4th-alarm in Park Ridge, New Jersey: The fire destroyed the Krell Lighting and Electrical Supplies building at 70 Park Avenue on Friday night. STATter911.com reader Paul Bassett shot this video and has many photos here. FirefightingNews.com has more on the fire.
Read DC internal report into 2007 fire that left four firefighters injured: We have the 100-page report that takes a close up look at the October, 2007 fire on 4th Street, NE. Four firefighters were burned after being trapped on the second floor of an adjoining rowhouse. We also have the video put together by Chief Dennis Rubin giving a tour of the structures. There are links to the original fireground video by Vito Maggiolo and a few other extras. Click here for our coverage.
The fire chief and the council member – the latest: DC Fire & EMS Department Chief Dennis Rubin and Council member Phil Mendelson were face-to-face twice in just five days. As you can imagine, there wasn’t a lot the two men agreed on and in one of the hearings there were a few fireworks. Click here for the videos.
Reporter takes a closer look at Virginia fire where woman died while talking to 911: Dan Telvock at the Free Lance – Star delves deeper into the February fire in Spotsylvania County where Sandy Hill died. This was the fire where the woman was on the phone for about 20 minutes with 911 as firefighters tried repeatedly to find her in the two-story Cape Cod. The fire itself was relatively small, confined to a hallway and closet on the first floor. Hill was on the second floor. The door leading to her room had no doorknob. Telvock’s article focuses on lack of ventilation, ladders not being raised to the second floor and thermal imaging cameras sitting in the rigs unused. An investigation into the fireground operations is ongoing. Here’s Dan’s follow-up story. Here is the previous coverage.
Not only do the firefighters get their jobs back, but the chief who fired them is sent packing: We told you last week about the two top union officials in Butler Township, Ohio who went to court to successfully get their jobs back after being fired in 2008. A judge believes they were fired for union activities and not for viewing inappropriate material on the job. Now comes word that the man who fired them is on his way out. News reports indicate Chief Robert Weiffenbach is on administrative leave as details are worked out on his separation from the department. Here’s the story.
Firefighters mistaken for terrorists: Firegeezer has the unusual story of a group of firefighters from Spain who were in France for a mountain climbing class. Somehow their pictures were flashed across both countries as being part of a terrorist group from Spain involved in the killing of a police officer. Sounds like this could be the makings of a movie script. Geezer tries to straighten it out.
Speaking of movies, Sam Statter is not going to be happy about this fire news: It looks like I am going to have to break the news to my 10-year-old son that Hogwarts Castle burned on Friday night. Pyrotechnics were being used on the London set of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows when things got a little out of hand. Read the details (at least dad is writing about something important for a change).
Andy Fredericks Training Days, 2010: Click here to learn more about this training opportunity that honors the former Alexandria, Virginia firefighter who died as member of the FDNY on September 11, 2001.
Firefighter who is county commissioner is accused of interfering when his business burns, but chief doesn’t believe discipline is needed: An interesting story from Grand Traverse County, Michigan. A captain/fire inspector wrote a strong letter to the chief saying Anthony Wheelock Jr. and his family got in the way of firefighters as the family business burned. This included claims relatives got up on the roof in an effort to prevent a vent hole from being cut. Wheelock clasims the letter “is full of unsubstantiated allegations”. The fire chief says there is no need for discipline. Here’s the story.
Councilman told he can come onto the fireground, but police officer says otherwise: A member of the Phoenix City Council, who is also a former cop, is handcuffed and put onto the ground when his neighbor’s home caught fire. The fire department confirms a battalion chief told the councilman it was okay to be there, but that went against the wishes of the police officer. Check it out.
Two firefighters killed in North Carolina: FireNews.Net and Firefighter Close Calls have the story of Jeremy Bolick and Tommy Wright, two young Blowing Rock firefighters killed in a car crash.
Funeral arrangements in West Virginia: The funeral will be Wednesday for Glasgow Firefighter Donnie Adkins who died when the boat he was in capsized during flooding. Click here for the details.
Way too much coverage for a man who didn’t have enough: A TV station in Dallas went all out after a man paraded naked on a billboard near its studios and the fire department came to the rescue. It seemed a little much as they covered this one from every angle. For that matter, a fire service blog, whose standards are apparently no better than the National Enquirer, also went a little overboard with its coverage. But, then again, who am I to judge? It’s you who is still reading this junk. So, in case you missed it, here it is.
Firefighter celebrates anniversary of cheating death by posting video of the close call: This is an interesting seven-year-old video of a Colorado roof collapse that nearly clobbered a firefighter. Click here.
Firefighter charged as peeper in firehouse: Police say a St. Lucie County, Florida firefighter was caught in the act of spying on a paramedic intern who was taking a shower in the firehouse. Here is the latest and here is our initial coverage.
More Calgary fire video: Raw video from Friday’s fire that traveled the length of a large apartment building.
Massachusetts house fire: A Sunday fire on Cross Street in Bellingham. The homeowner first tried to handle this with a garden hose. Read more.
