Wednesday, January 18, 2012   PA LODD - POV RESPONDING CRASH www.FirefighterCloseCalls.com

We regret to inform you that a firefighter from United Hook and Ladder Fire Company in Adams Co. PA was killed in a single vehicle accident in Berwick Township. The Firefighter was responding in his POV to a fire call at the time of the crash. Our sincere condolences to the United Hook and Ladder Fire Company and the firefighters family.


Take Care - Be Safe
1/18/12 1915hrs
BillyG
www.FirefighterCloseCalls.com
 

Wednesday, January 18, 2012   

PA FIREFIGHTER KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN-The Secret List



www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com



 



It is with deep sadness and regret that we advise of the military Line of Duty Death of Bryan Bell.  Bryan was an active member of the Fairfield Hose Co. (Harborcreek Township, PA) before joining the Air Force in 2007.  Since 2007, he has been on military leave status with the FD.  On January 5, he was one of three Airmen killed in the Line of Duty in Afghanistan when an IED went off near their vehicle.  (For the record, the below newspaper article has the wrong year of his enlistment, 2007 is correct.) 



Bryan was, and other family Firefighters are members of The Secret List-our sincere condolences to his family, firefighters and friends. RIP.



MORE HERE:



http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012301069904



http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012301179953



Take Care-Please Remember All Those Who Are Serving In Our Military.



BillyG



The Secret List 1-18-12/1400 hours



www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com



 

Wednesday, January 18, 2012    Hey,
Dozens of city hall dwellers (and related elected officials) in Florida are looking at major changes in Firefighter cancer presumption-and don't think for a second that's only being looked at in Florida. Jacksonville Beach is just the latest city in Florida to show their support for major fire pension reform, specifically measures that would take away presumptive benefits for heart and lung issues. That City Council voted unanimously last night to pass a resolution saying they support pension reform. 
The Florida League of Cities is pushing major changes, asking cities across the state to pass similar resolutions, to show state legislators they have widespread support. The group would like to change the Heart and Lung Bill to require firefighters and police to have proof that their illnesses are job related. 
Jacksonville Association of Firefighters Pres. Randy Wyse said this is an issue that does not just impact Jacksonville Beach, but firefighters across the state. 
"Obviously we have very dangerous jobs and for a league or a group to to say, 'Well, no.  It's not really what your job entails that causes these things.' I think is really short-sighted," shared Wyse.  "I can't imagine that anybody would think that what we do doesn't bring certain health risks."    
Jacksonville Beach City Manager George Forbes said he was not willing to do an interview about the resolution, because it is a state issue. 
However, the city had the document posted on its website, saying:



"The City of Jacksonville Beach hereby requests the Florida Legislature to amend current statutory disability presumptions for firefighters, law enforcement officers and correctional officers relating to tuberculosis, heart disease or hypertension to require the employee to meet age and employment requirements, allow the presumption to be overcome by a preponderance of evidence and allow certain individual risk factors to be considered when applying the presumption."



Jacksonville Beach is only one of dozens of Florida cities supporting the above actions. 



HERE is more along with a list of those cities:



http://beaches.firstcoastnews.com/news/news/70349-firefighters-fight-over-presumptive-benefits



 



 



NEW YORK EXPLOSION UPDATE: "Believe In Angels" (along with good training and PPE)



Shortly before Monday’s house explosion, West Haverstraw (Rockland County, NY) Firefighter Jerry Knapp was at the doorstep of the 52 Zarriello Lane townhouse along with fellow Firefighter, Captain Kenny Patterson to force open its front door. They were trying to get to the bottom of a natural gas leak at the Village Fairgrounds II condominium development that the West Haverstraw Fire Department, Haverstraw police and Orange and Rockland Utilities responded to at 12:13 p.m. “When we got there, there was gas coming out of the ground, and we smelled it,” Knapp recalled. About a dozen West Haverstraw Firefighters knocked on doors in the development to get gas readings in each house and to evacuate residents as a precaution. Nearly 15 homes were evacuated as a result, Knapp said.



Then Knapp heard from an Orange and Rockland Utilities worker that the gas reading near the outside electric meter at 52 Zarriello Lane was high, although no one could get into the house to check because the door was locked. “We had to get in there. ... So we were prepared to force the door when it blew up,” Knapp said.



 



“When it blew, for some reason, I looked up. The concussion made me look up. I saw the front of the house going that way,” said Knapp, pointing to the ceiling as he sat in his kitchen Tuesday afternoon. “I felt like I was being tackled. ... I remember leaving the ground. I got hit with something, not really really hard, but I was hit with something.” The next thing he remembered was he was on all fours in the street, and his nose was bleeding like crazy, he said, adding that he was about 40 feet away from where he was before the blast. His helmet appeared to be blown off and was later found, completely destroyed. “I wish I knew how I landed. ... I was dazed for a minute, then I heard people yelling, ‘Where’s the other guy? Where’s the other guy?’ — which was Kenny,” Knapp said of Patterson.



 



Knapp, 57, an accomplished firefighter with a degree in fire protection and well known fire service instructor, suffered a concussion, a fractured cheekbone, first- and second-degree burns to his head, and bad bruises to his leg. He was taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla but was released Monday night. 



Captain Kenny Patterson, 48, was still in the intensive care unit at Westchester Medical Center, recovering from several broken ribs and burns to his face and head, said West Haverstraw Fire Chief George Zayas, adding Patterson may be released from the hospital on Thursday or Friday. Knapp, a 37-year veteran firefighter, recently retired as the plans officer for the Directorate of Emergency Services at the U.S. Military Police in West Point. He is an assistant chief with the Rockland County Hazmat Task Force and a training officer at the Rockland County Fire Training Center in Ramapo.



 



Last June, Knapp and Zayas published an article about the dangers of fighting fire in illegally converted private dwellings. The article appeared on FireEngineering.com,



HERE IS THAT ARTICLE: http://tinyurl.com/7ab7hww  



-where Knapp writes the Suburban Firefighter column and has been a longtime contributor. In addition, Knapp is publishing a Fire Engineering book on house fires. Even with his credentials, Knapp said he would be reluctant to say he’s a pro in fighting fires because he believes that there’s no way to know everything.



 



“We try to take a manageable risk, and we thought what we were doing was a manageable risk,” Knapp said of Monday’s incident. “We weren’t trading firefighters’ lives for civilians lives. ... We are going into an uncontrolled environment and try to get it under control.”



How he and Patterson survived the explosion was something miraculous, considering the extent of the explosion, Knapp said. “I can’t believe it. If you don’t believe in angels, you haven’t worked long enough for the firehouse,” Knapp said. “Somebody is looking out for us.” 



As he thanked his fire angels, Knapp also thanked medics from Medic One and Dr. Sharla Bryan with Westchester Medical Center and her staff, who treated them. “She and her staff did a great job. We are grateful for those people,” Knapp said. (Courtesy of Lower Hudson news)



Take Care-BE CAREFUL,

BillyG... [ more ]  

Tuesday, January 17, 2012  Hey,
Both Firefighters are doing better today (with one home and the other soon to be discharged) after that gas leak turned explosion in Rockland County's West Haverstraw. The gas main was broken by a contracting crew doing work on the street for Verizon. Workers were using a pneumatic tool that shoots a metal device known as a bullet through the earth under the street.
However,  "the bullet" slammed into a gas main and the leaking gas filled the area, buildings and storm drains.


Injuries to the FF's include concussion, broken bones and some second degree burns... and in communicating one of the FF's involved: THEIR PPE PROTECTED THEM FROM MUCH WORSE. As stated by the Chief: "IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF WE HADN'T STARTED EVACUATION IMMEDIATELY UPON ARRIVAL". The FF's were at the front door of the dwelling when it blew and "a pressure" hit them, described like a football "tackle" that lifted them up and tossed them 30 feet away....and then realizing what happened, they looked up and saw the debris and situation.

SAME TOWN-SAME FD-SAME FF: PREVIOUS CLOSE CALL:
It was almost exactly a year ago, and you may recognize the name Captain Kenny Patterson, who had a very serious CLOSE CALL at a fire not far from the scene of yesterday’s gas explosion that we posted on FFCC. His department responded to a dwelling fire on Jan. 14, 2011. What he and the crews didn’t know when they entered the structure was that the house had been illegally converted into a mess of subdivided rooms. Patterson, 48, became disoriented in the smoke-filled house and ran out of air. His TRAINING KICKED IN and he issued a mayday call as he collapsed in the building. Andrew Kolesar, another Firefighter, found Patterson in the building, swung him over his shoulder and carried him out. Patterson was treated at Westchester Medical Center for smoke inhalation.
Now a year and a few days later, Patterson is one of the 2 Firefighters being treated after being injured in the gas explosion. We'll have more details as they become available as Chief George Zayas and his crew along with both FF/Instructor Jerry Knapp (many of you have probably attended Jerry's outstanding training sessions at FDIC, if the name sounds familiar) and Captain Kenny Patterson recover from yesterdays incident.

VIDEO & PHOTOS OF YESTERDAYS EXPLOSION:
http://tinyurl.com/78behrw
http://www.nybuff.org/2012/01/gas-leak-blows-up-house.html?m=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUcSKtBvLt8
http://yorktown.patch.com/articles/firefighers-battle-apparent-gas-explosion-in-west-haverstraw 
ABOUT The West Haverstraw FD (Volunteer Hose No.2)
http://www.volhose23.com/index.html

=ARTICLE: Poland Ohio Firefighters Injured As House Explodes After Arrival At Gas Leak Run:
VIDEO & INTERVIEW WITH Chief Chip Comstock:
http://www.vindy.com/videos/2010/feb/13/1154/
Articles:
http://tinyurl.com/7lp2msb
http://tinyurl.com/7kbxl2n
http://tinyurl.com/764mz8j
 
=ARTICLE: BUFFALO NY FIREFIGHTERS KILLED IN GAS EXPLOSION
On the evening of December 27,1983 a warehouse was the scene of the worst disaster and Firefighter LODD loss of life in the history of the Buffalo NYFD. The warehouse had contained an illegal 500 gallon propane tank whose valve was broken off while it was moved and the building was in the process of being evacuated. The propane gas started to leak, eventually reaching an open flame. The tank exploded, killing all 5 firefighters assigned to Ladder 5 and 2 civilians; it also damaged a dozen city blocks and caused millions of dollars of damage in fire equipment.
 
BFD members Mike Austin, Mickey Catanzaro, Red Lickfeld, Tony Waszkielewicz, and Matty Colpoys were killed in the line of Duty instantly. The 3 engines, 2 trucks, rescue and 3rd Battalion were responding to that report of the large propane tank leaking in the building. Engine 32 arrived and reported nothing showing, but they were talking to some workmen from the four-story, heavy-timber warehouse (approx. 50' x 100'). Truck 5, Engine 1 and BC Harvey Supple (who was critically injured) arrived right behind E-32.
 
37 seconds after the chief announced his arrival, there was a tremendous explosion. It completely leveled the 4 story building and it demolished many buildings on four different blocks. It seriously damaged buildings that were over a half a mile away. The ensuing fireball started buildings burning on a number of streets. A large gothic church on the next block had a huge section ripped out of it. For an excellent article on this tragic fire by then new firefighter-and now former BFD Fire Commissioner, Chief Mike Lombardo, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/7xtlw8j
Take Care-BE CAREFUL
BillyG
The Secret List 1-17-12 / 0928 Hours
www.FirefighterCloseCalls.com


 

Saturday, January 14, 2012  GERMAN FIREFIGHTER KILLED IN CRASH-STRUCK BY APPARATUS WHILE BOTH WERE RESPONDING
The Secret List www.FireFighterClosecalls.com
We regret to advise you that a 27 year old Firefighter died in the Line of Duty this morning while responding to the Upahl (Germany) fire station on a run. The run came in around 0230 for an automatic fire alarm and the Volunteer "call" Firefighter was turning out to his fire station when he crashed head on with the fire apparatus that was responding to the run. The crash killed the firefighter and 2 Firefighters in the apparatus were injured and were transported. 
MORE DETAILS HERE:
http://www.feuerwehr.de/news/2012/01/14/Ein_Toter_bei_Einsatzfahrt_in_Upahl.php 
and HERE: www.firegeezer.com  
 
 
I AM ON FIRE!
"I'm on fire"!...that thought or shout is amongst the worst realizations anyone (including a Firefighter) can ever understand. Below is a link related to that well worth you checking out. “TRIAL BY FIRE: Lives Re-Forged,” is a NEW documentary film about burn survivors and highlights life-saving fire prevention awareness.  It features American War Hero and "Dancing With the Stars" Champion, J.R. Martinez and others who survive personal fire tragedy as well as focusing on what FIRE FIGHTERS do.
HERE IS THE VIDEO TRAILER-PLS CHECK IT OUT: 
http://trialbyfiredoc.org   
More Burn Info HERE:
www.phoenix-society.org    
www.burnawareness.org
 
 
FIREFIGHTERS: Not Gonna Do It. (Have Some FF's Gone Too Far?)
Without a doubt, many Firefighters across North America are unjustifiably under fire by politicians and citizens - who are attacking without all the facts. In some areas, those folks do have the facts and communities just don't have the money. Not an easy time in this business. 
However, HOW Firefighters and fire service leaders RESPOND to the issues can make a difference between long term winning-or long term losing - - and one of the most critical needs we have: support by the public. 
HERE is a piece by Bill C that you should probably check out as SOME FF's have gone overboard with lost perspective that will do nothing to help the cause...resulting in long term damage locally and even far, far away:
http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/news/fullstory/newsid/153793    
Take Care-BE CAREFUL,
BillyG
The Secret List 1-14-12 / 1600 Hours
www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com