Quick Takes
Fire in Burrillville, RI: From Providence Fire Videos a fire in a vacant building on Victory Hwy in the Oakland Mapleville section around 1:30 PM.
Tragedy and joy at the same scene: Quite the drama at a railroad crossing in Des Plaines, Illinois during the 8:00 hour yesterday morning. Firefighters responded to a car being struck by a Metra train as the vehicle apparently tried to go around the crossing gates. The car flipped over and caught fire, killing a 51-year-old man. This caused a traffic jam. A woman in labor and her husband were on the way to the hospital and got caught in the backup. They called 911. Paramedics who were at the railroad crossing came over and finished delivering the baby. Here’s the story.
FDNY barred by judge from hiring new firefighters: A federal judge hearing a discrimination suit over hiring by FDNY has issued an injunction keeping the department from offering jobs to 300 people who had taken the exam. Here are the details.
In Atlanta a judge halts the promotion of 40 lieutenants: An injunction stemming from a lawsuit claiming cheating on a promotion exam is stalling the promotion process in Atlanta. Read more.
Political leaders line up against union’s plan to have the public decide on firefighter cuts: A ballot measure in Palo Alto, California would require the public to vote if the city wants to close firehouses or cut staffing levels. Past city leaders are joining current ones in opposition. Here’s more.
Eight ball in the corner pocket: In Scranton, Pennsylvania firefighters used a variety of extrication tools to cut apart a pool table at a hotel after an eight-year-old boy went a little far with his arm in trying to retrieve a stuck cue ball. He was in it up to his shoulder. Read the story.
This reminds me of an often told story by my father of a guy he knew at the University of Maryland who took a dare and ended up with a cue ball stuck behind his teeth at a Route 1 pool hall. In those days they wouldn’t think of calling the nearby College Park VFD to handle such a thing. It is only when Ed Statter tells his captive audience exactly where they placed the cue stick to help remove this stuck object do people realize they’ve been had.
