UPDATED Quick takes
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The primary care physicians of Engine 10: The picture above is from Doug Mills of the New York Times. It accompanies an article in today’s paper by Ian Urbina that gives the view of health care from the perspective of the firefighters assigned to what is often the busiest engine company in the country. The headline for the article reads “Some Firefighters Are More Like Doctors”. Riding along at DC’s “House of Pain”, Urbina doesn’t talk about this problem with city officials. He focuses on the thoughts of the firefighters who deal with this every work day. Read the article. Click here for the audio slide show.
Really lost: I heard this one myself Tuesday night and could sense the frustration on the radio. An engine company crew tried for 48-minutes to guide an ambulance to the scene of an injured person at a senior citizens’ home in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The ambulance, from Riverdale VFD, never made it. A second ambulance was sent. We have details, maps and video for you. Click here.
NEW- Station fire turns into homicide probe: Incendiary material has been found at the area of origin in the Station fire that left two Los Angeles County firefighters dead. It is the largest wildfire in the county’s history. Firegeezer has the update this morning.
NEW- First Amendment issues in Austin: There are some new and old parts of the Austin Fire Department’s Code of Conduct getting some attention these day. The old section says an AFD employee “shall not criticize or ridicule the department, its policies, its officers or other members by speech, writing, or other expression”. Add the new language addressing Twitter, Facebook, cell phone pictures and the like that says “any written, auditory, and/or visual messages … are the sole property of [the Austin Fire Department]” and the union is having some issues about all of this. Click here for the story from the Daily Texan.
What? And give up show business: I guess this comes this is what they mean by “all hazards”. Some FDNY controversy as union officials point out Engine 245 was shut down for a half-hour on Wednesday to give Suzie a bath. Suzie is a circus elephant. Read and watch the story.
NEW- Fire truck recall: A recall by HME of 2009 1871 fire trucks with Cummins diesel engines. Read the details here. (The interesting thing about this type of vehicle recall is that there are only 29 of them.)
NEW- Mayor orders cuts in Reading, Pennsylvania: Significant layoffs for public safety. In the fire department 24 could go with 11 other positions left unfilled. That appears to be about 25 percent of the department. Click here and here for the story.
Cyber warfare in Boston: With Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino up for reelection, the firefighters have taken notice. IAFF Local 718 has a video and a website called FireFighterthesmears.com. Click here for the story, the video and the links.
In Tulsa a politician calls what they are doing in Boston “thuggery”: Politically active firefighters with the union in Tulsa, Oklahoma are actively supporting three candidates for City Council who are running against incumbents. Some of those current council members aren’t happy and think the firefighters may be violating the law. Read and watch the story.
Chief calls lay offs toughest day on the job: St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue Chief James Large told five firefighters on Tuesday they being laid off and then sent a memo to the department explaining the actions. Click here to read it. Read an article on the lay offs.
Fire station shot up: In Lincoln Parish, Louisiana someone left multiple bullet holes at a firehouse. One fire truck was also hit. Click here for the story.
An interesting perspective on the sleeping chief: Billy Goldfeder questions the official statement by the Chicago Fire Department in the case of the battalion chief who slept through a two-alarm fire. He points out that you can’t have it both ways when you try to tell the press and the public that everything was okay on the fireground even though the chief didn’t make it. Check it out.
Filling the boot in Fairfax County: I know they will give me the boot if I don’t mention the efforts of firefighters in my own county to raise money for MDA. Click here or here for the details from IAFF Local 2068.
