Quick Takes: December 6, 2010.
And the wall came tumbling down: Fire Critic Rhett Fleitz is on a roll with videos. He found the one above that turned into a close call for one of those fire people who wear the white helmets. No details about where or when, but it sure is interesting. For Rhett’s other find, see the next story.
Should we run this video?: The truth be told, we are running it anyway. On the surface it is funny. But the video, recently posted on FireCritic.com, gave me pause after I did a little research. Do Dave’s questions and concerns show that the grizzled former journalist has become a wimp now that he’s left TV? Or, are they legitimate? You be the judge. Put yourself in the seat of the news director or fire service blogger and tell me your decision. Click here to read, watch and comment.
Jay Leno’s fire truck: If you’ve never seen the 1941 American LaFrance pumper owned by the Tonight Show”s Jay Leno here’s your chance. Glenn Usdin has a video tour by Leno posted at FireTruckBlog.com. Click here to ride along.
When the news chopper is live overhead someone down below needs to be providing good information: A series of videos from a house fire in Indiana gives us a good lesson for PIOs and fire chiefs. If you think it’s okay to deal with the press when you are good and ready and not before, this may help you to see that’s not a good policy. Check it out.
Dave takes you to new heights: In case you missed it, make sure you take a moment to watch this video of transmission tower workers climbing more than 1700 feet into the sky. While watching it think how you would rescue them if there was trouble. Click here.
Geezer goes off on Gary: Firegeezer Bill Schumm fails to hide his disdain for the continued gutting of the Gary Fire Department and the message to the citizens that all is okay now even though we have gone from 77 to 16 firefighters per shift.
Will Ann Arbor, Michigan move to a paid, on-call fire department?: Ann Arbor is already in negotiations to farm out EMS to the private sector. With a police chief as the public safety services administrator the city of 114,000 had a budget retreat where there was serious talk of reducing it’s 89 career firefighters and using a contingent of paid, on-call firefighters. It is interesting that the fire chief was not at that retreat. At AnnArbor.com there are already 54 comments with some asking why not paid, on-call cops? Read more.
The rest of a very interesting story from IronFiremen.com: We told you last week about Virginia’s Vinton Volunteer Fire Department failing to make it to nearby house fire in a timely fashion. A City of Roanoke fire engine got to the scene first. There’s a lot more to the story and Roanoke insider, Captain Willie Wines has the details.
All it took was a firefighter’s coat and a little charm: An interesting story of a probationary volunteer firefighter accused of taking advantage of business people in four different Indiana counties. There’s still a lot of good will out there toward firefighters but guys like this are screwing that up. Here’s the story.
Recent fire videos: Interior attack on Maryland boat fire; Taco Bell burns down in Albemarle County, Virginia; Levittown, New York house fire.
Transparency is a little cloudy in Carmel, Indiana: It was nice of the Carmel government to let the citizens know they have taken action against five firefighters with “disciplinary sanctions of varying degrees for conduct unbecoming a Carmel firefighter”. But does it really matter if you refuse to tell the people you serve why they were disciplined? Maybe it would have been better not to say anything at all. Check it out for yourself.
Firefighter talks about saving two people and a liver from downed and burning airplane: An interesting story from the U.K. where a Birmingham Airport firefighter tells how he saved the pilot and co-pilot of a plane that had crashed and burned. And for good measure he grabbed their precious cargo, a human liver that safely made its way to the hospital for what is being called a successful transplant. Read more.
Rude awakening: Neighbors rolled out of bed along West 68th Street in Hialeah, Flordia early Sunday morning to see this. A power facility was burning. Click here to see a Google Maps Street View of the complex. Haven’t found anything written about it, but there are a number of videos on YouTube.
