Quick takes
Hero says chief is a liar: The way it has been going, when I read a headline just before midnight with the words “Firefighter jabs at Giles”, I was thinking they had finally come to blows in Topeka. Not quite, but the lieutenant who was snubbed at last week’s City Council meeting claimed Giles “lied to my face”. Lt. Jim Seichepine said those words at the podium after receiving a standing ovation for his heroism. Read and view the latest.
Meanwhile, in Ohio, an Ex-fire chief says it is the union not telling the truth and files suit: Former Clearcreek Township Chief Bernie Becker is going to court against the IAFF Local 4207. An excerpt from The Western Star:
Becker claims Jason Scott, president of International Association of Firefighters Local 4207, libeled him and invaded his privacy by “falsely alleging” Becker “sexually harassed employees working under his supervision, created a hostile work environment, and abused his position of power” in an “unsigned letter” to the township government on Feb. 29.
The very first STATter 911 caption writing contest: Some very hard working firefighters who were giving it their all on the West Coast got in over their heads and end up with a round of applause from the citizenry. I don’t think the caption provided, or my description, does the video justice. We need your input. Click here to see the video and enter.
Second prize is a free subscription to STATter 911. First prize is blocking software so you never have to look at this silly site again. (Entries already arriving. Check them out.)
Update on PA firehouse destroyed by fire: We have donation information, new pictures and links for Monday’s fire that destroyed the Forestville Citizens Fire Company. Click here.
Ethanol email follow: As I suspected, the hundreds of city emails that follow the ethanol trail in Alexandria, VA, had been on the city website since the summer. I had just never seen them. Talking to city PIO (and my former executive editor) Tony Castrilli, he agrees they are well worth reading. While Tony says there were clearly some hits and some misses by the city through the process, it is a treasure trove of information for any jurisdiction that has an ethanol transloading facility suddenly arrive on its doorstep. Click here for the details.
Geezer’s got it all: Ambulance crashes. Ambulances that don’t show up. Meth lab fires. Circus animals facing danger. An emergency that adds new meaning to the phrase “family jewels”. All part of the content at FireGeezer.com yesterday. Yet the old man cries like a baby because I beat him to the story of the man with his arm stuck in a train’s john.
On top of all this, he has beer, pizza and barbecue served from fire engines (I like the Pirsch). Just go there and scroll down. I am way too tired to find all of the links for you. Trust me, you will find everything and more.
