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Burning Train Trestle Tumbles in Texas

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Elevated approach to trestle bridge destroyed

SAN SABA, Texas (KXAN) -

A railroad bridge on the northern edge of the Hill Country came crashing down after flames engulfed the massive structure on Sunday.

The bridge spans the Colorado River along the San Saba and Lampasas county line, east of San Saba, Texas, and north of U.S. Highway 190. A foot bridge that crosses the river also burned.

Volunteer firefighters from Lometa and San Saba were on the scene for more than 15 hours. Crews responded to the call at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday and finally left the scene at 8 p.m. Monday.

According to the San Saba County Sheriff, the train trestle was built in 1910 and is privately owned by Heart of Texas Railroad in Brady, Texas.

The company mainly used the line to move sand for fracking from Brady to Lomita.

"It was an area landmark," said Sheriff Steve Boyd. "One landowner actually brought property nearby because he liked looking at the trestle."

Video shot by Jaime Smart, a member of the Lometa VFD, captured the bridge burning and falling to the ground.

Google Earth

From BridgeHunter:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on May 23, 2013 • Filed under: Fires, Major Incidents, News, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Morning Lineup – May 21

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Tuesday Morning – Horrible, Simply Horrible

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

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

AP / Ogrocki

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

*  *  *

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

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

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

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

KPIX

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

As simple as that.

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

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Posted by on May 21, 2013 • Filed under: current events, Fire Rescue Topics, Major Incidents, morning lineup, technology

When should Chief of Department take command? (update w/ video)

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Where should the Chief of Department be at a major, multi-jurisdictional event?

Yesterday we looked at the professional background of Steve Abraira, the first outsider appointed Chief of Department in Boston. Thirteen of the 14 deputy chiefs shared their frustration about Chief Abraira's command style with Mayor Menino (and the rest of the world).

Boston Fire Command Structure

There are 35 fire stations in the 47.3 square mile city. Organized into nine battalions and two divisions,

Each of the nine battalions, called "District" in Boston, is comprised of three to five fire stations. There is a District chief assigned to each battalion.

The District Chiefs respond to an average of 280 structure fires a month, a trend that has been rising for the last couple of years. December 2011 showed 416 structure fires, January 2012 had 407.  (District 11 image courtesy publicservicevehicles.com )

The city is divided into two Divisions, supervising four or five Districts. A Deputy Fire Chief is assigned to each Division. The Deputy responds to second alarm incidents. Boston averages four multiple alarm fires a month, as many as nine (June 2010).

Traditionally, the Chief of Department responds to third alarm incidents. There were 11 events in 2012 that went beyond a second alarm, one going to a sixth alarm. In 2011 there were 16 events that went beyond a second alarm, two were fifth alarm fires.

Retired firefighter and photographer Bill Noonan, when discussing this issue on FaceBook, noted that the last Chief of Department was responding to second alarm events.

During Chief Abraira's time as the Dallas (Texas) Fire Chief, they averaged 150 structure fires a month.

NIMS does not require Chief of Department to be the Incident Commander

In a Boston Globe article by Travis Anderson about the issue:

“I think the big issue for them is, they think that because I’m not called the incident commander, I don’t have responsibility, and that’s not true,” said Abraira, who previously led the Dallas department and was an assistant chief with the Miami Fire Department. “I’ve reiterated that. . . . I’m still responsible for what goes on there.”

He said he polled 29 big city fire departments last year to see if their chiefs are required to take command of a scene, and only the New Haven department said it follows that policy.

The chief also denied an asser­tion in the deputy chiefs’ letter that he took a picture of himself at a six-alarm fire in East Boston on the roof of an adjacent building, to capture the blaze in the background, and that he was “worrying about his ‘scrapbook’ ” instead of fire safety. Abraira said he went to the roof to see what the roof of the other building looked like but called the ­notion that he took a photograph of himself “just crazy.”

Deputies criticize Boston fire chief in letter: They tell Menino that Abraira failed to take command at Marathon bombings

Major event of national importance

The 2008 update of the National Response Framework removed the designation of "Incidents of National Importance" in order to create a more agile response. Still, events like the Boston Marathon generate tremendous attention and preparation by local, state, regional and federal resources. The role of the Chief of Department may be within the senior command of the Joint Field Office, interacting with all of the other senior agency representatives as they process real-time input and send resources to a dynamic, unfolding incident.

Big city fire departments rarely act alone when operating at major fire incidents, the role of the Chief of Department changes under the National Response Framework.

(update)  "Stop dancing around the question – when should the CoD take command?"

For third alarm structure fires, the past practice was the Chief of Department would arrive, announce that he has command and the Deputy Chief commanding the incident would move in to command the most critical activity. This started long before NIMS and is a baked-in command practice. It works and makes sense.

Earlier Fire Chiefs have accumulated 20-30 years experience handling fires in Boston and intimately know the neighborhoods, built environment and fire history. The Chief of Department has worked with the command staff on thousands of incidents as the CoD went from Lieutenant to Captain to District Chief to Deputy Chief.

Chief Abraira does not have that experience database, going to the roof of an adjacent structure to determine construction details during a six-alarm fire is understandable. He has little experience with his subordinate commanders, no shared close-calls, no local history.  No trust.

Learning-as-you-burn is not a good technique when you start with a third alarm event, I appreciate the deputy chief's lack of confidence in the fire chief as an incident commander. Chief of Department needs to be the commander of third alarm or higher events.

If the current or future Chief of Department wants to change the Boston model, will need to provide training and practice to implement.

Update 2: Demonstration of the Chief of Department activities at a major blaze

Tip of the digital helmet to Bill Carey, who posted this portion of a "48 hours" segment on the Boston Fire Department battling a 9-alarm blaze in 1989 on Firefighter Behavior:

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

 

Posted by on May 16, 2013 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Major Incidents, Technology & Communications, Training & Development, Urban Commander, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Boston Deputy Chiefs declare “no confidence” in first outsider to be Chief of Department

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That's not how we do it here.

On May 14 Dave Wedge of the Boston Herald broke this story:

All 13 Thirteen of 14 deputy chiefs in the Boston Fire Department have declared they have “no confidence” in Chief Steve Abraira, firing off an angry letter to the mayor saying the fire boss “failed” by balking at taking command at the deadly Boston Marathon bombing scene.

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Herald, blasts Abraira — the department’s highest-ranking uniformed officer — as a “ghost fire chief” who “never announced his arrival on the radio or assumed any command authority” at the April 15 terror attack on Boylston Streeet.

“At a time when the City of Boston needed every first responder to take decisive action, Chief Abraira failed to get involved in operational decision-making or show any leadership,” the letter, signed by each deputy chief, reads. “You can unequivocally consider this letter a vote of no confidence in Chief Abraira.”

Deputy chiefs declare 'no confidence’ in Boston fire chief

Boston is third metro chief fire executive appointment for Chief Steve Abraira

The November 2011 announcement of Chief Abraria's appointment in Boston provides background:

Chief Abraira served the Miami, Florida Fire-Rescue Department for over 26 years, retiring as an Assistant Fire Chief in 2000 when he was appointed Fire Chief of the City of Dallas, Texas Fire-Rescue Department. Chief Abraira served the City of Dallas for over 5 years before retiring and returning to Florida.

In 2007, Abraira came out of retirement to assume his current position of Fire Chief in Palm Bay, Florida. He holds a Bachelor degree in Public Administration from Barry University and graduates on December 17th, 2011 with a dual Masters degree in Human Resources Management and Management and Leadership from Webster University. Abraira also holds the Chief Fire Officer designation from the Commission on Professional Credentialing and is a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers.

The fire service is truly an Abraira family calling. Chief Abraira’s son is currently a Fire Lieutenant with the City of Miami Fire-Rescue Department, making him a third-generation Miami firefighter.

New Chief of Department Appointed

Last year, Dave Wedge posted a story revealing that the first Latino Chief of Department does not speak Spanish.

The Boston Fire Department’s new second in command was hailed as the city’s first Latino chief when he was hired last year, but the veteran firefighter doesn’t speak Spanish, the Herald has learned.

The surprising news comes at a time when the city is pushing to hike the number of bilingual Latino firefighters — even as they have assigned several to largely non-Spanish-speaking areas.

Celebrated Latino hire not bilingual. BFD chief: It ‘never came up’ .  This story picked up national attention: Steve Abraira, Latino Fire Department Chief, Singled Out For Inability To Speak Spanish .

Changed "Dallas Fire Department" to "Dallas Fire Rescue"

When Chief Abraira arrived in Dallas, he was surprised how the firefighter-staffed ambulances were handled. The units were identified with a three-digit number and "dispatched like taxi cabs." Their radio identifications were changed to "Rescue" and new transport units were painted red.

Flicker picture from So Cal Metro

The most controversial act was changing the department's name.  Dallas Morning News reporter Tanya Eiserer covered the reaction when the city council moved to formally change the department's name in 2005:

The name Dallas Fire Department carries with it the proud tradition of a 133-year history. But a proposed charter amendment that would legally change the department's name to Dallas Fire-Rescue has some firefighters fuming.

"We've protected the city under the banner of the Dallas Fire Department for more than 130 years," said Mike Buehler, president of the Dallas Firefighters Association. "There is no reason to change now. Major departments – Chicago, New York, Phoenix – none of them are changing their names."

The name Dallas Fire-Rescue came into use during Steve Abraira's tenure as fire chief. He had been an assistant chief of Miami Fire-Rescue before his arrival in Dallas in 2000.

Shortly after assuming command, the former chief decided – without consulting rank-and-file firefighters – to change the department's name, Mr. Buehler said. The former chief argued that the new moniker better reflected the department's overall mission, which includes responding to emergency medical calls as well as house fires.

Mr. Abraira ordered that departmental-issue clothing bear the new moniker. The department's Web site became dallas firerescue.com. The name was placed on all rescue vehicles and on newer fire engines and trucks, but all the department's engines, trucks and rescues still carry the traditional DFD logo.

Not wanting to provoke the former chief's ire, Mr. Buehler said, the firefighters association didn't publicly oppose the name change.

"This was one the chief was adamant about," he said. "We weren't going to pick that battle with him when we had so many other things to focus on."

Dallas Firefighters Distraught Over Department's Proposed Name Change  (no link)

At that time, 58% of the emergency incidents were medical calls.

When a municipality reaches outside for the fire chief, they are looking for a change agent or a different approach to how the department operates.

Tomorrow we will look at the issue of when the Chief of Department should take command of an incident.

Tip of the helmet to Brad Newbury

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on May 15, 2013 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Major Incidents, News, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

8-Story Factory Collapse Kills Scores In Bangladesh

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Death Toll Continues To Rise

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

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

Reuters

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

The Associated Press is reporting:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CBS News reports:

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

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

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

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

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

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Posted by on April 24, 2013 • Filed under: Building construction, current events, Fire Rescue Topics, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, rescue, Rescues, Videos • Tagged: ,

West, Texas – Day 2

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"That whole street is gone! … "

Those were the words of a survivor of last night's major explosion in West, Texas, at the town's primary employer, a fertilizer plant.  Listen to his first-hand description of what he experienced on this video provided by NBC News:

 

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

 

As dawn crept across Texas this morning, the magnitude of the fertilizer factory explosion became more apparent and the massive search for survivors and other victims continues.

Firegeezer will be keeping this posting open all day and updated as more verified information is released.

Tribune-Herald photo

Early reports this morning quote the county's emergency operations director as saying that he believes there are two EMT's that were killed and five firefighters are missing and presumed dead.  They were all at the plant working the fire when the blast occurred.  There were also several factory employees on the job (unconfirmed… FG) but nobody has been able to get into the blast zone yet.

The hulk of the West VFD firetruck positioned at the plant  (Reuters)

NBC News has posted some eyewitness accounts:

Crystal Jerigan rushed outside her home about 15 blocks from the blazing West Fertilizer Company plant after hearing the sirens of emergency responders. She was in the driveway with her two daughters preparing to flee when the plant exploded.

"About the time that I got to the car, you could hear the boom and within seconds, it just sucked you in and just threw you to the ground," Jerigan told NBC.

*  *  *

Another local resident, Derrick Hurtt, who was sitting in his truck with his daughter Khloey taping the burning plant, caught the moment of the blast on camera. He estimated he was at least 300 yards from the plant, but that was still too close. In his video, Hurtt can be heard asking his daughter if she is OK.

"Please get out of here, please get out of here, dad please get out of here," the young girl can be heard saying. "I can’t hear anything."

"I’m pretty sure it lifted the truck off the ground," Hurtt said on TODAY. "It just blew me over on top of her. It all happened so quick that things just kind of went black for a moment."

*  *  *

"A nearby nursing home is really bad, there’s an apartment complex and the school that caught fire," Crystal Anthony, who serves on the town’s school board of trustees, told the Waco Tribune-Herald. "We’ve been moving patients out of the nursing home and taking them to the football field and gymnastics building on Davis Street."

 

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Posted by on April 18, 2013 • Filed under: explosion, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, Videos • Tagged: ,

Mighty Ka-Boom Rocks Texas Town

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Large Percentage of Town Leveled

UPDATE:  REPORT NOW SAYING THAT FIREFIGHTERS WERE ALREADY ON THE SCENE WORKING A FIRE WHEN THE BLAST HIT.  UNKNOWN NUMBER INJURED OR KILLED.  PLANT WORKERS ON SITE ALSO.  SCROLL DOWN.

UPDATE #2:  WACO TV REPORTING 60-70 DEAD, OVER 100 INJURED.  Scroll down.

UPDATE #3:  CASUALTY COUNT REVISED.
Thursday morning:  Verified casualties are closer to 15 dead and 160 injured with more searching still to be completed.  Scroll down.

THE SMALL TOWN OF WEST, Texas (pop. 2,800) has been near-destroyed Wednesday night when a fertilizer factory blew up and set dozens of buildings on fire.  High numbers of injuries are expected.

KWTX-TV

The blast occurred just before 8 pm Central and heavily damaged or destroyed every home within four blocks of the plant.  Throughout the entire town there are many buildings on fire in the rural community located about 35 miles from Waco on I-35.

Fox News is reporting:

Department of Public Safety troopers were using their squad cars to transport those injured by the blast and fire at the plant in West, a community north of Waco, Gayle Scarbrough, a spokeswoman for the department's Waco office, told television station KWTX. She said six helicopters were also en route to help out.

American Red Cross crews from across Texas are being sent to the site.Red Cross spokeswoman Anita Foster says her group is working with emergency management officials to find a safe shelter for residents displaced from their homes.

The blast at West Fertilizer plant, reported shortly before 8 p.m. CT, was confirmed by Waco police dispatch operators. First responders are dealing with numerous injuries and major damage to structures and vehicles, Scarbrough said.

Two hours after the initial blast there were many buildings still on fire.

Several buildings, some in residential areas, were reported to be burning, others destroyed, and a nearby nursing home was damaged. The blast at West Fertilizer plant, reported shortly before 8 p.m. CT, was confirmed by Waco police dispatch operators. First responders are dealing with numerous injuries and major damage to structures and vehicles, Scarbrough said.

 

Initial reports say people are trapped in a nearby nursing home and an apartment building. according to Reuters. A local school football field is being setup as a staging area.

 

WFAA-TV Ch. 8 Dallas had this early report before news crews arrived at the site:

 

CNN has just added:

A number of nearby residents were being evacuated because of the possibility of another explosion, officials said.

A hospital in nearby Waco, Texas, has been told to anticipate 100 injured people coming in from the fertilizer plant area, an official at the medical facility said.

Glenn Robinson, CEO of Hillcrest Hospital, said a field triage station was being set up on a football field near the plant some 18 miles north of Waco after the Wednesday night explosion.

Victims were pouring into the triage area as it was setting up.

 

"We have had a steady flow of patients coming in by ambulance as well as by private vehicles," Robinson told CNN's Anderson Cooper.

More than 40 patients were received as of 10 p.m. (11 p.m. ET), Robinson said, suffering from "blast injuries, orthopedic injuries (and) a lot of lacerations. While some of the injuries are minor, others are "quite serious," he said.

This event is less than three hours old at the time of this initial posting.  We will be updating continually.  Check back.

UPDATE, 11:10 AM CENTRAL, Firefighters caught in blast: 
The Waco Tribune is reporting:

Firefighters were trying to put out a fire at the plant when the explosion occurred, said West Mayor Pro-tem Steve Vanek, who was on his way to help when the blast took place.

Shortly after 9 p.m., Vanek was talking to personnel near the scene, visibly upset with his head in his hands, bent over at the waist. One of the people speaking with Vanek said "he lost a lot of his buddies out there."

Asked if he knew if any of the firefighters were killed, Vanek replied, "I fear for the worst, but I’m praying for the best."

*  *  *

A stream of emergency vehicles, including ambulances, sheriff’s deputies, and other emergency vehicles, poured into the town shortly after the explosion. A Hill County sheriff’s deputy who was directing traffic said the explosion shook the windows of his home in Whitney. The deputy said a fire broke out at the fertilizer plant and the blast occurred while firefighters were trying to put it out. Many of the injured are firefighters, he said.

Crystal Anthony, who serves on the West Independent School District board of trustees, said she and her daughter were "knocked back" by the blast as they stood blocks away from the plant.

"A nearby nursing home is really bad, there’s an apartment complex and the school (West Middle School) that caught fire," she said. "We’ve been moving patients out of the nursing home and taking them to the football field and gymnastics building on Davis Street."

Denise Day, a nurse at the West Rest Haven Nursing Home, 300 Haven St., said she had arrived at her home 23 miles from West when she heard the explosion. At first, Day said, she and her husband thought it was thunder. But after turning on an emergency scanner, they quickly learned what had happened and she returned to help evacuate about 50 to 100 of the nursing home’s 140 residents.

Many of those evacuated from the home could be seen sitting in wheelchairs near the end of the high school’s football field with cuts on their heads from flying glass after the explosion. About 15 to 20 ambulances were parked on the football field at about 9:45 p.m.

UPDATE #2, 11:30 PM CENTRAL:
KWTX-TV Waco is reporting early casualty figures:

West EMS Director Dr. George Smith says as many as 60 or 70 people died and at least 100 were injured Wednesday night in a fertilizer plant explosion in West.

West Mayor Tommy Muska said at a news conference however, that he doesn't yet know how many people were hurt or killed in the blast explosion. He said there was a fire at the West Fertilizer plant before the explosion.

The explosion was reported at around 7:50 p.m. in a frantic radio call from the scene of the fire at West Fertilizer at 1471 Jerry Mashek Dr. just off Interstate 35.

The fire started in an anhydrous ammonia tank and spread to the building, authorities said. The resulting explosion spread the fire to the Middle School and to a nearby nursing home.

About 60 people had been taken to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center by shortly before 10 p.m. By 10:45 p.m. 61 injured victims had been admitted to Hillcrest, 44 of whom were in serious condition. Scott & White said it has received three patients, two at Scott & White Memorial Hospital, and one at McLane Children’s Hospital. Providence Health Center in Waco had received 22 patients by 11 p.m. Wednesday.

West Fire Department WEBPAGE.

UPDATE #3 – THURSDAY AM:

With dawn breaking over the town of West, Texas, the organized search and rescue operation is proceding.  So far, the authorities are listing approx. 15 known fatalities and about 160 injured, many of them seriously.  Both counts are expected to rise during the day as more of the devastation is uncovered and others who were previously unaccounted for start showing up.

This report will be continuing on a separate, updated posting this morning.  This posting is closed.

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Posted by on April 17, 2013 • Filed under: explosion, Fire Rescue Topics, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, Videos • Tagged: ,

Technician Kyle Wilson and the lessons we can never forget (repost)

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Five Six years ago today

Last year Dave Statter shared his experience about the 2007 line-of-duty death of Technician I Kyle Wilson in Prince Wiliam County. (Dave's article HERE). Dave is concerned that the Virginia Tech massacre overshadowed the tragedy at 15492 Marsh Overlook Drive.

I am re-posting my response because we will never forget.  I am in the midst of getting the third edition of the Fire Officer textbook out. The lessons learned from Kyle's sacrifice remain vital.

<<<<<<<<<<  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The after-action analysis and discussions were painful, emotional and worthwhile. I closely followed the process and spoke to with many of the participants. They are my friends and colleagues.

My "bully pulpit" is a textbook that is used by many for their Fire Officer I and II training.

In Chapter 16, "Fire Attack" this is how the section on Smoke, Wind, Size and Fire Flow looks in the second edition (2010).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's start the Fire Department Instructor's Conference week with an in-station drill on one of these topics:

  • Burning Type V residential structure behavior in high wind conditions
  • Determining initial attack fire flow in high wind conditions
  • Austere crew (thin staffed) fire attack procedures
  • Why the NFPA 1710 single family dwelling does not match your first due (you can find an analysis starting on page 188 of the Prince William report.)

NIOSH LODD report

Fire departments should develop SOP’s for incidents with high-wind conditions including defensive attack if necessary. Weather can be considered as critically important when at the extreme, and relatively unimportant during normal conditions.

Wind has a strong effect on fire behavior which includes supplying oxygen, reducing fuel moisture, and exerting physical pressure to move the fire and heat. Wildland fire fighters are very familiar with these effects of wind on the rate at which fire spreads.

According to Dunn, “When the exterior wind velocity is in excess of 30 miles per hour, the chances of conflagration are great; however, against such forceful winds, the chances of successful advance of an initial hose line attack on a structure fire are diminished. The firefighters won’t be able to make forward hoseline progress because the flame and heat, under the wind’s additional force, will blow into the path of advancement.

Fire fighters should change their strategy when encountering high wind conditions. An SOP should be developed to include obtaining the wind speed and direction, and guidelines established for possible scenarios associated with the wind speed and the possible fuel available, similar to that in wildland fire fighting. When the interior attack line has little or no effect on the fire, the line should be withdrawn and a second hoseline should be advanced on the upwind side of the fire. This method may require the use of an aerial ladder or portable ladder, if safety permits.

Prince William County report  (385 pages)

The major factors in the line of duty death of Technician I Wilson were determined to be:
• The initial arriving fire suppression force size.
• The size up of fire development and spread.
• The impact of high winds on fire development and spread.
• The large structure size and lightweight construction and materials.
• The rapid intervention and firefighter rescue efforts.
• The incident control and management.

Thanks to Dave Statter for making an important observation.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on April 16, 2013 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Training & Development, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Active: Terroristic-Style Bombings Interrupt Boston Marathon

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MAJOR INCIDENT UNFOLDING

*  TWO EXPLOSIONS AT FINISH LINE as runners are coming through.

WBZ-TV

*  HIGH INJURY COUNT – POSSIBLE DEATHS – Reports of human limbs being blown off.

*  BLASTS IN RAPID SUCCESSION around 2:50 pm about three hours after winner had passed by.

*  MORE SUSPECTED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES found in area.

USA Today is reporting:

Witnesses said the blasts occurred in quick succession about 2:50 p.m. on Boylston Street near the intersection of Exeter Street, three hours after the winner had crossed the finish line. Some store fronts were blown out.

CNN

Bloodied spectators were carried to medical tent intended for runners. Several of the injured has lost limbs, and at least one police officer was hurt.

"Somebody's leg flew by my head. I gave my belt to stop the blood," spectator John Ross told the Herald.

Organizers immediately stopped the race and locked down the marathon headquarters.

CNN

The elite women runners started the race at 9:30 a.m. and the elite men followed about 30 minutes later. About 27,000 runners were in the field for the Patriots Day race.

"There are a lot of people down," one man, whose bib No. 17528 identified him as Frank Deruyter, told the Associated Press.

Smoke hung over the neighborhood as police cleared the thousands of spectators who had jammed the route.

The final 100 meters of the race is lined with bleacher seating, reserved for race officials and invited guests. The area on Charles River, on the north side Boylston Street is open to the general public. At the corner of Hereford and Boylston Streets, there is a Boston EMS Medical Tent and a fire station.

The Mandarin Oriental hotel on Huntington has been evacuated. A hotel employee who did not provide his name said all businesses on the block had been evacuated as a precautionary measure.

WHDH-TV had tape rolling when second bomb went off:

 

The New York Police Department has stepped up security around landmarks in Manhattan, including near prominent hotels, in response to at least one explosion near the finish line of the Boston marathon on Monday, said Paul Browne, deputy commissioner of the NYPD.

Browne told Reuters that New York police were re-deploying counter-terrorism vehicles around the city.

Video from WBZ-TV:

 

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Raw video from WPXI-TV:

 

There have been reports of several suspicious packages, bags etc., in the area and at least one of them was destroyed by the police bomb squad.

There is an ongoing fire at the JFK Library several blocks away that may have involved an explosion.  The police are currently deeming that description as accurate, however they do not believe it to be related to the other incidents currently.

An updated report from ABC News is saying:

Authorities in Boston have found other explosive devices that they were working to dismantle, a federal law enforcement source told CNN. The devices were "low flashpoint," and did not appear to have shrapnel inside them, the source said.

It was unclear who may have planted the bombs. There were no credible threats before the race, a state government official said.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Lenox Hotel was evacuated, the Boston Globe reported, as authorities looked into possible security concerns.

Massachusetts General Hospital said it was treating 19 injured people, six of them in critical condition. Tufts Medical Center reported that it was treating nine people. Combined, that brings the number of injured to at least 28. Police reported 22 people injured.

Crowds were in the area watching the runners when the blasts took place.

　

An emergency room doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital told ABC News that they have performed several amputations, particularly on victims whose legs were injured. Many of the victims are runners still wearing numbers on their shirts, the doctor said.

He described the injuries as "shrapnel-type wounds" as possibly caused by "pipe bombs," though police have not confirmed that description.

Earlier, trauma nurse from Massachusetts General Hospital told ABC News that medical workers had set up a temporary morgue at a medical tent at the road race and were treating patients with severed limbs and children with severe burns.

An unconfirmed report said that police have been assigned to maintain a presence at a hospital room containing a "person of interest" who is being treated for severe burns.

 

THIS REPORT WILL BE UPDATED periodically.  Keep checking back.

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Posted by on April 15, 2013 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, Videos • Tagged:

Nine More Houses Go In Shenandoah

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Town Being Decimated by String of Fires

THE COAL REGION CITY OF SHENANDOAH, Pennsylvania, took another hit early yesterday morning (Saturday) as the outbreak of house fires did even more damage than usual.  In the past month there have been at least four fires in the town that have destroyed two or more homes.

Republican-Herald image

Nine row homes were destroyed in a fire so destructive that the investigators are having difficulty finding the cause of the fire.  The Hazelton Standard Speaker reported:

A woman who jumped from a third floor window to escape a fast moving fire inside her apartment building remains in critical condition at an area trauma center. Lisa Goida, 43, who lived at 36 W. Coal St. jumped as flames were consuming her apartment building, producing heavy smoke, state police at Frackville said.

The woman's boyfriend, Dean Tessitore, 52, was helped from an adjacent third-floor window by borough firefighters who arrived minutes after receiving the 3:20 a.m. call, Shenandoah police Patrolman Kirk Kirkland said. Tessitore was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street and was released after being treated for smoke inhalation, state police said.

Borough fire marshal Rick Examitas said that Goida was taken to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, by ambulance for treatment of serious injuries she suffered when landing on the cement sidewalk in front of her home. He said it was initially hoped to fly the woman to the Montour County trauma center but all medical helicopters were grounded due to inclement weather.

State police fire marshal Trooper Michael J. Kowalick, of Troop L headquarters in Reading, is investigating the fire with assistance from Trooper Thomas Finn.

They said it is believed the fire started in a second-floor, middle room of the apartment of Tessitore and Goida and spread from there. The exact cause of the fire remains undetermined due to a collapse of the area, state police said.

The Shenandoah Fire Chief quickly escalated the response to four alarms because of the rapidly growing fire in the old, wood-framed homes that are mostly sharing common roof spaces.

WNEP-TV image

WNEP-TV has more details plus a good video report HERE.

FIREandFILM.com has provided this extensive raw video taken during the fire:

 

Thanks to Carmine S.

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Posted by on February 24, 2013 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Major Incidents, Videos • Tagged: ,

Inside Superdome operations center when the lights went out.

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Solving problems as professionals

Most folks involved in operations remain focused on their tasks. They plan for problems and consider options.

Some civilians speculate that panic occurs when a problem arises.

This CBS clip, a teaser for a show tomorrow night, was inside the Superdome command post when the lights went out.

Frank Supovitz is the Senior Vice President for Events at the NFL.

Went to "manual override" within two minutes.

Note the interaction between Supovitz and SMG Senior Vice President Doug Thornton.

SMG manages the Mercedes-Benz Superdome facility:

From Thornton (guy in white shirt) "Frank, we lost the A feed."

Supovitz "What does that mean?"

Thornton "It means we have to do the buss tie."

Supovitz "What does that mean?"

Thornton "That means about a 20 minute delay."

More information from this CBS/AP February 4th item: Super  Bowl Power Outage: What Went Wrong

The outage generated 231,000 tweets per minute. 

I loved Audi's tweet:

The Oreo picture got the most response on Twitter:

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on February 5, 2013 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, Dispatch & Communications, Major Incidents, News, Technology & Communications, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Star Trek inspired a “kid with glasses who never flew a plane” to become an astronaut

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Remembering Astronaut Ronald E. McNair

Published on Jan 27, 2013

On January 28, 1986, NASA Challenger mission STS-51-L ended in tragedy when the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after takeoff.  On board was physicist Ronald E. McNair, who was the second African American to enter space. But first, he was a kid with big dreams in Lake City, South Carolina.

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From NASA biography:

Graduated from Carver High School, Lake City, South Carolina, in 1967; received a bachelor of science degree in Physics from North Carolina A&T State University in 1971 and a doctor of philosophy in Physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976.

Graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina A&T (1971); named a Presidential Scholar (1967-1971), a Ford Foundation Fellow (1971-1974), a National Fellowship Fund Fellow (1974-1975), a NATO Fellow (1975); winner of Omega Psi Phi Scholar of the Year Award (1975), Los Angeles Public School Systems Service Commendation (1979), Distinguished Alumni Award (1979), National Society of Black Professional Engineers Distinguished National Scientist Award (1979), Friend of Freedom Award (1981), Whos Who Among Black Americans (1980), an AAU Karate Gold Medal (1976), five Regional Blackbelt Karate Championships, and numerous proclamations and achievement awards.

While at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. McNair performed some of the earliest development of chemical HF/DF and high-pressure CO lasers. His later experiments and theoretical analysis on the interaction of intense CO2 laser radiation with molecular gases provided new understandings and applications for highly excited polyatomic molecules.

In 1975, he studied laser physics with many authorities in the field at Ecole Dete Theorique de Physique, Les Houches, France. He published several papers in the areas of lasers and molecular spectroscopy and gave many presentations in the United States and abroad.

Following graduation from MIT in 1976, he became a staff physicist with Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. His assignments included the development of lasers for isotope separation and photochemistry utilizing non-linear interactions in low-temperature liquids and optical pumping techniques. He also conducted research on electro-optic laser modulation for satellite-to-satellite space communications, the construction of ultra-fast infrared detectors, ultraviolet atmospheric remote sensing, and the scientific foundations of the martial arts.

Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in January 1978, he completed a 1-year training and evaluation period in August 1979, qualifying him for assignment as a mission specialist astronaut on Space Shuttle flight crews.

He first flew as a mission specialist on STS 41-B which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on February 3, 1984. The crew included spacecraft commander, Mr. Vance Brand, the pilot, Commander Robert L. Gibson, and fellow mission specialists, Captain Bruce McCandless II, and Lt. Col. Robert L. Stewart. The flight accomplished the proper shuttle deployment of two Hughes 376 communications satellites, as well as the flight testing of rendezvous sensors and computer programs. This mission marked the first flight of the Manned Maneuvering Unit and the first use of the Canadian arm (operated by McNair) to position EVA crewman around Challengers payload bay.

Included were the German SPAS-01 Satellite, acoustic levitation and chemical separation experiments, the Cinema 360 motion picture filming, five Getaway Specials, and numerous mid-deck experiments — all of which Dr. McNair assumed primary responsibility. Challenger culminated in the first landing on the runway at Kennedy Space Center on February 11, 1984. With the completion of this flight, he logged a total of 191 hours in space.

Dr. McNair was assigned as a mission specialist on STS 51-L. Dr. McNair died on January 28, 1986 when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after launch from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, also taking the lives of the spacecraft commander, Mr. F.R. Scobee, the pilot, Commander M.J. Smith (USN), mission specialists, Lieutenant Colonel E.S. Onizuka (USAF), and Dr. J.A. Resnik, and two civilian payload specialists, Mr. G.B. Jarvis and Mrs. S. C. McAuliffe.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

 

Posted by on February 3, 2013 • Filed under: Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , ,

The 1913 Brennan Hotel fire – LAFD

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This is but one story of a Fire Department drenched in rich history, centered around bravery. May it remind us of the daily courageous acts of firefighters world wide and the countless stories gone untold.

LAFD spokesperson Erik Scott provides a press release:

Dear Friend of the LAFD,

     We would like to share a story with you that turns 100 years-old today. Not just any story. A story that is one of the most talked about fires in the history of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

A fire so vicious it injured 30 rugged firemen, burying five, and nearly cost the Chief of the Department his life.

A fire where chorus girls in makeup rewarded exhausted firemen with kisses as they exited the smoke-filled building.

A fire where likely more pictures were taken than any other fire in the horse drawn era (1877-1921).

A fire so fierce it inspired the instant making of a movie. A fire where the Los Angeles Mayor actually pulled hose-line, and thousands of spectators powerlessly watched wide eyed.

This is a story like no other, and just when everyone thought the flames were out…

Go HERE to read the rest of Scott's article.

Go HERE to see the LAFD Historical Archive photographs.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on January 24, 2013 • Filed under: Fires, Major Incidents, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , ,

Famous Dormitory Fire Recalled – Part Two

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On December 13, 1977, a fire started on the fourth floor of a women's dormitory, Aquinas Hall, at Providence College in Rhode Island. Within 30 minutes ten young women were dead. According to the NFPA, two of the ten student fatalities died from injuries received when they jumped out a window, four died of carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation, and four died as a direct result of burns. Twelve students and one firefighter were injured.

Long-time Firegeezer reader and occasional contributor, Mark Donovan was a student at PC at the time and was witness to the activities and the area of destruction. He has written this recollection to share with us his experience. This is the conclusion of a two-part article.  Read Part One HERE..

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PROVIDENCE COLLEGE DORM FIRE: 35 YEARS AGO
Part Two

by Mark Donovan

 

In the morning Sully's shift came on duty and I knew he would come to the scene to relieve the D shift BC. Sure enough, shortly after the sun came up, I saw Car 23 drive up and walked over. It was a somber reunion; we all had cried that morning. He put on his gear, his well-worn turnout coat and dirty helmet; Sully was a firefighter's firefighter, no fireground commander alone… he worked, "I won't ask any of my men to do what I wouldn't do" was kind of like a pledge he lived by.

He once told me about a fire at a nursing home on the east side. It was in the sub-basement laundry, and the first due company just couldn't knock it down, despite repeated advances. They had banged the second quickly due to obvious life-safety issues. Finally, calling upon the memory of his deputy chief dad, he looked at all the firefighters who had amassed as a result of the second alarm and said, "We're going to put this M/F fire out… Who has the balls to join me?" And of course, he/they did.

So here, at Aquinas, that somber morning, Sully looked over at me and said, very matter-of-factly, as if he owed it to me, "You ready to go up?" Silently I nodded yes and off he and I went, Billy leading the way with the light of the rechargeable wheat lamp bouncing off the snow.

Aquinas Hall (new wing)

I had been no stranger to Aquinas Hall over the past year and a half. It was a very impressive building, ornate in its architecture, as many on the campus then were. Built in 1938, it was a U-shaped building of mixed construction. Classrooms/lecture hall on the first floor, dorm rooms on second, third and fourth. There were three enclosed stairways. Dead-end corridors of about 60' long at each end. Room doors were non-closing, wood composite; many of them had air-transfer grills approximately five feet from the floor.

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The transfer grills were made of combustible pressed board with holes in it, similar to what you see tools hanging from in a workshop or hardware store. The fire alarm system consisted of manual pull stations, three heat detectors and interior alarm horns. There were no smoke detectors or automatic sprinklers.

We ascended the interior center stairwell, which, to say it was tight, is no exaggeration. In turnout gear it was one thing, however, for two students, say one ascending and one descending, each had to each turn their body to get by the other. If you were claustrophobic, you didn't want to use those stairs. You could, rather, have chosen to use the elevator… no bigger than an old stand-alone phone booth, it had a cage door that opened accordian style. Frankly, I'm sure that everyone using it just crossed their fingers that it would take them to their desired floor. I know I did when I was invited to visit a girl.

We climbed to the fourth floor and my first impression was simply overwhelming.

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The only way to describe the hallway was total combustion. A seasonal competition had been held for the past few years for "Best Decorated Room and Corridor" and the women of Fourth Floor Aquinas readily accepted the challenge. The hallway had been entirely covered, ceiling to floor, with crepe paper. What were once bulletin boards covered in cards, artwork and such were now simply empty frames hanging on the wall. The stench of death (which I would come to know several times again running with Providence) hung in the air as we entered the room of origin and several adjoining rooms. Sully was very matter-of-fact… pointing things out to me as if it were his duty. I really loved him for taking me under his wing. Billy always nodded… he was a good chief's suck.

In one room, it appeared a parachute or some type of large fabric had been hung from the ceiling, barely anything left. What hadn't combusted had melted or just shriveled to nothing.

Click on the "more" link to continue:

 

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Posted by on December 19, 2012 • Filed under: history, Major Incidents • Tagged: , ,

Famous Dormitory Fire Recalled 35 Years Later

1 comment

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On December 13, 1977, a fire started on the fourth floor of a women's dormitory, Aquinas Hall, at Providence College in Rhode Island.  Within 30 minutes ten young women were dead.  According to the NFPA, two of the ten student fatalities died from injuries received when they jumped out a window, four died of carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation, and four died as a direct result of burns. Twelve students and one firefighter were injured.

Long-time Firegeezer reader and occasional contributor, Mark Donovan was a student at PC at the time and was witness to the activities and the area of destruction.  He has written this recollection to share with us his experience.  This is a two-part article and will conclude tomorrow.

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PROVIDENCE COLLEGE DORM FIRE: 35 YEARS AGO

by Mark Donovan

It started as had most early Winter nites there on PC's campus, albeit a nice touch of snow, the season's first on that December 12th, 1977. A 19 year-old sophomore, I had spent some time studying in the library, and then headed back to my single room in Dore Hall, a dorm on the "lower campus" (which had once been home to a mental institution), to continue. Finals were coming up and then Christmas break, which everyone was looking forward to.

The fire radio, ever on, blared call after call, incessant chatter that I had gotten used to. I had a bullhorn speaker mounted at the top of the headboard, which fed me the action all nite long. It was amazing I ever got any sleep!

This particular night I was roused out of a deep sleep by three firm blows on the door. From their intensity, I knew whoever was doing it, was pissed. WAKE UP! R.A. (resident assistant) OPEN THE DOOR, NOW! I looked at the clock and it was after 3 a.m. WTF, I thought, as I got up and opened the door. There he towered, clipboard in hand, "DID YOU HAVE ANY GIRLS IN HERE TONITE???" Clearly shocked (a good Catholic boy like me?), I rattled off NO, and just like that he was off to repeat it to the next room. Before I had a second to think, the fire radio blared, "Car 23 to Car 25 (whom I knew to be the arson investigator), meet me in front of Aquinas Hall." WHOA, that woke me up, I dressed in a flash and off I flew, Aquinas being just across Huxley Ave.

There is a long history of firefighting in my family. As a child, my maternal grandfather was a lieutenant, Engine 4, in Waterbury, CT. My paternal grandparents lived in Lowell, MA, and when, as grandchildren, we weren't going to Fenway Stadium to meet Pop's friends, the DiMaggios, we went to the Elks Club, where he played a strange card game called PEE NUCKLE. Then of course, there was the local ice cream parlor down Stevens St., Brunnell's. The old fashioned kind, with stools, real milk shakes and 24 flavors of hard ice cream! So, often right after dinner we'd head down to Brunnell's for dessert. Although I loved ice cream, the best part of that trek was a visit across the street to Engine 4, an open cab American Lafrance. One time I got so excited that I left my pal, Ted E. Bear, in the front seat of the rig, which wasn't discovered till bedtime. I was upset, but assuaged that first thing in the morning, we'd go get him. And we did, and boy did he have a story to tell. They had caught a worker that nite and Ted E. had taken it in, too!

My older brother and I used to spend two weeks each year with the grandparents, going to Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire, playing with cousins, the usual. But the most fun I would have would be when my grandmother would come into the den, where Pop was smoking his ever present cigar and say, "Stevie Callahan's on the phone." I knew Stevie was a big fire buff, and in a few moments, Pop would walk down to the den and say, "The (something) Mill is burning. Want to go to a fire?" YEA! and off we went. My grandfather worked for the newspaper, so he knew his way around downtown. Whenever we'd see a police car blocking the road, he'd say, "Ok, we're not going that way!" Before long the air was acrid with the lovely smell of smoke and my goodness if he hadn't gotten us behind the police line, sometimes well behind them! Where, for the next couple of hours we would take in the battle, he pointing out to me how the fire was spreading, and "Watch that roof, it's going to fall pretty soon." And that it did. He passed while I had moved on to high school.

During high school I joined a private fire department in Hopeville, CT, under a foul-mouthed, beer-swilling, cheap and wonderful Irish fire chief by the name of Joe (Fitzy) FitzPatrick. Joe was a huge buff, having worked for the Fire Insurance Corps of New York and also ran the FDNY supply store (where the fridge was always stocked with beer!). He introduced me (and many others) to the FDNY. I rode with Engine 82/Ladder 31 of da Bronx (long before Dennis Smith's book came out), Engine 232/Ladder 176 and Engine 202/Ladder 101 in Red Hook, both Brooklyn houses. I was seeing lots of fire and having lots of fun, marching in fire parades throughout the state of Connecticut and New England. I even drank some beer (now and then)! And then came college.

Being raised Catholic, my older brother now attending St. Bonaventure University, my younger brother destined for the priesthood (and to be the only Firefighter 2 certified priest in CT now!), I looked at a number of schools and narrowed it down to PC and St. Anselm's in Manchester, NH. Frankly, I don't remember touring St. Anselm's. What I do remember is my father missing the exit for PC off 95, so we were to take the next one, for downtown. We got off the exit ramp and I had an ephipany. There, to my right, was Providence Fire Headquarters and parked on the ramp were Engine 1, Engine 3 and Ladder 1, all gorgeous Macks. At that moment I made my decision, I'm going to Providence College!

Click on the "more" link to continue.

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Posted by on December 18, 2012 • Filed under: fire, history, Major Incidents • Tagged: , ,

Mammoth Gas Line Ka-Boom Eats Interstate Highway & Burns Homes

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"Fire Sounds Like a Jet Plane Flying Over the Roof"

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A 20-INCH NATURAL GAS TRANSMISSION LINE blew in Sissonville, West Virginia, Tuesday afternoon and started a large fire that consumed five houses.

AP

The rupture ripped open around 12:40 pm in the small town near Charleston and brought life in the area to a standstill as the ear-splitting roar of the fire and 75-ft. high flames dominated the neighborhood.  The Associated Press reports:

Four (now five) homes went up in flames and collapsed in charred heaps Tuesday after a natural gas line exploded in an inferno that raged for at least an hour, melting guardrails and pavement on a swath of Interstate 77.

AP

Trevor Goins lives about a half-mile from the explosion and was watching television in his apartment when he saw a ripple in his coffee cup and the floor shook. "I thought possibly (it was) a plane crash," said Goins, who immediately went outside with several neighbors. "It was so loud it sounded like a turbine engine. You almost had to put your hands over your ears."

"The flames were so high, they were so massive," he said. "I could only imagine what had happened." Carper said the flames spanned about a quarter of a mile and ran through a culvert under the interstate.

"It actually cooked the interstate," he said. "It looks like a tar pit." A roughly 800-foot section both directions was baked by the heat.  "It turned the asphalt to cinder," he said, after walking across it. "Your feet were hot. It was like walking on a volcano."

NBC News posted this video from the scene:

 

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

 The gas supplier Columbia Gas Transmision had the pipeline shut down relatively quickly, but it took nearly an hour for the pressure to drop and for the gas to burn off.

Miraculously, despite the heavy destruction there were no reported injuries other than two people who had minor smoke inhalation.  Nor were there an vehicles on that stretch of the Interstate when it blew.

Daily Mail

As soon as the fire died out, work crews went to work repairing the gas line while highway workers began scraping away the asphalt from the highway down to the concrete base.  New asphalt is being applied tonight and the highway department says that they expect to be able to reopen the Interstate sometime Wednesday night.

Daily Mail

The Charleston Daily Mail has more details HERE plus a good video.

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Posted by on December 12, 2012 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Haz-mat, HazMat, Major Incidents, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Review of “Burn”

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This is a must see documentary

My tribe filled up a row in the back of the AMC LOEWS Georgetown 14 for the 8:30 pm showing on Friday. The theatre was about 3/4's full.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spent a good part of today thinking about what we saw and what it means.

Adam O'Conner from "Real Detroit Weekly":

A brilliantly-filmed documentary with exquisite camera work and editing, including a very appropriate and well thought-out soundtrack, Burn shows exactly what trials and tribulations the firefighters of our once-great city face every single day on the job.

Extremely limited funding, a city that is crumbling upon itself – both literally and figuratively – and the obvious physical hazards that each worker faces on a daily basis are only a few of the depressing themes shown through this great work of cinematography.

Birds-eye views of the city, camera work that gives a literal perspective of fighting a fire from within a burning building and lots of personal interactions and dialogue spent at the firehouses with the crews all add an air of personal investment, though each stops just short of being entirely devastating and emotionally-draining for the viewer.

In response to a question posed by O'Conner in his review, a response from the directors/producers:

… the City of Detroit granted us access to the department with no creative control.

It was a months-long process of discussions about the scope of the film. We maintained that we would be honest and fair and they trusted us, bit by bit. It was a bold and courageous move for a beleaguered administration, but one we are grateful to them for.

You'll notice in the film we don't discuss the history of Detroit or the "how we got here" — we presume any American with a basic education has an understanding of that. We also don't point fingers, because that's not compelling storytelling.

Our goal at the outset was to make an apolitical film that focuses on who these guys are and the work they do. The best war films aren't about war, but about the guys who fight the fight. They get into your heart and they stay there.

Again, thanks so much for the great review!

Best,
Tom Putnam & Brenna Sanchez
Director/Producers, BURN

Tom Santilli interviewed Putnam and Sanchez for examiner.com. I found this part of the interview helpful in considering my reactions to Fire Commissioner Donald Austin:

Of all of the people in the movie, Fire Commissioner Donald Austin seemed to be the most fascinating. A native Detroit-er, he comes over from California with high hopes and ends up seeming in the film like his spirit gets sucked dry. Is he in an impossible situation, or did he strike you as simply the wrong man for the job?

Brenna: It's an impossible position, an impossible job. Because the city doesn't have any money. Dollar resources are strapped. Human resources are strapped. I think he's doing the best he can. He's smart, he's honest, he works so hard. He came in with an idea that he was going to re-structure a contemporary, urban fire department.

Tom: And instead, he was given an ax. A hatchet. To make cuts.

Santilli, Tom. (2012 December 05) Movie review: 'Burn' a documentary profiling the Detroit Fire Department. examiner.com

Though it’s a well-made and eye-opening film, as a Detroit-er, I also found myself feeling slightly agitated and frustrated while watching Burn. Another movie about how bad things are in Detroit?

While Burn exposes some real problems facing our city, it’s yet another black eye for a city whose image has already been beat down and demolished.

When a film sheds light on problems facing Detroit and yet fails to provide us with any real answers, rays of hope or even possible suggested paths to salvation, it is difficult for me to understand the point.

Enough is enough with showing the ugliness of Detroit, there should be a real sense of responsibility to enlighten the masses on what should be done, if anything. Or like a bunch of pyromaniacs, are we supposed to derive pleasure as we sit back and watch a city burn?

Perhaps that’s an unfair, biased take. But being born and raised in Detroit, I couldn’t help but feel slightly burned by Burn.

Funding for film release/distribution remains an issue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go HERE to make a direct donation.

You can pay $15 to download an additional 90 minutes of Detroit ($20 for DVD).  Go HERE.

Or you can pay $250 to have FEO Dave Parnell (retired Engine 50) make you dinner. Go HERE.

Go HERE to request a viewing in your town.

No official information on when a DVD of Burn would be available.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on December 8, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Funding & Staffing, Major Incidents, News, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Downtown Apartment Fire in Juneau

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Successfully Contained to Fire Building

A MAJOR FIRE IN A 4-STORY DOWNTOWN apartment/commercial building burned for nine hours in Juneau, Alaska.  The fire broke out around 5 pm Monday in a 4th-floor apartment and was extinguished at 2 am Tuesday.

Juneau Empire

The fire burned out the fourth floor of the 30-unit building, but the Juneau Fire Department was able to contain the fire to the 4th-floor where it started and spread to the roof which eventually collapsed.  However, the 2-½ million gallons of water that eventually ended up in the basement aided in causing the effective destruction of the building.

The Juneau fire chief reported that every city firefighter was called back (33 career and 65 volunteers) and all pieces of apparatus including reserve trucks were utilized.  Additional assistance was provided by six Sitka firefighters who flew in to Juneau on a Coast Guard helicopter. Retired firefighters in Juneau also helped, as well as an Anchorage firefighter who happened to be in town.

Juneau Empire

The building which was built in 1917 and worth approx. $800,000 (not including land) has been declared a total loss and will have to be demolished.  The fire investigator quickly narrowed the point of origin  down to a specific apartment on the top floor, but he says he has several inteviews  to conduct yet before he can determine the cause.  Arson is not suspected, but hasn't been ruled out either.

The Juneau Empire filed this video report from the fireground:

 

One firefighter suffered a mild concussion after being struck by a hose stream and three civilians receive treatment for smoke inhalation.

The Juneau Empire has the story with more details HERE.
KTOO-TV has more details HERE.
Capital City Fire/Rescue Department WEBSITE.

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Posted by on November 7, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Major Incidents, Videos • Tagged: ,

A Night of Heros

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"A Night of Epic Proportions"

-from The New York City Firefighter Brotherhood

Yesterday afternoon I was eating jambalaya and red beans in a New Orleans dive. The television was in full hurricane mode.

The owner, bartender, cook and regular survived Katrina. Two patrons were from Florida and mentioned that they survived four consecutive hurricanes a couple of years ago. They all asked, where was the media then?

A City So Nice They Named It Twice

The iconic March 29, 1976, magazine cover from The New Yorker symbolizes the assertion that national news is NYC focused. Studios, headquarters staff and production employees are based in the city.

Maybe too much NYC-focused hype.  Then Sandy made landfall …

A Catastrophe Unfolding in Digital Bursts

FDNY Incidents posted tweet and Facebook updates that left me slack-jawed. 

Gregg Favre, a GWU Emergency Services alumn, made a great observation:

I have a bachelors and masters degree in Emergency Management. I teach the practice at the University-level.

I wrote the St. Louis Fire Department's 500-page SOGs on the topic. I feel like I am pretty knowledgable on the subject and grounded in my expectations.

All that said, I am amazed at what is going on in NYC/NJ/NE. This is going to get worse before it gets better. To all my New York friends and co-workers, please be safe.

Swimming to the fire

Before the Breezy Point conflagration in Queens, Favre was focusing on "The Beach House" -  Engine 268 and Ladder 137 in Far Rockaway.

Tonight, the FDNY removed the majority of its units from the Rockaway neighborhood because of extreme danger. They left Engine 268 and Ladder 137 as the lone units.

Favre paraphrased the following radio exchange, I think that The New York City Firefighter Brotherhood Foundation captured a more complete version:

Queens Boro Commander Chief Maynes directly to the officer of Eng Co 268

"The structures are not your concern. Your concern is the residents of Rockaway and your firefighters. Do you understand my order 268"?

Officer of 268 " I understand the orders of Chief Maynes".

That order was made about the same time Engine 268 encountered this situation, as posted by The New York City Firefighter Brotherhood Foundation:
.
268 Engine operating alone at this time at a Rockaway 10-75.
 
They are unable to make entry into the block and the officer in charge of 268 Engine has decided not to commit members. The fire is in an attached private dwelling and is extending to exposures.
 
Queens dispatch has just advised 268 Engine that they are unable to send them any assistance. The fire is located at Beach 114 St & The Boardwalk.

Followed by this report:

 Members of Eng Co 268 have confirmed people trapped in a 10-75. The officer of 268 has just advised Queens that they are removing their bunker gear and are holding onto handlines in an attempt the make rescues.  

This is at the scene of 2 fuly involved private dwellings. 268 members will attempt to swim to the scene and start rescues.

There are hundreds of other events that required courage, creativity and bravery from the last 36 hours.  

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward  

related: September 6, 2010:  Updated: 70th Anniversary of London Blitz

Posted by on October 30, 2012 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, Emergency Communications, EMS Topics, Fire Dispatch, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, News, Rescues, Special Operations, Urban Commander, weather • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Out-Of-Control Fire in Queens Claims 50+ Homes, Still Burning

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Six Alarms Working

A FIRE IN THE QUEENS BOROUGH OF NEW YORK broke out around 11 pm Monday night and is still in progress Tuesday morning.  The fire is located in the Breezy Point neighborhood which is flooded with water four feet deep.

CBS

Two hundred firefighters are working the blaze but with floodwater chest-deep they are heavily involved with rescuing residents by boat ahead of the fire's travel.  The fire chiefs on the scene have estimated that more than 50 homes Update: 80 homes have burned down to the water line so far.  In one instance they climbed onto an awning to bring 25 people from an apartment building down to rescue boats.

Largely, they are helpless to approach much of the burning area with their pumpers.

There is no indication yet on what started the fire or how long this incident will be active.  Following are some early videos of the fire:

 

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Posted by on October 30, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, hurricane watch, Major Incidents, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Massive Ka-Boom Hits Russian Military Site

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Believed to Involve 4,000 Tons of Shells

Russia Today

A SERIES OF THUNDEROUS EXPLOSIONS WRACKED a military testing facility in central Russia on Tuesday.  Russia Today posted this snippet of raw videos taken by citizens in the areas around the site near Orenburg:

 

The blast was felt up to 50 km away as thousands of windows were blown out in nearby towns.  Two towns closest to the facility were evacuated for a while until the danger was believed to be over.

The Ministry of Dis-information initially said that only three shells had exploded, but you can see from the video that is obviously false.  It was later revealed that as much as 4,000 tons of shells had detonated.  The M. of D-I. also announced that there were no injuries, again doubtful after seeing the severity and breadth of the blasts.  Witnesses nearby told the press of large numbers of ambulances carrying victims away to hospitals that are claiming that they have received no victims.

Only 3 shells, not enough to cause any injuries  (RIA Novosti)

Scuttlebut from the blast area is saying that an incident of some sort occurred on a loading dock where old shells were being loaded onto rail cars to be taken away for disposal.  The incident, perhaps a fire, led to three railcars blowing up in the initial blast that led to several others.  It also started a brush fire in the nearby dead grass.

RIA Novosti

RT has a thorough early report on what is known so far HERE along with more photos.

RT also broadcast this video report over their tv network:

 

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Posted by on October 9, 2012 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fire Rescue Topics, Haz-mat, HazMat, Major Incidents • Tagged: , , ,

Updated: A Night of Ka-Booms and Fire Destroys Racing Fuel Factory

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Winnipeg Business Wiped Out

Update, Tuesday 1 pm Eastern:  Additional video posted and later news added.  Scroll down.

A WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, PLANT WAS destroyed overnight when a fire traveled unhindered through an auto racing fuel factory.  Firefighters were unable to get hose lines close enough for several hours as a constant stream of explosions involving barrels filled with fuel continued.

The entire city knew that something major was going on  (CTV / Jackson)

CBC / Visser

The business involved is the Speedway International Inc., which manufactures Pro Comp Racing Methanol racing fuel.  Speedway International’s website describes the company as "North America’s #1 source for 99.99% racing methanol." The fuel is used in Indy car racing and drag racing.

For several hours the blaze was rapidly punctuated
with exploding barrels of methanol fuel. (CBC / Taylor)

The fire began around 5:30 pm Monday evening and burned through the night but has been knocked down.  For about 8 hours or so, approximately 100 nearby homes were evacuated, but the residents were allowed to return shortly after midnight

CTV News reported:

Fifty-five fire fighters were on the scene through the ordeal. Officials said the fire was so hot at one point that it needed to burn itself and die down naturally before anything could be done.

Crews were forced to evacuate at one point during the extensive battle, even abandoning a fire truck at the scene, after a tanker truck exploded near the warehouse.

"We did have a tanker explode here earlier that sent flames about half-a-mile in the air," Winnipeg Fire Chief Reid Douglas told reporters Monday night. "It was pretty significant, and it caused us to rethink our strategy."

By late Monday night, the fire had died down enough to allow fire crews to return and douse the blaze.

CBC-TV has filed this video report:

 

At the time of this posting most of the fire units were still on the scene.  No injuries have been reported and it is not yet known how or where in the facility the fire started.

CTV News has more details and video HERE.
CBC News has MORE.

Update, 1 pm Eastern:
The Winnipeg Free Press has posted this video that has an interview with the fire chief last night and some good fire footage:

 

The Winnipeg Free Press also reports:

The fire is out at Speedway International Inc., in St. Boniface this morning — but the damage estimate is in.

It's a $15-million dollar blaze, according to a spokesman for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service this morning.

The cause of the fire — which sparked a massive explosion that could be seen from as far as 50 kilometres away — has not been determined. There were no injuries.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Chief Reid Douglas said Monday evening that fire crews could not get close enough to the fire to fight it offensively and backed off before a massive explosion occurred around 6:30 p.m. Douglas said a truck tanker containing 75,000 litres of methanol caught fire and exploded, sending flames 800 metres into the sky. After that, he said, about 55 firefighters went into "defensive mode" and established a perimeter to close off access to the blaze and keep any curious onlookers from getting too close.

Terry and Ron Cwik watched the tanker truck explode at the edge of Doucet Street. Ron Cwik said an orange fireball shot into the sky, and the heat was so intense he, his wife and others ran down the street to get away from it.

Late Monday, Douglas said the department's biggest concern was the risk of more explosions.

Two railcars adjacent to the building each contain 100,000 litres of fuel — one with biodiesel and one with methanol, he said.

Further updates will be posted whenever appropriate.

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Posted by on October 2, 2012 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Haz-mat, HazMat, Major Incidents, Videos • Tagged: , ,

LODD – Japan …. Chemical Explosion Causes Worldwide Backup of Diapers

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Firefighter Killed in Blast

A FIREFIGHTER IN HIMEJI, JAPAN, was killed Saturday while
attacking a fire in a chemical factory.

Kyodo News Service

The fire was in the Nippon Shokubai Co. factory and fire crews were using hose streams on a burning tank of acrylic acid.  About 40 minutes into the operation a large explosion occurred that fatally burned the 28-yr.-old FF Nagahiro Yamamoto and injured at least 30 others including 18 firefighters, 2 police officers and 10 plant employees.  Japan Times tells us:

A male employee from the plant called the fire department at around 2:05 p.m. Saturday to alert authorities that an abnormal chemical reaction had sparked a fire, and that workers were going to try to extinguish the flames, the officials said.

Nippon Shokubai said the first explosion occurred at around 2:40 p.m. as fire fighters were spraying the acrylic acid tank with water, and another shortly afterward. The blasts also set ablaze one of the fire engines dispatched to the scene, according to the officials.

NBC News is reporting:

Nippon Shokubai is one of the world's biggest makers of acrylic acid, the main ingredient of a resin called SAP, which is used in (disposable) diapers. The plant produces about 20 percent of the world's SAP and 10 percent of global output of acrylic acid.

Kyodo News / AP

Operations at the plant are likely to be halted for a long time and other makers of SAP resins are operating on a full-production footing, leaving little room for back-up production, the Nikkei business daily said on Sunday.

On that same topic, The Telegraph adds:

Nippon Shokubai controls the largest share of the world market for super-absorbent polymers, which is used in the production of nappies, and has been expanding its international sales network to keep up with demand.

According to the company, demand is so high that its production facilities have been required to operate at full capacity and it has announced plans to set up production facilities overseas. The company was particularly keen to meet growing demand for disposable nappies in China.

The water-absorbing polymers soak up an infant's waste through hydrogen bonding with water molecules. Generally, nappies that utilise the technology are able to absorb 50 times their own weight of liquid. If the operation of the factory is suspended for a long time, it could affect production.

Before it was destroyed, the Himeji plant produced 320,000 tons of the super-absorbent polymer, according to the Sankei newspaper, about 20 per cent of the global share.

It took more than eight hours to put the fire out and there is yet no determination on what caused it.

NHK TV has some spectacular footage in this (English language) video report:

 

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Posted by on September 30, 2012 • Filed under: explosion, fire, Fires, Haz-mat, HazMat, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, Videos • Tagged: , ,

Saturday Car-Toon: Carmageddon II on the 405

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Ten miles of Interstate 405 closes for 53 hours

A passenger airliner makes an emergency landing on the 405 freeway. This is the original viral video created by Bruce Branit and Jeremy Hunt in 2000.

Wild Ride (Austin Chronicle) has details on this video.

A ten mile section of Interstate 405 is closed this weekend for construction.

Mariecar  Mendoza reports on this weekend's event for the Daily News Los Angeles:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 10-mile shutdown of the nation's busiest freeway, through the Sepulveda Pass between the Santa Monica (10) Freeway and Ventura (101) Freeway, is expected to affect about 500,000 motorists who regularly travel on the 405 during the weekends. The 405 reopens at 5 a.m. Monday.Carmageddon II, during which workers aim to complete demolition work on the Mulholland Bridge, is part of a $1 billion project to add a 10-mile car-pool lane along the northbound 405.

"There is no great alternative way to get from the Westside to the San Fernando Valley, so if you don't divert traffic or get people to just park their cars at home, there's a serious concern of causing major traffic on the rest of the regional system," Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Marc Littman said.

Carmageddon II: MTA warns of 'real threat of chaos' near closed 405 Freeway

Unified Incident Command

You can follow the progress here.

NBC4

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

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on September 29, 2012 • Filed under: Car-Toon, Major Incidents, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , ,

What will we look like by 9/11/2021?

4 comments

Starting the second decade

Harvard paleontologist Stephen Ray Gould developed the theory of punctuated equilibrium:

… developed with Niles Eldredge in 1972. The theory proposes that most evolution is marked by long periods of evolutionary stability, which is punctuated by rare instances of branching evolution.

The theory was contrasted against phyletic gradualism, the popular idea that evolutionary change is marked by a pattern of smooth and continuous change in the fossil record.  (Wikipedia)

The New York Times May 21, 2002 editorial on his death describes his impact:

The vast majority of the people who know Mr. Gould's name know him as a scientific essayist, not as a paleontologist or evolutionary theorist, let alone an expert on Cerion land snails.

They know him as a man who had an opinion on nearly everything and a way to turn nearly every opinion he had into a tour de force of analogy and historical example. His scientific colleagues found him almost as brilliant as his popular audience did, but considerably more exasperating as well.  (link)

Many of his monthly columns in Natural History magazine, and twenty-some books of "popular science" explored the possible reasons why " … lineages often change very little for millions of years, and then change rather rapidly."

Organizational punctuated equilibrium

As organizations grow in size and complexity, they encounter challenges that force changes in structure and function in order for the organization to continue to thrive. 

In fire departments, growth challenges requiring a rapid change include these four milestones:

  • From all volunteer to adding daytime staff
  • Expanding to 24 hour career staff
  • Career staff larger than active volunteer staff
  • Career staff exceeds 250 firefighters

Outside challenges also create the need for rapid change.

As we start the second decade after the September 11 attacks, we are in the throes of a persistent recession, public safety employees identified as the cause of municipal bankruptcy and experiencing significant change in fire company workload.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I liked Ray McCormack's post from Urban Firefighter Magazine:

You can not force someone to remember. You can not force someone to not forget.

What we can try to do is embody the principles of helping those in need.

There was no half hearted climb that day and for that we should always be proud.

For the FDNY family, we miss our friends and family. For the rest of the fire service, your support and remembrance is comfort and is appreciated.

Lt. Ray McCormack
FDNY

Helping those in need

  • Jerry Lewis is gone, along with the live 24 hour Las Vegas marathon on television. None the less, IAFF members raised an estimated $28.6 million for muscular dystrophy research and treatment this year. Eight percent higher than last year. 
  • In most areas, a responding engine company is on the way to a medical call 70% – 80% of the time.
  • Fire stations have become Safe Houses, protected ATM location and where a teen can drop off an unwanted baby.
  • Metro cities are seeing a rise in arson with a decline in fire companies and shrinking of the size of surviving crews.
  • Metro fire companies are also dealing with a crumbling municipal infrastructure: defective water mains, collapsing buildings, decades of deferred maintenance on city properties – including the fire station.

What will the fire service look like by September 11, 2021?

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

thanks to retired MPD detective (and Burke VFD Assistant Chief) Mike Brooks for the Rescue Operations Battalion picture.

Earlier 9/11 related articles:

2011: Boatlift: 500K Evacuated in 9 hours

2011: Shock … followed by purposeful action

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"  (Dennis Smith's article)

Posted by on September 10, 2012 • Filed under: Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, Training & Development, Urban Commander, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,