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Cincinnati Steam Pumper explosion with LODD 1855

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reprint from the 2010 series on the creation of the Metropolitan Fire Department in New York City

response to yesterday's question  original title "Cincinnati Sets the Example – 1853"

Professor Robert Holzman, writing in the December, 1955 American Heritage Magazine, describes the formation of the first paid fire department in Cincinnati on April 1, 1853:

After a particularly bad street brawl, during the course of which a building burned unnoticed to the ground, the Cincinnati city council voted to have a paid fire department of selected men, the selection to be on the basis of virtues other than bellicosity.

When delegations of irate smoke-eaters invaded the council chambers, it was timidly explained that the city was about to purchase an expensive, fragile steamer, and this equipment could be entrusted only to trained technicians.

Cincinnati volunteers, pulling and operating hand-cranked fire pumpers, were replaced with horse-pulled steam engines that weighed 10,000 pounds.

What required a mob of 20 to 30 volunteers to generate a water stream was replaced with a team of three “trained technicians.”

The steam-powered pumpers generated better master streams than the largest hand-cranked pumpers.

A New York delegation witnessed the capabilities of the Cincinnati steam fire pumpers at a July 1854  demonstration.

The first steam pumper, the 1853 Uncle Joe Ross was featured, pumping through eight attack lines from 2" to 3/4"  nozzles with a fire stream range from 90 to 106 feet.

A repeat of this performance eighteen months later had a different outcome.

One Dead in Cincinnati Steam Engine Explosion

On December 5, 1855, the Uncle Joe Ross pumper was making a demonstration for visiting Chicago officials

From the December 6 Cincinnati Commercial, reprinted in the New York Times:

About 4 o'clock … pressure at 180 psi …  the receiving chest exploded, instantly killing JOHN WINTERBOTTOM …

A. B."Moses"  LATTA, inventor of the steam fire engine, was badly scalded in the face and on the arms.

The force of the explosion was so great that it threw Mr. W some distance into the air, dismembering his legs and otherwise injuring his body, which fell some yards from the engine.

Municipal Trend

From 1857 to 1864 paid fire departments were established in St. Louis, Louisville (KY), Chicago, Richmond, Boston, Memphis, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Detroit, Nashville, Dayton (OH), Washington DC, and Covington (KY). Often the city outlawed volunteer firefighting within the jurisdiction.

References:

(1854, July 20) The Steam Fire-Engine – A Visit from New York Councilman (From the Cincinnati Gazette 7/16/1854). The New York Times.

(1855, December 10) Terrible Explosion of Steam Fire Engine in Cincinnati – One Man Killed and Several Wounded. The New York Times.

Greenberg, Amy S. (1998). Cause for Alarm: The Volunteer Fire Department in the Nineteenth-Century City. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

King, William T. (2001) History of the American Steam Fire Engine. Minolea, NY: Dover Publications. (reprint of 1896 book)

Holzman, Robert S. (1955, December) How Steam Blew the Rowdies Out of the Fire Departments. American Heritage Magazine.
Accessed 08/01/2010 from:
http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1955/1/1955_1_66.shtml

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Mike worked on a project about Reconstruction after the Civil War

This is one in a series of articles about the Metropolitan Fire Department established in Manhattan in 1865.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on May 5, 2013 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, Mike Legeros, safety, Technology & Communications • Tagged: , , , ,

James P. Aiken, Brevard FD Line of Duty Death, August 25, 1909 – part 2

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Not a steamer, but a surprise

In the first part of this posting, we presented the newspaper story of James P. "Jim" Aiken of the Brevard Fire Department in North Carolina, who was killed when a chemical engine exploded at a fire scene on August 25, 1909.

Facts and Fact-Checking

This lengthy web page biography of Jim Aiken also describes the incident, albeit briefly: "He was the only Black member of the Brevard Fire Department. Jim Aiken was serving as acting Fire Chief of the department on August 25, 1909. A fire broke out on that date. Jim was driving the town's two wheeled steam fire wagon to the fire, when it turned over going too fast around a curve. It exploded killing Aiken instantly."

Reads a bit different than the newspaper account! 

The details about the steam engine was my clue to possible inaccuracies in the biography. Based on my earlier research, no steamer ever served in Brevard. That is, my researched list of steam fire engines in North Carolina did not include the town. But could Brevard have had a steamer that disappeared from surviving records? Say, one that might've been destroyed in an accident or otherwise? Perhaps.

The second clue to "something other than a steamer" was the reference to the fire engine being "two-wheeled." That rules out a steam engine due to simple physics. Even the smallest sized steam engine wouldn't have been operable or maneuverable with only two wheels. (Though readers are welcome to correct me, if indeed two-wheel steamers were possible or even actually constructed!)

Thus my suspicion that a chemical engine was the culprit, as hand-drawn two-wheel versions (as well as four-wheel versions) were widely used at those times. The newspaper article, located after the biography was found, confirmed same.

Example of a single-tank Chemical engine, circa 1870s:

Editor's note: Do our readers know of other chemical engine explosions from "back in the day?" How about any steam engine explosions, did those ever occur?

Brevard Fire Department in 1911

Did the town replace the chemical engine? Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from two years later cite a "combination wagon" in the service of the fire department. Was this a combination ladder wagon and hose wagon? Or a combination chemical engine and hose wagon? Don't know.

"Water Facilities: Gravity system of water works owned by the town. Installed 1900. Two reservoirs, capacity 90,000 and 270,000 gallons, located two miles northwest of court house and fed by mountain streams. Eight-inch gravity main supplies distributing mains four- and six-inches. Sixteen hydrants. Normal pressure 60 pounds per square inch.

"Fire Department: Volunteer company, chief, and fourteen menu. Two fire stations. One combination wagon with 60-feet of ladders, three Babcock extinguishers, and 800 feet of 2 1/2-inch hose (stationed near Courthouse), and one cart at Southern depot with 500-feet 2 1/2-inch hose. Bell alarm." 

Remembering Jim Aiken

Aiken was so popular, notes the biography, that none of the black churches in town were large enough for the people expected to attend the funeral. The white First Baptist Church of Brevard provided their building. On the day of the funeral, "so many people of all races attended that the crowd overflowed the church and filled the nearby streets." All the stores and government offices in town also closed.

The newspaper story described Aiken as the most widely known black man in western North Carolina. He was a "successful and enterprising businessman" with a "well-patronized" store on Main Street. He was a member of the Baptist church and "several benevolent societies." He was a fireman and "always among the first to respond to the call of the fire bell and one of the hardest works at every fire in the history of the town."

Notes the biography, he was survived by his wife Mary Smith Aiken and several children.

Moms Mabley

One of his children was daughter Loretta Mary Aiken. She was fifteen when her father died. Though her mother was "left fairly well off," notes the biography, Loretta was "dissatisfied with her life in Brevard." She went north in search of a new life and began singing and dancing in Vaudeville. Her family was embarrassed by her career choice and her brother wrote to her and  requested that she stop using the Aiken name.

Loretta changed her name to Jackie Moms Mabley, and became one of the most famous black comedians in America. Known as "Moms Mabley," she performed for almost thirty years at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. She appeared on Broadway, in film, on television, and at Carnegie Hall. Among her TV appearances, she was a regular on Merv Griffin's show.

Mabley died in 1975 at age 81. Read her Wikipedia entry.

Posted by on May 4, 2013 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, Mike Legeros, News • Tagged: , , , ,

International Firefighters Day

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An Australian based recognition
 
International Firefighters’ Day (IFFD) is observed on May 4. It was instituted after a proposal was emailed out across the world on January 4, 1999 due to the deaths of five firefighters in tragic circumstances in a wildfire at Linton in Victoria, Australia.

The Incident

Each year firefighters face times of tragedy and triumph, arguments and lessons, reflection and celebrations. These vary in their impact and influence on each individual are now a part of our lives and in many cases cannot be easily dismissed. Linton was one such tragedy.

On December 2 1998, a tragic event shook the Linton community, Australia and the world: Firefighters in Linton, approximately 150km west of the city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, were fighting a large wildfire and called for assistance. This urgent call brought firefighters from a wide area including volunteers from the Geelong West Fire Brigade to the scene not knowing the despair and tragedy that was in store. Garry Vredeveldt, Chris Evans, Stuart Davidson, Jason Thomas, and Matthew Armstrong were the crew on the Geelong West tanker that fateful day, they were part of a strike team and were being sent to help extinguish the flames. As the five headed out from the fire to refill their tanker with water, there was a sudden violent wind change as the cold change hit the area, engulfing the truck in flames and killing all five members.

The Beginning

JJ Edmondson, a volunteer Lieutenant and firefighter in Victoria, Australia had had the safety and training drills ingrained into her over the years and had always been aware that her friendship with other firefighters could lead her to joy and the sense of being part of a greater family as well as to potential loss.

When Matt, Stuart, Jason, Garry and Chris of Geelong West lost their lives all of this struck home hard. It didn’t matter that these five were from a different brigade or in another region, they could have been from another state or country for all that mattered. What was important was that they were firefighters, who lost their lives doing something that they have all been trained and are proud to do – they died trying to save life and property.

This, and the letters of support and fellowship that flowed from the tragedy spurred JJ to set a New Year’s resolution for 1999: to organise an internationally recognised symbol of support and respect for ALL firefighters and a date for which this could be co-ordinated world wide.

For weeks JJ coordinated email discussions with the national and international community for their comments and suggestions as to an appropriate date and symbol to use, and the response was overwhelmingly positive with great support for the chosen date and ribbons.

IFFD could only have come about with the input from numerous people worldwide helping to ensure that this was truly an international decision. Without their comments, suggestions and endorsements it may have just remained a dream rather than the internationally recognised event it now is. To all who contributed, our sincere and complete thanks.

The Date – May 4

The date chosen for International Firefighters’ Day was linked to the feast day of St Florian (the patron saint of all firefighters). St Florian was the first known commander of one firefighting squad in the Roman Empire. He lost his life, as well as those of his colleagues, for protecting the same humane ideas which firefighters all over the world share even today.

Firefighters in most of the European countries celebrate their day on 4th of May as a ‘Day of Fire Service’ as well as St. Florian’s Day. This date is also known as St Florian’s Day worldwide and has been tradition for more than 150 years in Europe.

The IFFD Ribbons

The IFFD ribbons are linked to colours symbolic of the main elements firefighters work with – red for fire and blue for water. These colours also are internationally recognised as representing emergency service.

From the IFFD FaceBook:

This morning the Australian Prime Minister acknowledged International FireFighters' Day (IFFD) on her Twitter & Facebook page

The more people who are aware of this event, the greater the support for our firefighters and recognition of th…eir commitment and sacrifices. Please help spread the word, perhaps we can get more countries also formally recognising the day in their parliaments?

If you see IFFD promoted anywhere, please share it on our pag

“On International Firefighters’ Day, I pay tribute to the men and women of our nation’s firefighting services.

Thanks to their courage and commitment, precious lives are saved every day and so much destruction of our built and natural environment is prevented.

On behalf of all Australians – I thank all our firefighters for their efforts during the past year. On this day, and indeed every day, we are profoundly grateful to you.” – P

 

 

Posted by on May 4, 2013 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, In the Line of Duty, News • Tagged: ,

James P. Aiken, Brevard FD Line of Duty Death, August 25, 1909 – part 1 (revised)

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Was it a steamer engine explosion or a chemical engine crash that killed Chief Aiken?

On Saturday, May 4, thirteen names will be added to the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial in downtown Raleigh. The annual ceremony—this year’s is the eighth annual ceremony—is held on the first Saturday in May. The memorial was created and is maintained by the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

The thirteen firefighters being added to the memorial include, of course, those killed in the line of duty in 2012. There are ten from last year, including four members of a North Carolina Air National Guard crew killed when their tanker crashed in South Dakota on July 3, 2012.

Three legacy names are being added, including one of the oldest firefighter fatalities in the state’s history: James P. “Jim” Aiken of the Brevard Fire Department in Transylvania County. He was killed in the line of duty on August 25, 1909. His story is somewhat easily found via Web searching, which is almost but not entirely correct regarding the details of his death. More on that later.

Looking a little harder, we can find a DigitalNC site (http://www.digitalnc.org/), which includes newspaper scans from that era. Though their copies of the Sylvian Valley News are incomplete, they miraculously include this news item from August 27, 1909:

Chemical Engine Explodes

J. P. Aiken Instantly Killed and Several Others Injured

Wednesday morning about 7:00 o’clock, in response to an alarm of fire, the chemical engine was rushed down the hill north of the court house to Jim Axum’s house which was on fire, and just as the hose was being put in readiness to play on the building a terrific explosion occurred, which instantly killed Jim Aiken and injured several others.

Jim as behind [the engine] unwinding the hose when the end of the cylinder blew off and he was thrown ten or twelve feet. When reached by the others he was already dead. His neck was broken, one arm nearly severed from the body, beside being otherwise badly mangled.

Read the entire article (http://legeros.com/ralwake/photos/weblog/images/2013-05-02-brevard.pdf) (PDF), which describes the injuries to others, including the Fire Chief, and speculates on the cause of the explosion.

Tomorrow, we’ll look another biography of Jim Aiken, and an account of the incident that gets a few facts wrong.

Posted by on May 3, 2013 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, history, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, News • Tagged: , , ,

North Carolina Transportation Board Flips – Will Now Allow Highway Bridge to Be Named After Fire Captain Bowen.

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Will Also Look at  Revising Overall Policy

A COMMITTEE OF THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT of Transportation has voted this morning (Wednesday) to overrule a policy and recommend that a highway bridge be named in honor of Ashville Fire Captain Jeffrey Bowen who died tragically last June while fighting a fire in a mid-rise office building.  (See Firegeezer stories HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.)  The fire was found to be an arson, but nobody has yet been arrested for the crime.

A few months following the tragedy, the Buncomb County Board of Supervisors, along with every state fire agency and associations, sent a resolution to the DOT to name a bridge on the nearby Interstate highway that Bowen crossed every day to and from work.  The DOT declined saying that naming privileges are reserved for law enforcement officers.

This brought an outpouring of public indignation and the creation of an online petitiion that quickly gathered thousands of signatures.  A goodly number of politicians jumping on the bandwagon helped it gain momentum and encouraged the Roads Committee to find a way to make an exception.  This morning the committee voted unanimously to accept the request and forwarded the recommendation to the full Transportation Board that will hold a special meeting tomorrow (Thursday) where it is expected to approve the application.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports today:

(DOT spokesman Ted) Vaden said Robert Collier, chairman of both the full Board of Transportation and its Naming Committee, said during this morning’s meeting "that the community had made clear its concern and interest in having the bridge named for Capt. Bowen."

He paraphrased Collier as saying, "This may appear to some as a capitulation, and indeed it is. We recognize the will of the people and that’s why we’re here, to support the people."

Naming requests typically do not come before the full Board of Transportation until a month after the Naming Committee acts, Vaden said. But in this case, the full board is scheduled to vote on the Bowen request Thursday, and there appears to be little doubt that it will go along with the committee’s recommendation.

"This won’t actually be official until the board votes tomorrow … but there was clear, strong sentiment, unanimous sentiment, on the part of the Naming Committee to make the change," Vaden said.

The full board will also spend time over the next 90 days to consider changing the practice that led to the initial declination of the request.  During that time there will be a moratorium on acting on naming applications.

Read the full Citizen-Times STORY HERE.

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Posted by on April 4, 2012 • Filed under: current events, In the Line of Duty, News • Tagged:

Worcester firefighters trapped in collapse of residential building. UPDATED. Incident timeline as tweeted by @Boston_FF_L29.

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As tweeted by @Boston_FF_L29

UPDATE (6:33 am):

Pictures tweeted by @ProvFireVideos

Sad morning.

Incident timeline by @BOSTON_FF_L29

BOSTON & Needham, Ma., USA Boston Ma.Firefighter (L29). Tweeting Local, National Fire News & MY Opinions, NOT those of L29, L718 or Boston Fire. For Wx tweets follow me @L29_SNEWeather

BOSTON_FF_L29 Normally I would have gone to sleep, but this fire seemed different from the start…and got worse by the minute (7:15)

Pictures posted by Matthew Gregoire, Providence Fire Videos, @ProvFireVideos

Thanks to James for catching our headline typo.

STATter911 with additional video and media reports

Fox 25: Worcester firefighter dies in blaze (live helicopter feed ended)

ABC 5: Massive Blaze Destroys Apartment House

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on December 8, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, News, Rescues, Twitter, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Firefighter Dies While on Duty in Virginia

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No Prior Indications of Distress

A FAIRFAX COUNTY (Virginia) FIRE & RESCUE Department firefighter died in his sleep in the station bunkroom Friday night/Saturday morning.  The Fire & Rescue Department issued the following announcement:

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department regrets to announce the death of Firefighter Horace C. ("Chris") Pendergrass assigned to Fire Station 41, B-Shift. Firefighter Pendergrass was an honored employee who served the residents and visitors of Fairfax County for over 20 years. In the early morning hours of October 22, 2011, Chris was found expired after shift change at Fire Station 41. Currently, all units assigned to Fire Station 41 have been placed out of service with many support mechanisms on their way.

The Fairfax County Police Department and Office of the Medical Examiner states the cause of death is under investigation and will provide cause at a later date.

FF Horace Pendergrass

FF Pendergrass, age 49, was a very popular member of the department and he had been on the job for 22 years.  Prior to that he has served in the U. S. Army.  One of his former captains described him as "strong as an ox."  He is survived by three adult children.

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Posted by on October 23, 2011 • Filed under: current events, In the Line of Duty, News • Tagged: , ,

National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service

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Memorial Service 10:00 am to 12:30 pm Eastern

Live-Stream programming begins here at 9:30 am

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Posted by on October 16, 2011 • Filed under: Fire-ology, In the Line of Duty, News

National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Candlelight Service

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Candlelight Service held 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm Eastern time

Live-Streaming Begins Here at 6:15

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Posted by on October 15, 2011 • Filed under: Fire-ology, In the Line of Duty, News • Tagged: , ,

A different Fire EMS blogger meet-and-greet

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PGFD 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb in Greenbelt, Maryland

You will read about it later, but this photograph from a Prince George's County Fire Department press release shows Iron Firemen, Backstep Firefighter and The Fire Critic waiting in line.

It looks like Captain Wines is carrying more than a fire company of members with him!

Lieutenant Fleitz and former Hyattsville VFD Lieutenant Carey are right behind the captain.

The proceeds from this event will go to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Great support from "doze guys."  Click on the press release to see additional pictures, including a special one of Captain Wines.

I cannot wait to read their posts. 

Press Release

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on September 11, 2011 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, News, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Shock … followed by purposeful action

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A brilliant and terrible Tuesday morning

Fourteen months into retirement I am teaching a Fire Officer II class at the Reagan National Airport fire station. The classroom is also their kitchen. The kitchen has a television.

The acting battalion chief steps in, apologizes for the interruption, and turns the television on. 

Good Morning America (ABC) is covering the breaking news of a plane that has hit the World Trade Center.

As the news camera focuses on the entry hole, many of the experienced air-crash-rescue guys are speculating on what type of plane hit the tower and the issues facing FDNY.

After a dozen minutes I try to restart the class. Agree to leave the television on with the sound turned down. I get one or two sentences out when we see the second plane hitting the tower.

Class over!

You do not need a Formal Announcement to Mobilize

As FDNY Firefighter James Hanlon (Ladder 1) points out in the opening of the Naudet Brothers documentary 9|11:

… there were days we would go to the Trade Center five times in a single shift. My point is, we knew those towers as well as anybody. But nobody, nobody, expected September 11th.

When the civilian editors of Fire-Rescue Magazine and Journal of EMS were vetting my article, Attack on the Pentagon: The Initial Fire and EMS Response (April 2002 issue), they struggled with the concept that hundreds of emergency responders initiated action without receiving a formal notification.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Fire Department never expected a 757 to be used as an assault weapon against the Pentagon. When the second plane struck in New York, the dozen off-duty members attending the Fire Officer class joined the 16 on-duty members preparing for the unknown.

They were not alone.

Most of the senior staff and urban search and rescue commanders in my department started purposeful action when they heard of the second plane in New York City. The information came through radio and television, informal digital networks and word-of-mouth.

Rapidly deploying 72 USAR members and 75 tons of equipment

It takes dedicated action by dozens of staff, support and non-USAR firefighters to make a deployment happen.

A point of pride is the ability to assemble the team well within the response deadline for domestic and international response. A deployment represents an administrative five alarm event.

A small role I had while assigned as a company officer at the Fire and Rescue Academy was to respond from home to get the facility unlocked on evenings, weekends and holidays. The Academy, with six classrooms and a large training bay, is the point of staging and assembly for the team.

Far from high tech. The tasks included moving apparatus out of the bay, properly configuring the "quad" – a large space with movable walls to create smaller class spaces, and powering up the facility.

Have to do Something

Ten years ago I also had a part-time job as a civilian Fire Instructor III at the Fire and Rescue Academy.

American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon shortly after I left the airport.

I was stunned. What could I do? No fire gear in the car, not in uniform, my "retired" fire department ID card did not provide KardKey access to headquarters or communications.

Headed for the Academy. Maybe they are assembling a fire crew with Engine 407.  I was at the Academy in 1982 when we loaded up a Suburban with EMS gear and responded in near-blizzard conditions to the Air Florida 90 crash at the 14th Street bridge.

Not this time. All of the on-duty uniformed staff are away, either responding to the Pentagon or the anticipated USAR deployment. None of the remaining staff experienced a USAR deployment. 

I looked up in time to see the South Tower collapse on live TV. 

Purposeful Action – Setting the Academy for USAR deployment

No more wondering what to do.

Without asking for authorization, started moving academy apparatus out of the high bay building and up the hill. Configured the quad. Tried to set up the communications equipment, but no one had the key to the cabinet.

Before the 11 am official federal mobilization notice, the academy was ready …

… and I was on my way home, satisfied that I did something worthwhile in reaction to the unthinkable.

An Inherent Orientation to Action

Emergency service folks are hard-wired to take action.

To validate the impact of our Citizen CPR program we tried to identify the background of every person who performed CPR prior to the arrival of the department. More than half of the citizen responders were off-duty or former police, fire, ems and health care staff. 

The same orientation that motivated Jeff Simpson, a Dumfries-Triangle Rescue Squad volunteer EMT who was near the World Trade Center. 

From the National EMS Memorial:

"I have no doubt whatsoever that, while I was stricken with disbelief and inaction, Jeff was figuring how he could help.

It was clear in the few minutes we were in the plaza that thousands of people had and would continue to be injured. There were many police, fire and EMS squads arriving at the scene and it was toward these and the injured that Jeff was headed the last time I saw him.

Frankly, there was no other reason for him to go towards the World Trade Center. His hotel, work site and safety were in the opposite direction.

With the second plane hitting the tower, Jeff would have been thinking about the increased number of casualties. I believe Jeff was caught in the collapse of the towers.

I do not know if he was inside the towers or working at one of the triage stations that had been set up close to the towers. In either case, he was doing what he was trained to do and spent his final hours helping the victims," stated Joseph T. Finnegan.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Earlier 9/11 essays:

2011: Remembering 41 EMS responders who died at WTC, including a hero from Prince William County, Virginia

2010: A Terrible and Brilliant Blue Sky Morning

2008: Reprint "The Anger Never Dies"

Posted by on September 11, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, aircraft, Command & Leadership, commentary, communications, EMS Health & Safety, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, Rescues, Response times, Special Operations, Technology & Communications, Training & Development, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

LODD – Dallas, Texas

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Sunday Afternoon Apartment Fire

DALLAS, TEXAS, FIRE LIEUTENANT TODD KRODLE, 41, perished Sunday afternoon after falling through the roof of a garden apartment building that was on fire.

The 3-alarm fire began around 4:15 pm Central in a first-floor unit and spread through the 2-story building.  Lt. Krodle was working on the roof ventilating when he fell through into the fire.  He was very quickly pulled out by firefighters, injured and badly burned, and taken to the hospital where he died later Sunday evening.

All of his colleagues at his fire station were immediately taken off duty.

Allen Gardner, who lives in the neighborhood, put it this way:
"The emotional strain you could see in their faces," he said. "It's not a big scale fire,
but still, anything that they go to they take it as seriously as possible."
(Dallas Morning News photo)

Lt. Krodle was in the DFD for 17 years and leaves a wife and two daughters surviving him.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings issued the following statement:

"On behalf of the Dallas City Council and the entire City of Dallas workforce, we express our deepest sympathy to the family, friends and fellow firefighters of this courageous and dedicated firefighter. We must never lose sight that fire service is an extremely dangerous business and this brave man died doing the dangerous job he loved; protecting our citizens and our properties and making our neighborhoods safer for all of us."

The early determination of cause was a malfunctioning electrical appliance.

 

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Posted by on August 14, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty • Tagged: , , , ,

Warren RI 9/11 float at July 4th parade

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Nice Tribute

Warren RI fire department pays tribute to the victims of 9/11 during the Bristol RI 4th of July parade 2011.

from CBEMT at IACOJ.com:

I'm on the opposite side of the street from the camera (video posted by milfordwoman) , last in line with another FF carrying water walking past me as I come into view.

Mrs. CB is camera-side. We're both pretty much visible at 00:23.

The monument at the rear of the float has the names of every FDNY, EMS, NYPD, and PAPD member killed that day, right down to Sirius the dog.

Eric Dickervitz writing for EastBayRI.com:

When the Warren Fire Department’s float, a living tribute to 9/11, passed by Rae Jodoin, she and other onlookers were moved by the image of twisted metal and the tired firefighters who stood tall alongside it.

As the float passed by Ms. Jodoin’s Hope Street home, she ran into the street to hand the firefighters a small flag bearing the name of a 9/11 victim.

She and her husband, Mike, had turned their front yard into a memorial for the people who died on 9/11.

A few nights before, the couple were joined by over a dozen family and friends in writing a name of a 9/11 victim on a small American flag.

All 2,977 flags were then displayed on the Jodoins’ front lawn.

Click on the headline to read the rest of: A spectacular Bristol Fourth of July parade

Nice float!

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward
 

Posted by on July 9, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

LODD – Muncie, Indiana

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Working Church Fire

Update, Thursday AM:
The firefighter has been publicly identified as FF Scott Davis, age 40.

A MUNCIE, INDIANA, FIREFIGHTER PERISHED Wednesday afternoon at a working church fire when the roof collapsed. 

Star Press

The fire was dispatched at 3:55 pm and additional alarms were struck as the fire filled the church sanctuary.  Along with the Muncie units and neighboring departments, several outlying volunteer departments were special-called to respond with tankers for water supply.

At 4:15 the roof collapsed and an announcement was made that one of the firefighters was unaccounted for.  The fire was out, except for hot spots before 5 pm.  While the location of the missing firefighter was known, they were unable to reach the body for the fire and debris.

WISH-TV

At 6:55 the announcement was broadcast that the victim had been recovered from the church building.  His identity has not yet been released.

The Muncie Star Press prepared a video taken during the early part of the fire with the camera rolling when the roof comes down.  You will see one of the firefighters who was inside escaping out a ground-floor window:

 

WISH-TV filed this report from their helicopter:

 

Sources:
The Muncie Star Press

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. . . . . . . . . . Star Press .

Muncie Fire Chief Sean Burcham stated that no further information would be released until a press conference is held on Thursday morning.  The Muncie Star Press was reporting that two other FF's were injured and transported with non-life threatening injuries.

More coverage at:

STATter911 (Click here)

FirefighterNation (Click here)

Muncie Fire Department WEBSITE.

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Posted by on June 15, 2011 • Filed under: fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Videos • Tagged: , ,

“Gentleness and Strength” (video added)

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Tom O'Connor, IAFF Local 798 President, provides a memorable eulogy.

The remarks made by Lieutenant O'Connor at the funeral were moving.

photo by Jamie Thompson

The San Francisco Chronicle provides a summary:

Through the tears, there were moments of levity.

Tom O'Connor, president of the local firefighters union, brought knowing smiles and chuckles as he described Valerio as "a pony-tailed hippy who called himself 'The People's Paramedic.' He had a big heart and unbounded capacity to help the downtrodden.

"He was like Mother Teresa with a siren," O'Connor said.

Perez, O'Connor recalled, was "a fireman's fireman," who once ran an entire city block during a fire on Lexington Street to get a line to a water source when three of his colleagues were inside a building as the water was running out.

"He laughed about it and shrugged it off, never being one to take credit," O'Connor said. "But he should have taken credit that night, because he saved the lives of all three men who were on his engine company."

Perez was a laconic former Marine, Valerio a talkative, world-traveling free spirit.

"To say that Vince and Tony were very different people would be an understatement," O'Connor said. "I think the immortal words of St. Francis sum them up the best:

'Nothing is so strong as gentleness, and nothing is so gentle as real strength.'

Vincent and Tony were our gentleness and our strength."

John Coté, Justin Berton, Chronicle Staff Writers (2011 June 11) Thousands say goodbye to fallen S.F. firefighters

if someone can provide a video link or complete transcript of the remarks, it would be appreciated.

Ahh, should have known.  Dave Statter has the link :)

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8183853

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on June 12, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, News, Urban Commander, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Remembering 41 EMS responders who died at WTC, including a hero from Prince William County, Virginia

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Starting EMS Week by remembering responders who perished at the World Trade Center

The list of who died at the World Trade Center include on-duty, off-duty and volunteers.

The list includes ems credentialed individuals who work or were visiting the World Trade Center complex. When the planes hit they stepped up to help.

For example, northern Virginia resident Jeff Simpson was working for Oracle in New York City, commuting from home every week:

When Jeff Simpson stepped onto the streets of Manhattan, burning debris was falling from the sky and a second airplane was about to slam into the World Trade Center.

Instead of fleeing with his consultant co-workers, Simpson, 38, an emergency medical technician with the Dumfries-Triangle Rescue Squad, raced toward the wreckage, never to be seen again.

His friends and family think he spent his last moments trying to aid the victims of the Sept. 11 disaster.

"I know that he saw that people needed help and went in there without hesitating," said Simpson's widow, Diane, who is raising their 7-year-old triplets. "He knew nobody in the World Trade Center. It makes me very proud."

Jeff Simpson National EMS Memorial Service Honoree page HERE

Go HERE for more information on artAID.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on May 15, 2011 • Filed under: EMS Topics, history, In the Line of Duty, Law & Justice, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

President Obama’s Remarks at FDNY

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President Obama has lunch at FDNY Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9

"Well, listen, the main reason I came here is because I heard the food is pretty good. (Laughter.)

"But to the Commissioner, to Mayor Giuliani — who obviously performed heroic acts almost 10 years ago — but most of all, to all of you, I wanted to just come up here to thank you.

"This is a symbolic site of the extraordinary sacrifice that was made on that terrible day almost 10 years ago. Obviously we can't bring back your friends that were lost, and I know that each and every one of you not only grieve for them, but have also over the last 10 years dealt with their family, their children, trying to give them comfort, trying to give them support.

"What happened on Sunday, because of the courage of our military and the outstanding work of our intelligence, sent a message around the world, but also sent a message here back home that when we say we will never forget, we mean what we say; that our commitment to making sure that justice is done is something that transcended politics, transcended party; it didn’t matter which administration was in, it didn’t matter who was in charge, we were going to make sure that the perpetrators of that horrible act — that they received justice.

"So it’s some comfort, I hope, to all of you to know that when those guys took those extraordinary risks going into Pakistan, that they were doing it in part because of the sacrifices that were made in the States. They were doing it in the name of your brothers that were lost.

"And finally, let me just say that, although 9/11 obviously was a high water mark of courage for the New York Fire Department and a symbol of the sacrifice, you guys are making sacrifices every single day. It doesn’t get as much notoriety, it doesn’t get as much attention, but every time you run into a burning building, every time that you are saving lives, you're making a difference. And that's part of what makes this city great and that's part of what makes this country great.

"So I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the American people for the sacrifices that you make every single day. And I just want to let you know that you're always going to have a President and an administration who’s got your back the way you’ve got the backs of the people of New York over these last many years.

"So God bless you. God bless the United States of America.

"And with that, I'm going to try some of that food. All right? Appreciate you. Thank you."

 

 

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ENGINE 54

FF. Jose Guadalupe
FF. Leonard Ragaglia
FF. Christopher Santora
FF. Paul Gill

LADDER 4

CPT. David Wooley
LT. Daniel O'Callaghan
FF. Joseph Angelini, Jr.
FF. Samuel Oitice
FF. Michael Haub
FF. John Tipping II
FF. Michael Lynch
FF. Michael Brennan

BATTALION 9

BC. Edward Geraghty
BC. Denns Devlin
FF. Alan Feinberg
FF. Carl Asaro
FF. Charles Garbarini

Engine 54 / Ladder 4 / Battalion 9
782 8th Ave.
Theatre District
Manhattan

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on May 5, 2011 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, culture, current events, Fire Rescue Topics, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Rescues, Urban Commander, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

“We Were Strong, They Were Weak”

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A lasting lesson in The New Normal

Ross Douthat, writing in the New York Times on May 1, makes this statement:

This is a triumph for the United States of America, for our soldiers and intelligence operatives, and for the president as well.

But it is not quite the triumph that it would have seemed if bin Laden had been captured a decade ago, because those 10 years have taught us that we didn’t need to fear him and his rabble as much as we did, temporarily but intensely, in the weeks when ground zero still smoked.

They’ve taught us, instead, that whatever blunders we make (and we have made many), however many advantages we squander (and there has been much squandering), and whatever quagmires we find ourselves lured into, our civilization is not fundamentally threatened by the utopian fantasy politics embodied by groups like Al Qaeda, or the mix of thugs, fools and pseudointellectuals who rally around their banner.

They can strike us, they can wound us, they can kill us. They can goad us into tactical errors and strategic blunders. But they are not, and never will be, an existential threat.

Read his entire opinion piece that certainly reflects my memories of the months after the attacks. Death of a Failure

Found by reading this summary from The Economist column Democracy in America:Killing bin Laden: Let's call it a day

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on May 4, 2011 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, In the Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News • Tagged: , , , , , ,

We’ve heard all of the excuses

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Seat Belt Pledge gets an edge

The ultimate goal is to enroll every emergency first responder in the United States. Departments that are 100 percent compliant will be highlighted on the Everyone Goes Home® seatbelt site (HERE)

Noticed some of our colleagues from Alexandria City and Branchville VFC.

Wonder how many of those excuses were found on TheWatchDesk or other forum sites?

Nice job.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on February 28, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, News, Training & Development, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

A Firefighter’s Farewell

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FRIDAY MORNING THE FUNERAL SERVICE WAS HELD for Firefighter Ermanno Fossati of Savona, Italy, who was killed while working at a traffic accident Wednesday, December 29.  He was tragically struck by another fire department vehicle on an ice road and died instantly.  (For the video report and details see Firegeezer HERE.)

photos via National Vigili del Fuoco

A large crowd of friends and colleagues turned out Friday to bid a final farewell and honor him.  The funeral mass was held in the Parish of San Lorenzo of Orco Geligno and included condolensces from the President of the Republic and the Minister of Interior.

 In addition to family, friends and colleagues, there were also present many authorities including the Chief of the National Fire Service Alfio Pini, the prefect Claude Sammut, the provincial commander of the carabinieri and the Mayors from around the district, accompanied by banners of their municipalities.

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Posted by on January 1, 2011 • Filed under: current events, Fire Rescue Topics, In the Line of Duty • Tagged: , ,

9/11 Tribute Float at Rose Bowl parade

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Captain Schmoe, Report on Conditions, alerts us to the first of many 10th year tributes, reflections, or events commemorating our loss.

Rose Parade Rememberance

Happy New Year everybody. It’s 0800 local and I am getting ready to watch the 2011 Tournament of Roses parade. Kind of sissy I know, but I like to get up early on New Years day and watch it. This year, there is a unique float in the parade, one that I felt worth posting about.

This is the artists conception of a float honoring the fallen in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The effort was spearheaded by Jerry Thomsen, a Los Angeles County firefighter who responded to the WTC disaster in New York.

Go to Captain Schmoe’s website, Report on Conditions, to see a picture of the float from today’s parade (HERE)

2011 Rose Parade Tribute Float website (HERE)

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on January 1, 2011 • Filed under: culture, current events, EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, In the Line of Duty, News, parades • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Remembering those lost in Chicago: 21 dead at Union Stock Yards in 1910 and 9 dead at Hubbard Street in 1961

3 comments

100th Anniversary of the Nelson Morris Plant #7 cold storage warehouse fire
50th Anniversary of the Hubbard Street fire

The perils of firefighting were never more painfully clear to Chicagoans than on the morning of December 22, 1910 when Chicago Fire Marshal James Horan and 20 of his brave men were buried under a wall that blew out during a fire at the Nelson Morris cold storage warehouse in the Union Stock Yards.

Stockyard fire memorial

It was the worst loss of firefighters in a single incident until the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

And in honor of those who were lost that dark day 100 years ago, the Fire Museum of Greater Chicago will present an illustrated program chronicling the event at the Chicago Fire Academy on Saturday, October 16, 2010 @ 10:AM.

Link to “Disaster in the Stockyards” (HERE) from David Cowan (2001) Great Chicago fires: historic blazes that shaped a city

Anyone who respects the work of firefighters, and is interested in Chicago history, is welcome to attend the program which will begin at 10 a.m. It will be followed by a presentation on the Hubbard Street Fire of January 28, 1961, where nine firefighters perished in the collapse of a building on the Near West Side.

Illinois Fire Service Institute article on Hubbard Street Fire (HERE)

The Fire Academy, where all Fire Department recruits are trained, is at 558 W. DeKoven Street, near Taylor and Jefferson Streets. It stands on the site of the O’Leary barn, where the Great Chicago Fire began in 1871. Parking is available. No admission fee for this event.

CFD Museum announcement HERE

Fire Museum of Greater Chicago website

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on October 10, 2010 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Fires, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Training & Development, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Terrible and Brilliant Blue Sky morning

4 comments

Living in metro Washington DC, the federal government is the town's "industry."

Politics is a passionate pastime.

I teach at a university with flagship programs in public policy, media and political science.

There was a work-study undergrad I wanted to terminate a decade ago for providing inattentive/sloppy work while our teaching assistant.

He was an unpaid congressional staffer. Spent most of his time in our office watching C-SPAN while doing the Congressman's committee work.

He went on to earn a graduate degree and complete a White House appointment. Will be a Homeland Security player when the next Republican president is elected.

Politicizing our Tragedy

The polarization of political discussions and the "reality TV shock and awe"' approach by preachers and pundits is quite different than how we acted in the months after the 2001 attacks.

I watched the first SNL show on September 29. Mayor Rudy Giuliani, along with members of FDNY, PAPD and NYPD appeared in the cold opening to encourage New York and Saturday Night Live to carry on in the face of adversity. When asked by Lorne Michaels "Can we be funny?", Giuliani replied "Why start now?"

The New Normal is Now Normal

From last year's post about today:

For the fourth time since 2001 I am flying out of Reagan National (DCA) airport on the anniversary of the attacks.

Not because I am heroic, because it is what my job requires.

Driving by the Pentagon at 5:30, seeing all of the flashing blue lights as the police started closing roads, I remember what happened seven years ago when my job had me teaching at the National Airport Fire Station.

This link (HERE) takes you to an article I wrote about the response to the Pentagon, I wanted to make sure that the airport and Fort Myer crews were recognized for their actions.

Link to Reprint "The Anger Never Dies" where I repost Dennis Smith's New York Times 2007 commentary (HERE)

In early July I reflected on the tenth anniversary of my retirement as a uniformed firefigher. This memory will never fade:

While I miss the action and the day-to-day “family” dramas, the only time I regretted retiring was one Tuesday morning.

Smoke was rising from the Pentagon on a terrible and brilliant blue-sky day.

from Ten, Five and 55 (HERE)

Each of us handles today in our own way, in private or public expressions of grief, solidarity, outrage, or commitment.

Most of the bloggers on FireEMSBlogs.com are also posting commentary today.

Dave LeBlanc, writing in Bill Carey's Backstep Firefighter does a great job putting this year's anniversary into perspective:

For days and weeks, maybe months after the attacks, every fireman was considered a hero. Firehouses were flooded with food, gifts, cards and flowers. Firemen were held up as being extraordinary and special. Something none of them would ever think about themselves.

But where are we now, nine years later? Budget cuts and economic hard times have made firemen less extraordinary in some people’s eyes and easily cut from budgets to save some dollars.

Controversy looms around every corner as plans for the memorial limit how FDNY firemen will be remembered, as Congress wants to forget that they have a responsibility to those that worked at ground zero and as debate swirls about the construction of a mosque near the World Trade Center site.

At the end of the day, there isn’t a fireman working for the FDNY that wouldn’t give back their “15 minutes” to have their brothers back. There probably isn’t a fireman anywhere in this Country that wouldn’t gladly remain an obscure Public Servant so that those that died nine years ago could be here today.

click HERE to get to A Meaning Lost On Many.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Published September 11, 2010.  Updated May 05, 2011

Posted by on September 11, 2010 • Filed under: history, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Updated: 70th Anniversary of London Blitz

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Steve Dude, a Fire Brigade Assistant Divisional Officer (Batt Chief) and IACOJ member, made us aware of a stirring retrospective of the start of the WW2 Blitz by the Guardian.

From Stephen Bates September 6 article Blitz 70th anniversary: Night of fire that heralded a new kind of war:

The records of the London fire brigade for that day, now kept in the metropolitan archives office in Clerkenwell, tell the story of the first major raid of the blitz in meticulous and sober detail. Neatly typed official green slips record each incident and a separate bound volume lists all the fires attended. (…)

The fire brigade’s day started quietly enough but by late afternoon the records show, minute by minute, incidents coming thick and fast. First the East End, then the docks, both sides of the river, then the City and – more sporadically – the West End.

Trivial fires – 6ft by 4ft patch of grass burned in the garden of 207 Waller Road, SE14 at 6.40pm – are listed alongside the major: 24-48 Dee Street, Poplar E14, explosive bomb; Culloden Street School; 50-68 and 41 to 71 Aberfeldy Street; and 2-36 and 1-37 Ettrick Street – a whole neighbourhood flattened. (…)

The first night’s raid left 430 killed, including seven firefighters, 60 boats sunk and the docks destroyed. Beckett quotes a fireman: “A man who returned from leave the following day found colleagues in shock, convinced they would not live for more than another week. Men who were old enough to have fought in the first world war said the western front offered nothing worse than they had seen.”

read entire article HERE.

Make Pumps 500!

The National Fire Service request for additional alarms is based on the number of pumpers, a fourth alarm fire would probably require 20 pumps.

This recollection, from a February 15, 2007 Times Online item:

Sept 7, 1940 London docks

Cyril Demarne was a sub officer in the West Ham Fire Brigade instructing the Auxiliary Fire Service when war was declared. On the the first day of the London Blitz, September 7, 1940, he recalled a `lovely sunny day.

There were about 300 German aircraft. Some flew along the waterfront from North Woolwich to the tidal basin and bombed the big factories. [They] had thousands of people in them and there were horrendous casualties.’

Three miles of the waterfront became a continuous blaze, and Demarne ordered 500 pumps to the scene.

The commander thought this exaggerated and sent someone down to see. The man reported back that 1,000 engines were needed.

DeMarne survived the war and died Jan. 28, 2007. He was 101. Read entire obituary HERE

Cyril Demarne wrote The London Blitz: A Fireman’s Tale published in 1980.

Creating Interactive Content

Simon Rodgers is a news editor and runs the DataBlog “Facts are sacred“ and DataStore sections of the Guardian.

He took the 1940 fire brigade records and used Google Fusion to provide an interactive map showing the impact of the first night bombings HERE.

He also created an interactive map showing the hour-to-hour developments HERE

The relentless attacks on civilian targets stretched the fire brigade thin. In the first 22 nights of the London air raids, firefighters fought nearly 10,000 fires.

1002 firefighters died during the war, 327 in London. Including those that were killed when fire stations were struck by bombs during the blitz.

3000 firefighters were seriously injured.

This video commemorates “The Second Fire of London.” The attacks of December 29/30, 1940 were the most intense, starting 1500 fires. Three developed into conflagrations and a firestorm. Destroyed an area larger than the original 1666 fire. This was the night that the fire service saved St Paul’s Cathedral.

The Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) was established in 1938 to form a voluntary service to assist the existing fire services in case of air raids in the event of war. (HERE) For 90 per cent of auxiliary firemen, the start of the Blitz was their first experience firefighting.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
Update: Added content and edited earlier post.

Posted by on September 6, 2010 • Filed under: aircraft, Command & Leadership, explosion, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Fires, history, In the Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, Urban Commander, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend Upcoming

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FIREGEEZER ASKS YOU TO TAKE 3 MINUTES TO WATCH and listen to this special message from Chief Ron Siarnicki, the Executive Director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation:

Thank you.

Posted by on August 23, 2010 • Filed under: commentary, Fire Rescue Topics, In the Line of Duty, Videos • Tagged: ,