The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will send members from Fairfax County’s Virginia Task Force 1 (VA-TF1) today to assist in the humanitarian efforts following the earthquake in Peru. Three members from VA-TF1 will fly to Lima, Peru to be part of a support module of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team. VA-TF1 members are firefighters and first responders from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and are specially trained in communications, liaison, and logistics. Members will deploy with life support equipment (tents, generators), IT equipment, and food and water to support 15 people for up to 21 days. The Department and USAID have a long-term partnership
in the provision of specialized humanitarian relief which includes deployments of this type as well as urban search and rescue.

THE 59th RUNNING OF THE BONNEVILLE SPEED WEEK wrapped up today.  Over 400 drivers showed up last weekend to begin the annual race for new world land-speed records.

One of those drivers is a retired firefighter from southern California, 70-yr.-old Terry Haines.  Haines, who now lives in Nevada City, Calif.,  has been racing things all of his life and also has plenty of experience at the salt flats.  In 2004 he set the world record for the blown gas lakester category at 204.035 mph.

This year he entered his lakester in the blown fuel (alcohol) class with the same purpose……break the record that stood at 198.564 mph.  Using a converted dragster fitted up with a 1954 GMC military truck motor, he finished the two-way run averaging an impressive 209.595 mph in his “Saline Solution” lakester.

Read more about him in the Grass Valley Union HERE.

YESTERDAY WE REPORTED HERE ON THE car fire in upstate New York that killed two infant girls that were riding in the back seat.  While driving along the highway, the rear passenger area  burst into flames and when the mother pulled over she was unable to get her two daughters out of the car and they perished in the fire.

Today the Associated Press is reporting:

Police believe holes in the top of a muffler could be responsible for a car fire that killed two small children.

State Police Investigator Chris Wilkinson said investigators think the fire started when welded spots on the top of the muffler eroded, causing hot exhaust gases to burn through the floorboard and ignite the interior of Melissa Johns’ vehicle Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Savona resident pulled over on the shoulder of Interstate 86, but the car became engulfed in flames before she could save her daughters; 18-month-old Izzybella Beam and 4-week-old Sinaya Beam.

The incident took place near Erwin, N.Y., 77 miles southeast of Rochester.

IN STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK (Upstate) 25-year-old Melissa Johns of Savona was driving west on Route I-86 around 5:20 p.m. yesterday when her 1999 Kia caught fire.  She pulled over and desperately tried to get her daughters, 18-months-old and  four-weeks-old, out of the backseat, but flames consumed the car.

Rochester Ch. 13 photo

The State Police are still investigating it and have no explanation yet about why the car suddenly burst into flames.

The Corning Leader has the early STORY.

KNOX COUNTY, TENNESSEE HAS A CONTRACT with Rural/Metro to provide emergency ambulance service.  Part of the agreement is to arrive on scene within 10 minutes on 90% of the calls.

During the month of June they only achieved that goal 88.9% of the time during the first half of the month and 87% the second half, invoking a $81,500 penalty.  Response in May was also below agreement, drawing a $97,500 penalty.

Knoxville channel 6 has the STORY.

SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTES FIREFIGHTER BOB DOHERTY has become the town’s unofficial historian.  It all started back in 1979 when two ladies from the local historical society came by the firehouse and asked if anybody would be willing to give a talk about Somerville’s early fire history.

Bob told the ladies that he would be willing to give it a try if they would show him how to gather the history.  From that first talk, it took off from there.  Doherty’s avocation since then has been to delve into the city’s  past and pass the stories along in talks to civic groups.  And it just keeps growing.  “For every story I had about Somerville history, people in the audience had two more. It really sparked something, they wouldn’t let me go. It made people reflect on their own lives in the city,” he says.

The Somerville News has the interesting story about this FF’s contribution to the “big little city” that’s older than Boston HERE.
(Summerville News photo)

IN BASTROP, LOUISIANA FRIDAY AFTERNOON  A shootout at a hotel on the main square of this small northeastern Louisiana city left two police officers and one suspect dead Friday, and authorities were searching for another suspect, officials said.Two paramedics were also hit by gunfire when they arrived at the scene, said Trooper Mark Dennis, a spokesman for the Louisiana State Police. One was in stable condition and the other was not seriously hurt, Dennis said.

EMS1.com has the AP story HERE.

Shreveport Times photo

ONCE AGAIN, THERE WAS A NEWS STORY this past Tuesday from Kingston, Ontario (HERE) about a firefighter dying in a vehicle crash while responding on a call.  Here’s the key paragraph:

William Salmond, 65, was driving a fire department tanker truck, heading eastbound on Flinton Road to respond to a motor vehicle collision on Highway 7 in Kaladar.  As the truck approached the intersection with Highway 41, Salmond was unable to stop the vehicle and it went through the intersection, struck a parked, unoccupied vehicle and rolled into the east ditch. Salmond was ejected from the vehicle.
(emphasis mine - ed.)

No doubt you’re thinking the same thing that I was when I first read it.  Why wasn’t he wearing his seat belt?  Hardly a fortnight goes by that we don’t read about a similar event.

Back in late May, two fire apparatus in Waterbury, an engine and a truck, collided while both were responding to the same call.  The Capt. on one piece was killed and the driver of the other was seriously injured.  Both were ejected from the impact for lack of seat belts.

click thumbnails for full pic

What a sad way to cut a good life short, and so unnecessary.  It’s a simple thing to do and yet so many fail to practice it.  Most FD’s have a regulation somewhere that requires seat belt usage at all times, but it is seldom enforced.  Why not?  Just, why not?  Buckle up, dammit !!

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Last month FossilMedic posted a heads-up on a new Fire and Rescue-related social networking website called Firefighter Nation.  I took a peek at it yesterday and it seems to be going, and growing, just fine.  It’s well designed and has a lot of good features.  There are several forums for members’ interactions as well as videos, photos and news items.  I’m going to continue reading it, maybe even sign up with a secret code name.

Anyway, check out Firefighter Nation HERE.

But first, let’s get that equipment checked.  I’ll see you at the coffee table.