Quick Takes: June 27, 2011.
Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania house fire: Newsworking.org reports two alarms were needed for this duplex fire at 603 Lechauweki Avenue on Saturday morning. Here's more video that shows a sledge hammer becoming a casualty of the fire (at the 2:54 mark).
Police say Philly firefighter who made news with charity calendar took his own life: News reports from Philadelphia indicate that Jack Slivinski of Rescue 1 committed suicide on Saturday. Firefighter Slivinski got into trouble in April when Commissioner Lloyd Ayers publicly admonished him after he posed shirtless for a charity calendar. Click here for details on Slivinski's death and here for details on the calendar controversy.
Georgia firefighter's cell phone video of dead woman still making news: ABC's 20/20 had a report on Friday night about the Spalding County, Georgia incident that had many departments reevaluating camera policies. This story included an apology from the captain of the firefighter who took the video of Dayna Kempson. Kempson's family said that this was the first official apology they've received since this story surfaced in October. Here's more.
Antique of the week: Click here for Glenn Usdin's look at an old Seagrave from Washington State. Get your apparatus news from FireTruckBlog.com.
Passenger video from fiery Amtrak crash: If you haven't seen it, there is close up video of the moments after a truck hit a passenger car on the California Zephyr as it passed through Nevada on Friday. Click here.
Firegeezer does the local beat: For a blog that has correspondents all around the world Bill Schumm sticks fairly close to home for this story about trying to keep the chief's position filled in two adjacent Virginia towns. Here's the story.
Get your hall pass: Once again I am sharing the booth with Firegeezer at Firehouse Expo in Baltimore on July 21, 22 & 23. In addition to Mike Ward and the Firegeezer Players, Bill has once again, despite my protestations, brought along John Mitchell and Rhett Fleitz of Firefighter Netcast fame. The duo will be transmitting their words of wisdom (such as they are) from booth #743, As an antidote to this inane babble I am bringing along author, firefighter and all around good guy Will Wyatt who will be selling and signing his book "And a Paycheck, Too". If you would like a pass to the convention floor and some of the events click here and us the promo code EX79.
Two-alarm warehouse fire in Texas: Click here for the fire on Sunday in Pasadena, Texas.
