been applied, but that has to be determined yet.

WDAY-TV has the story and more photos HERE.

Firegeezer notes:  This is why all departments must have a firm policy of always using a wheel chock whenever the operator is out of the cab, whether the motor is running or not (outside of the equipment bays, of course).

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 5, 2012 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus

Congratulations, Dave!

No comments

Member of the 5-Year Club

FELLOW BLOGGER DAVE STATTER CELEBRATED the 5th Anniversary of his leading blog STATter911 yesterday (May 4).  This is a real milestone in the online world because as we have mentioned before, only a small percentage of weblogs ever make it as far as five years.  But Dave is just getting warmed up and will be around for a long time farther yet.

Dave Statter …. always on the job!
(Mike Legeros photo)

If you're a regular reader of the fire and EMS online publications, then you are familiar with his daily page of goodies.  And no doubt you also keep clicking back to read his fascinating and informative postings every day.  It's not for nothing that he has become the leading fire/EMS blogger in North America (if not the world).  Speaking of clicking, he posted a good story yesterday on how and when he got started with the blogging movement and tells us about his path through the internet up until the present.  CLICK HERE and take time to read his posting about his digital journey.  He is also running a little contest for his readers, so take advantage of that, too.  It's covered in the article.

And please join FossilMedic and Firegeezer in congratulating Dave for his terrific work so far.  We are confident that it will only get better, so we will continue to check in every day.  Good job, Dave!

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 5, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Blogs, Fire Rescue Topics • Tagged: ,

Saturday Car-Toon: Auto Fire drill

No comments

Laurel VFD makes a video drill out of a SUV fire

Nice job by the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department to make a mini-drill from a SUV fire:

 

The officers of the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department thought that the video of this incident could be used particularly well for training purposes.

The original video has been edited to include basic information about car fires and possible dangers associated with them.

Mike "Fossilmedic" Ward

Posted by on May 5, 2012 • Filed under: Car-Toon, cars, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Training, Videos • Tagged: , , , , ,

Promotional Opportunities

2 comments

Blustery Boisterousness and Poor Phone Manners Can Do It

THE CINCINNATI, OHIO, SUBURB FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP's Trustees met Tuesday and voted to dismiss David Downie, their fire chief, three months after he had been placed on suspension.  He had been with the fire department for 36 years, the past 25 as chief.  His transgressions that warranted his dismissal after 3+ decades of service were, yelling at other city employees and being rude to another town worker on the telephone.

Chief Downie  (Cincinnati Enquirer)

WKRC-TV described the insubbordinations:

The decision comes after a series of disciplinary hearings last week, where officials heard from the township's roads superintendent, Mike Bishop.  Bishop testified about an argument he says he had on the phone with Downie after a winter storm. According to Bishop, Downie told him to "get off his butt" and do his job, and threatened to "throw him under the bus and stomp on it" if any of his men were hurt due to the road conditions.  [Two FD vehicles had slid off the road during that time....ed.]

A second witness said she overheard Downie allegedly yelling at another employee.

A large number of local citizens and supporters of Downie became infuriated with yesterday's action because the Trustees had waited until Downie was out of town to fire him.  Chief Downie was in Washington, D. C. with a charitable group Honor Flight that escorts WWII veterans to the various memorials.

WKRC-TV was at the public meeting Monday and filed this video report:

 

More details of the situation are found in:
Cincinnati Enquirer HERE.
WLWT-TV Ch. 5 HERE.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

 

Posted by on May 2, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, labor, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Rooming House Owner Charged With Manslaughter in Fatal Blaze

No comments

Four Perished in 2010 Fire

A PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, WOMAN was arraigned in state court Monday following an indictment handed down in January by a grand jury charging her with four counts of manslaughter.  Florence Brown, 63, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was given until May 11 to post a $25,000 cash bond or be incarcerated until her trial.

Florence Brown  (The Record)

On June 10, 2010, a fire swept through her 3-story home that had been divided into separate rental units housing nine people.  Firegeezer posted a video report at the time HERE where we reported:

When firefighters arrived the wood-frame house was already well involved with many residents outside the house. The fire was spreading to the house next door and threatening the home on the other side. Before the fire was fully contained, the house of origin collapsed, completely destroyed. The second house suffered severe damages and the third house only superficial fire damage.

Two people leapt from 3rd-floor windows to escape the flames, with one of them dying immediately from the fall and the second in critical condition from multi-trauma injuries as a result of the plunge. Later, three bodies were recovered from the ruins of the house. It was not immediately known how many residents lived in the several rooms that were rented out. The owner escaped, and it was disclosed that she had been issued several fire code violations in recent months.

AP

Reporting on yesterday's court action, John Petrick of the North Jersey Record writes:

The charges arise out of an investigation conducted by the Arson Unit of the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, as well as the Paterson Police Department and the Paterson Fire Department. The fire occurred about 4 a.m. in the basement of the three-story house Brown owned. The fire was caused by an electrical overload because of faulty wiring, authorities have said.

Two outlets and two power strips supplied electricity to three floors of the rooming house, residents of the building had said at the time.

The building had been cited for code violations in January 2010 — six months before the fatal fire — when firefighters who were dispatched to investigate a defective boiler found exposed wires and uncovered electrical panels in the basement. A fire inspector warned in a report that unless the violations were corrected, a "future mishap" could ensue. A follow-up inspection on May 20 of that year found some of the same problems.

Read the full story in The Record HERE.
Review the Firegeezer video report from June 2010 HERE.

Hat tip:  Rick G.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on May 1, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Law & Justice • Tagged: , , ,

“We have a firefighter shot” Scott Miller 1992

1 comment

Remembering a near-miss with LAFD Light Force 35

The 1992 Los Angeles riots after the Rodney King verdict forever changed the perception that firefighters and paramedics were immune to violence during civil disorders.

This eight minute compilation of news video and LAFD radio traffic shows the chaos encountered by the crews.  Crews were "losing windshields" and encountering bottles, bricks and gunfire … with no police assistance available.

At 2:30 into the video is the alert by Light Force 35 that they have a firefighter shot … followed by other companies reporting gunfire.

 

Jordan was riding directly behind Miller as Truck Company 35 navigated through the smoke and mayhem of Western Avenue. He saw the handgun, then the flash. "Geez, they're shooting at us," Jordan recalled thinking.

Craning his neck, Jordan saw Miller slumped on the wheel. The captain pulled an emergency brake and the 55-foot-long vehicle lumbered to a stop.

Blood was squirting from Miller's neck. Jordan, a wiry firefighter who had worked at some of the city's busiest stations, had seen his share of gunshot wounds. This one wasn't good. "I thought he was going to die," he said. Another firefighter pressed his hand against Miller's neck to stem the bleeding as the crew loaded him into the back of the truck.

Jordan jumped behind the wheel and took off for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Robert L. Lopez (May 04, 2009) 'Miracle' firefighter shot during '92 LA riots back on job. Los Angeles Times

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Near exsanguination results in stroke

Laying on the engine cover of the open cab Seagrave tiller truck, Miller, 33,had lost so much blood through his ripped carotid artery that he suffered a stroke.

Scott Harris (April 29, 1993) The Right Choice for Capt. Scott Miller : This 34-year-old Granada Hills family man, this grown-up boy-next-door . . . seems to understand what is expected of him. It has become a matter of duty. Los Angeles Times.

Los Angeles Times also did a video on Miller in 2009:

20th Anniversary Observation:

John North (April 27. 2012) LA riots anniversary: firefighters recall dangers   KABC-TV, Channel 7.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on April 29, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Dispatch, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Major Incidents, Patient Management, Urban Commander, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Runaway Firetruck Smashes Into Town Hall

1 comment

Steering Problem

A FIRE ENGINE FROM THE HILTER, GERMANY, Volunteer Fire Brigade lost its steering control Saturday morning and slammed into a wall of the Hilter town hall.

According to the police, the engine's driver lost control of the steering and the truck went directly across a traffic roundabout, then jumped the curb, went through a low stone wall and smashed into the building, luckily hitting it right in a former doorway.

All photos via Nord-West-Media

The crash was just 30 feet away from the police station that was occupied at the time.  There were no injuries, but the early damage estimates exceed 400,000 euros.  The firetruck has been written off as a total loss.  There will be a complete investigation into the cause of the accident.

Nord-West-Media TV has the story and an extensive photo gallery HERE.

Thanks to Christian Lewalter, Feuerwehr Blog.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Posted by on April 28, 2012 • Filed under: apparatus, Fire Rescue Topics, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus • Tagged: , ,