Crossing the Line; New Job at DC Fire & EMS; Another Firefighter Shot; Free Speech & More.

Drawing the line on mutual aid.

The pros and cons of automatic mutual aid and a look at the two places in the Baltimore-Washington region that don’t believe it is good policy.

Firegeezer is a true believer.

Having seen Northern Virginia’s automatic mutual aid program from its earliest days, you can count Bill Schumm on the pro side of the issue. Firegeezer also has Mike Ward’s (AKA FossilMedic) latest column. The topic: Firehouse Magazine’s run survey.

DCFD&EMS ED PAs.

Just shorthand for a new position in D.C. Fire & EMS. Chief Dennis Rubin and Assistant Chief Michael Williams (AKA Dr. Williams, the medical director) says they will soon hire 6 physician assistants for city emergency departments. Details here.

The dangers of being an off-duty D.C. firefighter.

It has happened for the third time in as many months. A D.C. firefighter was grazed by a bullet this morning, while off-duty.

Don’t read STATter 911.

That’s the word some people want to pass along after I published a brief interview with Charleston Assistant Chief Larry Garvin. Well, STATter 911 helps them spread the word. What can I say? I am just a sucker for the first amendment.

On the free speech front, the fight goes on in Huntsville, Alabama over action taken against a union official’s writings about his chief.

And back in Charleston, Jay Lowry looks at truss failure on Firefighter Hourly.

Have you driven an ambulance lately?

The story that I thought might be a bit controversial, wasn’t at all. It is my analysis of the City of Detroit fingering Ford for its EMS woes.

Grim Anniversary.

Rhett Fleitz at VAFireNews.com found this article on the recent 60th anniversary of an explosion that killed 10 people in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Do you think they needed the map book to find this one?

WithTheCommand.com found this article from Nevada about an arson at a hot property.