Quick takes
Another fatal fire controversy: In Virginia, the Bridgewater VFC chief responded to a complaint claiming his department could have done more to save a teenager who was trapped in a burning home. We have early video, pictures and all the links.
It comes after our story yesterday morning about a grieving mother’s complaint that firefighters should have saved her daughter from a fire in Freehold, NJ. We looked at how the fire chief and the mayor responded and we have some interesting comments from STATter 911 readers. Click here.
Gainesville District VFD vs. Prince William County: Reporter Keith Walker at insidenova.com has an update on Prince William County’s efforts to dissolve Gainesville and take over the volunteer department. The battle over the department’s assets is heading for court with the county looking for an injunction to make sure nothing is sold off. We first told you about this on January 16. See previous coverage here, here and here. Click here to read the latest story.
Interested in being a fire chief in St. Joseph, Michigan? Well you might not want to unpack your bags: Since early December the city laid off its full-time chief and has gone through the police chief, a police sergeant and a retired fire captain to head the fire department. Now they are looking for chief number 5. You may need a scorecard to follow this story. Read all about it, here.
Did staffing dispute lead to confrontation between the fire chief and a local citizen?: That’s what one woman in Austin, Minnesota claims. She says felt threatened by the chief. Read the details and watch her story.
FF layoffs: Not a pretty picture from Uniontown, PA, where the City Council voted to lay off four firefighters and six other workers. Read the story.
Connecticut investigation: You may have seen the story earlier in the week about career firefighters in North Haven who felt they were left alone without backup at a fatal fire last Saturday morning. There appears to have been more than a three-minute delay in dispatching volunteers to the fire. The New Haven Register takes a closer look at what procedures should have been followed and what the investigation is focusing on. Read the article.
We have some good news and some bad news for you: It has been that kind of week for the Cambria VFC in New York. On Monday, as Firegeezer reported, they had a firehouse fire that did about $1 million damage. On Wednesday company members learned from Senator Charles Schumer that more than $70,000 was coming their way from the 2008 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Click here to read more.
Hitting Rock Bottom: The IAFC has the first in a series of events this evening at Arlington County, Virginia’s Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery inside the Ballston Mall. It all surrounds the 13th annual tapping of Rock Bottom’s Fire Chief Ale. There is family friendly fire safety education between 6:00 and 7:00 PM and then the ale is tapped at 7:00. The events benefit the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Foundation and Aluminum Cans for Burned Children. Read details from the IAFC press release.
