THE MIAMI-DADE FIRE RESCUE DEPT. IN FLORIDA faces challenges that are unique to their region.  One of these local hazards is the large population of alligators found throughout Florida.

Yesterday (Friday), one of these toothy critters wandered onto the front lawn of the fire rescue department’s headquarters building.  So, who ya’ gonna’ call?  You guessed it.

All photos courtesy MDFR

The MDFR issued a press release that tells the story:

At approximately 3 p.m., Miami-Dade Fire Rescue was advised of an alligator that wondered  into a grassy area in front of the MDFR Headquarters  building. The Venom Response Team (VRT) was called to help assist in securing the alligator.One of the VRT members used a snare pole to secure the alligator’s jaw while another team member simultaneously restrained the tail. VRT members then used rope to hobble the arms and feet of the alligator.

“The strongest points of an alligator are the jaw and the tail. We had to get them secured as fast as possible to ensure the safety of employees and visitors  entering and exiting the front of the building,” said Chief Al Cruz.

Florida Fish and Game was contacted and they sent a state licensed company to pick up the alligator.

Employees of MDFR’s Technical Rescue Team and VRT are trained in large animal rescue. 

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue WEBSITE.

AN 82-YR.-OLD WOMAN IN ENGLAND DIED RECENTLY as a result of her microwavable bed warmer bag catching on fire.

Used as an improved substitute for hot water bottles, the “Hottie” bag has been available for several years and has become a multi-million (dollar) seller for the Aroma Home UK firm.  Instead of filling a rubber bag with scalding hot water to use as a warming device, the Hottie is filled and sealed with wheat and some additional herbs and oils, and is claimed to be beneficial to pain relief.  They are heated up in the microwave oven and will stay hot for two hours or more.

The user is supposed to put a cup of water in the microwave at the same time so that the wheat doesn’t dry out over time.  But failure to do this will eventually lead to overheating and this is apparently what happened to Doreen Ghiloni of Leeds one night.

After taking the bag to bed it started smouldering and caught the bedclothes on fire.  With the aid of a neighbor, Mrs. Ghiloni was led safely out of her home without suffering any burns.  But she died the next day of a heart attack that was induced by the heavy inhalation of smoke from the fire.

Doreen Ghiloni

The fire investigator for the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service says that their agency alone has had at least six wheat-bag incidents in the past year.

Doreen’s family has launched a campaign to bring this hazard to the public’s attention in order to help people prevent this from happening again.

Read the full story in the Daily Mail HERE.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service WEBSITE.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS REPORTING FROM VERONA, NORTH CAROLINA:

An Onslow County deputy and a firefighter directing traffic on U.S. 17 have been killed after they were struck by a tractor-trailer.  Authorities say a second deputy also was struck and taken to the hospital.

The Highway Patrol says the wreck happened around 5:30 a.m. Saturday near a controlled burn at Camp Lejune.  Troopers say fog and smoke combined to bring visibility down to nearly zero.

U.S. 17 was shut down in both directions for several hours, but sheriff’s Capt. Rick Sutherland says it has since reopened.

FireNews.net has the latest and full story HERE.

STATter911 HAS A MOST UNUSUAL STORY POSTED.  It seems that in Colorado Springs, Colorado, there is a piece of land that is so hot, literally, on the surface that it burned holes through a boy’s shoes and left him with 2nd-degree burns on the bottoms of his feet.

Read his posting on this strange tale HERE.

GARY, INDIANA, FIRE DEPARTMENT BATTALION CHIEF Fred Gilmore was diagnosed eight months ago as being in need of a kidney transplant.  Without hesitation or being asked, several members of the department stepped forward and volunteered to be tested for compatibility.

The best match was that of Captain Kent Whitt who has known Gilmore well for the 17 years he has been on the department.  For the past five years they have been bowling teammates also.

Last week the transplant operation was successfully completed and the entire department is smiling today.

Read the full story in the Chicago Post-Tribune HERE.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS 70-YEAR HISTORY, the acclaimed Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training Center suffered a firefighter death.

28-yr.-old Russell “Rusty” Topping was one of a group of 25 Dewey FD members undergoing live fire training on Saturday.  45 minutes after that last exercise, Topping was found on the floor and unresponsive by other firefighters.

FirefighterCloseCalls is following the story HERE.

A NEW CONTROVERSY IS BEING GINNED UP ABOUT the possibility of long-term toxins being a part of the mandatory fire retardents found in clothing and bedding.

Last week CBS News ran a special report on the issue and brought up the fact that some states have outlawed the use of one of them known as DECA.

You can view the CBS News 3:54 min. report here:

Bill Delaney of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Fire and Rescue Department is the editor of Washington Metro Area Fire & Injury Prevention WEBSITE.  He has just pointed out to us that an area-wide mailing promoting the positive side of DECA is being received by his county’s citizens.

This oppositional information is being distributed by and organization that calls itself Citizens for Fire Safety (CFFS) and they have a nice website HERE that furthers their position with examples and testimonials.  They also have a lot of information about flame retardant materials.

The website’s About Us page tells us that they are “a coalition of fire professionals, educators, burn centers, doctors, fire departments and industry leaders, united to ensure that our country is protected by the highest standards of fire safety.”  None of these fire departments and industry leaders are listed by name.

Bill informs us that CFFS is a lobbying group for the chemical industry that was organized to fight the passage of these proposed state legislations.

As far as I have observed (which isn’t very far) the fire and rescue service itself hasn’t come out one way or the other on this fresh issue.  Take a look at the two extreme viewpoints, the CBS report and the CFFS website and then decide where in the middle is there anything to be found?

Thanks to Bill Delaney for pointing this out to us.

THE COLD-STORAGE WAREHOUSE FIRE IN NEW ZEALAND on April 5 (Firegeezer REPORT) has been found to have twice as much propane on site as the law permits.

During early firefighting operations a sudden explosion killed one firefighter and sent the rest of his company to the hospital.  The enlarged fire then destroyed to of Waikato’s fire engines.

New Zealand Herald photo

Investigation has found that not only was the firm in gross non-compliance, but inspection and permit procedures are in a shambles with little or no enforcement.  The Fire Service yesterday admitted it still does not know what cold storage plants throughout the country are using flammable gases such as propane as a refrigerant.

The Fire Service is also supposed to maintain “risk assessment” plans for hazardous occupancies, but it appears that they did not have one for the Icepak plant where the fatal fire took place.

Phil Tayor of the New Zealand Herald has a good, in-depth story today about the confusing regulations and the questionable enforcement policies that are currently in place.  You can read it HERE.