Monday, February 6, 2012   A man--and then the firefighter who rescued him--were trapped in Loop condo high-rise elevators for some 3½ hours Sunday night.Firefighters were called to the Park Monroe Condominiums, 65 E. Monroe St. near Millennium Park, about 9:15 p.m. to rescue a man who was trapped in a stalled elevator between the 21st and 22nd floor of the 49-story building, said Chief Kevin McGregor, a fire department spokesman.

A firefighter went up in another elevator in an adjoining shaft, exited through the ceiling hatch to get to the other elevator's hatch to transfer the trapped man and bring him down.

But after the transfer was made, the second elevator stalled and wouldn't come down, McGregor said.

Firefighters considered breaking through a brick wall to get into the elev... [ more ]

Monday, February 6, 2012  Two Braden, Mississippi volunteer firefighters who were nearly killed last Monday night when they were hit by a truck while fighting a grass fire have made a remarkable recovery.

"I remembered hearing a loud boom," said firefighter Joshua Fair. "Next thing I know, I just felt like I was flying through the air. And I feel and it was some of the worst pain I've ever experienced."

Monday afternoon, while Fair and his fellow firefighters were on duty on I-40, they were fighting a grass fire on the median when a pickup truck slammed into the back of their fire engine.

Three firefighters were injured and the driver of the pickup truck was killed.

"It was the fire truck that hit us from the impact of the original vehicle that hit it and drove the truck into us," said injured firefighter ... [ more ]

Monday, February 6, 2012   
Doctor Thomas Joiner shares his theory on suicide.
 
Dr. Joiner presented at the Symposium on Depression and Suicide in the Fire Service on July 11th and 12th, 2011 in Baltimore sponsored by the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation (NFFF). He brought his extensive knowledge and academic insights along with his own journey into the affects of suicide on his own life through the loss of his Father.
 
He is now working with the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation and other leaders in the American Fire Service to understand and unravel the mystery of his type of event as it affects us.
 
From a personal standpoint I found Dr. Joiner’s explanation of suicide ideation to be the easiest for me to relate to why firefighters may be at more risk than the general public. Please see the U-Tube link provided by Mr. Shannon Pennington from North American Firefighter Veteran Network regarding an appearance ... [ more ]

Sunday, February 5, 2012  Thanks to Dave Statter www.Statter911.com for sharing this story


From 9 News:

A blazing truck rolled into oncoming traffic on a busy Perth highway yesterday when the heat of the fire caused its brakes to fail.

The truck caught alight in a street off the Stirling Highway in the western suburb of Nedlands yesterday before the brakes stopped working and it rolled backwards into the oncoming highway traffic.

Sunday, February 5, 2012  Complacency among firefighters led to the Pasadena Fire Department’s failure to find a woman’s body in a torched laundry room in July. At a meeting of the Pasadena (Calif) City Council’s Public Safety Committee, Fire Chief Calvin Wells provided more details about the July 31 fire. Firefighters were called to a home on South San Marino Avenue twice on July 31, he said. The first call was in response to the initial blaze, and the second was to douse a rekindled fire at the detached garage. It wasn’t until Aug. 2 that an insurance investigator discovered the remains of Yolanda Marie Sapetto, a transient. Wells, who became head of the department months after the blaze, blamed “complacency on the part of responders” for the failure to spot Sapetto's body. “However, we are assured that what happened on July 31 is not the norm,” he said. Wells also said he believed the woman died before the fire started in the early morning hours. S... [ more ]

Sunday, February 5, 2012  Police charged a man with threatening Raleigh (NC) Firefighters and Wake County EMS workers with a machete Friday when they answered a call in a parking lot at 1823 Capital Blvd. Grady Lee Smith, 55, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, being intoxicated and disruptive and going to the terror of the people.
Smith came at the emergency personnel with the machete and shouted, “You better leave my wife alone,” according to an arrest warrant filed by police officers who rushed to the scene when the fire and medical workers called for help. The warrant also charges that Smith challenged a fire department captain to a fight. A Wake County magistrate set Smith’s bail at $3,000.

Sunday, February 5, 2012  3 Philly Ffirefighters and four civilians were injured at a house fire this morning in North Philadelphia. It happened around 0600 on the 1600 block of North 20th Street. Arriving crews found heavy black smoke pushing from the third floor of the home. Several victims suffered smoke inhalations and were taken to Hahnemann Hospital. One firefighter is in critical, but stable condition while the other two firefighters and the four civilians are in stable condition. The Battalion Chief ordered all firefighters out of the building around 0615 hours and extra medics were requested at the scene. More to follow.

Sunday, February 5, 2012  A two-alarm blaze injured a firefighter and displaced five people in Dorchester Saturday morning.

Firefighters responded to the blaze on Maxwell Street at 9:14 a.m. Authorities said the fire had started on the second floor of the home and extended to the third.
Five residents safely escaped, but one firefighter was taken to Carney Hospital for a head injury.
Fire officials believe an electrical short circuit in a second floor bedroom was to blame.
Damage to the home was estimated at $200,000. The American Red Cross was assisting the displaced residents.

Read more: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/30379059/detail.html#ixzz1lXR22ZgS

Sunday, February 5, 2012  Orange County firefighters worked a two alarm fire Saturday that displaced several residents in a Winter Park Apartment complex.

The two alarm fire broke out on the first floor of the two Sunbay apartment complex.

"It was scary. We saw the smoke and we thought something really huge was happening," said Michelle Michaels, of Winter Park, who was watching firefighters battle the blaze.



Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Holton said one of the firefighters was taken to Winter Park Hospital after debris started falling from the ceiling, striking his head.

"Something hit his helmet. He's going to be fine. He's complaining of dizziness," said Holton.

Several people were inside the building when the fire broke out, but escaped unharmed. Firefighters have not yet determined the cause of the fire.

Witnesses said the smoke from the fire was so thick it seemed to engulf the entire building, making it difficult to see. Traf... [ more ]

Saturday, February 4, 2012  A Penn Forest Township (Carbon County, PA) Volunteer Firefighter was transported by air to St Luke's trauma center after sustaining multiple serious injuries from falling off a ladder at a dwelling fire. The fire was located on Mountain Road in Penn Forest Township and the injury happened around 1830 hours. More to follow.

Saturday, February 4, 2012  The news of the last few days has brought attention to a growing concern within the fire and emergency service and an important behavioral health topic that many of us have been working on for more than a year. As we’ve learned, suicide is a very complex matter for which there are no simple answers. Fire service leaders often wonder how to approach this potential problem within their departments. Each situation is different and requires special intervention and support.

In light of recent tragedies, now is the time for the fire service to draw on our collective culture and traditions and come together in support of one another.

The IAFC, NFFF and NVFC encourage all members of the fire and emergency service to familiarize themselves with the credible and valuable tools and resources that are available to assist firefighters and their families who may be coping with depression or thoughts of suicide. Anyone who feels at risk or knows of someone who may be ... [ more ]

Saturday, February 4, 2012  A report from the Toledo Fire Department on a fatal West Toledo fire last month states that the apartment where a man died — and where his body was found in the rubble of the demolished building — wasn’t searched until after an evacuation order was given.
The three-page report, HERE: http://tinyurl.com/7tw5mnm

states that residents of the 12-unit building who were interviewed at the onset of the Jan. 13 fire told authorities that everyone was out of the three-story building.
“We rely on primarily the folks that live in that structure or neighbors nearby,” said Toledo fire Lt. Matthew Hertzfeld. “That’s our best resource to gather that information.”
The fire started on the second floor of the building at 3125 Meadowbrook Ct. about 3:45 a.m. The third and second floors were searched, as was part of the first, but at 4:07 a.m., one minute after a crew was sent to search the first floor, the evacuation order was given, leav... [ more ]

Saturday, February 4, 2012  To Ken Patterson, firefighting and football go hand in hand: Teamwork is the key to success, and that’s why he loves them both. Patterson, 48, one of the two West Haverstraw firefighters who were injured in the Jan. 16 natural gas explosion, has been home for several days since he was discharged from Helen Hayes Hospital, where he received physical therapy to help him start getting back in shape.

Patterson said he suffered six broken ribs as well as burns to his head, face and hand. He’s taking pain medication for his neck and back. He would know more about his conditions and treatments after he consults with his doctor in Westchester Medical Center next week, Patterson said Friday.

Patterson and his fellow firefighter Jerry Knapp, along with two employees from Orange and Rockland Utilities, were injured when the explosion leveled a townhouse at 52 Zarriello Lane in the Village Fairgrounds II development. Workers for FGC Communications in Cor... [ more ]

Saturday, February 4, 2012  A Clearwater fire truck was responding to an emergency when it had to screech to a halt because a big concrete rock slammed into the windshield. And it was no accident -- someone deliberately threw it.


"We're not talking about a pebble here, we're talking about a large chunk of concrete," said Elizabeth Watts with the City of Clearwater.
Watts said the emergency call was halted by the flying chunk of concrete.
"Big enough to fill the palm of your hand, so he got some momentum going," she said.
It happened during a busy Friday morning commute, in the 2300 block of Gulf To Bay Boulevard around 7:20 a.m. Clearwater Fire Rescue #49 was responding to a call, with their lights and sirens blaring.
"It was a problem breathing, and it was a medical call," said Watts, who added that the crew saw a man walking toward them.
"They noticed him, they thought maybe he was doing something a little suspicious," said Watts.
So it wasn't a total surprise. Th... [ more ]

Friday, February 3, 2012  What seemed to be typical mop-up work after a fire changed in an instant for West Point Volunteer Fire Chief Gary Cheesman.

"The instant it happened, 'oh my goodness, I just lost an eye for a vacant house'," Cheesman said.

It's a chance maybe one in a million.

A fire with suspicious origins broke out January 23 on County Road East 1400 North in Fountain County near Attica. West Point firefighters fought from the outside because it was vacant.

Cheesman said the house had hundreds of rounds of ammunition inside. Firefighters had heard bullets explode as the fire ran its course, but thought none of the possible projectiles were traveling beyond the structure.

Cheesman said the flames had settled down and he had walked to the back of the house to discuss what firefighters should do next. Because he was running the pumper truck and was wearing a radio around his head, he wasn't wearing his helmet.

That's when ... [ more ]