Sunday, May 12, 2013  A Houston firefighter is in the hospital after the fire truck he was in was hit by a suspected drunk driver last night in northwest Houston.


Police say the fire truck had its emergency lights on while responding to a call on the Northwest Freeway at 34th around 10:30pm.

That's when a truck slammed into the fire truck, injuring one of the firefighters. He was taken to the hospital but is expected to be OK.

The driver of the truck was taken into custody.

Saturday, May 11, 2013  Now that Firefighter Gene Kirchner has been laid to rest, we must get to the task of determining the circumstances surrounding his death.   Gene’s death is the second firefighter, line-of-duty death in Baltimore County in the past 2-1/2 years.  On January 19, 2011, FF Mark Falkenhan of the Lutherville Volunteer Fire Company died in the line-of-duty at a fire in Towson.

The most amazing, and tragic aspect of these firefighters’ deaths is that they were both doing the same thing – searching for victims trapped in a dwelling fire.  Statitics show that in the U.S., few fire department line-of-duty deaths occur as a result of firefighters becoming trapped in a burning structure.  Most line-of-duty deaths are the result of a heart attacks or other serious medical conditions. 

With the knowledge that two firefighters from the same jurisdiction have died within 2-1/2 years of each other while engaged in the same tacti... [ more ]

Saturday, May 11, 2013  STORY COURTESY OF OUR PARTNERS AT www.NORTHEASTBRAVEST.com


On arrival the first due engine had heavy fire blowing out of the 2nd floor of a 2.5-story duplex.
Attack lines went to work on the 2nd floor with heavy fire extending into the attic. Two minutes into the video a Easton Firefighter fell off the main roof onto onto a 2nd roof after missing the ladder rungs. The firefighter appeared to be uninjured and continued to work. Firefighters were eventually forced to evacuate the building due to conditions quickly deteriorating a loss of water pressure and dead hydrants. Companies used all hands with multiple large lines, ladder pipes and ground monitors.

Companies On-Scene: Easton Fire/EMS, Wilson Boro Fire, City of Bethlehem Fire.
Cover Assignments: Palmer Municipal Fire,West Easton Fire

http://www.northeastbravest.com/2013/05/city-of-easton-house-fire.html

Saturday, May 11, 2013  McLean County State's Attorney Jason Chambers said the truck driver that allegedly fatally struck a Hudson firefighter in March has been indicted on reckless homicide.

Thirty-nine year-old Chris Brown was killed in March while working with the Hudson Fire Department at the scene of a weather-related accident on Interstate 39 when a semitrailer hauling cars hit several of the emergency responder's vehicles. Five other firefighters were injured.

Mansur Shakirov, 28 of Spokane, Wash. was originally charged with driving too fast for conditions and violating Scott's Law, but those were dropped in April as the office was waiting for the State Police accident report. Chambers said that came back this month and a grand jury indicted Shakirov Wednesday.

"We had some eyewitness accounts originally, but we can't press charges until we have a final investigation," Chambers said. "We had to do due diligence to evaluate that before we could make... [ more ]

Saturday, May 11, 2013  A volunteer fire department in rural Ross County is minus a fire truck after an early-morning joy ride ended in a crash that destroyed the tanker truck and critically injured the suspected thief.

A man broke into the Harrison Township fire station, jumped aboard a 2003 Kenworth tanker truck and took off down Charleston Pike east of Chillicothe with the lights flashing and the siren wailing, authorities said.

The thief didn’t get far. The westbound fire truck ran off the road about 12:08 a.m., hit a guardrail and overturned, throwing the man from the vehicle, according to the Chillicothe post of the State Highway Patrol.

The man did not have any identification in his possession and has not yet been identified, said Lt. J.M. Moore, commander of the Chillicothe post.

The man was flown to Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University in Columbus, where he remained unconscious and in critical condition this morning, Moore said.

The Ross Cou... [ more ]

Saturday, May 11, 2013  Detroit’s fire commissioner said Wednesday that he will continue to crack down on internal drug abuse after a recent audit found the Fire Department failed to follow its substance abuse policy.Four employees who tested positive for cocaine or high blood-alcohol levels — but faced no disciplinary actions — were among a handful of incidents described in an auditor general’s report presented to a City Council committee Wednesday.

“If there is one member on the department that uses any of these illegal substances, that’s too many,” Fire Commissioner Donald Austin told the council’s Budget, Finance and Audit Committee. “The problem I have, it’s a cultural thing here of acceptance through pressure.”

The report also found that 21 on-duty Fire Department workers tested positive after a urine drug screening and seven tested positive after a breath alcohol test between January 2008 and September 2011. Those with a positive test inc... [ more ]

Friday, May 10, 2013  The first stop for burned firefighter Jahwann McIntyre after his release from a Miami hospital Friday — was his fire station in Stuart.

One of his conversations at Martin County Fire Station 23 was with firefighter Garrett Smith, who pulled him out of the fire.

“It felt really good to see him,” McIntyre said, after leaving the fire station. Conversations at the station had been private.

McIntyre said he plans to return to the job.

“Once you’re a firefighter, you’re always a firefighter. I have to work hard to getting back to 100 percent.”

McIntyre had been a patient at the University Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital burn center since being flown in Dec. 27 with severe burns to more than 50 percent of his body.

From the station, he went to his family’s home, where he was met with blue, black and white balloons and group of neighbors, family and friends. Blue and black are the colors of ... [ more ]

Friday, May 10, 2013  THE ambulance service has warned it will not tolerate abuse against its staff after a paramedic was subjected to a hate-filled verbal assault.



Paramedic Joe Hunter, who works for South Central Ambulance (Scas), was called homophobic names while answering a call to help a drunk woman.

During the incident the woman spouted abuse and even tried to punch the medic who had come to help her.

The tirade came in February this year after the paramedic was called to George Street, Buckland, Portsmouth.

The 22-year-old said: ‘We were called to an unconscious female off New Road, Portsmouth, and found her to be under the influence of alcohol.

‘She requested a lift home before becoming verbally abusive.

‘She shouted abuse, asked if the ambulance service knew we were gay and made abusive comments about homosexuals.

‘She even tried to punch me. When she did that we called the police.

‘It�... [ more ]

Friday, May 10, 2013  Bryce Reed, a volunteer paramedic who frequently spoke with the media during the aftermath of the West explosion, was arrested Friday and faces a charge of possession of a destructive device.

Reed, who was a volunteer for West Emergency Medical Services, was taken into custody Friday morning and booked in the McLennan County Jail. He was later picked up by the U.S. Marshals and is currently in their custody.

One of Reed's neighbors, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, told News 8's David Schechter that he reported Reed to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms because Reed claimed to have made a pipe bomb that he took to another home.

According to a criminal complaint affidavit released Friday afternoon, the McLennan County Sheriff's Office was called on May 7 to an Abbott residence, where they found components of a pipe bomb, including a 3.5 inch by 1.5 inch galvanized pipe and individual bags of chemical powders weighi... [ more ]

Friday, May 10, 2013  What began as a routine medical call at a Hannaford parking lot in Troy soon turned into a scary situation according to Troy Fire Chief Tom Garett.

“Upon arrival we had an individual who had taken a heroin overdose, firefighters who are also trained as paramedics were able to get him inside of an ambulance and treat the man with a narcan which reverses the heroin overdose,” said Garett. “They were successful, but he became combative. He stabbed one of our paramedics with a needle or lancet.”

According to police, that object was tainted with the blood of Joel Burgess, 32, of Mechanicville. He is charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the seventh-degree, Criminally Possessing a Hypodermic Instrument, Assault in the second-degree, and Obstructing Emergency Medical Services.

Chief Garrett says the man tore his IV out and ran out of the hospital before doctors could test him to see if he was HIV positive, he will now be gi... [ more ]

Friday, May 10, 2013  Funeral services for Wayne-Westland Firefighter Brian Woehlke, fatally injured in a fire Wednesday, have been announced.

The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday, May 13 at Divine Child Church, 1055 N. Silvery Lane in Dearborn. There will be a Mass followed by a full formal firefighter procession to St. Hedwig Cemetery, 23755 Military, Dearborn.

The viewing will be at Harry J. Will Funeral Home, 34567 Michigan Ave., in Wayne 4-9 p.m. Saturday, May 11. There will be a formal firefighter walk through at 6 p.m. with those participating to assemble at 5:30 p.m.

The funeral home viewing will continue 2-9 p.m. Sunday, May 12.

Firefighter Woehlke, 29, is survived by his wife of four years, Jennifer, and daughter Ava; his parents William and Elizabeth; brothers William, Robert (Emily) and Bradley (Kellie); nieces Ella, Sophia, Lucy and Adelaide; father and mother in-law Patrick and Angela Canfield; and brothers in-law William and Pa... [ more ]

Friday, May 10, 2013  A Dayton firefighter is back on the department full-time, no restrictions.

That means a lot since he was hit by a car on an icy highway in March.

It was like any other day.  Dayton Fire Captain Barry Cron was responding to an 11-car pile up on US 35 when a driver lost control on the icy road, slamming into a truck that struck him.

Captain Cron had three broken ribs, a fracture on his shin and bruises.

He was treated and released from the hospital the next day.

After seeing the video, it's hard to believe his injuries weren't more serious.

He says a higher power was watching over him that day.

"I think I healed up in a pretty quick time. So, I just think it shows the power of prayer and belief," said Captain Barry Cron, Dayton FIre Department.

He calls the accident a series of unfortunate events and says it will change the way he responds to crashes in the future.

"I... [ more ]

Thursday, May 9, 2013  One firefighter hurt his arm, and the other three suffered heat exhaustion according to crews on the scene. Officials said two firefighters were taken to a Spokane hospital.

The man who lives at the house said he safely escaped from the house with his bearded dragon.

Firefighters searched the home for the tenants. Crews initially thought a child might be inside the house. They said the child was found safely outside of the house.

Crews at the scene said the fire was so hot that it melted one firefighter’s coat.

Thursday, May 9, 2013  Firefighters had just returned to their station in East Oakland from a call Tuesday night when they heard dozens of gunshots. A lieutenant remarked to a cadet that when they hear gunfire like that, it usually means they'll be responding to an incident soon.

But seconds later, a bullet pierced a back window of Station 18 at 50th and Bancroft avenues, whizzed down the length of a hook-and-ladder truck - right where two firefighters had been standing - and exited through a front window before lodging in an apartment building across the street.

A firefighter ducked behind a front wheel of a fire engine. Two threw themselves under a desk in a nearby office, while a firefighter upstairs "could hear the bullet zinging, and that's when she ducked," said Battalion Chief Emon Usher.

No one... [ more ]