Saturday, January 31, 2009

New York EMT Murdered On Medical Call

New York EMT Murdered On Medical Call
A CAPE VINCENT, NEW YORK, VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER/EMT was murdered late Friday night while tending a patient on a medical call.
25-yr.-old Mark Davis was one of two EMT’s that had responded to the call in an apartment building and were treating Christopher Burke, also 25, for an unknown ailment. Burke suddenly got agitated for some reason, got up and went into his bedroom where he got a rifle and returned to the front room. When the Cape Vincent VFD members tried to leave, Burke opened fire and killed Davis. Burke then tried to flee the scene, but the other EMT tackled him and held him down until a Clayton Police officer arrived and took him into custody. Other EMT’s at the scene worked hard at trying to revive Davis, continuing their efforts all the way to the hospital. But it was unsuccessful.
Burke was arraigned this morning on 2nd-degree murder and 4th-degree criminal possession of a firearm charges.

Syracuse Channel 10 has the early story and a video HERE.More information available at the Thousand Island Rescue Sqauad WEBSITE. Mark Davis was also a member of the Thousand Island Rescue Squad.

news Stimulus bill

Stimulus bill: $850,000,000 for wildland fire management
from Wildfire Today by Bill Gabbert
The economic stimulus bill that was passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday included $850,000,000 for wildland fire management and related activities, as well as a shitload of money, $3,475,000,000, for construction and capital improvements for the five major federal land management agencies. There will no doubt be some changes as the bill goes through the Senate and a conference committee, but below is some data (direct quotes) from the latest version according to OpenCongress.org.
HERE is an interactive map that shows the allocation of the funds in the entire bill for each state.

U. S. Forest Service
‘Wildland Fire Management’, $850,000,000, of which $300,000,000 is for hazardous fuels reduction, forest health, wood to energy grants and rehabilitation and restoration activities on Federal lands, and of which $550,000,000 is for State fire assistance hazardous fuels projects, volunteer fire assistance, cooperative forest health projects, city forest enhancements, and wood to energy grants on State and private lands.

‘Capital Improvement and Maintenance’, $650,000,000, for reconstruction, capital improvement, decommissioning, and maintenance of forest roads, bridges and trails; alternative energy technologies, energy efficiency enhancements and deferred maintenance at Federal facilities; and for remediation of abandoned mine sites, removal of fish passage barriers, and other critical habitat, forest improvement and watershed enhancement projects on Federal lands and waters.

National Park Service
‘Construction’, $1,700,000,000, for projects to address critical deferred maintenance needs within the National Park System, including roads, bridges and trails, and for other critical infrastructure projects.

Bureau of Land Management
‘Construction’, $325,000,000, for priority road, bridge, and trail repair or decommissioning, critical deferred maintenance projects, facilities construction and renovation, hazardous fuels reduction, and remediation of abandoned mine or well sites.

Bureau of Indian Affairs
‘Construction’, $500,000,000, for priority repair and replacement of schools, detention centers, roads, bridges, employee housing, and critical deferred maintenance projects.

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
‘Construction’, $300,000,000, for priority road and bridge repair and replacement, and critical deferred maintenance and improvement projects on National Wildlife Refuges, National Fish Hatcheries, and other Service properties.

Trenton fire engine and pickup collide


Trenton fire engine and pickup collide killing a 3-year-old girl. Child was in front of arena where Disney on Ice is performing.
Image from KYW-TV. Click here for KYW-TV story
Watch WCAU-TV video
Watch and read WPVI-TV's story (video includes interview with Tenton FD Director Richard Laird)
http://cbs3.com/video/?id=73383@kyw.dayport.com
The child, whose identity was not immediately available, was struck by a road sign toppled by the accident, which occurred at the intersection of Route 129 and Hamilton Avenue just after 7:30 p.m.Two other children and two firefighters were also taken to area hospitals, but authorities said their injuries were not considered to be severe.Police said that a car struck the engine, which careened into a lamp post, as it was passing through the intersection of Route 129 and Hamilton Avenue. It appears that the car then careened in the other direction into the road sign, which fell on a group of people standing on the sidewalk.The road sign was twisted metal on the side of roadway nearest to the arena. On the other side of the intersection with Hamilton Avenue was the fire engine, its front left side caved in, still resting against the lamp post.

That's just wrong

I'm sorry but think that this is just wrong. What was the Docter that performed this and or agreed to this procedure thinking? Did it just for the money, she's not married and already has 6 count them "6" children at home before the additional 8. Give me a break! Now the tax payers are going to have to pay for the next 18 years!

LOS ANGELES -- The woman who gave birth to octuplets this week conceived all 14 of her children through in vitro fertilization, is not married and has been obsessed with having children since she was a teenager, her mother said.
Angela Suleman told The Associated Press she was not supportive when her daughter, Nadya Suleman, decided to have more embryos implanted last year.
"It can't go on any longer," she said in a phone interview Friday. "She's got six children and no husband. I was brought up the traditional way. I firmly believe in marriage. But she didn't want to get married."
Nadya Suleman, 33, gave birth Monday in nearby Bellflower. She was expected to remain in the hospital for at least a few more days, and her newborns for at least a month.
A spokeswoman at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center said the babies were doing well and seven were breathing unassisted.
While her daughter recovers, Angela Suleman is taking care of the other six children, ages 2 through 7, at the family home in Whittier, about 15 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
She said she warned her daughter that when she gets home from the hospital, "I'm going to be gone."

The rest of the story here: http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/1407452,w-octuplets-grandma-kids-8-vitro-013109.article

Friday, January 30, 2009

Alaska Valcano set to blow

ALASKA’S MT. REDOUBT VOLCANO IS SET FOR AN IMMINENT ERUPTION. Geologists are expecting IT to blow anytime from now until the next day or so.
The Associated Press reports:
Alaska’s volcanoes are not like Hawaii’s. “Most of them don’t put out the red river of lava,” said the observatory’s John Power.
Instead, they typically explode and shoot ash 30,000 to 50,000 feet high — more than nine miles — into the jet stream.
“It’s a very abrasive kind of rock fragment,” Power said. “It’s not the kind of ash that you find at the base of your wood stove.”
The particulate has jagged edges and has been used as an industrial abrasive. “They use this to polish all kinds of metals,” he said.

Redoubt blew on Dec. 15, 1989, and sent ash 150 miles away into the path of a KLM jet carrying 231 passengers. Its four engines flamed out.
As the crew tried to restart the engines, “smoke” and a strong odor of sulfur filled the cockpit and cabin, according to a USGS account. The jet dropped more than 2 miles, from 27,900 feet to 13,300 feet, before the crew was able to restart all engines and land the plane safely at Anchorage. The plane required $80 million in repairs.

Whats wrong with this girl?

He has yet to divorce his missing fourth wife, but Drew Peterson said he plans to make fiancée Christina Raines his fifth wife later this year.Peterson, 55, a former Bolingbrook cop, said he's eager to marry Raines, 24, even though he understands why her relatives may not be thrilled with the idea.Drew Peterson tells 'Nightline': 'I'd be wary of me, too'ABC INTERVIEW He sees why fiancée's kin aren't thrilled, but says: 'She likes me' http://www.suntimes.com/news/peterson/1405663,drew-peterson-nightline-interview-fiancee-013009.article

"I will acknowledge 100 percent that I would have concerns if I were the friends and family of this young girl," he told journalist Martin Bashir in an interview aired Thursday on ABC's "Nightline."

House Explodes

From WKYC-TV:
An elderly Eastlake couple remains in critical condition Thursday after an explosion tore apart their home Wednesday night.Both 86-year-old Frank Pitchler and his wife Alice had to be taken to the hospital by LifeFlight after the explosion around 10 p.m.Two independent snow plow drivers rushed into the house to help firefighters pull both of the victims to safety.The explosion completely demolished the house, which is near the Willoughby border by Lost Nation Road. All that is left of the house is a pile of debris.The explosion was reportedly felt two cities over. It blew out the front windows of a house across the street.The cause of the blast remains undetermined.
Click here to watch WKYC-TV's story (or here)
More from the News-Herald
Talk about your ruff extractions, This one really would have some interesting story to go along with it on how they actually got him out. Said that they used saws to get the remains out.


DETROIT – It took three calls to Detroit authorities over two days before they recovered the body of a man frozen in ice in the elevator shaft of a vacant warehouse, a newspaper reported Thursday.
No ID yet for frozen man
Who the dead man encased in ice is remains a mystery. The body found in an abandoned building must thaw before examining further. - Life goes on around body found frozen in vacant Detroit warehouse

Oldie but a goodie

(SORRY FOLKS, I GOTTA GO WITH THIS ONE)
One dark night in the small town of Garfield , NJ, a fire started inside the local sausage factory. In a blink the building was engulfed in flames. The alarm went out to all the fire departments for miles around.

When the first volunteer fire fighters appeared on the scene, the sausage company president rushed to the fire chief and said, 'All of our secret sausage recipes are in the vault in the center of the plant. They have to be saved, so I will donate $50,000 to the fire company that brings them out and delivers them to me.'

But the roaring flames held the firefighters off. Soon more fire departments had to be called in because the situation became desperate. As the firemen arrived, the president shouted out that the offer to extricate the secret recipes was now $100,000 to the fire department that could save them.

Suddenly from up the road, a lone siren was heard as another fire truck came into sight. It was the fire engine of the nearby Lodi , NJ volunteer fire department composed mainly of Italian firefighters over the age of 65.

To everyone's amazement, the little run-down fire engine, operated by these Italian firefighters, passed fire engines parked outside the plant, and drove straight into the middle of the inferno. Outside, the other firemen watched in amazement as the Italian old timers jumped off and began to fight the fire as if they were fighting to save their own lives. Within a short time, the Lodi old timers had extinguished the fire and saved the secret recipes.

The grateful sausage company president joyfully announced that for such a superhuman accomplishment he was raising the reward to $200,000, and walked over to personally thank each of the brave elderly Italian firefighters.

ATV news crew rushed in after capturing the event on film. The 'on camera' reporter asked the Italian fire chief, 'What are you going to do with all that money?'

'Wella,'said Chief Pasquale De Luccinellavanti, the 70-year-old fire chief, 'de fursta tinga we gonnna do isza fixa de brakes on dat fockinna truck!!'

FY2009 AFG Workshop Schedule Posted

 


 
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - Grants Program
Directorate - Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Newsletter

FY2009 AFG Workshop Schedule Posted

The Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program Office has posted the schedule for the conduct of applicant workshops for the FY2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG). The schedule is available at www.firegrantsupport.com. The schedule will be updated daily with any new/updated information about the scheduled workshops. As such, users are encouraged to revisit the site to update themselves on locations, times and any other AFG information.
 

AFG Assistance to Firefighters Grant Seal

Applicant workshops are conducted by AFG regional staff and are free to all attendees. Each workshop is about 2 hours long. All workshops provide the same informational material and is reflected in a PowerPoint presentation. The material is also posted at the AFG website: www.firegrantsupport.com. While the application period has not been established, you will be able to find the latest information on the grant opportunity on the AFG website as it becomes available including the application period, the online applicant tutorial, frequently asked questions, and the FY2009 AFG Program Guidance.

The AFG Program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Grants Program Directorate in coordination with the U.S. Fire Administration.

Application Period to Open: FY 2008 FP&S Grants

 

 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - Grants Program
Directorate - Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Newsletter

Application Period to Open:
Fiscal Year 2008 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants

The Department of Homeland Security has posted the FY2008 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grants Program Guidance on the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program Website. The application period is scheduled to begin on February 2, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Applications for these grants must be received by March 6, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).
 

AFG Fire Prevention and Safety Grants Seal

FP&S grants support projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards. The grants are competitive, and their primary goal is to target high-risk populations. Grant awards are made in order to mitigate high incidences of death and injury and to carry out research for improving firefighter safety. Examples of the types of fire prevention projects that are supported by FP&S include smoke alarm installation, fire prevention and public safety education campaigns, juvenile fire setter interventions, media campaigns, and arson prevention and awareness programs. Organizations that are eligible to apply under the research activity should consult the Program Guidance for detailed information on priorities and areas of emphasis.

An applicant tutorial for the fire prevention activity will be available through the www.firegrantsupport.com Website. The tutorial will provide you with valuable grant information and will walk you through the preparation and submittal of competitive applications. In addition, the applicant tutorial will provide an overview of the fire prevention funding priorities and evaluation criteria. Applicants who have questions regarding the Fire Prevention and Safety Grants opportunity should contact the help desk as soon as possible at 1-866-274-0960 or at firegrants@dhs.gov. During the application period, the help desk will operate Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EST), but is prepared to revise hours of operation based on volume, demand, holidays and urgency to complete the FP&S Grants application period and processing for FY08.

The AFG Program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate in coordination with the U.S. Fire Administration.

FY08 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants Program Guidance - visit www.firegrantsupport.com/fps/guidance/.

FY08 Fire Prevention and Safety Grants FAQs - visit www.firegrantsupport.com/fps/faq/08/.

 

Thursday, January 29, 2009

CHEMTRECR - new training video

 


 
CHEMTRECR - the Chemical Transportation Emergency Center - has created a new training video for the Emergency Response community. To view and download a free copy of CHEMTRECR An Overview for Emergency Responders, visit www.chemtrec.com.
 
CHEMTRECR, an emergency responder's first line of defense, is a 24/7/365 emergency call center that provides immediate information and assistance to anyone, anywhere, involved in a hazardous material or dangerous goods incident. CHEMTRECR is an initiative of the American Chemistry Council has been a world leader in the hazmat response community since 1971. CHEMTRECR - The Right Information at the Right Time.


Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Nuclear-Grade Duct Tape


If it’s good enough for a nuclear power plant it must be good enough for you. 3M designed its Performance Plus Duct Tape to meet the low leechable-halogen-and-sulfur requirements of nuclear power plants. What does this mean to you? Besides sounding cool, not much — but the tape has other advantages as well.

You can use the tape permanently or temporarily either indoor or out and for temperatures up to 200°F. The tape removes cleanly from most opaque surfaces for up to six months, and it’s UV and sunlight resistant up to one year, which means the backing won’t deteriorate or delaminate. The surface is also writable if you need to mark or label it.

3M uses polyethylene film over cloth scrim for the waterproof backing and a mixture of natural and synthetic rubber for the adhesive. You can purchase the tape in slate blue or red. A 60-yard roll of nuclear-grade duct tape will run you about $15.

Nuclear-Grade Duct Tape [3M]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

January 28th, 2009



CDC issues revised field trauma triage recommendations

Guidelines published in the January 23rd, 2009 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are the first ever trauma recommendations released. Designed to assure that severely injured patients are taken to trauma centers capable of handling their injuries, the revised guidelines also offer guidance on new technologies such as vehicle crash notification systems.


Copies of the report, additional information, and related information including a users guide, posters, and pocket cards of the decision scheme are available on the CDC Web site at: www.cdc.gov/FieldTriage.




New car tech: Not just crash protection, but prevention



A car that can brake itself to avoid a fender-bender during the morning commute might seem far into the future. Except it goes on sale in March.That's when City Safety, a low-speed collision-avoidance technology becomes available on the new 2010 Volvo XC60, a crossover utility. City Safety is just one of several new technologies designed to prevent car crashes and save lives. Auto sales are at a nearly two-decade low, but the pace of safety innovations continues unabated. Whereas air bags, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control were the standard for a safe car until very recently, automakers continue to raise the stakes. Radar, lasers and cameras work with computers and sophisticated software to do tasks unheard of just a few years ago. They tell you if you're falling asleep at the wheel, or if a car is in your blind spot. If you drift from your lane, they warn you, and in some instances, nudge you back into your lane. And modern cruise control doesn't just keep a steady speed, but can help your car keep a steady distance with the car in front of you."There's no question the vehicle itself has played a role in the decline of fatalities," said Rae Tyson, a spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). "But we're pretty much convinced there aren't that many safety benefits to be gained based on the crash-worthiness of passenger vehicles. The next frontier would be to help the driver avoid the crash in the first place."





"Obviously a major malfunction" Those words were spoken twenty-three years ago today by Mission Control right after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral before they knew the full extent of the disaster. I don't know why I remember those words, but I do to this day. On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded and disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean killing seven crew members. More on the Challenger disaster here.





Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Illinois townships consider seceding

 
Officials say several Illinois townships are exploring seceding from Chicago
-dominated Cook County because of dissatisfaction with services and government.
Voters in Palatine Township, in a non-binding referendum, will be asked in April whether
they want to secede and whether the county should continue to collect a
1 percentage point sales tax increase enacted last year.

USFA Quick Response E-Bulletin - January 2009

 

USFA and City Fire Service Leaders Urge Residents to Install and Test Smoke Alarms

 

On January 7, 2009, USFA Administrator Gregory Cade and Fire Service leaders come together after one of the deadliest holiday fire seasons in recent memory

 

"The 2008 holiday season and the start of 2009 may be recorded as one of the deadliest for residential fires in recent memory of the Fire Service," said Administrator Cade. "Not only have there been a significant number of preventable fires, but the occurrences of multiple fatalities resulting from these fires are simply unacceptable within our nation. There should be a smoke alarm protecting every person in this nation today, particularly as we sleep."

 
Pictured from left to right are: Fire Team USA Member Vicki Pritchert; Baltimore Fire Chief James Clack; Washington, D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin; U.S. Fire Administrator Gregory Cade; Montgomery County (MD) Fire Division Chief Mike Love; Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers; and U.S. Fire Administration staff member Dr. Burt Clark. 

Pictured from left to right are: Fire Team USA Member Vicki Pritchert; Baltimore Fire Chief James Clack; Washington, D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin; U.S. Fire Administrator Gregory Cade; Montgomery County (MD) Fire Division Chief Mike Love; Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers; and U.S. Fire Administration staff member Dr. Burt Clark.

 

To view the whole story and for links to smoke alarm fact sheets and video of the press conference, click HERE.

 

USFA Conducts First Public Education Webinar on Smoking & Home Fires Campaign

 

In November, USFA Smoking & Home Fires Campaign partners and members of the Fire Service from across the country came together online for the administration's first public education Webinar.  Attendees watched the presentation on their computers, while listening to USFA Administrator Cade and other presenters explain why the Smoking & Home Fires Campaign is so important.  Background about the campaign was provided and attendees were shown how they could easily integrate the campaign into existing community events.

 

To see how you can obtain free information, and quickly and easily take this campaign into your community, CLICK HERE to go to the campaign materials page. Select "How to Use the USFA Smoking & Home Fires Campaign Toolkit."  A CD of the toolkit with over 20 easy-to-use resources can be ordered online or each document can be downloaded  from the campaign Web site.

 

USFA Has a Blog!

 

In October 2008, the USFA created a blog on its Web site (www.usfa.dhs.gov).  The purpose of the blog is to facilitate an ongoing dialogue with the Fire Service that contributes to fostering a solid foundation in prevention, preparedness, and response with respect to fire and related emergencies.

 

Users read and post comments, as well as subscribe and share blog entries on Facebook.  Visit the blog by going to http://blog.usfa.dhs.gov/.

 
 

Drinking Coffee Slashes Risk of Alzheimer's


Health Alerts

Breaking from Newsmax.com

Drinking Coffee Slashes Risk of Alzheimer's

Drinking coffee during midlife can slash your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. A Finnish study found that those who drank coffee at midlife had a lower risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease in late-life than those who drank no coffee at all. Those who drank three to five cups of coffee a day lowered their risk by 65 percent.

Please note: a leading neurosurgeon reveals that brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's can be prevented, get the full details — Go Here Now

"We aimed to study the association between coffee and tea consumption at midlife and dementia/AD risk in late-life, because the long-term impact of caffeine on the central nervous system was still unknown, and as the pathologic processes leading to Alzheimer's disease may start decades before the clinical manifestation of the disease," says lead researcher, associate professor Miia Kivipelto from the University of Kuopio, Finland and Karloinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

Coffee-drinking was categorized into three groups: low (0 to 2 cups daily), moderate (3 to 5 cups) and high (more than 5 cups). Tea-drinking was categorized into two groups: those not drinking tea and those who drank at least one cup daily. While all coffee drinkers had a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease than non-drinkers, those who drank moderate amounts of coffee lowered their risk by a surprising 65 percent. Drinking tea had no impact on the risk of developing dementia.

"Given the large amount of coffee consumption globally, the results might have important implications for the prevention of or delaying the onset of dementia/AD. The finding needs to be confirmed by other studies, but it opens the possibility that dietary interventions could modify the risk of dementia/AD," wrote Kivipelto. "Also, identification of mechanisms of how coffee exerts its protection against dementia/AD might help in the development of new therapies for these diseases."

More: Brain Surgeon Reveals How to Save Your Brain from Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Other Diseases — Go Here Now




 

Fire News For January 27, 2009

2 dead in apartment fire Authorities are investigating whether two victims in a Burnsville apartment fire may have died from a cause other than the fire.
Firefighter hurt in Hartford ALAN CHANIEWSKI A Hartford firefighter was injured during the blaze at 166 Martin Street. The injured firefighter was treated at the scene by his colleagues and medics then taken by ambulance to an area hospital.
Fire destroys house A rental house was completely destroyed by fire early Sunday morning, despite efforts by roughly 50 firefighters from four area fire departments.
Rescue made in Buffalo Buffalo firefighters rescued a tenant trapped on the balcony of his burning fourth-floor apartment Sunday night at the Shoreline Apartment complex on Niagara Street.
9 hurt in bus crash Authorities say nine passengers on a casino bus were injured Sunday in a crash at the intersection of Old Mississippi Highway 61 and Casino Center Parkway in Tunica.

DENVER Nuclear waste has nothing on terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay.
With President Obama’s vow to shutter the military prison in Cuba, the race to block the detainees from a facility near you has erupted, and Republicans are quickly trying to score political points by seizing on the new administration’s developing plan for the 245 terrorism suspects.
Colorado Republicans attacked the state’s Democratic governor, Bill Ritter Jr., for statements in support of bringing terrorist detainees to a “supermax” (facility in Florence, Colo., which, by the way, already is home to Zacarias Moussaoui, convicted as a Sept. 11 attack conspirator; Ramzi Yousef, who plotted the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; and Richard Reid, who attempted to use a shoe bomb to blow up a jetliner over the Atlantic Ocean.
But despite the rogue’s list of inmates there, Republican lawmakers pounced on Gov. Bill Ritter Jr.
“It’s clearly irresponsible of Governor Ritter to roll out the welcome mat for enemy combatants to come to Colorado,” said Republican state Rep. Cory Gardner, a leader of the petition drive. “His decision, without consulting the state legislature or local governments, to import terrorists into the state, is obviously a problem.” LINK


FDNY - Bronx Concourse Second Alarm VIDEO
January 25, 2009 [Date of Fire]
FDNY firefighters went to work on a top floor job in The University Heights Section of the Bronx on 144 East 182nd Near the Grand Concourse. Early reports place fire on the top floor and cockloft of a 6 story brick building.

Monday, January 26, 2009

LODD

A Florida firefighter was electrocuted Saturday at a crash scene along a roadway in Wakulla County. Crawfordville Capt. Richard Rhea, 60, slipped on wet grass and came into contact with a live power line, reports indicated.
He is the only firefighter
Richard Rhea, a 60-year-old volunteer firefighter in Wakulla County, was electrocuted this morning while responding to a vehicle crash on Lower Bridge Road.

Sorry But this doen't seem right to me?

Language Barrier Supervisors being fired because they don't speak the same language as their firefighters... Click on Link to watch this story


Sorry But this doesn't seem right to me?


FlashoverTV is powered by FireRescue1.com

Time For some Funnies, Policeman vers Fireman

Found this a while ago and looks like they have added some to the series, some adult content

Policeman vs Fireman Episodes 1 thru 3


Policeman vs Fireman pt 4



Policeman vs Fireman pt 5


Policeman vs Fireman pt. 6

The rest are Here http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=32554738

LODD, 15 homes burned, & Gov Rod

Firefighters Kyle Perkins and Cory Galloway Die In Training Accident In Kilgore, Texas
Two of Kilgore's bravest are being mourned as a Texas community begins to grasp the loss of two firefighters. Kyle Perkins and Cory Galloway fell to their deaths yesterday as they trained at Kilgore College. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6230006.html
The pair apparently fell from the town's tallest building as the trained with aerial apparatus. The building is located on the campus of Kilgore, Texas, home of the fire academy.
The academy is accredited by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection and the State Fireman and Fire Marshal’s Association, and approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools according to the schools website.
The police are investigating as will the Texas State Fire Marshals Office. The TSFMO will conduct an inquiry in the same way NIOSH conducts their investigation.
Two Texas firefighters die from fall during training WZTV
Kilgore Firefighters killed in a training accident KSLA-TV

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- One person was killed Monday in an early-morning fire.
Flames broke at about 4:40 a.m. in an apartment building located at 1297 Elm Street, near Bridge Street. Officials said the fire was contained to a third-floor apartment.
Firefighters said the victim is a man in his 50s who had just moved in.
Refresh this page and watch WMUR News 9 for updates.

Fire Thought to Be Arson Damages 15 Homes in Philadelphia Suburb
New York Times, United States - 13 hours agoTom Kelly IV/Daily Local News, via AP The fire in Coatesville, Pa., started late Saturday and left several dozen people homeless. ... Fire Strikes 15 Row Homes in Southeastern Pa.
Video: Fire Strikes 15 Row Homes in Southeastern Pa. AssociatedPress
One month, 14 fires, one big arson investigation CNN
Residents take precautions after latest in arson fires KVOA.com


On "Good Morning America," Blagojevich said he considered appointing Oprah Winfrey as Obama's Senate replacement.
"She seemed to be someone who had helped Barack Obama in a significant way become president," he said. "She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators." Watch Blagojevich say he's done 'nothing wrong' »

Sunday, January 25, 2009

News


Neighbors threaten to save deer if FD doesn't: News Station in Cleveland has the story and pictures of a deer rescue on an icy pond. Check it out.


Another arsonist turned human torch video. This one with a twist: A UK arsonist gets four years in prison and is likely scarred for life. The video of a bar being set on fire shows the arsonist not only setting himself ablaze, but getting into his car and setting it on fire. Take a look.


Brazil tragic collapse caught on video: The largest church in the country's largest city had its roof collapse Sunday while 400 people were inside. A newly released video shows the view from inside as it happened. Click here.

Florida house fire video: A lack of water seemed to be the biggest problem facing Lehigh Acres firefighters on Friday. Click here for the video and here for the story.

"Know Your Fire Department"

Know your triple-combination pumpers: This is one of 17-parts of the 1949 film Know Your Fire Department featuring LAFD. "Know Your Fire Department" must have been the Emergency! of its day. I imagine it inspired many a boy of that generation to become a fireman.
It looks like the film was uploaded to YouTube on Friday in at least 15 different parts. Click here to access all of them. They cover fire boats, fire prevention, manifold rigs, airport crash rigs, the Arson Bureau and more.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

2009 Still Starting out bad



Elderly brother and sister killed in Chicago fire - 1/11/09 - Chicago News - abc7chicago.com
Source: abclocal.go.com

Investigators are trying to determine what caused a house fire Sunday that killed an elderly brother and sister.Comment - Share
Investigators are trying to determine what caused a house fire Sunday that killed an elderly brother and sister.

Flames leaped from the second story of a house at 1911 S. Homan Avenue in Lawndale neighborhood on Chicago's West Side.
The blaze broke out at approximately 2:20 a.m and quickly spread to two neighboring homes.
-----------------------


CHICAGO --
Firefighters say they have found three young children dead in an apartment building that caught fire on Chicago's southeast side.
Fire Department spokeswoman Eve Rodriguez says the bodies of a 7-month-old baby, a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old were found on the third floor. The fire began Wednesday morning on that floor but the cause hasn't been determined.
A 4-year-old child found on the second floor was taken to a hospital in good condition.
Rodriguez said the mother of all four children was outside the building when firefighters arrived.
She said the only smoke detector firefighters found wasn't working.


-------------------------

3 badly hurt in blazeFort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN - 12 hours agoA two-alarm fire, six fire engines, two ladder trucks, one rescue truck and about 40 firefighters responded to the scene, fire officials said. ...

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Lincoln Barn Fire Kills 12 Horses
California - An early-morning fire killed 12 horses and destroyed a barn at a horse training facility in Lincoln. A neighbor reported the fire at 2:43 a.m. at the Doug and Debb...






It’s Catching On
WATERLOO, ILLINOIS, FIREFIGHTERS KNOW THE DRILL by now.
Once again, a car has driven through the front wall of a store along Main Street.
In the past couple of years, cars have inexplicably plowed into a tavern, a print shop, a bank, a jewelry store and others. Thursday afternoon around 3:00 an elderly woman placed the marker in the drug store when she made a surprise appearance about 20 feet into the shop, stopping just short of the pharmacy counter.


When the police arrived a few minutes later, the car was wedged against the wall with her foot on the gas and the wheels still spinning. Aside from two patrons being hit with flying glass, nobody was hurt in the crash.
“They seem to be progressing up the street, heading south,” Waterloo Fire Chief Mark Yeager commented about the string of store attacks.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the STORY.
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From 2006
Trial starts in wildfire that killed 5 firefighters
Raymond Lee Oyler faces 45 counts over 2006 Esperanza wildfire that killed five firefighters.


RIVERSIDE CA– A prosecutor told a jury Thursday that a 38-year-old defendant was “a man bent on destruction” who unleashed disaster by igniting a wind-driven wildfire that killed five U.S. Forest Service firefighters in 2006.
The characterization of defendant Raymond Lee Oyler was given to the nine-woman, three-man jury by Riverside County Deputy District Attorney Michael Hestrin as opening statements began in the potential death-penalty trial.
Oylerhas pleaded not guilty to 45 counts including murder and arson. Defense attorney Mark McDonald was to respond to the prosecution statement later.
Oyler,an auto mechanic, claims he had been watching his 7-month-old baby at home and then went to a casino when the Esperanza fire began on Oct. 26, 2006, as fierce Santa Ana winds roared through Southern California.
The crew of San Bernardino National Forest Engine 57 was overrun by flames while defending an unoccupied, isolated home in the San Jacinto Mountains about 90 miles east of Los Angeles.
Prosecutors say Oyler is a serial arsonist who set 23 blazes, including the Esperanza fire, in 2006 by using red-tipped wooden matches bundled around a cigarette with rubber bands or duct tape.
However, Superior Court Judge W. Charles Morgan dealt the prosecution a blow last week when he ruled jurors will only hear evidence tying Oyler to two other fires.
Hestrinhas said more extensive evidence would be presented at the trial but declined to elaborate.
McDonald, however, wants to admit into evidence that a Forest Service investigation found another possible arsonist - a firefighter who worked in the area when the suspicious fires started.
The Esperanza fire was reported at 1:11 a.m. PDT. According to a report summarizing Oyler’s interviews with police, he told investigators that after watching the baby at home in the city of Banning he went gambling at the Morongo Indian Casino & Spa, then stopped at a gas station before heading toward the Esperanza fire to watch it.
The fire began on a hillside in the town of Cabazon and spread quickly from a valley floor up the north side of the mountains to the widely dispersed rural community of Twin Pines at an elevation of about 4,000 feet.
Engine 57’s crew was overrun about 7:15 a.m. as they defended a home perched at the top of a steep drainage. Three firefighters died there and a fourth died soon after at a hospital. The fifth died five days later, the same day Oyler was arrested.
The blaze also destroyed 34 homes and 20 outbuildings.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Fire News 1/23/2009




Working fire in Clearwater

Just prior to 4AM Friday morning Clearwater Fire & Rescue Units were dispatched to 1283 Lotus Path for a reported house fire. Assistant Chief 45 (Pettingill) was the first to arrive at this 1-1/2 story dwelling with fire showing from a majority of the structure.
Engine 47 arrived and placed their attack line in service to try and knock down the bulk of the fire. There were numerous indicators that someone may have been still in the house, so crews were trying to get in to initiate a search of the structure.Fire conditions dictated a defensive attack till the bulk of the fire could be knocked down. Units finally got inside with negative results on the search. There were no civilian or firefighter injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.


BFD defends using trucks for medical calls Last year, medical calls accounted for 37 percent of the 70,176 runs made by Boston firefighters.


City poised to scrap county-wide ambulance service Batavia NY is ready to get out of the ambulance business.
Fire engulfs antique store WBIR According to the Sevierville Fire Department, crews worked on a fire at Shabby Antiques Boutique in Sevier County, TN.


Life threatening injuries at GA fire Four people were hurt — three critically — in a Thursday morning house fire in DeKalb County.


HH may turn down fire grant Almost a million dollars is hard to turn down, but that's exactly what the Town of Hilton Head Island Fire and Rescue Division might do.
Fire destroys grocery store TREVOR JONES An early morning fire destroyed the Dresden IGA, putting 25 people out of work and depriving the village of its only grocery store.
The blaze was reported at 2:19 a.m. Dresden Fire Chief Carl Archer said a Dresden police officer spotted the fire in the northwest back corner of the building. There were flames throughout the building and the fire immediately came through the roof.




Two kids killed in Chinatown mishap Two children were killed and a third was seriously injured after a van jumped a curb and struck them in Chinatown. Two adults were also hurt.
3 alarm fire in Poughkeepsie Michael B. Flynn A fire that broke out late last night and burned much of a three-family building may not have been accidental, said Chief Kenneth Boyd of the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department.
Officials are still investigating the cause. The fire started in the rear porch area of 60 Lincoln Avenue, said Boyd. There were no injuries but three families, consisting of seven adults and seven children were displaced.


Trial Begins For Man Accused In Deadly Calif. Fire
United States - January 23, 2009
California - A prosecutor said Thursday that an auto mechanic was a man bent on destruction who ignited a wildfire that killed five U.S. Forest Service firefighters in 2006. In opening statements for Raymond Lee Oyler's murder trial,...


Sacramento (CA) Fire Department Station 10 members respond to a single-alarm fire at a two-story home. The fire was contained mostly to the garage with heavy smoke damage to the entire house. During overhaul, a large amount of marijuana was found in the garage area and the incident turned into a major crime scene. Photo by Jason W. Meyer

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Ice Fishing to the Max



Ever wonder what they do in MN in the Winter?
http://www.icefishing.org/index.cfm
Brainerd, MN -- The 19th Annual Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza will be held this Saturday, January 24, on Gull Lake's Hole in the Day Bay. All of the conditions -- ice, ticket sales, prizes and sponsors -- are looking the best they've been in years. Event Chairman Jeff Hegg said, "We are very excited about the Extravaganza this year. We've got good site conditions and ticket sales are ahead of previous years. Many of our sponsors really stepped up their participation this year because we’re one of the longest-running successful ice fishing contests in Minnesota."

The economic conditions have affected a number of charitable fundraisers and organizations but the Extravaganza continues to maintain its strong position as a flagship winter event for the Brainerd-lakes area. This event generates over $1.5-million dollars in revenue over the course of the weekend and many local businesses are anxious for the anglers to come to town.

Crow Wing County Sherriff Todd Dahl will issue the official event permit on Monday. He checked the ice conditions of Hole in the Day Bay for the second time last Thursday. 14-18” of ice were found throughout the contest site and with the projected sub-zero overnight temperatures the Sherriff and the Extravaganza Committee expect to find a few more inches of ice come the 24th. “We are confident in the conditions and the Jaycees efforts to run a safe contest,” said Dahl.

In 1990 the Brainerd Jaycees had a desire to develop a signature project—a
project that would rally members, raise money for local charities, and provide
avenues for individual growth, personal development, and leadership. It is
certain the founders never expected this event would become the world’s
largest ice fi shing contest and put Brainerd, MN, on the map with a winter
event that generates over $1-million in revenue for area businesses and over
$200,000 for area charities annually.

The Ice Fishing Extravaganza is held in January (typically the third or fourth
Saturday of the month) on Gull Lake’s Hole in the Day Bay. It is an ice fishing
contest where anglers compete for well over $150,000 in cash and prizes. There
are 150 spots on the prize board and the values are distributed throughout
the list, not in value-order. Contestants are judged on the weight of their fish
only—not the particular species of fish caught or length. All weigh-ins are
time-stamped so in the event of a tie the fi rst fish weighed takes precedence.

Derailment revisited Oct 2005

New Video
The police dashcam video and audio from the October, 2005 deadly chemical leak, explosion and fire that followed a Union Pacific collision and derailment in Texarkana, Arkansas has resurfaced on LiveLeak and YouTube in the last day.
The propylene explosion and resulting fireball comes at 3:40 in the video. The video contains the audio from the officer in the car talking to the dispatcher and other police officers via radio.
Report at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-10-15-train-derailment_x.htm


Seven train cars and a tankcar containing flammable gas derailed on October 15, 2005 at a railroad switchyard in Texarkana, Arkansas. The derailment caused a liquefied gas leak and explosion that killed one person and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes. This video stresses the need to quickly research and properly identify chemicals involved in a hazardous materials incident. It also re-enforces the need to be prepared to immediately evacuate the scene of a hazardous materials incident.

Does the right thing

Caroline Kennedy says no to Senate seat
NEW YORK (UPI) -- Caroline Kennedy cited "personal reasons" early Thursday in announcing she no longer wants to be considered for Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat in New York.
Kennedy associate says decision was personal issue
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Caroline Kennedy withdrew her Senate bid because of a personal matter unrelated to her ill uncle, rejecting the governor's attempt to get her to reconsider, a person who worked closely with her said Thursday.
CAROLINE KENNEDY ENDS SENATE SEAT BID
MAKES DECISION AFTER LEARNING SHE WASN'T GOING TO BE PICKED AS SENATOR

Kennedy's decision caught even some close to her by surprise, and there were conflicting versions last night of what transpired.
Sources close to Kennedy said she had decided to bow out for "personal" reasons.
But others said she made her move after it became clear Paterson wasn't going to pick her for the seat. http://www.nypost.com/seven/01212009/news/politics/caroline_kennedy_ends_senate_seat_bid_151234.htm

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I Wanted to Make sure that you did not miss this



The wife of Vice President-elect Joe Biden has made a sensational slip-up on US television, telling Oprah Winfrey that her husband had also been given the choice to be Secretary of State. Jill Biden made the gaffe - admitting her husband had been offered the role which eventually went to Hillary Clinton - when the couple was interviewed by Winfrey in Washington, less than 24 hours before Barack Obama’s historic inauguration.
Mrs Biden, affectionately known as ‘Jilly’ to her husband, said she had encouraged him to accept the position of vice president because it meant spending more time at home with the family.
“Joe had the choice to be secretary of state or vice president,” she said, immediately realising her gaffe as her embarrassed husband turned to her and said: “Shhhh!”.





MSNBC has the Clip, Sounds like BHO has some of Rod's tips from Chicago? What did he promise in return for the postioion, What did Hillary promise?



Hillary Clinton sworn in as next secretary of state

Four More Years of a Clinton in the News, give me a break Already!


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Hillary Clinton was sworn in as the 67th U.S. secretary of state Wednesday afternoon after the Senate approved her nomination by a vote of 94-2.

Hillary Clinton was sworn in Wednesday in her Senate office by Associate Judge Kathleen Oberly.
Former President Clinton and her Senate staff looked on as Clinton's childhood friend and D.C. appeals court Associate Judge Kathleen Oberly swore her in on a Bible belonging to the former first lady's late father, in a ceremony in her Senate office. The senators who opposed Clinton's confirmation were Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, and David Vitter, R-Louisiana.

Caroline Kennedy: Entitled to Hillary's Senate Seat? http://bucknakedpolitics.typepad.com/buck_naked_politics/2008/12/caroline-kennedy-undeterred-intends-to-seek-clintons-seat.html
That Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg hasn't done much to earn it doesn't seem to count in her eyes against the sense that a little work on Obama's campaign entitles her to have Hillary Clinton's Senate seat.
That's how many people may see it if New York Governor David Paterson chooses Ms. Kennedy as Sen. Clinton's replacement. Gov. Paterson reportedly questioned Ms. Kennedy's credentials, and he's not alone.
If Gov. Paterson picks Ms. Kennedy, people may also see it as proof that all it takes is a name and a few phone calls to snatch up one of the highest positions in our government -- even when our nation faces severe crises on multiple fronts.

Good article by Ann Coulter today on the inauguration
MORE BOOS THAN BALLS January 21, 2009 http://www.anncoulter.com/

News, January 21, 2009


Temporary Walls Turn NYC Apartments Into Firetraps
United States (New York) - The firefighters were trapped in what amounted to a burning maze: a Bronx apartment illegally divided into extra rooms for sake of making a buck in this cramped ci... More Photos

Jaws Of Life Stolen From Alabama Fire Department
United States (Alabama) - Highland Home's volunteer firefighters are trying to figure out why anyone would want to steal the jaws of life. The $12,000 equipment, which is used to rescue peo... More Photos

Atlantic City Firefighters Rescue 18 Residents From Apartment Fire
United States (New Jersey) - Atlantic City firefighters safely removed eighteen residents from apartments as a store burned beneath them. Shortly before 10:00 PM on January 19th, a passing Dep... More Photos

Partial Building Collapse In Korea Town Injures 1
United States (California) - On Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 8:56 PM, 9 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 7 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Heavy Rescue, 1 Arson Unit, 2 Urban Search and Rescue ... More Photos

More:


Bradley Commissioner Wants Fire Chief Fired
Five-Alarm Fire At Provo Apartment Complex
Dallas Firefighter Injured When Car Crashes Into Truck At Accident Scene
Firefighters Knock Down Haverhill Fire
Firefighter Hurt In Two-story Storefront Building Fire
Albany Firefighters Banned From Working With Community Fire Units
Independent Group Will Probe Claims That Firefighters Falsified Training Documents
Trendy T-Shirts Spark Fire Equipment Buy


Firefighters Rescue Dog Trapped In Icy Water: Dog Says Thanks By Dunking Rescuers

R. David Paulison Announces Departure and New FEMA transition

Love Him or Hate him, he's gone!

Release Date: January 21, 2009
Release Number: HQ-09-010
WASHINGTON, D.C. --

I will be stepping down as Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) effective 12:00 p.m. on 21 January 2009. I want to take this opportunity to thank President Bush and Secretary Chertoff for the opportunity to serve them and the American public in this critical position during such an important time. Since 2006, I have had the great honor and fortune to work with dedicated people and oversee marked progress in this organization. We have embraced a culture of preparedness, dispersing billions of dollars in emergency preparedness grants, publishing the National Response Framework, the National Disaster Housing Strategy and conducting gap analysis activities working with state emergency managers to balance strengths and gaps before a disaster strikes. We have enhanced training and readiness through pre-scripted mission assignments, we have increased our staff from 1,500 people to more than 3,700 highly-trained experts in their field, and we continue to build upon critical emergency responder partnerships.In 2008 alone, we responded to 90 declared disaster, assisting 36 states. There were record floods in the Midwest, affecting a six-state area. It was the fourth busiest hurricane season since 1944. We managed more than 1.5 million disaster assistance applications, provided more than $1 billion to assist individuals in their recovery and obligated an additional $1.4 billion to assist local communities. It was a busier year, and there is still much work to do.We have put in place a robust transition plan to assist the incoming Administration to build upon this foundation. Nancy Ward has been assigned as the Senior Career Transition Officer to ensure a smooth changeover. I have the utmost confidence in her and each career deputy among our directorates to steer the ship until the new senior leadership team is in place.I leave FEMA with the same core beliefs I have tried to instill since my arrival. Everyone is part of the emergency management process. We must continue to develop a culture of preparedness in America in which every American takes personal responsibility for his or her own emergency preparedness. Lastly, I wish to thank Admiral Harvey Johnson whose support, leadership and vision provided enormous value every single day to the Agency, the Nation and the people of this great country.FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
FEMA Leadership as of January 21, 2009

Acting Administrator – Nancy WardActing
Deputy Administrator – David Garratt
Associate Deputy Administrator – Bob Shea