Quick Takes: January 17, 2011
UPDATE – A very short clip that is getting some attention: Apparently too much, because the video has been pulled (update to the update – it is now showing up here). The image is from a January 8 house fire at 200 West Calera in Uvalde, Texas. The video was originally posted by the local newspaper. Firefighter Spot found it. Here are some still pictures from the fire.
You can’t keep doing things the same way and expect different results: I don’t want to take anything away from WJBK-TV’s Charlie LeDuff’s talents as a reporter, but from my perspective the Detroit Fire Department brass is helping to make LeDuff’s juicy stories even juicier. The interim commissioner appears to have a policy for dealing with LeDuff that is very similar to the policy of the former commissioner who was fired after one of Charlie’s stories. Somehow nobody realizes that running from LeDuff and his camera just adds to the drama of the whole event. Click here for my thoughts on how a recent ambulance fire is threatening the exposures.
Remembering Josephine Harris: She was called the “guardian angel” of FDNY’s Ladder 6. The story of Josephine Harris and the firefighters of Ladder 6 who survived the collapse of the north tower in a stairwell is well chronicled. Josephine Harris died on Wednesday at age 69. The New York Times has the story.
Firefighters & medics who responded to the Tucson shooting tell their story: In the week long media coverage we heard from a lot of people connected to the shootings in Tucson, but it wasn’t until Saturday that the Northwest Fire District crews met the media. We have their story and the radio traffic from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
My favorite video of recent times: If you haven’t yet seen what happened to woman who was texting and walking in a shopping mall, you must. Click here for the video.
FireTruckBlog.com: A 1947 Ward LaFrance was featured on Sunday. But there is also lots more on Glenn Usdin’s site from the fire apparatus world. Check it out.
Houston pushes Cyanokit: At a reunion with a man who HFD rescued from his burning apartment, firefighters shared the credit with Cyanokit and touted its use for smoke inhalation victims. Here’s more.
Because we now have a regional 911 center we don’t need to have staffing at the firehouse around the clock: That’s one politician’s reasoning for no longer having a firefighter on duty 24/7 at Indiana’s Rockville Adams Township fire station. Click here to read and watch the story.
Weekend videos: Early video from a Bushkill, Pennsylvania house fire; Lots of raw video from five-alarm apartment fire in Passaic, New Jersey
Firegeezer’s many personalities: If you haven’t checked out Firegeezer lately you may not know Bill has greatly expanded his payroll (or possibly pulled a Tom Sawyer and convinced his friends how much fun it is to whitewash the fence). An impressive makeover and a lot of different voices. Click here and scroll down.
$400,000 settlement in sexual harassment case: A former Argentine Township, Michigan lieutenant said she was harassed by the chief (now former chief) of the department. Here’s more.
CORRECTION – Montgomery County (MD) Band of Brothers fundraiser is January 28: In my January 14 Quick Takes there were two significant errors. One was in the title. I had the date as December 14 and not one person mentioned it to me. I only found it went I went back to correct my other error (come on people I rely on you to keep me straight). The other error was the wrong date for the Montgomery County Band of Brothers benefit. Dwayne Harris tells us the fundraiser is actually January 28. The group was organized “to assist career firefighters and police officers with the lingering effects of being in a combat zone by having a support group with fellow firefighters and police officers that have been deployed.” It is being held at Winston’s Sports Cafe at 1776 E. Jefferson Street in Rockville from 7:00 to 10:00 PM. If you were there this past Friday, I hope you had a good time anyway. Sorry.
Newspaper right on top of this fire story: In Las Cruces, New Mexico the Sun-Times has a photo of fire through the roof of a 6,000 square-foot building. Unfortunately the building belongs to the Sun-Times. Here’s the picture and the details.
Looking at firefighter arson: Following the arrests of two firefighter in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, the Express-Times talks to experts about firefighter arson. Read the story.
