Quick Takes
Imagine that, Jerry Engle didn’t tell the truth to STATter911.com: A little more than a year ago the self-proclaimed baddest firefighter in all of PGFD Land (and former “mayor” of Kentland) told me it was other firefighters who set a March, 2008 blaze at a vacant house in Riverdale Park. Jerry claims he just watched and tried to report it to the top officials of the Riverdale VFD. I am guessing not too many thought that story made a lot of sense when we ran the extensive interview of the author of the book Probie Days. Now Jerry has said in court that he actually set that fire, entering a guilty plea on a second-degree arson charge. Co-defendant James Martinez, a former Riverdale volunteer and career firefighter in Montgomery County, has a court date in a month, accused in the same fire. Check out this latest, and maybe our final chapter in the life and times of Jerome Engle. (Note: We were a4re having trouble embedding videos, but we now have the links working to the interview and other videos from the Engle archives, including when he used his bottle rocket launching pad.)
Martinez lit the road flare and handed to it Engle, who ignited a sofa in the basement, Engle said in court Tuesday.
Engle and Martinez returned to the Riverdale Fire Station and awaited the dispatch of a 911 call.
When no call came, Engle said he told Martinez to go back to the house and told him, “If the fire is small, put it out. But if it’s big, come back to the firehouse and get us.”
Careful not to choke on your breakfast when you watch this: We have Part 2 of this must see series of videos selling life saving techniques (and lingerie) in a unique way. I also pay tribute to a friend of mine who introduced the Heimlich Maneuver to the public. Check it out.
The firefighters saved the beer and then drank it: When a hotel burned in Oliver, British Columbia firefighters apparently had their priorities on straight, rescuing as many as six kegs of beer from the flames. Now it turns out those kegs found their way to the fire hall. The mayor is not happy. Two firefighters are under suspension. Here’s the story.
And on a similar note, firefighter is charged with driving the fire engine while drunk: This is from Jefferson County, Oregon where a firefighter who crashed his car on the way to work is accused of then taking the fire engine out to a camp ground, racing through with the siren on and yelling obscenities at the campers. Read more about this smooth move.
Interesting vehicle fire video: Firefighter Close Calls has one you will want to see where the hose got away.
The instructor was “just trying to help fellow EMTS”: The words of a Lexington, Massachusetts firefighter in the center of the EMS training scandal. The help came in the form of giving a passing grade on recertification and not having to take the course. Read the details.
Closed drive-in burns: In Ceres, California Monday night the Ceres Theatre and Flea Market burned. Here’s the raw video. A report of two separate fires in the complex. Here’s more.
