Quick Takes: October 24, 2011.
In case you missed this must see video: We posted this video late Friday showing a woman plowing her car through a crash scene on a highway in Goose Creek, South Carolina hitting two firefighters. They have broken bones and were treated and released. She has been accused of driving while intoxicated. Click here for the details.
FF Horace C. (Chris) Pendergrass: Firefighter Pendergrass was found dead in the bunkroom of Fairfax County (VA) Fire & Rescue Department Station 41 after shift change on Saturday. He is being fondly remembered in our comments section (here), on the guestbook of IAFF Local 2068 (here) and at VAFireNews.com (here). We will provide memorial details when they are available.
Collision between fire truck, ambulance, taxi and a car injures 10: Glenn Usdin's FireTruckBlog.com has that story from Jackson, Mississippi. Click here.
Comments hit 30K: Over the weekend the number of approved comments since the start of STATter911.com passed 30,000. Even though Fire Critic Rhett Fleitz calls those who write in "trolls" (you don't think he is jealous, do you?), I greatly appreciate it when you take the time to write.
Cop accused of setting police station on fire is shot: Firegeezer has this unusual story from Forest City, Iowa. And BTW, I realize I never congratulated Firegeezer Bill Schumm and Raleigh/Wake Firefighting Blog's Mike Legeros (now Legeros Fire Blog) on their honorable mentions in the IAFF's Media Awards in the Best Blog category. Well deserved gentlemen. Most likely I would receive a dishonorable mention.
Fire videos: Three-alarm restaurant fire in South Whitehall Township, PA; House fire St. Paul, MN.
What a mess in Portland, Maine: The fire chief admits the policies weren't in place to prevent the friends and family plan that apparently was the de facto SOP for the Portland Fire Department's boat. This somewhat lax float-along policy was discovered by the media and the public when one of those trips ended with $38,000 damage to the boat. Here are the details behind the suspension of a captain and a lieutenant. And here's a columnists view of the whole thing after talking to the chief.
I called one wrong: I figured the bare butt firehouse video from Canada wouldn't last very long on YouTube before someone had a change of heart. That's how much I know. They apparently stand on their principles and don't back off from their prank videos so quickly north of the border. It's still there.
Senate Minority Leader says keeping firefighters & cops employed isn't his job: Sen. Mitch McConnell, talking about the defeat in the Senate of President Obama's jobs bill, makes the case that preventing firefighters and police layoffs shouldn't be the role of the federal government. Click here.
South Jersey volunteer woes: Read an article looking at some firehouses that are closing due to a shortage of volunteers.
Women aren't finding their way to San Jose: Thirty years after the first one joined the ranks of the San Jose Fire Department (around the same time the Harris Poll began using the term "firefighter") there is concern that only 35 of the 631 members are women. Read more.
Off-duty mud rescue: Three firefighters from Manatee, Florida were on vacation Friday along the Withlacoochee River in Marion County when they heard the call for help from a man stuck in the mud for quite a while. Here's the story.
Torah! Torah! Torah!: FDNY firefighters knew what the rescue priorities were during a two-alarm synagogue fire in Brooklyn early Sunday morning.
