Old Boys Will Be Old Boys

TWO GRUMPY OLD GUYS IN ATHENS, Georgia, had a dispute Tuesday over a $5 debt.  The 74-year-old man who was owed the money hopped into his wheel chair and rode it over to the trailer park where the deadbeat lives.  The Athens Banner-Herald picks up the story:

The 74-year-old who supposedly owed the money called 911 at about 5 p.m. to report the disabled man arrived with his small dog, named Benji, and threatened to shoot him. When officers responded, they found the door to the man’s trailer wide open with him sitting inside with no clothes on, police said.

Witnesses told officers they saw the two men arguing in the trailer’s yard, and that both men waved canes or walking sticks at each other, police said; one witness said the 74-year-old threw a crutch at the wheelchair-bound man.

Things had cooled down by then and the police chose not to arrest anybody.

Firegeezer speculates that maybe they have been watching too much YouTube:

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Pleads "Not Guilty"

REBECCA "BECKY" BRYAN WAS FORMALLY ARRAIGNED ON MURDER charges Tuesday, accused of killing her husband Fire Chief Keith Bryan last September 20.  The Nichols Hills, Oklahoma, fire chief was shot in his own home and Rebecca reported to the police that a man intruded into the house and said something about not being hired before killing him.

Her story quickly fell apart when detectives found the gun, ammunition and gloves inside the clothes dryer.  Several witness statements also refuted her story and she was arrested two days later and charged with first-degree murder.  Firegeezer reported on the crime and following activities at the time and you can read the story and following events HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.  She has been held without bail since then.

At yesterday's appearance Bryan, 53, pleaded not guilty to the charges.  The judge set a motion hearing for June 26 and ordered her to remain jailed.  He also set a tentative trial date for September 10.

The Oklahoman has this latest REPORT.

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An Annual Tradition

EACH YEAR, THE FAIRFAX COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE fully participates in the Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy events, primarily through the Fill-the-Boot campaign that runs for four days over the holiday weekend.  This is done with the full support and encouragement of the County Board of Supervisors, and the Fire Chief's office sees that every accommodation is made to make for a successful weekend.  This is a large part of why the FRD is always in the top five departments for amount of money raised each year.

One of the encouragements delivered by the Fire and Rescue administration is a reward for the station shift that raises the most donations per capita in the department.  One day is selected and the winning shift gets to sleep in at home and be with their families while a full crew of white shirts and multi-bugles show up to staff all the apparatus.  It's not very often you get to see a deputy chief pull the handline and take it in.

Joel Kobersteen, Information Officer of Firefighters and Paramedics Local 2068 tells us about this years winners:

The "Fill in" Crew:

Front row: Deputy Chief Michael Reilly, Technician Michael Macario, Firefighter Jason Pryor
Back row: Captain II Reggie Johnson, Captain II Steve McFarland, Assistant Chief Garret Dyer,
Captain Cindy Brown, Deputy Chief J.J. Walsh, Deputy Chief Keith Morrison,
Lieutenant Craig Schellhammer, Captain Tim Fowler  (IAFF Local 2068 photo)

On May 14, 2012 uniformed members of the administrative staff and communications section of Fairfax County Fire & Rescue gave the crew from Fire Station 5, C-shift 12 hours off and staffed the apparatus themselves. This was done to recognize 5/C for their tremendous job being the highest raising station and shift per capita during the 2011 Labor Day Weekend Fill the Boot campaign to benefit the Greater Washington Muscular Dystrophy Association. Station Captain Fred Brandell, who is also the Shift Captain at 5/C, inherited the "MDA Fevered shift" from the previous Station/Shift Captain Tyrone Harrington and has since run with it.

Captain Brandell's shift makes an annual pilgrimage down to the MDA Summer Camp in Leonardtown, Maryland where they show the campers around fire apparatus, swim, eat and play with the campers and staff a dunk tank along with now Battalion Chief Harrington. Fire Station 5/C has been the per capita leader for last five years, last year collecting $14,911, which works out to $1,656 per person for the 9 person crew.

Congrats to 5-C, and to the great folks in the "ivory tower" who enthusiastically show up every year to spell the crew.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue WEBSITE.
Local 2068 WEBSITE.

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Class of 2012

Prior to our reorganization, I would use my faculty web page to recognize and celebrate the achievement of students enrolled in the Emergency Health Services program.

Lacking that resource, let me tell you know how happy and proud I am of the following folks:

Master of Science in Health Science: Emergency Services Management

Kashif Cheema

Andrew Mader

Bachelor of Science in Health Science: Emergency Health Services  (also called EMS Management )

Michael Beller

Aaron Botteron

Paul Cissel

Andrew Ecker

Bobbie Rogers

Heather Shymansky

Ronald Taylor

Because these are distance education programs, I will be meeting many of these students for the first time this weekend.

Except for locals Paul and Ronald

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

He Said He Was Going to Do It

The former Fairfield Township (Ohio) Fire Chief David Downie has filed an appeal of his dismissal with Butler County Common Pleas Court.  On May 4, Firegeezer reviewed the controversial firing of the man who had been the fire chief for 26 years.  He never had any complaints about his running of the FD, but he has an abrasive personality and the township board apparently couldn't take it anymore.  Read our review with links to previous articles HERE.

Enquirer photo

It was disclosed yesterday (Thursday) that Downie's lawyer, Jeffrey Silverstein filed an appeal on his behalf of his dismissal.  The Cincinnati Enquirer tells:

"We are appealing the decision,’’ said Jeffrey Silverstein, Downie’s attorney. "We want his job back, with back pay."

In the one-paragraph appeal filed May 9, Silverstein asked the court to determine whether there were sufficient grounds to fire Downie. The case has been assigned to Judge Craig Hedric but no hearing date has been set.

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Stopped Making Payments When Hubby Went to Jail

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, FIRE CHIEF Joanne Hayes-White has been having difficulties with her ex-husband whom she divorced three years ago.  Following their 2009 split, she has been paying $3,300 a month from her $302,000 salary for alimony.  But she recently stopped after her ex went to jail leaving her in sole charge of their three children.

Chief Hayes-White  (OpenSF image)

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Hayes-White says she stopped paying support about 14 months ago, after an incident in which her ex-hubby, Robert "Sean" White, grabbed and choked one of their sons while in a booze-fueled rage.  In December, he pleaded no contest in San Mateo County Superior Court to a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment and cruelty. He is serving his sentence on a county sheriff's work detail and living in a rehab house.

Last week, White went to San Francisco Superior Court demanding that the chief resume the spousal support she was ordered to pay when the couple divorced in 2009.  On Friday, Judge Ron Albers signed an order to start deducting the payments from her $302,000 annual salary, though it does not appear to cover the more than $40,000 in backlogged payments.

In an interview, Hayes-White said she had stopped making the spousal payments because of the growing costs she has incurred raising their children.

The chief also says White has not fully lived up to his end of their divorce settlement, including paying for half of the family health care costs and showing he has made a "good-faith effort" to find work.

Read the full story in the Chronicle HERE.

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Will compete in 2013 NASCAR and arrive in showrooms as 2014 model

DETROIT – Chevrolet today announced the return of a V-8 powered, rear-wheel-drive performance sedan to the U.S. lineup, the Chevrolet SS. The SS will also be Chevrolet’s next NASCAR Sprint Cup racecar and will debut in its race configuration at the 2013 Daytona 500.

The limited production version of the Chevrolet SS will be a 2014 model and will arrive in dealer showrooms in late 2013. It is the first time in 17 years that Chevrolet will offer a rear-wheel-drive sedan for sale in the United States.

Chevrolet has a long history of using the SS (Super Sport) designation on high-performance models of some of its most enduring nameplates. The SS designation first appeared in 1957 on a Corvette prototype race car built under the guidance of Zora Arkus-Duntov with the plan to enter it in the Le Mans 24-hour race.

The first production vehicle offered with an SS option was the 1961 Impala – 453 were built with the performance upgrades which included a modified chassis and suspension, power brakes, a steering column mounted tachometer and unique wheels and tires. The latest SS model in the Chevrolet lineup is the fifth-generation Camaro, which debuted in 2010.

The Chevrolet SS will be a derivative of the award-winning global rear-wheel-drive architecture that spawns performance vehicles like Chevrolet Camaro and Holden’s upcoming VF Commodore. The much anticipated Australian-built car will benefit from significant technology advances which enhance overall performance.

“As a passionate race fan and performance enthusiast, I am thrilled that Chevrolet will deliver a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR racecar in the SS that is closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale,” said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America. “The Chevrolet SS is a great example of how GM is able to leverage its global product portfolio to deliver a unique performance experience that extends beyond the track. I am personally looking forward to driving it.”

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<  GM Press release >>>>>>>>>

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Earlier articles:

Silly Season … Super Sport Performance Chevy

“New” Chevrolet will be 2013 NASCAR racer

A parody that could have been done in your fire station

Enjoy the silliness.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

More Space at the Top Comes Available

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

Roy Woods  (Aroostook Republican photo)

The Bangor Daily News reports:

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

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

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

Read the detailed story in the Bangor Daily News HERE.

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

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

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

Chief Molina

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

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

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

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

The Boston Herald tells us:

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

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

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

Read the full story in the Herald HERE.

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Red Light Runner Triggers Chain Reaction

IN PANORAMA CITY, CALIFORNIA, a dolt drove his car through a red light and then collided with a delivery van and a third vehicle.  The van in turn, sheared off a fire hydrant in front of a gasoline station and sent a gusher about 90 ft. into the air. 

KABC-TV

The water mostly came down onto the canopy over the pumps and before the city crews could get it shut off, the canopy collapsed.

KABC-TV

No word on the total damage costs, but it will be substantial.

KABC-TV posted this video from the scene that includes surveillance video of the collapse:

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