Quick Takes
Golf course fire in Quebec: This fire was on October 23.
Fire department connection surfaces in FBI probe of Prince George’s County: The name of a former top official of the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department has made the news following yesterday’s arrests of three PGPD officers and others. The Washington Post reports that a liquor store the FBI has moved to confiscate is partially owned by former PGFD Lt. Col. Karl Granzow Jr. In September of 2008 STATter911.com and WUSA9.com reported the FBI searched Granzow’s home and his office in the fire department’s headquarters building in Largo. Granzow and others who were targeted in the 2008 raids have not been charged with any crimes. Federal law enforcement officials say that yesterday’s arrests are connected to the charges brought Friday against Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson and his wife Leslie. Read and watch the 2008 story and the latest on the investigation.
Must see video from the deadly fire in Shanghai: It is hard not to feel the tension as a man slides across a ground ladder used to bridge the gap between burning scaffolding and a tower ladder to narrowly escape the fire in China yesterday that raced through a 28-story building. Scores are dead and injured. Click here for the video. There is more from Firegeezer on the updated death toll and arrests.
Paramedics say they are whistleblowers: Two paramedics in Detroit say they are being disciplined after making comments to a TV crew that rode around with them. The pair testified before the Detroit City Council last night. Watch their story.
Arrangements for Firefighter Chance Zobel: SConFire.com has the details on the funeral for Columbia Fire Department’s Chance Zobel who was killed over the weekend after being struck by a vehicle while fighting a brush fire. The driver charged with striking Zobel and Firefighter Larry Irving does not have a valid U.S. driver’s permit. Read more.
An interesting argument: Should an FDNY lieutenant, forced to retire after many days on the pile following the 9-11 attacks, be an active volunteer firefighter on Long Island? The New York Daily News and John Brown’s former volunteer chief don’t think so. But Brown makes the case that the doctors for the New Hyde Park Fire Department have cleared him for duty while the FDNY docs thought differently and forced him out. Click here for the story.
Indictments in Massachusetts EMS re-certification scam: Five people, including a Boston firefighter, have been indicted in connection with the EMS recertification scandal that has touched a number of jurisdictions in Massachusetts. Click here for the latest.
Closing arguments in case of man charged with Bret Tarver’s death: A verdict is expected this week in the trial of the man accused of setting the supermarket fire in 2001 that killed the Phoenix firefighter. Read more.
Principal refuses to let ambulance drive onto field to get to football player with a concussion: After first denying it happened, a school official confirms a principal blew the call when she failed to let an AMR ambulance drive up to an injured football player. A San Jose Fire Department report details confirmed the information. Instead, the crew had to wheel the gurney three-quarters of the length of a football field to get to the 14-year-old patient and travel the same distance back to the unit. Here’s the story.
All fall down: The Fire Critic has some interesting video from a sudden collapse of a burning home and firefighters who barely got out of the way.
Frederick County, Virginia chief makes his exit: Firegeezer has an update on the story of Tim Welsh who is leaving after a drunk driving arrest. Click here.
The big tuna: Read the story and see the picture of a retired federal firefighter from San Diego and a 345.2-pound yellowfin that he caught.
New chief for Loudoun County, Virginia: We are late in congratulating our old friend Keith Brower who has been picked to be the new chief of the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management. Brower has been the acting chief since earlier this year, a role he has filled a number of times. Chief Brower was recently featured by the NFPA in one of its Face of Fire videos (above). Fire Marshal Keith Brower was also featured in this 2007 story that has become one of the most requested since the start of STATter911.com.
