Firewhirl: Miscellaneous Archives

Fire Training for Congressional Staffers

This is an excellent way to get the message across to our legislators (from Firehouse.com):

COLLEGE PARK, Md.-- For close to 15 years, Congressional staffers have traded the comforts of Capitol Hill for the heat of a dark, smoky room.

The Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) and Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) played host to more than 50 participants at the annual event, held Nov. 17.

"It helps bring an awareness of the fire service," CFSI Executive Director Bill Webb said. "For most of them this is their first exposure and it kind of brings it all home."

The three-hour crash course allowed those involved to participate in a mock extrication, handle fire hoses, extinguish a controlled burn and experience a building fire up close. Each person donned full turnout gear and was issued an SCBA for the burn building.

Read the whole article. Hopefully this hands on experience will really make an impact on the congressional staffers so they know how important the AFG program is. Too bad we can't get the actual senators and representatives to participate in this training session.

Also, here is a link to the CFSI.

Happy Thanksgiving

Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Redneck Volunteer Fire Department

This made me laugh. You might be a redneck volunteer fire department if...

(here is my favorite) - Your rescue truck can smoke the tires.

Also, you know you're a firefighter when...

Jay Leno's Fire Truck

Here is a five-minute video showing the 1941 American LaFrance fire truck that Jay Leno owns. It is completely restored and looks great. He uses it to haul his motorcycle.

Here is the webpage from jaylenosgarage.com with the details.

CFSI Adopts Resolutions

The Congressional Fire Services Institute has adopted three resolutions.

They sound good to me. Check 'em out.

World Cup Fan Pulls TV from Fire

Hehehe, this guy must be a serious soccer fan (from FireFightingNews.com).

A Beijing football fan refused to let the small matter of his house burning down disturb his enjoyment of the World Cup match between France and Spain. A fire broke out in a hutong in the centre of the Chinese capital in Hanover and gutted the traditional courtyard dwelling, the Beijing Daily Messenger reported.

"When the neighbours shouted 'fire!', I took my little baby and ran out in my nightclothes," the man's wife told the paper.

"My husband paid no attention to the danger, just grabbed the television and put it under his arm.

"After getting out of the house, he then set about finding an electric socket to plug in and continue watching his game."

Reminds me of this cartoon that I posted about a month ago.

SWAT Medics

Firefighters are now part of the SWAT team in Hialeah, FL (from FireFightingNews.com).

Florida - What do fire hoses, pistols and first-aid kits have in common. They are the tools that may help a new breed of Special Weapons and Tactics, or SWAT, members save lives in Hialeah. For the first time, the city's fire department teamed up with its police department in an effort to create SWAT medics, a group of medically trained firefighters that can provide immediate attention to wounded victims in emergency situations.

Living out in the sticks, there are very few SWAT teams in my area, let alone SWAT medics. It is an excellent idea. Check out this web site for more details about SWAT medics.

Rapid Intervention Safety and Command

The Fire Service History blog has an interesting post about the Secret Service's Rapid Intervention Safety and Command unit.

RISC is a highly trained and dedicated team of secret service agents that work in and around the White House. The folks on this team respond to chemical, biological and radiological threats; fire hazards; physical entrapments and other life-threatening emergencies.

Here is an article from the National Fire & Rescue web site about the formation of this unit (about 1/3 of the way down the page).

Apparently, there was some controversy about the creation of this new unit, but it sounds to me like it is just another tool in the toolbox.

Can FEMA Be Saved?

The roll of FEMA has been debated over the past few years, especially after Hurricane Katrina. Here is an interesting article from the Washington Post (via Fire Engineering) about the future of FEMA.

Who should be in charge of domestic disasters in the United States? Should power be centralized in the White House or spread out to civilian agencies, the military and the states? And for what kinds of emergencies should FEMA prepare -- a nuclear strike, terrorists using weapons of mass destruction, or natural disasters?

"Spinning off FEMA doesn't really get to the root of the real problems," said Frank J. Cilluffo, director of George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute and a former special assistant to President Bush. "It's a politically expedient solution . . . that would give a false sense of security that FEMA was 100 percent effective."

Good points. Read the article to get a sense of where things are headed. Whatever happens to FEMA will directly affect the USFA which in turn will have an impact on the AFG program.

Federal EMS Office

Should there be a federal office for EMS? NAEMT thinks so (from FireChief.com).

An overwhelming majority of EMS professionals responding to a recent survey feel Congress should establish a federal EMS entity similar to the U.S. Fire Administration that would raise the profile of EMS in the nation’s capital and improve federal response to large-scale disasters.

Respondents to the survey conducted by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians were divided, however, as to whether EMS workers should be categorized as health-care providers, public safety responders and/or public health workers.

This sounds like a good idea to me and it makes sense. The question from the second paragraph is little more difficult to answer. I feel a poll question coming on.

Another question that comes to mind is where within the government would a federal EMS office fit? Should it be placed within FEMA, which is part of DHS? Hmmm.

Wild Wildfire Season?

Wildfire season is kicking up - lots of news articles out there about wildland fires. This from FireFightingNews.com:

Only four days into summer, wildfires are already burning in record numbers as experts fear drought conditions mean a dangerous wildfire season in the U.S. Statistics complied by National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, show the 3.2 million acres burned up by 54,686 fires already this year tops the 10-year average of 39,240 fires burning a million acres.

Although the fires have been mostly contained, experts say the dry ground is ripe for a worst-case scenario.

Around here, we are drier than normal, so I would expect some significant grass fires later this summer.

Fire Service TV Shows

Over at Fire Service History, they are listing TV shows that address the fire service. Give them a hand in listing these shows.

Timeliness

Better late than never.

Is this always true? Not in the fire service. Check out this picture from WF&DT (via Roanoke Firefighters).

Saturday Night Movie!

Saturday Night Movie!
This happened many years ago in Ponsonby, Auckland.

Courtesy of Scottie's Cartoon Gallery.

Roethlisberger Motorcycle Wreck

I've been a Steeler fan forever, so that is why I'm posting about his: Ben Roethlisberger was involved in an accident while riding his motorcycle yesterday. Check the details here (from FOXNews).

PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger has a lot more to worry about than playing quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Roethlisberger was in serious but stable condition late Monday night after breaking his jaw and nose in a motorcycle crash earlier in the day.

Roethlisberger, the youngest quarterback to lead a team to the Super Bowl championship, was taken to Pittsburgh's Mercy Hospital, where he underwent seven hours of surgery.

My thoughts and prayers are with Ben and his family. Hopefully, he has a full recovery. It would be a bonus if he can continue to play football for the Steelers.

Note to Ben - listen to the advice of your coach next time. Get rid of the bike.

East Timor Firefighters

How would you like to be one of ten firefighters in a city of 180,000 people, only have two fire engines, and depend on international peace keepers to protect you while you fight fires? That is what the firefighters in Dili, Timor, deal with on a daily basis (from The Herald Sun).

DILI'S firefighters are probably the world's busiest right now as arsonists torch homes across the East Timorese capital – yet there are only 10 of them facing daily threats from angry mobs.

Known locally as bombeiros, the firefighters have not been paid for two months, make do with only two fire engines and live permanently in their dilapidated central Dili headquarters alongside relatives and 250 refugees.

They have had knives held to their throats as they attempt to extinguish the handiwork of arsonists and must be escorted by armed international peacekeepers as they rush to stop the city burning.

Read the whole article. These folks really show what being a firefighter is all about.

Here is some info about the country of East Timor.

Blind Dispatcher

Dispatcher Steven Tidwell of Watson Chapel, AR, hasn't let a little thing like the loss of his sight stop him (from KAIT8.com).

WATSON CHAPEL- In Watson Chapel, it doesn't take sight to lead firefighters to the scene of a fire. All that's needed is Steven Tidwell.

Tidwell is blind but works as a dispatcher for the volunteer Watson Chapel Fire Department. The 22-year-old was an infant when he lost his sight and, as he was growing up, he developed a mental map of the city while listening and talking to family members as they all went about their daily routine.

Keep up the good work, Dispatcher Tidwell!

Firefighter Proposes from Rooftop

This is a cool way to propose (from The Billings Gazette).

Billings firefighter Briana Masche climbed a very steep 53 steps up a fire truck ladder, swung her leg onto the roof of a building and stepped into the surprise of a lifetime Saturday afternoon.

Masche clamored up the steps, supposedly to check a report of a hot odor coming from one of the Stapleton Building's heating units.

Supposedly is the key word.

There was no emergency atop the building, just a very nervous fiancé-to-be.

While Masche and other members of the firefighting crew checked their bulky fire-proof gear and got the huge aerial ladder just right against the top of the four-story building, her boyfriend, firefighter Joe Sands, was already on the roof.

Sands was wearing his firefighter dress uniform and hat. His black shoes shined and his badge and nametag glimmered in the sun.

"What are you doing up here?" Sands said Masche asked when she saw him. "I said, 'I'm here to do what we've been talking about.' "

Read the rest of the article to see how it turned out. The article has some pictures too.

Rescue Me Soundtrack

The premier of the third season of Rescue Me was on TV last night. I watched it for a few minutes, but wasn't able to watch the whole thing. From what I saw, it looked pretty good. Check out the website.

Nettwerk Records sent the Rescue Me Soundtrack to me a couple of weeks ago. I previewed a few of the songs and it has some interesting songs from The Von Bondies, Ray LaMontagne, The Subways, and lots of others.

Emergency Room Part II

Just a quick update - my shift in the emergency room went just fine. Whew!

It was busy from 8 PM until about 4 AM. Then things slowed down a bit, but there were still a number of patients to look after. I learned a ton and the ER staff was great.

The next big step is the test in the middle of June. Study, study, study!

Memorial Day

This should have been posted before the weekend, but I'd rather be late than never. This from HistoryChannel.com via FireFighter Blog:

By the late 1800s, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day and, after World War I, observances also began to honor those who had died in all of America's wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. (Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is celebrated each year on November 11.)

We attended our local Memorial Day ceremony at the auditorium. Then we had a picnic lunch at the park and later in the afternoon, we took the kids out to fly their kites. I finished up with nine holes of golf. What a great day - made possible by the sacrifice of the men and women in our armed forces.

Paulison Confirmed as Head of FEMA

Good news for the fire service (from FOXNews.com).

WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed R. David Paulison as FEMA's chief on Friday, hours after a senator ended his stall on the nomination over problems with the agency's flood insurance program.

Paulison's confirmation was part of an unanimous consent agreement as the Senate headed out of town on a one-week recess for Memorial Day.

Hopefully, this will help the fire service and FEMA overall.

Emergency Room

Well, I'm about 80% done with my EMT Basic course and I'm heading to Sioux Falls to spend 10 hours in the emergency room at Sioux Valley hospital. I'll be working the 8 PM to 6 AM shift on a Friday night. Hmmm.

I'm looking forward to it, but hopefully I don't make a fool of myself or screw something up.

Everyone have a good weekend!

Finnish Fireman Works to Help Kabul Firefighters

A firefighter in Finland is trying to help firefighters in Kabul, Afghanistan (from Helsingin Sanomat).

Paul Eskelinen , 34, from Espoo, is a stubborn man. Just so you know.

He works as a fireman and ambulance driver at the Espoonlahti emergency centre. In addition he is organising help for his colleagues in Afghanistan, although he runs into resistance from all sides.

...

A city of five million inhabitants should have at least ten fire stations, Eskelinen estimates. Now they have just four. They have seven functioning fire engines, and they are all 20-30 years old. "They do not even fit in the narrow streets." The fire hydrant system was destroyed in the civil war. The fire engine has to return to the station to refill, which can take as long as an hour. Due to the lack of fire engines, the firefighters travel on the roofs of the vehicles. "If the driver brakes too fast, men fall off and get hurt."

This really shows that the Afghan fire service is in dire need of assistance. If you know of programs that already exist to address this need, please let me know.

Muck Fire

Muck Fire - this is a term I was unfamiliar with. Here is the definition from the Florida Division of Forestry (pdf):

A fire burning in or below the duff layer in soil containing decaying organic matter, such as peat. Muck fires usually occur in dry marshes or swamps during a drought. Muck fires are problematic because they may burn for days or weeks, creating a smoke hazard and creating a safety problem for fire fighters with undergrounds pockets of fire that can collapse under the weight of humans or machinery.

Here is a link to a USA Today story regarding muck fires.

Muck fires, such as this one near Veronica Estates, can haunt rural residents and firefighters for months. They can top 500 degrees, smolder as deep as the muck goes, burn for weeks and rekindle forest fires long after residents think the threat is gone.

Interesting stuff. It sounds like muck fires are a real booger to extinguish. Lots of digging, probably with heavy equipment.

We don't have muck fires in South Dakota. No swamps that would provide deep organic material. Do you have muck fires, or other special types of fires, in your area? Leave a comment and let us know.

World Trade Center

A movie called World Trade Center has just been released (hat tip to Roanoke Firefighters).

It is a story about two Port Authority police officers, the last two men rescued from the rubble of the World Trade Center. It is an Oliver Stone film (I'm not a big fan), but the trailer looks good. I know I'll go to this one.

Here is the official movie website.

Freaked Out

Freaked Out
Firefighters in Christchurch were freaked out by Freaking out
a deaf woman who unknowingly called
them to her home early one morning.

Courtesy of Scottie's Cartoon Gallery.

National EMS Week

I'm a little behind again, but this week is National EMS Week.

Dallas, TX — The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) today announced the 33rd annual Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week will be celebrated throughout the nation May 14-20, 2006. The event brings together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of the medical “front line.”

National EMS Week will feature hundreds of grassroots activities coast-to-coast that will be planned around this year’s theme, “EMS: Serving on Health Care’s Front Line,” which underscores the commitment and dedication of the 750,000 EMS providers who serve their communities.

Check out the official website.

Firefighter License Plates

Roanoke Firefighters has a funny post about a firefighter's license plate - don't miss it. It made me laugh.

There is also a link to a project that the IAFF Local 1132 website has. It is a collection of firefighter license plates.

National CERT Conference

The National CERT Conference is currently underway in Los Angeles (via LAFD News & Information). Here is a little trivia for you:

CERT, the Community Emergency Response Team program, helps communities be better prepared for, respond to and cope with disasters. CERT was conceived by the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985 and is now in use worldwide.

Check out the conference website and the CERT home page.

I think that Community Emergency Response Teams are an excellent idea and should be implemented in every community in the U.S. In large disaster scenarios these folks could prove invaluable.

Leesburg Fire Video

Over at Becoming a Firefighter (VA), a video of the Leesburg Fire Department has been posted. It contains video clips and pictures of incidents they have responded to. Cool stuff!

Contest Winner

OK, there weren't many entrants in the "Busier than a..." contest. However, the guys that did respond had excellent entries. It was tough to decide which I liked better. The entrants are fellow fire bloggers. Be sure to stop by and check out their sites:

Roanoke Firefighters
43 Firefighter

And now, the winner...drum roll please...

Rhett from Roanoke Firefighters with "Busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest".

Thanks for participating guys!

Mini-Marathon in Firefighting Gear

Have you ever walked 13 miles at one time? Have you done it wearing full firefighting PPE including SCBA? A firefighter from Bloomington, IN, is planning on doing just that (from wane.com).

INDIANAPOLIS A Bloomington firefighter plans to briskly walk the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on Saturday in full firefighting gear.

Captain Steve Coover says he'll raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association by racing while wearing his helmet, jacket, pants, oxygen tank and breathing mask.

He is going to need a big supply of air tanks. Best of luck, Captain Coover. Hopefully, the day will be cool and your fundraiser is a success.

A True Scotsman

A True Scotsman
The Scottish Entry For the TFA
At The Last Firefighters Games
Decided To Wear His National Dress (Kilt)
While Competing.

Courtesy of Scottie's Cartoon Gallery.

The Foam Test

The photos from this article are amazing (from the ArmyTimes.com).

An April 14 report in the Black Hills Bandit, Ellsworth’s base newspaper, suggests the slideshow, and its depiction of a fire-suppression system gone seemingly haywire, has spread like, well, rapidly expanding fire-snuffing foam throughout the Air Force, her sister services and the national media. (Oh yeah, we’ve got a copy. Check it out.

Ellsworth officials want it known that the incident, actually a planned test of new equipment last August, was conducted properly — and that it yielded a desired a result: They now know it takes just two minutes, not six, for the system to do what’s needed.

Don't miss the photos. Just follow the link above.

This foam test was conducted at Ellsworth Air Force Base in western South Dakota. I grew up about 70 miles from there.

Chicago Firefighter Wins Big

Check this out (from The Chicago Tribune):

CHICAGO -- Chicago firefighter Thorpe Schoenle was back at work last week, after millions had watched him win $464,000 on the game show "Deal or No Deal."

The prize was the biggest awarded on the show to date, and Schoenle credited his luck to keeping cool and playing the odds.

"The reason I wanted to be on the show is you don't have to be a genius to win a lot of money," said Schoenle, who trains emergency medical technicians at the Chicago Fire Academy.

Way to go Firefighter Schoenle!

Call for FEMA to be Replaced

The Senate will be coming out with some recommendations today regarding FEMA including this one (from FOXNews.com).

WASHINGTON — Hurricane Katrina's latest fatality should be FEMA, the nation's disaster response agency, a Senate inquiry concluded in calling for a government overhaul to avoid future failures like those the devastating storm exposed.

...

The recommendations conclude that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is crippled beyond repair by years of poor leadership and inadequate funding. They call for a new agency — the National Preparedness and Response Authority — to plan and carry out relief missions for domestic disasters.

...

But the proposal drew disdain from Homeland Security and its critics, both sides questioning the need for another bureaucratic shuffling that they said wouldn't accomplish much.

"It's time to stop playing around with the organizational charts and to start focusing on government, at all levels, that are preparing for this storm season," Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said.

I agree. On the surface, this sounds like a reshuffle that doesn't really fix much. I'll hold on to further comments until the recommendations and report are officially released.

Chain Saw Video

Rhett over at Roanoke Firefighters posted this video and it cracked me up!

Here is the link back to the Google video.

Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service

The USFA and NFPA have released a report detailing their most recent survey results regarding what the fire service in U.S. needs most. Here are a few interesting points from the executive summary:

• Used vehicles accounted for an average of 42% of apparatus purchased by or donated to departments protecting communities with less than 2,500 population.
• There are just over a million active firefighters in the US, of which just over three- fourths are volunteer firefighters. Nearly half the volunteers serve in communities with less than 2,500 population.
• An estimated 233,000 firefighters, most of them volunteers serving in communities with less than 2,500 population, are involved in structural firefighting but lack formal training in those duties.
• An estimated 41% of fire department personnel involved in wildland firefighting lack formal training in those duties, with substantial needs in all sizes of communities.
• An estimated 792,000 firefighters serve in fire departments with no program to maintain basic firefighter fitness and health, most of them volunteers serving communities with less than 5,000 population.
• Just over 13,000 fire engines (pumpers) (16% of all engines) are 15 to 19 years old, another 17,000 (21%) are 20 to 29 years old, and just over 10,000 (13%) are at least 30 years old. Therefore, half of all engines are at least 15 years old.
• An estimated 57,000 firefighters lack personal protective clothing, most in departments protecting communities with less than 2,500 population. An estimated one-third of personal protective clothing is at least 10 years old.
• Only 11% of fire departments can handle a technical rescue with EMS at a structural collapse of a building with 50 occupants with local trained personnel.
• Only 13% of fire departments can handle a hazmat and EMS incident involving chemical/biological agents and 10 injuries with local trained personnel.
• Only 26% of fire departments can handle a wildland/urban interface fire affecting 500 acres with local trained personnel.
• Only 12% of fire departments can handle mitigation of a developing major flood with local trained personnel.

Many of the issues found should be addressed by the local and/or state governments. Local and state authorities know what types of incidents they are faced with. These agencies should make sure that the fire service in their jurisdictions can meet the challenge of those types of incidents.

The federal government should use this report to tailor the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. Money from the program could be directed to those areas that need the most improvement.

Here is a link to the report (160 pages).

Here is a link to an article at Firehouse.com with more analysis.

FEMA Not a First Responder

FEMA Acting Director Paulison noted that FEMA is not a first responder (from FireChief.com).

Above all, however, Paulison emphasized that effective emergency management requires a team approach, and that FEMA is not a first responder. "The first response belongs in the hands of those closest to the incident, those state and local officials who are putting together the evacuation plans and shelter locations and educating their residents on when to evacuate, where to go and what to do," he said.

"We can all agree that disaster response starts at the local level. When the local government is overwhelmed, they ask the state for support, and when the state is overwhelmed, you request support from FEMA and the federal government," said Paulison. "Effective emergency management requires a team approach. This partnership needs to include all levels of government and all disciplines of emergency management and response."

Everyone in the U.S. needs to read this statement, especially the news media. FEMA really took a beating after Hurricane Katrina. Much of the criticism was deserved, but I also think people have inaccurate expectations of FEMA.

Reversed Feeder

Reversed feeder!
One Of A Firefighters Worst Nightmares!

Courtesy of Scottie's Cartoon Gallery.

Four Part Series on Glenn County, CA

The Chico Enterprise-Record is publishing a four part series about the firefighters in Glenn County, CA. Here are links to the first three installments. The fourth will be published tomorrow.

Part 1: Overview

Part 2: Fire districts and how fires are fought

Part 3: Dwindling numbers of volunteers

Part 4: Finding a solution

Here is some additional information on Glenn County's fire departments.

Enjoy!

Bomb Squad Finds Sweet Treat

This made me snicker (from KDKA.com via FireFightingNews.com).

(CBS) PALM DESERT, Calif. An angry woman who dropped off a suspicious package at a Palm Desert fire station Sunday, motivating firefighters to call the bomb squad to investigate, was apparently trying to do a good deed.

The suspicious package turned out to be a bag of doughnuts.

Hehehe, I bet they wish they could find this type of bomb more often.

We Need to Rewrite "The Code"

Read this article called The Code (from SCONFIRE.com via 43 Firefighter).

Here is my favorite part:

Breaking “The Code” goes against our very core as firefighters. We did not come into this profession to self promote or boast, we came into this profession to do a job, and it is against that very fiber to “brag and boast” about what it is we do. But brag and boast we must, because if we do not tell the story, no one else will. We must do it not for ourselves, but for each other and for the financial future of our profession and the safety of our communities.

Firefighter Byrne has written an excellent article that we should all read.

Vehicle Extrication In Iraq

This is a great article about some Air Force firefighters in Iraq and a training evolution they recently went through (from Stars and Stripes).

ALI BASE, Iraq — The blood and broken bones may have been fake, but the metal was bona fide real, Soviet steel.

During a training mission at the Ali Base “bone yard,” a team of Air Force firefighters and an Army air ambulance crew practiced the sweaty art of vehicle extraction on a junked Russian truck before airlifting a simulated victim to safety Monday.

...

The airmen went to work hacking the door off the truck and then, along with an Army medic, examined Vansteel and prepared him for the helicopter trip to the aid station. As Vansteel screamed over the roar of the helicopter engine, the team loaded him into the helicopter.

You don't want to miss this article. Read the whole thing.

Paulison Nominated to Head FEMA

David Paulison has been nominated to head up FEMA (from the Washington Post).

President Bush yesterday nominated the acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be its permanent chief, ending a seven-month search that had become an embarrassing reminder of the government's flawed response to Hurricane Katrina and doubts about proposed administration reforms.

R. David Paulison, 59, formerly U.S. fire administrator and head of FEMA's division of preparedness, succeeded former director Michael D. Brown, who resigned Sept. 12, two weeks after the storm struck.

...

Paulison's selection drew polite praise yesterday but did not quell critics who have called, among other things, for FEMA to be restored to independent, Cabinet-level status and its director to report directly to the president, as was the case before the Homeland Security Department was created in 2002.

We'll have to see what kind of impact Paulison will have on FEMA and whether that will bode well for the fire service. I'm hoping his appointment will help counteract the slow erosion of the AFG program.

Water On!

I found a website that features fire service cartoons - Scottie's Cartoon Gallery. Scottie is a firefighter and cartoonist in New Zealand. He has given me permission to show some of his cartoons here on Firewhirl. Thanks, Scottie! Here is the first installment:

Water On!
The Valve For The Monitor
Was Left Open,
And This Resulted!

Courtesy of Scottie's Cartoon Gallery.

NIFC Wildland Fire Update

Check out this page from the National Interagency Fire Center. Here is the data that caught my eye:

Year-to-date Statistics
2006	(1/1/06 - 3/31/06)	Fires: 20,942	Acres: 1,849,336
2005	(1/1/05 - 3/31/05)	Fires: 9,631	Acres: 143,898
2004	(1/1/04 - 3/31/04)	Fires: 15,577	Acres: 171,677
2003	(1/1/03 - 3/31/03)	Fires: 7,395	Acres: 93,980
2002	(1/1/02 - 3/31/02)	Fires: 14,718	Acres: 200,752
2001	(1/1/01 - 3/31/01)	Fires: 14,412	Acres: 266,547
2000	(1/1/00 - 3/31/00)	Fires: 20,346	Acres: 569,567
5-Year Average
2001 - 2006		Fires: 13,838	Acres: 236,232

If this keeps up, we will have a huge year for wildland fires!

Wildfire Relief Concert

A concert is being planned to raise money for those affected by the wildland fires in Texas recently (from the Miami Herald).

WACO, Texas - Michael Martin Murphey, famous for singing about a pony named "Wildfire," will soon switch the focus of that song to benefit those devastated by recent fires across the Texas Panhandle.

The benefit concert will be held April 15 at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts in Amarillo. Murphey will team up with other performing artists and the Texas Farm Bureau to help families hit hardest by the fires.

...

Performers set to participate in the concert include country singers Red Steagall and R.J. Vandygriff and classical pianist John Bayless, a Panhandle native. The Amarillo Symphony Orchestra will back up Murphey.

Here is Murphey's website. Check it out.

Firefighter Honored for 50 Years of Service

This from the Sioux City Journal:

CHEROKEE, Iowa -- Forgive firefighter Roger Frisbie if he looks anxious Friday morning. He's a little uncomfortable with the attention.

He'd rather be out fighting a fire.

"I hope we get a call Friday morning," he says.

Frisbie, 75, has protected the people of Cherokee for 50 years as a volunteer member of the Cherokee Fire Department. The Cherokee Chamber of Commerce honors Frisbie for his duty at a 9:30 a.m. coffee Friday at the fire station downtown.

Here is a great story from his early days on the department:

In 1956, volunteer firefighters working in Cherokee had two minutes to sprint to the main intersection downtown after hearing the giant siren sound.

"I remember running three-quarters of a block and then jumping on the truck as it went through the intersection," Frisbie says. "There were times I missed the truck and landed flat on my face."

That sounds like it was fun - all except for the face landing. I know we are supposed to be safety minded, but it would be a blast to jump on a moving fire truck.

Congratulations to Firefighter Frisbie on reaching a great milestone in his career!

Aerial Firefighting Pioneer Dies

A pioneer in the aerial firefighting field has passed away (from ChicoER.com).

The man credited with giving birth to modern aerial firefighting died Monday in Chico. Joseph B. Ely was 94.

As a forest control officer working in the Mendocino National Forest in the 1950s, Ely was interested in making wildfires safer to fight by attacking them from the air.

Others had tried with very limited results. But Ely, who saw 15 firefighters die in 1953 while fighting a Mendocino National Forest blaze from the ground, had a special incentive.

In 1995, Ely asked a Willows pilot if he could adapt a crop-dusting plane for aerial firefighting.

Vance Nolta concocted a gate, a dump valve and a mechanism to operate them from the cockpit of a Stearman 75 Kaydet.

With Ely looking on, Nolta tested the device on a small fire at the Willows Airport, and it worked.

The very first drop on a live fire came in August 1955, when the Stearman dumped 100 gallons of water on a crashed logging truck that had touched off a fire near Covelo.

...

Ely was born in Pewaukee, Wis., in 1911. He graduated from Yale University in 1935 with a master's degree in forestry and spent his whole career with the Forest Service.

Our thoughts are prayers are with Joe's family.

Firefighters Receive National Medal of Valor

From Firechief.com:

Two firefighters and three police officers today received the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, the nation’s highest award recognizing heroic action performed above and beyond the call of duty by a public safety officer. Firefighter Edward F. Henry, Charleston (S.C.) Fire Department; Bttn. Chief Gene F. Large Jr., Fort Walton Beach (Fla.) Fire Department; and police officers Timothy Greene, Rock Hill, S.C.; Bryan S. Hurst (deceased), Columbus, Ohio; and Peter Alfred Koe, Indianapolis; were presented their medals by President George W. Bush during a White House ceremony in the Oval Office.

Read the rest of the article for descriptions of why the firefighters received their medals.

Congratulations to Firefighter Henry and Bttn. Chief Large!

Firefighter Tops Poll as Sexiest Job

Another reason to be a firefighter (from Firehouse.com).

The results are in, and the people have spoken. Once again, firefighter is at the top of the list in the annual AOL/Salary.com sexiest jobs survey.

Our brave firefighters had some tough competition for the spot this year though, sharing the honors with the silver-spooned CEO, whose median salary of more than $600,000 seems to be compounding interest not only in the bank, but also with the ladies.

Here are the official results on Salary.com.

I'm not sure that the survey is accurate. Perhaps the ideal firefighter is sexy. However, one look at our department photo will tell you that there are problems with the survey - hehehe.

New Links

I haven't posted any new links for several weeks, so here are three sites to go check out. I've also added them to the sidebar at the right.

Firebomber Publications Blog - Michael has a blog that "discusses issues of importance to firefighters, with an emphasis on wildland firefighting." (from the sites header). Nice site with good info.

US Fire - This site features firefighting headlines from around the country, a forum to discuss issues, photos, and links. It's a great source of info.

Wildlandfire.com - This site has lots of info regarding wildland fire. Don't miss this one. They even invite you to "take yer boots off and take five" while you browse the site.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Visit this site to learn all about all about St. Patrick's Day.

Blogging will be light today. I'm preparing to teach an S130/S190 class this weekend. Take this opportunity to visit the blogs and sites I've got listed over on the sidebar.

Incident Pictures on a Blog

Should incident pictures be posted on a blog for the entire world to see? Even if the pictures may be painful to those involved in the incident?

I think so and here is why:

First, is can be used as a training tool for firefighters across the country. Seeing pictures from an incident and then reading about the events of the incident can reinforce good rescue/firefighting techniques. It can also point out the areas that they need to improve in so that they can accomplish their mission of saving lives and property while keeping their firefighters safe.

Second, it is a record of the incidents that a department responds to. The internet is allowing fire departments to quickly and efficiently put together a record of the incidents they respond to, including pictures from the scene, so that all members of the department have quick and easy access to those records.

Third, it can be used by the general public to see what types of incidents the fire department in their area responds to. This gives them a better understanding of what the fire department does and shows them what kind of training and equipment are required to respond effectively to these incidents. It also reinforces safety lessons with the public so that they don’t have these types of incidents themselves.

Lastly, it is a place where personal observations can be recorded. The great thing about the U.S. is that you are free to post your thoughts and pictures on your website without government interference.

The reason I ask these questions is that a fellow blogger and firefighter has received some pretty intense comments regarding the pictures on his blog.

Just my two cents. Please feel free to post your comments or send me an email.

Roanoke Firefighters Blog Hits One Year

Rhett over at Roanoke Firefighters has been blogging for one year. Stop by his blog and spend some time. He has some great posts and I make sure to check his site every day.

Fire Truck Video Game

I've never heard of this arcarde-style video game called Fire Truck by Atari (from klov.com):

One or two players drive a fire engine through a maze of winding city streets, avoiding parked cars. In one-player mode, a person may drive the front or back of the fire truck. In a two-person game, the front player sits and drives the rig while the rear player stands and steers the trailer.

This would be cool to have in a room with a pool table or dart board.

Dream of Being a Firefighter

Great story...read the whole thing (from Pittsburghlive.com):

KITTANNING -- At 2:25 p.m. Sunday, Armstrong 911 dispatched the borough's Hose Company 4 on a routine "smoke" call, but for one new firefighter, the call was anything but routine.

Hose Company 4's newest member, Michael Smock, sat in the front seat of the company's big fire engine and talked into the radio microphone to tell 911 that the fire unit was rolling. The ride was short, and thankfully no smoke was found, but when Smock returned, he got to man a fire hose anyway.

...

Smock, a resident of Evergreen Homes in West Kittanning, has always wanted to be a fireman, but spinal bifida and other disabilities kept him from fulfilling his dream -- until yesterday.

Congratulations to Firefighter Smock! Way to go, Kittanning Hose Company 4.

Nephew is Wrestling in State Meet

No posting on Friday because we will be traveling to the state high school wrestling meet to watch my nephew wrestle. By the way, this is his first trip to the state meet - he is just a 7th grader.

Everyone have a good weekend!

Firefighter with Artificial Leg

This is an amazing story (from the BBC):

A Worcestershire man has become the first firefighter in the UK to work with a false leg.

Simon Hawkins, from Bromsgrove, lost his lower left leg in a motorbike accident in 2005.

He has been allowed back to work after a series of gruelling tests and what he calls "incredible" support.

People can do amazing things when they focus and get tough! The technology improvements in artificial limbs certainly helps too. Congratulations to Firefighter Hawkins.

Toughest Firefighter Alive

The World Firefighters Games are being held in Hong Kong which inlcudes an event called the Toughest Firefighter Alive (from news.gov.hk).

A total of 260 firefighters from more than 20 countries and regions, including 18 from Hong Kong, will vie for the 'Toughest Firefighter Alive' title tomorrow.

The main event of the 9th World Firefighters Games, being held in Hong Kong this week, will take place at the Games Village at the Tamar Site.

Here is the link to the official website. Here are the rules for the Toughest Firefighter Alive event.

Racial Intimidation at Jacksonville Station

Two Jacksonville firefighters found nooses in their gear at the fire station. I first saw this on Firefighter Blog, but here some details from Firehouse.com:

The fire station at Duval and Jefferson streets downtown became the scene of a hate-crime investigation Friday morning when two black firefighters arrived at work to find nooses on their gear.

Firefighter Rufus Smith found a noose on his suit when he reported to work at 7 a.m. Smith immediately reported it to his superiors.

Smith said finding the noose made him angry and scared.

"We're afraid -- my life is on the line," Smith said. "I give my life to the citizens of Jacksonville any day, any second, all day for 17 years."

Roderick Laws, the only other black firefighter on this shift at the station, also found a noose draped on his gear.

The investigation needs to find the perpetrator and prosecute them to the full extent of the law. Here is more about penalties from the article:

Prosecutors told Channel 4 that while the act itself was likely a misdemeanor crime, if it was considered a hate crime, by Florida statute, the person would receive an additional five-year sentence.

The entire fire service needs to condemn the actions of the person that planted the nooses.

Firefighters Help Boy Send Valentine

Its stories like this that make me proud to be part of the fire service (from LAFD News and Info).

LINCOLN, Neb. - Firefighters braved sleet, wind and freezing cold to rescue a valentine that got snagged in a tree after a boy sent it into the sky by balloon for his mother, who died of cancer last fall.

Read the whole thing.

Well done, Lincoln Fire Department, well done. Here is a link to the LFD website.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Did you know that there is a National Public Safety Football League? I sure didn't! Here is some info from the LAFD News and Info blog.

The LA HEAT, part of the National Public Safety Football League (NPSFL), is one of fifteen teams from across the United States comprised entirely of sworn public safety personnel. Each NPSFL team plays for one or more charities, with players adhering to the same honor and integrity on the field as they do while on-duty.

Here is a link to the NPSFL. Go to their links page to visit the homepages of each team.

EMT-B Class

Well, I've been tossing around the idea of becoming an EMT-B over the past few years. Now I've finally made the decision to go for it. The timing of this project isn't great, but the classes will held here in town. If I wait until the next course, I'll have to travel which can add a lot of time and expense.

Class started on Monday night. We will meet on Monday and Wednesday nights until our test in June. If you have any advice, feel free to post a comment or send an e-mail.

FDNY Racing Team

I ran across a cool website this morning. It is the website of the FDNY Racing Team!

The outpouring of support from all Americans for the 9/11 victims and their families and the special emphasis for FDNY has evolved in many forms. It was this dedication to the American principles symbolized by the heroes of the FDNY that created the FDNY Racing Team, by Lt. Mike Bolnik, Ret., FDNY and Jim Rosenblum from Jim Rosenblum Racing and Bob Rahilly from RAHMOC Racing Engines. They established in conjunction with the Fire Department of New York the official NASCAR racing team FDNY Racing to honor the fallen heroes and their families and raise funds for the Widow's and Children's Fund and the Bravest Fund. The FDNY Racing Team is symbolic of the broad support already expressed by this great country. Its members hail from New York, Florida, North Carolina, Connecticut, Washington, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. During the week they are, firemen, salesmen, utility workers, building contractors, business professionals and avionics manufacturers. On the weekends, they join the FDNY Racing team in America's number one sporting event of NASCAR Racing, to raise funds for Greatest America's Heroes.

Steelers Win Super Bowl XL!

Go Steelers! Here is the game summary from ESPN.

I know there will be a lot of discussion about the officiating, but the bottom line is the Steelers got the win. They made big plays when they needed them. They made fewer mistakes than Seattle when it counted.

Hero to Hero

Check out Hero to Hero program to support our troops (from Firehouse.com).

Hero To Hero is Firefighters, Law Enforcement and First Responders across America giving the shirts off their back for our deployed troops. NO POLITICS! NO PRO OR ANTIWAR! STRICTLY MORALE FOR OUR DEPLOYED TROOPS & THEIR FAMILIES!

...

So just how did this all come to be? Back in 2003, as the anniversary of 9/11 loomed near and the word 'Hero' was being tossed around pretty freely, I asked a soldier how it felt to be a Hero. He smiled, and replied, "Ma'am, I'm not a Hero ... just doing my job". So, since I tend to be an inquisitive person, I asked who he considered to be a Hero. "When I am deployed, I need to focus. I can't be worried about my family. Those people who make sure my family is safe ... the Firefighters, the Cops, all of them ... those are the Heroes".

Sounds good to me!

Big Wildfire Season in 2006?

I'm starting to see quite a few news stories raising the possibility that the wildland fire season could be a big one. See this article from the East Valley Tribune:

A decade-long drought — followed by 107 days without a drop of Valley rain — have put Arizona at risk for the worst wildfire season in its history.

These predictions have popped up in Arizona, Florida, Texas, and perhaps other states. It's pretty early to get too worked up, but if you live in areas that are dry, you'll want to be prepared.

Joyride Ends with Fender Bender

I'm a Steeler fan, so I can understand why these firefighters were fired up, but their enthusiasm got them in a little trouble (from KDKA.com via FireFightingNews.com).

The Bauerstown Volunteer Fire Department in Shaler took a big fire engine for a joy ride to celebrate the Steelers trip to the Super Bowl.

The fun came to an abrupt end when they hit a car.

...

The accident caused almost $6,000 in damage to the door, mirror and paint.

Oops! Follow the link to watch the video report from KDKA.

LAFD Celebrates 120 Years of Service

Happy 120th Anniversary to the Los Angeles Fire Department!

Koalas Hit Hard in Bushfires

Australian bushfires have hit the koala population pretty hard this year (from ABC Ballarat).

In the wake of bushfires in the Grampians and the Brisbane Ranges volunteers work to save koalas suffering severe injuries and trauma.

...

"Exact numbers are very difficult to determine... the fact remains around Anakie the losses are very high - the koala habitat is very good there. Last night I came back at midnight with an arborist who's a very good tree climber, and we rescued another two koalas. We've been out there six days and nights and rescued a dozen koalas and found 20 or 30 dead ones, and that's just the ones we've found.

Wildfires can move fast, and koalas move slowly - bad combination. Read the whole article for the details and visit the image gallery regarding the bushfires in this area.

Relatives Fill Fire Department Roster

The Baron DeKalb Fire Department has 11 members. Six of those members belong to the same family (from the Camden Chronicle Independent).

Chief Jim Crawford, his wife, Bobbie, her brother-in-law David Morrison, nephew Matt Morrison, sister Linda Nauman, and son Chris Rabon, all are active members of the department.

...

Not all the firefighters are family, but they are all close, Crawford said. And like all volunteer fire departments, they are constantly looking for new members. Finding volunteers is a little more difficult these days, because training standards are nearly identical with career firefighters. Also, many people work outside the area, making it difficult to respond to calls along the lake.

It's interesting that the majority of the members of one fire department are all related. Some families emphasize public service and other families don't.

Kansas City Gets 40 New Pumpers and Trucks

The Kansas City Fire Department is replacing a huge chunk of their firefighting fleet over the next few weeks (from The Kansas City Star).

The Kansas City Fire Department will add 40 brand-new pumper and ladder trucks to its fleet over the next four to six weeks. The first of the additions — pumpers 28 and 43 — were unveiled and put into service Monday. Overall, the department is receiving 36 pumpers and four ladder trucks.

...

Altogether, the new trucks cost about $14.2 million — roughly $312,000 per pumper and $747,000 per ladder truck. They’re being purchased on a lease-to-own plan. The money comes from a quarter-cent sales tax passed in 2001, which is also paying for building renovations and additional firefighters.

I don't know how most big cities purchase apparatus, but is it wise to purchase this many pumpers and trucks at one time?

Here is a link to the Kansas City FD website.

New Links

Here are some new links that I've added to the sidebar:

My Dark Little Corner of Cyberspace - a firefighter's blog about his life, firefighting, and EMS. Detailed posts - good stuff.

World Fire Departments.com - a resource site for firefighters with links to fire departments all over the world. They also have links to museums, news, picture galleries, and more.

Black Spruce Description

I was reading an article about Alaska wildfires and its effects on the boreal forest (from Sitnews.us), when I came across a description of the flammability of black spruce:

The resilient black spruce is the most flammable tree in the boreal forest; one fire official called it "gasoline on a stick."

Apparently, they burn pretty hot - hehehe.

The rest of the article is actually pretty interesting too.

All Female Firefighting Crew

ABC News has a feature about an all female firefighting crew in the San Diego Fire Department.

Jan. 24, 2006 — Two decades ago, Melissa Cleary found herself at the scene of a car accident. When the firefighters responded, Cleary was shocked to see a woman jump out of the truck.

"It was the first time it actually occurred to me that maybe I could be a firefighter," Cleary said.

Cleary was so affected, she tracked the female firefighter down and followed her into the profession. Today, Cleary, 47, is the engineer on Engine 22, San Diego's all-female fire crew.

There is a video too.

Into the Firestorm - Going South

The second episode of the "Into the Firestorm" series was on Tuesday night and I was able to watch it. This episode continued to feature the Redmond Smoke Jumpers and Prineville Hotshots. It also featured two other crews, the Mill Creek Hotshots and a helitack crew out of southern California. Apparently, the Mill Creek Hotshots have disbanded since the filming of this series. I'll have to watch the video to catch which helitack crew was featured and then I'll post an update.

I liked this episode a little better than the first. It had some pretty interesting fire behavior shots from a fire in California. This intense fire behavior was out of the ordinary because it was at night, when fires usually calm down a bit.

There was good footage of retardant drops by air tankers and bucket drops by helicopters.

One point that I found pretty accurate was the portrayal of problems that can arise on wildland fires. The smoke jumpers' equipment got hung up in the trees, so they had to do a little tree climbing before they could really fight much fire. The Prineville Hotshots humped a bunch of hose, pumps, and nozzles into a fire only to discover that helicopter bucket drops had all but put the fire out. They were left with the boring stuff - mop-up.

My rating on this episode: 4 out of 5.

Firefighters in Politics - Hmmmm

Ha! You've got to read this post from Mike the Mad Biologist. He has a strategy for the Democrats to take back Congress.

I've figured out how the Democrats can take back the Congress: the Firefighting Dems. That's right: the Democrats should try to run as many firefighters as they can in the 2006 elections.

Read the rest of his post to find out his reasons.

Here is my favorite paragragh from the post:

Now, some of you might disagree with me. Let me say this: if you are against the Firefighting Dems, you not only hate firefighters, but you clearly hate America and have no idea what integrity or honor mean. It's liberal, hippie, draft-dodging, unshaven, girlie-man pussies like you who are responsible for Democratic defeats, not a Democratic political strategist class that couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were written on the damn heel.

Mike, you would fit right in down at the fire hall with the rest of the crew if that is how you normally express yourself :-)

Into the Firestorm - The Burnout

Last night I watched the first episode of a TV series that a buddy of mine taped. The series is called "Into the Firestorm" from the Discovery Channel. "Into the Firestorm" is a series of four episodes featuring wildland firefighting in the U.S. that will show on the Discovery Channel until February 8.

The first episode is called "The Burnout". So how was it? Here is my quick review:

Overall, it was pretty good. It featured the Redmond Smoke Jumpers out of Redmond, OR, and the Prineville Hotshots out of Prineville, OR.

The show featured some good video of wildland fire and fire behavior - nothing really that spectacular, but if you know what you are looking at, it was good. I kept making mental notes to use parts of the tape to teach S130/S190.

There was also some great footage when the camera crews placed cameras in dangerous locations and filmed remotely. An example, placing a camera where a snag would fall when cut. The snag just missed the camera - barely.

The show focuses mainly on the Prineville Hotshots conducting burnout operations over a two day period using drip torches and flare guns.

My rating of this episode: 4 out of 5.

If you missed this first episode, you can catch it again on Feb. 6, at 11 AM ET/PT.

Here is the series website - check it out. Don't miss the next episode tonight, Jan. 24, at 10 PM ET/PT.

Paramedic Fired For Blog Pictures

This from the TimesHerald.com (via FireFightingNews.com):

PLYMOUTH - A paramedic at Plymouth Community Ambulance was fired this week for a series of pictures she posted on her online journal known as a blog.

In one picture, several Mexican men who had only moments before escaped a burning row home on West Elm Street are referred to as "Mexican jumping beans." The men escaped through windows. They were left homeless, and a man not depicted in the photos was found dead.

In one instance, "ivwoman" posted photos of an elderly woman's filthy bed. After paramedics placed her in the ambulance, "ivwoman's" partner is wafting his nose at what is apparently the scent of bodily functions.

Another image depicts a man with some sort of head wound.

Read the whole article to get all of the details.

This highlights an issue that many "emergency" bloggers may face. What types of photos and what kind of descriptions are appropriate to post on a personal blog, especially if the blogger is an emergency responder?

In the case above, the paramedic was treating these people and apparently violated her patients' privacy. Due to her status as an emergency responder, she is required to keep some information regarding the incident private. This is different than a bystander at the incident who is under no such obligation.

For those emergency bloggers out there - take heed.

Steelers Heading to the Super Bowl

Well, I haven't posted much personal stuff on this blog - mostly because I want to it to pertain to firefighting (and I don't know that anyone wants to read much about my personal life). However, I can't resist the urge to post about the drubbing the Steelers gave to the Broncos yesterday.

I've been a Steeler fan since 4th grade, which is a rare thing in the middle of South Dakota. Most folks are either Vikings fans (east of the Missouri river) or Broncos fans (west of the Missouri river).

Here is the game recap (from ESPN).

Fighting Fires in East Manatee, Florida

Here is an interesting article about a wildland firefighter in Florida and how things have changed over the years (from HeraldToday.com).

EAST MANATEE - Andy Lee's office is in the middle of a shady, wooded area. But the grass and trees he sees remind him of fuel - fuel for the fires he fights.

A forest ranger with the Florida Department of Forestry for the past quarter-century, Lee has fought forest fires and overseen controlled and proscribed burns throughout the Southeast. Through the years he's grown attached to an open-cab bulldozer he's used since 1987.

"There's no air conditioner, but you can feel the fire and smell the smoke," Lee says. "I've taken in enough smoke over the years that it probably doesn't matter if I inhale."

Hehehe, sounds like a firefighter that has been at it for awhile too. Read the whole thing to find out how fire departments have changed the role of forestry firefighters over the years.

9/11 Remembrance Flag

Rhett at Roanoke Firefighters has a post about the 9/11 Remembrance Flag. This from the official website:

One of the most important facets of the 9/11 remembrance flag is that it is meant to symbolize the good things that happened even in the light of such a tragic event. It symbolizes the fact that the lives lost, were not in vain. No one can deny that we all learned a little something that day, or that we felt a little more willing to pause in our busy lives to let someone else know we cared about them. Imagine what it would be like, if people were that way, everyday. The events of 9/11 showed us that there was that much caring in each and every person, and we should forever embrace that, and strive toward the world where kindness to each other is not due to a tragic event, but rather is an everyday fact of life.

Are You Always a Firefighter?

What happens when you are off duty in another jurisdiction and you come across a fire? Do you help out the firefighters at the scene? Do you just go on your way?

Most of us would jump right in and help out if the responders at the scene needed us. However, that might not be the wisest decision. Here is an article from Firehouse.com that explores this issue.

CRANSTON -- When is a firefighter not a firefighter?

Steven Burgess thought he was a firefighter the night The Station nightclub burned to the ground. He went as a concertgoer, out on a date.

But as the fire consumed the club, the Cranston firefighter joined West Warwick's Fire Department, fire hose in hand, as they fought the blaze -- standing close enough that the heat burned his clothes and singed his eyebrows off.

The City of Cranston saw it differently. While he acted heroically and deserved praise, the city said, Burgess was no firefighter that night; he was a private citizen doing what he could to help.

This is a must read article. Also, check this post over at Roanoke Firefighters.

This is a tough issue. If you think about the safety practices that have been instituted in the fire service, Burgess probably should not have been used for firefighting because he did not have the proper PPE. Perhaps they could have used him to assist with crowd control, communications, or something that did not require him to be directly involved with firefighting efforts.

Supreme Court Rules on 9/11 Radio Case

From CNN.com:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Families of New York firefighters killed at the World Trade Center on September 11 failed Tuesday to persuade the Supreme Court to allow them to go forward with a lawsuit against New York City and Motorola for supplying the rescuers with faulty radios.

The high court let stand a decision by a lower appellate court. The lower court dismissed a lawsuit blaming the city and Motorola for supplying firefighters with handheld communications devices that prevented them from hearing evacuation orders while they were in the north tower trying to rescue people.

A three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said the families had waived their right to sue when they accepted money from the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund.

Even though communications played a critical part of the firefighter deaths that day, the court has made the right decision here. The lawsuit may have been able to move forward if the plaintiffs had not waived their right to sue.

The communciations issue has been hit again and again since 9/11. I'm not sure what the status is across the country, but I would be willing to bet that there are still serious communication issues in our big cities. It is a difficult and complex issue that will take time to solve.

Funny Firefighting Laws

Here is a post about some wacky firefighting laws that are still on the books in various states (from My Journal! yes it is smarty pants!). Here are some of my favorites:

In Chicago Illinois, It is illegal to eat in a place that is on fire.

...

In Fort Madison Iowa, The fire department is required to practice firefighting for 15 minutes before attending a fire.

...

In Pennsylvania, All fire hydrants must be checked 1 hour before all fires.

This is too funny. I'll have to do a little research to see if there is anything like this still in effect in SD.

Q&A with American LaFrance President

Fire Chief magazine has an online Q&A with John Stevenson, president of American LaFrance regarding their future. Check it out.

What Will Happen to Ringgold, TX?

If you remember from the news headlines, a New Years Day grass fire hit Ringgold, TX, and destroyed most of the small town. The Houston Chronicle has a story about what the future may hold for Ringgold (via Firehouse.com).

The wildfire, which moved as a swirling wall 30 to 40 feet tall, began about five miles west of Ringgold. A sparking power line is the suspected cause.

Pushed by 40-mph winds, it headed east across thigh-high fields of bluestem and other grazing grasses and straight into town. There, it took less than an hour to destroy 58 homes, 57 barns and storage sheds and six businesses along U.S. Highway 82, Badgett said.

As front-end loaders piled charred bricks, bicycles, the remains of a decorative wagon wheel and other ash-gray debris into Texas Department of Transportation trucks, residents wondered what will become of their long-fading town and who, if anyone, will rebuild.

"A lot of them won't be back. This is going to be a smaller place," Stillwell said.

I live straight north of Ringgold about 700 miles as the crow flies. Small town, rural setting, on the prairie. Ringgold probably isn't much different than my hometown. It's sad to hear that this town will be a "smaller place".

I'd like to wish all the best to the remaining residents of Ringgold.

More Info on Test-Taking Firefighter Mom

Here is a bunch more info regarding the firefighter that delivered her baby and then took a promotion exam (from the Houston Chronicle via FireFightingNews.com).

Here is my original post on this issue.

It looks like state and federal laws play into this situation.

A University of Houston Law Center professor said Thursday that the Texas law requiring all firefighters to take a career-advancing test simultaneously — except those who are active military — may violate Title VII federal anti-discrimination regulations.

"Not that they were intentionally discriminating against her because she's a woman, (but) unless there was a business necessity for that, it is illegal under federal law," said Laura Oren, who teaches courses on women and the law, and conflicts between laws.

"If they're willing to make an exception for military," she said, "but not willing to make an exception for women who just delivered babies 12 hours ago ... it's a business practice which has an unequal impact on a protected group of people."

Later in the article it discusses the fact that firefighters that are injured before taking a test are in the same situation as Kent. Force themselves out of the hospital to take the test, or stay in the hospital and wait from two to three years to take the test.

Whether it is someone that just gave birth or an injured firefighter in the hospital, the law sucks. Just use some common sense and develop an alternative for these special cases.

The Houston Fire Department did try to find some alternatives but were unsuccessful. The one thing they could have done was let Kent take the test at the hospital with a proctor in attendance. They chose not to allow that which required that Kent travel to the test site just hours after giving birth.

This is a goofed up deal. Read the whole article.

Fire Videos

Rhett over at Roanoke Firefighters has found some nice fire videos on Google. Check out his post and then follow his links to the videos.

Firefighter Gives Birth Then Takes Test

Officials at the Houston Fire Department have had a serious lapse in judgement (from abc13.com).

(1/11/06 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - A Houston Fire Department employee struggled to take a test on Wednesday, just 12 hours after giving birth. Beda Kent was told that if she wanted a promotion she had to take the test Wednesday morning, even though she had just delivered a baby Tuesday night.

...

Just 12 hours after giving birth to a healthy baby girl, Beda went to the George R. Brown Convention Center. While getting there might have been a struggle, she nearly aced the test. Beda's score may even be within the top five in her class.

Way to go, Beda Kent.

We may not know the whole story on this, but if the information from the article is correct, the folks at the Houston Fire Department that would not make some alternate plans for Kent should be ashamed of themselves.

They should consider themselves lucky that a lawsuit hasn't been filed against the department.

No Big Surprises in IAFC Survey

The IAFC has released the results of an e-mail survey that they conducted:

Staffing, funding and increased demands for service are three common and resounding challenges facing fire departments across the United States, according to an e-mail survey conducted by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). More than 1,000 IAFC members responded to the November 2005 survey.

“The survey reinforces what the IAFC has been hearing anecdotally—that budget cuts, staffing concerns and increased demands for services continue to plague fire departments of all types and sizes,” said IAFC President Chief Bill Killen. “Fire chiefs are constantly challenged to find ways to do more with less.”

Check out the full survey results (pdf).

This Firefighter's Life

Tim over at 43 Firefighter has discovered a new book that looks pretty good.

Here is the article that Tim references from the Ottowa Sun.

... Jimmy Allen bolts to the front of the kiosk to adjust the display of his book, This Firefighter's Life, that he says is the only autobiography by a firefighter in North America.

If it's not, it's surely the best: A rollicking, roisterous, raw, rough, tender, profane, poignant, romp through Jimmy's 65 years of life with rounders, bounders, saints, sinners, 39 of those years as one tough sunuvabitch firefighter's firefighter in Ottawa before he retired as a captain -- all told in his inimitable style, no-holds barred, no sacred cows, and you come away from his book understanding like never before firefighters, their job, the special people they are.

Firefighters are Awesome

I think firefighters are some of the greatest people on the planet. So does a boy in Jonestown, PA (from LDNews.com).

JONESTOWN — Bradley Ebling thinks firefighters are awesome.

“Because they drive fire engines and they save people — and they let me come down to the station whenever I want,” the Jones-town fourth-grader said as he listed the reasons why he admires the firefighters of Jonestown’s Perseverance Fire Co.

The 10-year-old knows practically everything there is to know about the fire department and isn’t afraid to ask the questions that he doesn’t know the answers to, Perseverance Chief Carl Bachman said.

Read the rest of the article to find out why the firefighters in Perseverance Fire Company have earned the admiration of Bradley Ebling.

Firefighting Games from FX

Rhett at Roanoke Firefighters found some internet firefighting games at FX based on the Rescue Me show. Check 'em out.

Small Town Fire Company Elections

Mia over at Knit and Play with Fire has been elected to a position within her fire company. She also has a great description of what a small town fire company election can be like.

Last night was the election and to say that it was exciting is being polite. Like some one said last night 'where else can you have this much fun for only $5 a year!.'

Check it out.

Donate to Relief Funds

Firefighters on the Gulf coast continue to struggle to recover from the hurricanes in 2005. The NVFC has set up two funds to assist those who are in need. The Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund (to assist individual firefighters) and the Emergency Relief Fund (to assist volunteer departments).

Click here to read more and donate.

Chief Turns Down Pay Raise

This is an exmple of great leadership (from Firehouse.com).

BRAINTREE - The official record will show that town meeting last night rejected pay increases for three town department heads. But the real news was a pair of impromptu statements by Police Chief Paul Frazier and Fire Chief Gerald Kenney that were ultimately rendered meaningless - at least fiscally - by the final vote.

With labor contracts the dominant theme at last night's special town meeting, the chiefs took to the floor to turn down proposed pay hikes they had coming to them, out of respect for their contract-less employees.

...

Kenney did the same. Members of Braintree Firefighters Association Local 920 have been without a contract since their last one expired 18 months ago.

"I would prefer you gave my pay raise to my firefighters," he said. "They put their lives on the line every day."

Kenney also was in line for a $2,065 raise.

Chief Kenney sounds like a good leader that looks out for his firefighters.

Jamaica Gets Large Class of New Recruits

I couldn't find out how many firefighters are in the Jamaica Fire Brigade, but a class of over 200 recruits just graduated from their fire academy (from the Jamaica Gleaner).

THE JAMAICA Fire Brigade received a much-needed boost when a fresh batch of firefighters entered its ranks last week.

The firefighters, 207 of them, participated in a graduation ceremony at the Madge Saunders Conference Centre in St. Mary.

According to training officer, Assistant Superintendent Troy Fraser, these recruits were trained in 18 subject areas.

"The importance of self and group discipline, and the relevance of team corporation were inculcated through the continued portrayal of high levels of adherence of standards. During the training period, recruits were exposed to knowledge of the brigade's regulations and culture, tools, equipment, appliances and their usages," Mr. Fraser explained.

The firefighters all underwent basic training in fire suppression techniques during which their minds and bodies were conditioned for the challenging career of firefighting.

This seemed like a huge class to me so I tried to do a little research on the Jamaica Fire Brigade. Here is a link to their website. It has lots of good info.

Here is a link to the World Factbook for basic information about the country of Jamaica.

Some Real Christmas Spirit

Read this entry from Mia over at Knit and Play with Fire to see some real Christmas Spirit.

If you have kids at home and they have quite a few stuffed animals and toys that they do not play with, I am going to suggest that the kids themselves go through their toys and set some of them aside. Talk to your kids and tell them what happens to kids toys after a house fire and see if they would like to donate them to a family in your area who has had a fire in their house. This is also a good time to go through the kids clothing and pull out what they do not wear or have outgrown. The easiest way to donate the clothing is to contact your local Red Cross chapter and tell them that you have kids clothing and toys that you would like to donate to families that have been displaced by a house fire. They will work with you. The Red Cross provides the families a place to stay and some money to replace to some of what is lost. But kids do not always understand the money and want toys. This is just a suggestion but it does make a difference to the kids.

And just so you know, it is my niece who came up with this idea. She is 9 years old and one of the things on her Christmas list is $100 to use to buy warm clothes for kids whose parents can not afford to buy them warm clothes. This idea is entirely her own. And when I questioned her that she would not be upset if I bought warm clothes and donated them to a family that needed them and that would be her present. Her answer was that was what she wanted for Christmas. (And I did make her a present.) My SIL has been cleaning out the toys that are not played with and we have been getting the toys to families that need them at my niece's urging.

Something Fun for the Holidays

Here is a cool way to spell something with pictures from flickr (from Meta|ateM via WF&DT).

I like it!

Chief Scrooge

Over at Putting Out Fires, there is a post that describes a chief who is really Mr. Scrooge in disguise.

That's why it was a shock today when Ryan got a call from another firefighter who volunteered to trade him shifts so Ryan could spend the holiday with his family. Wha? This guy looked down the list of guys working and saw that Ryan was the only non single, non divorced guy who was working on Christmas, so he called Ryan to offer to let him be with us on the actual day. Can you believe that? Ryan and I discussed it and we both felt bad letting that guy work on Christmas just for us. But we thought maybe this guy needed the sense of family at the fire station that he wasn't going to get at home alone on Christmas, so it was perfect for both of the guys. So Ryan called him back to accept. And I made plans to make treats to take to that guy's station as a thank-you.

And then Scrooge came and ruined the holiday for all the Who's in Whoville.

Read the rest of the post to find out what happened next.

To highlight this chief's lack of Christmas Spirit, here is a link to the lyrics of You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch. The verse I would apply to this situation is this:

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch.
You're a nasty, wasty skunk.
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your soul is full of gunk.
Mr. Grinch.

The three words that best describe you,
are, and I quote: "Stink. Stank. Stunk."

Patriarch Partners LLC Buys American LaFrance

For several months we've known that someone was buying American LaFrance. Well, now we know who (from Bloomberg.com).

Dec. 15 (Bloomberg) -- DaimlerChrysler AG's Freightliner commercial-truck unit agreed to sell its American LaFrance emergency-vehicle business to New York investment firm Patriarch Partners LLC for an undisclosed sum.

Patriarch will purchase operating assets, including corporate-owned dealerships for LaFrance, the fifth-largest U.S. maker of ambulances, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles, the companies said today in statements. Stuttgart, Germany-based DaimlerChrysler will convert a South Carolina factory to assemble Dodge Sprinter vans and share the facility with American LaFrance until 2007.

So, who is Partriarch Parnters LLC?

Patriarch, founded by investor Lynn Tilton, has about $5 billion in assets under management. It owns stakes in MD Helicopters Inc., bicycle maker Huffy Corp., New York textile maker Galey & Lord Inc. and about 60 other companies.

Here is the press release from American LaFrance.

Volunteer Department Resigns

This isn't good for the community of Bucoda, WA (from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer).

BUCODA -- Bucoda's fire chief and the entire volunteer fire department have resigned, citing irreconcilable differences with the new mayor, who won by just five votes last month.

This will really put the people of the community in a tight spot. The city will have to contract with other fire departments for fire protection which will cost a ton - probably more than they can afford.

The story contains few details so it is difficult to tell whether the action by the volunteers is justified or not.

Helicopter Costs in South Africa

South Africa entered their wildland fire season, known there as veld fires, at the beginning of December. Here is an article that details the use of Mi8 helicopters on a fire (from www.io.co.za).

Helicopters again came to the rescue on Tuesday, putting out a veld fire on the mountain overlooking Simon's Town in Cape Town, despite windy conditions and "awkward" terrain.

Here is the part that really caught my eye.

The helicopters operate at a cost of about R23 000 an hour, and Venter says the location of the fire determines who pays for them.

That converts to USD $3,626.62 per hour! I'm pretty sure that operating a Type I helicopter in the U.S. would cost at least that much per hour, although I don't have a firm number available.

As a side note, the definition of veld is an elevated open grassland in southern Africa.

Kids Shop with Firefighters

Here is a little holiday cheer for you this morning (from WBKO.com).

For the last 15 years, Bowling Green firefighter Tim Brooks has helped out with the "Shop With a Firefighter Day" to help provide Christmas gifts for kids in the community who need a little help during the holiday.

...

Children from the community who were chosen for this event were paired up with firefighters for the day, who helped them pick out gifts for the holiday, that was then paid for by the Bowling Green Fire Department.

...

Lucena Davis is a nurse with the Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs. She helped select several of the children taken on the shopping spree.

"Basically what we do is in our office is we just ask, who do you think is deserving of this? Who would need a little extra assistance for Christmas", says Davis.

Kudos to Firefighter Tim Brooks and the Bowling Green Fire Department. What a great way to really make a difference in your community!

Firefighters Fired After Being Caught on Video

A couple of firefighters in Tennessee were fired after an investigation ruled that they did not do their jobs (from Firehouse.com).

Two Loudon City firefighters were let go for not doing their jobs during a deadly blaze.

Video taken from a camera inside a police cruiser played a deciding role in the firing of Marshall Miller and Tony Russell.

...

Video from the police cruiser showed the police officer immediately trying to rescue people trapped inside.

While firefighter Tony Russell wasn't ready and was more concerned with a fire hose.

...

The video also showed another firefighter taking his time getting out of a fire truck.

You should read the whole article. There is also a short video report from the local TV station with some of the footage from the police camera.

I don't have a problem with these firefighters getting fired as long as there was a chance for them to make entry and try to rescue people. If entry was not possible, then firing them was probably the wrong decision.

This incident highlights the use of video cameras to hold people accountable for their actions. In today's society, you should assume that your actions are being recorded. Big Brother is watching.

FEMA to be Re-engineered

It looks like FEMA is in for a round of re-engineering, which I think means some serious reorganization (from Firehouse.com).

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday that he is planning to "re-engineer" the beleaguered Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has continued to come in for harsh criticism for its performance in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

In an interview with The Sun, Chertoff said the overhaul would be modeled on the just-in-time delivery systems widely used in private industry. He plans to announce the changes, part of a plan to modernize the way FEMA does business, next month.

"It almost certainly will yield some changes in every area" of FEMA, Chertoff said. "We have to make ourselves more nimble."

...

The top two weaknesses the overhaul will address, he said, are the agency's logistical planning before and during an event, and its ability to deliver services to victims afterward.

Another goal of the revamped FEMA operation will be to adapt quickly to a change in plans or a disaster on a scale much larger than expected.

The reason I bring this up is that the USFA is part of FEMA. From the tone of the article, it doesn't sound like the USFA will be affected much. However, any reorganization will likely have some effects to all of the branches of FEMA. Hopefully, the USFA will not take a big hit.

Stay tuned.

Ladder Climbing Record

Talk about some serious training on climbing a ladder - check this out (from NZCity via FireFightingNews.com).

New Zealand firefighters are celebrating climbing the equivalent of more than 12 Mount Everests. The challenge involved 10 volunteers from the Fire Service attempting to break the greatest height climbed on a ladder within 24 hours. They climbed a 10-metre tower at Auckland's Viaduct Harbour repeatedly until they had clocked up 109.59 kilometres.

For those of us that don't use the metric system very often, that is a 32.8 foot ladder totaling over 68 miles of climbing!

Iraqi Firefighters Deal with Unexploded Ordinance

Here is something we don't have to deal with in the U.S. very often (from NewsBlaze.com).

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Firefighters from the Rusafa Fire Station in east Baghdad turned over more than 200 rounds of unexploded ordnance to elements of Task Force Baghdad for destruction Dec. 1.

The firefighters gave 65 artillery rounds and 143 mortar rounds to elements of 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery.

This is a continuing effort and partnership between the leadership of the Rusafa Fire Station and 1st Bn., 9th FA to rid the area of unexploded ordnance and denying terrorists potential bomb-making material.

The closest we get to this type of thing is when we hear shotgun shells cooking off at a house fire. I'm glad I live here instead of there.

Bateman Pleads Not Guilty

Here is an update regarding the indictment of Van Bateman (from KVOA.com).

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- A former National Forest Service incident commander charged with setting two wildfires had pleaded not guilty and will go on trial in January.

...

Bateman was indicted last month on charges he started two wildfires in the Coconino National Forest. The largest burned only 21 acres.

It doesn't say when the trial will start, but we'll have to wait for more news until then.

Here is the original post on Firewhirl with a link to the news story.

Phoenix USAR Team Back in Business

It looks like the Phoenix Urban Search and Rescue team is back in business after FEMA removed their suspension (from azcentral.com via FireFightingNews.com).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has lifted its suspension of the Phoenix Fire Department's urban search and rescue team two months after firefighters were sent home from hurricane relief efforts because they had armed police officers with them.

Here is my original post on this subject when they were first suspended. In the post, I noted that FEMA shouldn't expect USAR teams to deploy without the proper police protection. It looks like they have come to the same conclusion.

Arizona Task Force 1 will be allowed to continue deploying Phoenix police deputized as U.S. marshals "as long as they wear U.S. marshals' uniforms," FEMA officials said.

FEMA's decision to allow armed police, despite a rule against carrying firearms, applies only to Phoenix's team. But the agency left open the possibility that the city's model would be adopted on a broader scale.

I'm all for this change in policy. I'm betting that this will become the model to follow for all of the USAR teams and perhaps for all mutual aid resources that are dispatched to large incidents. Especially where the safety of the responders could be compromised by criminals or rioting.

Fire Trucks Built with LEGO

Check out the cool representation of an LAFD ladder truck built from LEGO blocks (from the LAFD News and Info site).

I followed some of the links in the post and there are quite a few fire trucks that have been built. Some of them are very impressive. This kind of thing must take a lot a patience!

Thanksgiving Day

Have a great Thanksgiving! Check this website for info on the history of Thanksgiving Day.

This made me laugh - one of my suppliers sent it to me.

Search Dog Aspen Dies

Interesting article about a search and rescue dog that became an icon and has recently died (from the LAFD News and Info blog).

It's been more than ten years, but it seems like yesterday: the April 1995 act of domestic terrorism that took 168 lives in Oklahoma City.

Among the memorable images of that horrific day is a photograph of Oklahoma City Firefighter Chris Fields cradling the lifeless body of 1 year-old Baylee Almon. For most, that Pulitzer Prize winning photo remains an indelible reminder of the immediate and local impact of the cowardly attack.

An equally lasting image for many was a photograph of exhausted Florida Firefighter Skip Fernandez and his disaster search dog partner Aspen, who worked tirelessly for days in search of survivors.

I must have been under a rock somewhere, but I don't remember ever seeing this picture. I missed out until today. My thoughts are with Firefighter Fernandez.

Dispute over Words of a Poem

I ran across this article (from the Times Record) and thought it deserved some attention. The Brunswick firefighters' union wanted to put up a memorial inscribed with A Fireman's Prayer, a poem written by A.W. Linn. The town council had some issues with the wording of the poem.

Several councilors also raised objections to the poem's use of the word "fireman" — as opposed to the gender-neutral word "firefighter" — and the phrase "my children and my wife," which they said implies that only men can serve as firefighters.

Click this link to view the entire poem (FireHouse651.com). Also read the editor's note after the poem.

Luckily, the firefighters were allowed to go forward with the original wording of the poem.

But the six remaining councilors said it would be inappropriate to change the wording of a poem authored by another person and that, at its heart, the poem is simply an homage to the sacrifices firefighters make.

"I do not think the average woman is going to be threatened by a poem that was written in 1959," said Councilor Joanne King. "It deserves to be on that memorial."

That is right on target. The poem was written in 1959 by a man who was a firefighter. The poem was written from his point of view. It is his prayer asking God to protect his family. The wording of this poem should not be changed.

Other poems should be written to reflect the current state of our fire service. In fact, there are already lots of other firefighter prayers with more politically correct wording. Just do an internet search on "firefighter prayer" and check the results.

In the case of the Brunswick firefighter memorial, perhaps a different prayer could have been chosen, but I don't think there is anything wrong with the prayer that they did choose.

As I searched the internet for a site with the original wording of this poem, I ran across many sites with modified wording. Perhaps these sites should consider using the original wording and also including more recent poems on their sites.

UK Trucks Donated to Russia

Some fire trucks from the UK are being donated to Russia (from the BBC News via FireFightingNews.com).

Four fire engines that have been retired from operational service in the UK are being donated to Russia. A West Sussex charity set up by retired fire officer Chris Holgate is behind the scheme.

Volunteers will drive the engines from Chichester to Tilbury on Thursday from where they will be shipped to Kursk.

...

He said he saw the poor standard of equipment given to Kursk firefighters and found that an average of 160 people were dying in fires in Kursk each year, many of them children.

He set up Fire Safety Friends of Russia to improve building design, fire fighting equipment, and the treatment of fire victims.

This shows that the need to quality fire equipment extends world-wide. Kudos to the Fire Safety Friends of Russia.

I've also read many stories of U.S. departments donating trucks to fire departments in the hurricane-damaged Gulf. Keep up the good work!

Firefighter Upside Down during Hunt

Firefighters find themselves in the weirdest situations (from the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle via FireFightingNews.com).

Montgomery County deer hunter Nickoles Rhodes, 21, is lucky to be alive and glad to be home after hanging by one foot from a broken tree stand for 90 minutes while 45 feet up a tree Sunday evening.

Rhodes shot a doe from his perch off Smith Branch Road in Montgomery County around 5:15 p.m. Sunday. The tree stand gave way while he was maneuvering it down the cherry tree.

...

Rhodes, a Woodlawn volunteer firefighter, said his right boot toe caught in the strap.

"Otherwise I'd have fallen right on my head and wouldn't be talking to you right now," he said.

I've heard some pretty good hunting stories, but this is in a class by itself. Best wishes to Firefighter Rhodes on his recovery.

Day Eight: What's Next?

Here is the link to day 8 on the LI firefighters. It deals with what is next for the entire firefighting system on Long Island.

Long Island is the last densely populated region in America served almost exclusively by volunteers, but the system here is showing signs of strain.

Though they are among the best-funded, best-trained and best-equipped in the nation, fire departments here are falling prey to many of the same problems that have plagued agencies nationwide.

"Was the volunteer fire service ever designed to do what Long Island fire departments are doing right now? I don't think so," said Gil Hanse, Babylon Town's director of emergency preparedness and a longtime volunteer.

"We're like a city. With the amount of people that we have and the service we're expected to provide, has it become a burden? Yes."

This has been a really good series of articles. I'll try to put some of my thoughts together regarding the articles and put up a post, probably on Wednesday.

Air Force Firefighters in Afghanistan

The Air Force has some firefighters in Afghanistan that have had some unique experiences (from Firehouse.com).

In the last six months, a six-man Air Force fire and crash rescue unit has gone on five missions into some of Afghanistan's most remote areas. There was enough aircraft flow to warrant the services of the only rapid-reaction fire rescue team in the country.

"We're always prepared to fight fire. That's the nature of the job. But this is just completely different," said Master Sgt. Kevin Riehle, chief of forward fire protection, deployed from Scott Air Force Base, Ill. "I never envisioned any of the stuff we dealt with. Never did we expect to be airlifted into and out of hostile areas to support combat ops."

You'll want to read the whole article. Not only do these folks have a dangerous job as firefighters, they have to do it in a combat zone!

New Orleans FD Adjusts Post-Katrina

The New Orleans Fire Department continues to face challenges since Hurricane Katrina hit. They also continue to adjust to these challenges and do their job as firefightes. Here is a good article from the Times-Picayune.

More than half of the New Orleans Fire Department's stations were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Of the department's 33 stations, only 10 are operational.

But 751 New Orleans firefighters remain at work, spread citywide and housed in places such as the Audubon Park Clubhouse and the St. Pius X Elementary School in Lake Vista.

...

Since Katrina, the Fire Department has relied on water dropped from buckets by helicopters at the direction of firefighters on the ground or in spotter planes. As recently as Friday, inadequate water pressure led firefighters to use helicopters contracted by the city to drop water on two fires in eastern New Orleans, said Peter Caruso, supervisor of fire communications.

...

"And I tell you, these guys are adjusting and adapting because they're committed," he said. "They're committed to making sure that the citizens of New Orleans know that we're providing all the protection and service that we can do for their re-entry. We want to make sure they know that. It's important for them to know that because we want them back."

Hang tough, NOFD. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Day Seven: Oversight

Here is the link to day 7 of the Newsday.com series on Long Island firefighting. Day 7 focuses on the oversight of the firefighting agencies.

Over the past 50 years, Long Island's network of small-town volunteer fire departments has evolved into a vast enterprise, yet four out of five fire agencies here answer to no higher level of government about the way they spend money or deliver lifesaving services.

Long Island volunteers preside over $1 billion in buildings and equipment, cost more than $319 million a year, administer 120 pension funds and protect 2.7-million citizens. Yet the state comptroller hasn't audited a Long Island fire district since 2001, and how volunteer departments raise and spend donations from the public is exempt from the supervision most other not-for-profit groups receive from the state attorney general.

In a rural area, oversight isn't a big issue, but I can see where this would be a serious problem when the departments have so much in assets.

Day 8 focuses on what is next for the LI firefighters, but I can't get the link to the article. As soon as their links are working, I'll post on it.

Day Six: EMS Service

Day six of the Newsday.com feature on Long Island firefighting deals with the EMS side of things.

While officials say they can still muster volunteers for fires, overwork and burnout are driving Long Island medical volunteers away and forcing a rapidly growing number of agencies to turn their work over to paid crews. And in Suffolk, resident deaths have spurred lawmakers and health officials to push for more coordination and a bigger role for government in protecting the public.

I didn't take the time to read through all of the info this morning, but I will later today. From what I read, Long Island is dealing with the same issues most fire departments are regarding EMS service.

Cedar Fire Starter gets Probation

The man who started the largest wildland fire in California history, which killed 15 people, gets five years of probation as his sentence (from ABC News).

SAN DIEGO Nov 17, 2005 — A deer hunter, after a tearful courtroom apology, was sentenced Thursday to five years probation for starting a wildfire that killed 15 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.

"I wish I was dead instead," Sergio Martinez told a packed courtroom that included many victims of the blaze east of San Diego that charred 422 square miles the largest wildfire in California history.

Martinez started the fire to attract attention after he became lost and disoriented on Oct. 25, 2003, in the Cleveland National Forest. He faced a maximum five years in prison, but the judge spared him jail time.

This seems like a pretty light sentence to me considering the death and destruction that resulted from the incident. I'll be interested to read the reactions over the next couple of days.

UPDATE: Here is the full sentence that was handed down (via the San Diego Union-Tribune).

Instead, Sergio Martinez was ordered to spend six months in private confinement that will allow him to continue to work and be free on weekends to perform 960 hours of community service. Martinez also was placed on probation for five years and ordered to pay restitution of $150 a month over that period.

Maybe I'm being too tough here, but I still think this is a light sentence. After killing 15 people and destroying 2,400 homes, some prison time would be in order.

Day Five: The Volunteers

For day five of the Newsday.com series on Long Island Firefighters, the focus is on the volunteers.

In the fall of 2003, a longtime Manhasset volunteer firefighter and businessman placed a startling advertisement in the local newspaper.

"Volunteerism has been stretched to the breaking point," wrote Brian Kenny, a volunteer since 1960. It was time, he argued, to "get past the emotional trap of tradition and brotherhood," time for the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire District to start hiring firefighters and paramedics.

The ad sparked outrage and denunciations from volunteers.

...

Today, Long Island fire agencies employ at least 1,800 people, an average of 10 full- and part-time workers for each fire agency, at a cost of more than $52 million annually. Their numbers are small next to the 20,000 volunteers in Nassau and Suffolk, but they are becoming indispensable. Only one in six fire agencies still function as purely volunteer organizations with no paid staff.

I believe that it doesn't matter what type of department a jurisdiction has, as long as good service is provided to the citizens. If a paid department is needed, then hire some firefighters. If volunteers are still providing good service and are willing to respond to calls, then keep the volunteers.

Cat and Gecko Start Fire

Add this one to your list of wacky stories. Apparently a cat attacked a gecko and the result was a fire (from CBC News via FireFightingNews.com).

A cat and a gecko are shouldering the blame for starting a fire in a Charlottetown apartment on Wednesday morning.

The lazy lizard was lounging under a heat lamp inside an aquarium when the cat decided to attack. The feisty feline knocked over the aquarium and the heat lamp ended up on top of a pile of clothes.

That pile of laundry caught on fire, spread to a mattress and filled the apartment with smoke.

...

None of the humans in the apartment building were injured in the fire. The search for the gecko also had a happy ending, it was found shortly after the firemen took the mattress out of the building.

I'm assuming the cat was fine too.

Rainbows

Want to see some rainbows created by firefighters testing a ladder pipe? Clark over at WF&DT has some photos.

This past Sunday we flow-tested the ladder pipe on new Truck 10 with a heavy-water evolution: trying to flow the ladder pipe at the rated capacity of the supply pumper, which is a LOT of water. The breeze blew the water back and got me and 'Hammy a little wet and produced a fine rainbow over the Temple of Our Lady of Illicit Copulation, aka the boatshed.

The picture of the Temple of Our Lady of Illicit Copulation is very nice. I also like the double rainbow (yes, look close) over Hammy's shoulder - hehehe.

Long Island Fire Service Under the Spotlight

Newsday.com is doing an eight day feature on the Long Island Fire Service. Today is day four of that eight day feature.

In a series beginning Sunday, Newsday presents the most complete picture of the Long Island volunteer fire service ever assembled. The reporting process included interviews with hundreds of people inside the 179 LI fire agencies, and the examination of thousands of documents and statistics.

I've spent a little bit of time reading the articles and their is tons of information. I can tell you one thing - they do things quite a bit differently in Long Island than they do in South Dakota.

The last two days of the Newsday.com feature hasn't been particularly encouraging for the Long Island fire agencies. Yesterday's articles pointed out that there seems to be an overabundance of apparatus for what is really needed and today's articles point out all of the perks that the Long Island firefighters receive. Some of these perks are pretty extravagant.

In 1998, it was a seminar on terrorism awareness in the Gulf of Mexico aboard the Carnival cruise ship "Ecstasy." This year it was north to Alaska aboard "The Spirit" for another seminar.

And three years in between, the Fire Chiefs' Council of Suffolk County chose to do its training by the pink sands of the Bahamas.

...

Taxpayers footed the bill for some of the chiefs and commissioners at a cost of up to $325 a night plus air fare and conference fees.

Wow - seems a little over the top to me.

You won't want to miss this series. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Here is the link to the Firehouse.com article about the Newsday.com feature. Also the link to the Firehouse.com forum so you can discuss this issue.

Bill Would Protect Volunteer's Jobs

This is a little dated, but I saw it on the NVFC website.

H.R. 3949 would protect volunteer firefighters from being fired, demoted or harassed if they miss work because they are activated to respond to a Presidentially declared emergency. Members of the National Guard already enjoy similar job protection under current law.

"When the men and women of the volunteer fire service are asked to respond to a national disaster they shouldn't have to jeopardize their livelihoods in order to answer the call," said NVFC Chairman Philip Stittleburg. "This bill is the right thing to do for our nation's volunteer firefighters and it ensures that they will be available to respond as needed."

This sounds like a good idea, but I haven't put much thought into it yet. Your thoughts are welcome - just add your comments.

Hong Kong Firefighting Apparatus

Hong Kong has some really interesting fire apparatus. Mike over at Firefighter Blog has featured their equipment. They have equipment typical of a fire department here in the U.S., but they also have equipment like a Fire Motorcycle, a Mini Fire Truck, and a Bulk Foam Tender.

If you follow the link, you'll see lots of pictures and descriptions of their apparatus.

UPDATE: Rhett over at Roanoke Firefighters has a post on this subject too.

Firefighting on Governors Island NY

Governors Island is a small island in New York Harbor with an FDNY fire station (from the New York Times).

To spend a day with them is to visit a world of firefighting as removed from city life as Governors Island itself. The pace of work, with all its foibles, suggests a small town in Nebraska, or perhaps an island off the coast of Maine. It does not feel like the middle of New York City, which in a funny way it is.

...

The captain and 13 other men work in shifts of three, all the time, to protect more than 50 people who work on the island during the day and the occasional tourists who visit during the summer. They also watch over architectural treasures, 62 historic buildings that stamp the north end of the island, some of which date from before the Civil War.

Who would have thought that in the middle of New York City there could be a fire station like the one on Governors Island? You'll want to read the whole article. There is a slide show with some pictures too.

Type I IC Accused of Arson

From Fox News:

PHOENIX — The former commander of an elite wildfire team that battled the largest blaze in Arizona history and aided in recovery efforts at the World Trade Center is accused of starting two fires last year, federal prosecutors said.

Van Bateman, 55, was indicted Wednesday for allegedly setting the fires in the Coconino National Forest in 2004. He faces two federal counts of setting timber afire and two counts of arson on public lands. The first charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, while arson is punishable by up to 20 years, prosecutors said Thursday.

Bateman was a Type I incident commander, the head of a wildfire management crew that is called in for the biggest and most severe wildfires. His four-year term in that position expired in 2004 and he became leader of a slightly lower level team until he was indicted and put on paid leave, according to Forest Service officials.

This is big news. I always have to remind myself that at this stage, the accused hasn't been found guilty yet. I'll keep an eye out for further developments.

Thanks to our Veterans

Thanks so much to the veterans of our armed forces. Your service has made a real difference in our lives and we want you to know how grateful we are.

Visit the Veterans Day webpage at Military.com. They have lots of stuff to view including a movie tribute, cartoons, war letters, and a way for old buddies to reconnect.

Cool Cloud Pictures

Out here in the middle of South Dakota, many of our firefighters are also trained weather spotters. When severe weather hits, they go out and observe the weather so that the public can be warned if a tornado is spotted.

A firefighter/weather spotter passed a website on to me. It has some really cool pictures of Mammatus Clouds which were observed over Hastings, Nebraska in 2004.

Check it out.

World Problems - No Problem

Hehehe - this post from Roanoke Firefighters made me chuckle.

There is a secret about Firefighters that most non-firefighters do not know and I am going to spill the beans. Firefighters can solve any problem in about 1 hour and 1 pot of coffee, coffee optional. When I say any problem, I mean problems like World peace, The War on Terror, Hurricane Relief, even local politics like Victory Stadium, The Art Museum of Western Virginia, The Flood Control Plan, etc. That is right anything, we have a solution. You would be amazed at how quickly Firefighters work through problems. You might not even know there is a problem yet, we have solved it.

That is the truth! This extends to the volunteer ranks as well. Just stand around for few minutes after the monthly meeting and you will hear solutions to the most vexing problems the human race has ever encountered.

Belgian Firefighters Observe in Jacksonville

Some firefighters from Belgium have come across the pond to observe how the Jacksonville firefighters do things (via First Coast News).

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- They're not your typical tourists -- these guys save most of their flashbulbs for firefights. Rescuers from Belgium are spending a week in Jacksonville learning from their American brothers.

With video cameras and notepads, they watch Jacksonville's Bravest beat back blazes, and study every move.

"We can look behind the scenes, and really see how things are organized," explained Paul Van Look, one of the firefighters who organizes the trips for the Belgian Fire Observers Association.

I've read a couple of stories recently about firefighters coming to the U.S. to study, but are there any U.S. firefighters going abroad to learn how others fight fires? If you know of someone that has done this, drop me a line. Thanks.

Firefighters Water Horses

These firefighters from Florida are stepping up to help out some thirsty horses (from NBC6.net).

SOUTHWEST RANCHES, Fla. -- A lack of power is not just a problem for the people of South Florida. It's a problem for horses and other animals, too.

Horses need several gallons of water a day. In Southwest Ranches, the water is in wells and must be pumped out with electricity. But without power, the horses are thirsty.

About two-dozen members of the Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire-Rescue have been working nearly nonstop to get water to horses that need it.

They use brush trucks holding 250 gallons and an engine that carries 750 gallons to serve at least 30 ranches, and get water to more than 300 horses.

Kudos to the firefighters from Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire-Rescue.

Firefighter Game

Mia over at Knit and Play with Fire found a firefighting game that you can play on the internet.

The game is located here.

My score: 15,380.

Good luck!

Air Tanker Photo

Wow! Check out this photo of an air tanker beginning its drop (courtesy of Firefighter Blog).

This is a great photo. What an opportunity to see an air tanker up close and putting the hammer down on a fire...HOWEVER, why are the other people in the picture (and the photographer) that close! If the pilot had a problem and had to drop his load off target, these folks would be pancaked.

I know - leave it to me to throw a wet blanket on something cool like this picture.

Bark Beetles near Mount Hood

Bark beetles are having an impact across the country. Here is an article about them infesting forests near Mount Hood (via the Seattle Times).

PARKDALE, Ore. — On the pine-covered slopes of Mount Hood, a rice-size beetle larva is turning pines to a rusty red, killing them by the thousands.

The squirming, white, bark beetle larvae are chewing through tissue that carries nutrients up the tree. The beetles are nothing new, but are showing up in unusually huge numbers.

The Black Hills in South Dakota have struggled with bark beetle infestations for at least a decade now. In the short term, all of those dead trees create a nasty fire hazard. In the long term, it is probably good for forest health as it thins out the trees.

Hybrid Fire Department

Four cities in the Salt Lake Valley are consolidating their fire departments - kind of (from the Salt Lake Tribune).

Fire departments in four Salt Lake Valley cities - Sandy, South Jordan, South Salt Lake and West Valley City - are banding together to form the Metro Fire Agency. "It's a hybrid. There's none other like it in the United States," agency spokesman Steve Foote said Tuesday. "We're reconstructing how we deliver service and will achieve a new level of cooperation."

The agency differs from Salt Lake County's Unified Fire Authority - which acts as a single fire department serving several municipalities and unincorporated areas - because each of the group's municipal fire departments will retain its autonomy.

"We'll have all the advantages of cooperation, but it still leaves each city in control of its own fire department," said Sandy Fire Chief Don Chase. "The biggest benefit will be sharing."

This sounds almost like mutual aid on steroids. The department will be governed by a board of directors (the mayors) and a board of operations (the chiefs).

We'll have to keep our eye on this one to see if it works out.

Captain is Gold Leaf Artist

This is an interesting article about a captain that decorates fire trucks with gold leaf (via ContraCostaTimes.com).

For 24 years, he has decorated the district's fire trucks, by hand, with gold leaf. He does it when he has free time between his regular duties, and the intricate work helps make for a mighty spiffy fleet.

"It's a very difficult process. It's beautiful and almost something to envy," said fire commissioner Ken Sandy, of the intricate scrollwork, pinstriping and lettering done by Turman.

Gold embellishments and designs on old pumpers and fire trucks from the 19th century are a source of inspiration for the fire captain, who has researched the age-old craft.

There are a couple of nice pictures too.

LEGO Fire Truck Challenge

I ran across an internet game, the LEGO Fire Truck Challenge. Check the speedometer on this ladder truck!

UPDATE: I got through all five levels with a score of 108,320. Let's see if anyone can better that score. I wonder if I can get training hours for playing this game - hmmm.

Back Up the Badge

According to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, there will be a telethon to raise money for law enforcement officers and firefighters that lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina. This effort is called Back Up the Badge.

Hurricane Katrina robbed many of Mississippi's first responders of almost everything — homes, cars and time with families after perhaps the worst natural disaster ever to befall the state.

Now, state officials and others are planning a telethon in hopes of raising money to give something back to those who wear a badge. The fund-raiser is planned Thursday on the statewide public television network.

The two-hour special will feature the personal stories of some of the men and women who fought through crushing losses to serve others during the Aug. 29 storm that flattened the Gulf Coast and left extensive damage well inland.

The telethon is August 29 starting at 8 PM.

Fires Impact People and Community

This is an excellent article from a reporter that routinely covers fires (from the Oroville Mercury-Register).

A major structure fire is not just about the estimated damage to the building and how many acres of surrounding vegetation was consumed by fire. It is not just about how the fire got started (but, of course, this is a critical part of what happened and people should learn about the various causes of fires, so they can learn to prevent them). It is not just about how many minutes it took to "knock-down" the fire and how many fire engines and water tenders were at scene. It is not just about who first reported the fire and what time the first engine arrived on scene. No, it is about much, much more than that.

It is about people and community.

Read the whole thing. It might make you rethink your perspective and place within the community at large and within the firefighting community.

More Wildfires in the Future

A researcher believes that there will be more wildfires in our future (via the Bozeman Daily Chronicle).

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. - Wildfires are going to happen more often in the mountain West, and dealing with them is going to be increasingly difficult, according to a professor of fire ecology.

"We can expect more fires, not less," said Bill Romme, of Colorado State University.
And the demand to protect lives and private property constrains the ability to let fire play a natural role, even though ecosystems depend on periodic fire.

Here is the kicker:

Wildfire isn't going away, and when conditions are right, the fires will get huge, the panel agreed.

And when they get big enough, there isn't much that can be done.

"Technology has its limits," Barbee said.

Most wildland firefighters know this, but large portions of the general public don't.

Harvesting Can Result in Fires

This article spells out what we do here at the Miller Fire Department every fall (from the WCF Courier via Firehouse.com).

HUDSON --- Farmers love warm, breezy days in the fall. They speed harvest and corn naturally dries in the field, cutting expenses.

But the tinder box-like conditions also spark equipment and field fires. And local volunteer fire departments have already responded to plenty of them.

...

Mix extremely dry, combustible materials like corn stalks and dust, along with hot moving parts and that's a recipe for fire. If Monday's weekly U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report is any indication, the recipe is getting even more volatile. The report indicated conditions --- while spurring harvest and saving farmers money in corn drying costs --- are finally getting to the point that farmers have future soil moisture concerns.

The article originates in Iowa so they don't talk much about sunflowers. Here in South Dakota, we have plenty of sunflowers. Think about what they use sunflowers for. Yup, you guessed it - sunflower oil. Nothing burns like a sunflower field that is ready for harvest!

President Signs Bill for 2005 DHS Funding

IAFC has a thorough article on all of the details regarding the appropriations bill that will fund the Department of Homeland Security for 2006 (via FireFightingNews.com).

Today (Oct. 18), President Bush signed into law the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (HR 2360), worth $31.9 billion. The law decreases funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, increases funding for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Act, and provides a first-ever direct appropriation to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). The law also implements Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff’s “second stage review,” which would move a number of department functions, including the USFA, into a new Preparedness Directorate.

There is a ton of stuff in this story. If you want to stay up on what is happening with out nation's fire service, you'll want to read this.

One of the things that really jumped out at me was that the USFA will have it's own line item in the appropriations process. This may seem like a little thing, but it is really a big deal. It raises the level of importance of the USFA to the point that it will get individual consideration during the funding process.

The other thing that I liked is the NIMS Integration Center (NIC). This should help all of the first responder agencies get better at implementing the NIMS system when a big disaster hits.

Female Firefighters in Iran

It was surprising to read that there are female firefighters in Iran (from the Christian Science Monitor).

KARAJ, IRAN – The rewards are great - and the disappointments as powerful as any felt by firefighters around the world. But at Station No. 9 in Karaj, west of Tehran, a small unit prides itself on being like few others: the only squad of women firefighters in the Middle East.

Not every rescue requires a feminine touch. But in the Islamic Republic, which tolerates little public mixing of the genders, the 11 women here are breaking new ground and creating a model for cities across the country. They also represent a strain of pragmatic progressivism in Iran that is rarely matched elsewhere in the region.

...

"I've seen them in action and they are good, they are strong - sometimes they are better than the men," says Mr. Aghayari.

Maybe this shows how little I know about Iran, but I thought that last statement was great. Hopefully that attitude spreads to the other countries in the region that don't allow women to be firefighters.

Wildfires and Coastline Erosion

From UPI:

NORFOLK, Va., Oct. 17 (UPI) -- A Duke University scientist says the retreat of coastlines due to rising sea levels might be accelerated by wildfires.

Benjamin Poulter, a researcher at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, said without such fires, forests can slow the encroachment on coastlines.

Poulter will provide more details on his research on Thursday. I'm interested in following this because I'm not sure I buy into what he is suggesting. If he is talking about catastrophic fire that destroys the forest, I understand. If he is suggesting that a low-intensity prescribed burn will accelerate coastal erosion, I'm not sure I agree.

UPDATE: Here is another article that has a lot more detail (from AScribe).

NORFOLK, Va., Oct. 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- The retreat of coastlines due to rising sea levels may be accelerated by wildfires, a Duke University researcher has discovered. In the absence of such fires, forests can slow the encroachment, he found. At such fire scenes, though, finger-like patches of marshlands can extend into former forest by as much as several hundred yards. The result is a "punctuated" near-shoreline landscape, the scientist said. Such punctuated advance of the sea is in sharp contrast to the widespread belief that coastal change would be gradual due to sea-level rise.

The rest of the article provides all of the explanation I need. At least it makes sense to me now. Good stuff!

Fees and Fires

I can't believe this actually happened (from the Duluth News Tribune via FireFightingNews.com):

Carl Berg failed to pay a$25 annual fee for rural fire protection and, as a result, firefighters let his house burn to the ground last month near International Falls.

You need to read the whole article, but here are key points.

The firefighters apparently responded and pumped some water to make sure the fire didn't spread beyond the house, but they didn't extinguish the fire. It then rekindled, and they didn't return to put the fire out for good.

The fire was in a mobile home, so I'm not sure how much of the house or contents would have been salvageable, even after the initial blaze.

The firefighters and government officials should be ashamed for letting a funding problem affect the service they provide to the public.

I agree with this sentiment from the article:

A retired suburban Chicago fire chief, Billig said, "I could not respond to a fire and not put it out. I'll put the fire out and then worry about the money situation."

Rapping for Fire Safety

Here is another great idea to promote fire safety (from nbc10.com via Firehouse.com).

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Fire Department is unleashing a rather unusual tool to help prevent fires.

They are releasing a special song -- a rap song with a message behind the music.

Philadelphia fireman Rodney Jean-Jacques is also a rapper and he and his fellow firefighters put together the rap DVD called "Take It Outside." The DVD urges people who smoke to do so outside their homes, just like they do outside an office building or where they work.

Kudos to Firefighter Jean-Jacques and the Philadelphia Fire Department.

Nursing Home Fire Safety

I ran across an article about fire safety in nursing homes (from USA Today via Fire Engineering).

Fires in nursing homes are relatively common -- about 2,300 are reported each year, roughly one fire for every seven facilities. Yet, guides on how to choose a nursing home, published by consumer and industry groups, often fail to suggest checking a facility's fire safeguards.

The federal agency that regulates nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also does little to help consumers when it comes to fire safety. The CMS Nursing Home Compare website lists all citations a facility gets for deficiencies in patient care. But it fails to list fire safety violations or show which facilities have sprinklers and other basic protections.

What jumped out at me was the stat that there is one fire for every seven nursing homes! That is unacceptable. Especially, in a building where there are a lot of residents and evacuating them is difficult.

I also found a related article at USA Today.

More than half the nation's 16,000 nursing homes violate federal fire safety standards each year, and government regulations let thousands of older facilities operate without the sprinklers or smoke alarms often required in buildings used by the public.

When inspectors do come across fire safety violations, they rarely impose fines or other penalties that might prompt a home to fix its problems, a USA TODAY investigation shows. Four of every five nursing homes that have had fatal fires over the past five years had gotten waivers from regulators that allowed them to keep doing business despite fire safety deficiencies.

Not only is there a fire safety problem in our nursing homes, but inspectors let them off the hook when a violation is found. Until our state governments and inspectors get tough, we will continue to have fatality fires at nursing homes.

We have a nursing home here in Miller and we have actually discussed how we would deal with a fire there. After reading these articles though, I don't think we have done enough to prepare ourselves.

Is your department ready for a fire at the nursing home in your jurisdiction?

Driver Hits Fire Station and Truck

This from the Rapid City Journal:

About 9:20 p.m., Viereck, driving a 1988 Ford Bronco II, turned off First Street into the alley and was traveling east when he accelerated rapidly. His vehicle crashed through a fence, struck two parked vehicles and hit a trash container, according to the news release. The vehicle then crashed through a garage door leading to the truck bay at the fire station and hit a fire truck.

This guy must have really had the pedal down to hit all of that other stuff and still come through the garage door of the fire station and hit a truck!

By the way, if you read the rest of the article, it mentions Sgt. Brad Booth of the Rapid City Police Department. He was the state trooper based in Custer, SD, when I lived there. We served together on the Custer Fire Department. I haven't seen him for 12 years so it was cool to see his name in the article.

Departments Will Share Chief

Here is an interesting cost-saving idea - have one fire chief for two departments (via the Muskegon Chronicle).

In what might eventually lead to the merger of two fire departments, Muskegon Township's fire chief will simultaneously hold that position in Egelston Township starting next week.

Egelston Township Fire Chief Jim Elenbaas submitted his resignation last week to take a new position as an inspector in the state's Office of Fire Safety in Marquette. His last day on the job is Sunday, and he will be replaced at least temporarily by Muskegon Township Fire Chief Dave Glotzbach, beginning Monday.

...

Glotzbach said the contract gives the neighboring townships a chance to experiment with sharing a fire chief and consider whether a merger of the two departments makes sense. There is pressure on local communities to cut costs by sharing services as state funding for local government dwindles, Glotzbach said.

This is a good idea and should save both townships some money. Neither of the departments are large and they probably have worked together on large fires in the past.

San Francisco Ponders Hydrant Retrofit

San Francisco is checking into the idea of retrofiting their hydrants with adapters (from the San Francisco Chronicle). I posted on this a few days ago - check here for the original post.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is skeptical that the city's hydrants can be retrofitted to conform to hoses used by firefighters outside the city for as little as $800,000, but has asked the Fire Department to do a cost analysis on the idea, a spokesman said Monday.

At the same time, however, Newsom spokesman Peter Ragone said the mayor would take the "expert advice and analysis" of Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White and other fire officials when it comes to planning for a catastrophic fire that could require outside aid. The cost research, he said, is just to test the "veracity" of a bid garnered by The Chronicle.

Hayes-White has already rejected the idea of retrofitting 8,000 fire hydrants in San Francisco in favor of recommending that any out-of-town firefighters who had to respond to a major blaze pick up adapters for their hoses on their way into the city.

Well, at least they are looking into the idea. When a catastrophe hits the city, they may not have the time or resources to hand out adapters are out-of-city units respond.

Phoenix USAR Team Suspended

From azcentral.com (via FireFightingNews.com):

The Phoenix Fire Department's Urban Search and Rescue team has been suspended from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for deploying armed police officers to protect firefighters in violation of the agency's rules.

As a result, Phoenix officials now are threatening to refuse some of the most dangerous deployments in the future or possibly even pull out of the federal agency altogether, unless the rules are changed to allow teams to bring their own security, even if that means police with guns.

I know very little about USAR teams so its a little difficult to comment on this. From my perspective, FEMA either needs to allow USAR teams to bring their own police protection personnel, or provide the personnel to the teams. They can't expect the USAR teams to deploy with no protection.

I'm sure this will take some time to sort out and I'll try to stay on top of new developments and post them.

Would-be Chaplain Resigns

This happened over the weekend and I didn't get a chance to post on it, but here we go.

An imam was scheduled to become a chaplain for the FDNY, but he made some disturbing comments and eventually resigned. From Fox News:

The imam, Intikab Habib, had suggested a broader conspiracy may have brought down the World Trade Center, put a hole in the Pentagon and left about 3,000 people dead.

Here is what he said:

"I've heard professionals say that nowhere ever in history did a steel building come down with fire alone," he told Newsday. "It takes two or three weeks to demolish a building like that. But it was pulled down in a couple of hours. Was it 19 hijackers who brought it down, or was it a conspiracy?"

He did say that the attack was a "tragic incident" and that he sympathizes with the families who lost loved ones.

"Whoever did it, it was a very wrong thing. It's always wrong to take an innocent human life," he said.

Sheesh!

Forest Service Challenges

If you want to do a little reading, the Denver Post has a story regarding the challenges the U.S. Forest Service is facing.

Born of conflict, saddled with an impossible task of balancing demands, and apparently fated to an existence of controversy, the U.S. Forest Service celebrated its 100th year this summer while sizing up its toughest challenges ever.

Lengthy article, but good reading.

First Responders Relief Fund

Here is a new foundation called First Responders Foundation dedicated to helping the gulf coast firefighters that were affected by the hurricanes. They have set up a fund called the First Responders Relief Fund.

Here is what they are about:

The first responders in the gulf states need our help. Most, 80% in New Orleans and 50% in Biloxi alone, lost their homes - their families have been separated, forced to evacuate from everything they owned and loved. Still, our firefighters, nurses, EMTs, and the preponderance of law enforcement officers stayed at their stations. They held what ground they could, and helped as many as possible through those terrible days and the aftermath. Now, the Committee below (in formation) has come together to ask your help in relieving these great Americans whose courage and commitment is inspirational:

Here is how to help:

Join our "Put Help in the Helmet" Crusade on the last two days in September and the first two days in October (or any date that might be convenient for you). We are asking every fire department and police department, ambulance service and hospital, to permit their members to go to the shopping malls, churches, and traffic lights in America to pass the helmet or hat for our first responders who have suffered material loss in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. We are asking you to come together in effort to relieve our firefighters, law enforcement officers, nurses, and EMTs - those who have suffered significant material loss, and who have been qualified as "in need" through the listing program of FEMA and their home base departments, services, and hospitals.

I can't say it any better than they did. Let's help those in need. If nothing else, spread the word.

USFA Opens Call Center

The USFA has opened a call center:

EMMITSBURG, MD - The United States Fire Administration, at the request of a number of fire service organizations and disaster relief efforts, announces the opening of a national call center to assist fire organizations seeking to help fire departments, firefighters and their families affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The call center has been created to accept calls from departments with equipment to be donated to departments that have lost theirs. The call center will also be taking calls from fire departments needing equipment in the disaster areas, as well as firefighters seeking assistance with their family needs.

...

The USFA call center number is 1-800-250-9036 and the email address is fireaid@dhs.gov. Starting Saturday, September 24, 2005, the center will be open from 7am to 7pm (EDT), seven days a week until further notice.

One of the best ways to help the people of the gulf coast is to help the firefighters. Once the firefighters are back on their feet, they will be much more effective in helping others in that area.

Firefighter Related Blogs

Check out this post from the Roanoke Firefighters blog. It has lots of links to other blogs that are related to firefighters.

More Info on Female Firefighter Ban

This story from the St. Petersburg Times sheds a little more light on the ban that was implemented and then lifted that kept female firefighters out of structure fires. Previous posts here and here.

The women who said they were threatened are now unwilling to cooperate in an investigation into the allegations, city officials said Wednesday. In a release, city officials said the investigation will continue but they found no evidence of an immediate threat. Geer lifted his order, returning the women to full duty.

Union leaders questioned the allegations and the timing of Geer's order, saying it overshadowed a Tuesday union vote indicating no confidence in Geer. A majority of union members said Geer is unable to head the 215-person department, the union reported.

...

Geer has ruffled feathers in the department since he took over 13 months ago.

He overhauled the department's administration, reclassified medic positions and is reshaping the department's command structure. In a recent report card to city leaders, he gave his department a "D" for fire suppression and a "C" for special operations.

"I still have the complete support of the city and the city manager and elected officials," Geer told the Times late Tuesday, after the results of the union vote were announced.

Hmmm. Looks like some serious friction between the chief and the firefighters at this department.

Female Firefighters Back into Structure Fires

From ABC Action News (via FirefightingNews.com), the chief of the department that prohibited female firefighters from structure fires has rescinded his order. Imagine that. Here is my original post on this.

Wednesday, he announced that the threat no longer remains. However, he would not say why, adding that an internal investigation continues.

This chief keeps digging himself into a hole. This looks like he is trying to hide something. In his defense though, he may not be able to give many details because of city policies.

Females Barred From Structure Fires

This isn't good (from theledger.com via FirefightingNews.com).

CLEARWATER -- Female firefighters no longer will be allowed to enter burning buildings amid threats that their male colleagues won't protect them, the Clearwater fire chief said Monday.

Fire Chief Jamie Geer said the threats were made because some of the city's nine female firefighters had discussed leaving the city's fire union. The women were displeased with the union local's leadership, the chief said.

News of the discussion made it to other union members, who relayed messages to the women that if they resigned their membership, they may not make it out of their next structure fire, said City Manager Bill Horne. Geer said he does not think the threats were based on gender. The seriousness or extent of the threats is unknown, and an internal investigation is under way. In the meantime, Geer has ordered all nine women in the 179-person department away from structure fires for the time being.

There must be a lot of information that isn't being released because this really seems wacky. I can't imagine a firefighter allowing another firefighter's safety to be compromised. If they did, it would be because of some serious problems between those individual firefighters.

If there was a problem between firefighters, why not transfer the threatened firefighter instead of barring all of the females from structure fires?

This just doesn't make sense.

Burning Toilet Paper Lands Camper in the Poo

Hah! When I read that headline, I cracked up. It's from a story on an Australian news website called The Age.

WHEN the call of nature caught Tanya Lange on bush camping trips, she used to bury the evidence in the ground.

But this summer, Lange decided to burn the soiled toilet paper instead. The smouldering heap soon became a bushfire that blazed for two days.

The simple mistake burnt 100 hectares of state forest and a $14,400 hole in Lange's pocket.

The reporter that wrote the headline and story has a great sense of humor.

Shirts Off Our Backs

This is a cool idea. Read it. Do it if you can.

If you and/or your fire department can spare some new (unused) FD T-shirts of varied sizes, please join in on the firefighters 'THE SHIRTS OFF OUR BACKS' plan to provide as many fire department T-shirts from the USA, Canada and from all over the world so they can see some immediate relief ... and KNOW how much FIREFIGHTERS take care of FIREFIGHTERS.

Fire Service Approves of Paulison

Here is an interesting article from Firehouse.com about the appointment of R. David Paulison as acting director of FEMA.

The appointment of R. David Paulison as the new head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) put smiles on the faces of Fire Service Industry leaders across the country.

The roller coaster ride taken this last week by former FEMA head Mike Brown sent the White House scrambling to put a new top on a department that was widely criticized for failing in hurricane Katrina’s preparedness. Brown’s resignation Monday and Paulison’s appointment soon after was widely viewed in the industry as something that should have happened much earlier, a fire service presence at top levels.

As I said before, this bodes well for the fire service.

Runaway Fire Truck

Oops - here is the firefighter version of the Keystone Cops (from the Daily Herald in Everett, WA):

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE - There are runaway brides, runaway trains and runaway juries.

Firefighters and neighbors near Mountlake Terrace's Station 18 saw the domino effect of a runaway firetruck Tuesday evening, Fire District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes said.

Just before 6 p.m., an unmanned firetruck rolled out of the station's bay, across 228th Street SW and into the driveway of the house across the street.

The firetruck hit a minivan parked in the driveway and pushed the van forward into the home's garage.

When the van plowed into the garage, it bumped a car parked there, and the car crashed into the garage's back wall.

I'm glad nobody was hurt and I feel for the homeowner, but this made me laugh.

Paulison Replaces FEMA Director

R. David Paulison will be the new director of FEMA assuming the appointment and confirmation process goes well. Paulison most recently headed the USFA. He is a former firefighter and chief. Having someone with tons of fire experience as the head of FEMA will certainly be good for the fire departments across the country.

Here is the article from Firehouse.com.

Here is Paulison's bio from FEMA.

Irish Firefighters Remember 9/11

This is a simple and short story from Ireland Online, but it hits pretty hard if you take a moment and think about it:

Firefighters exhausted from dealing with loyalist rioting in Belfast today stood in silent tribute to 9/11 terrorist attack victims in New York.

On the fourth anniversary of the devastating strike on New York’s twin towers, crews were flat out dealing with burning vehicles hijacked across the city.

...

Mr Thompson added that his crew decided their own memorial to the 9/11 attack should take place amid the debris they had just dealt with.

“We’re standing with a backdrop of cars strewn across the road and a burnt out lorry,” he said.

“We just thought it would be appropriate to do this at the fire ground, especially for all the firefighters that lost their lives four years ago.”

This really shows that we were all deeply affected by the events of 9/11 regardless of what country we live in. It also shows how strong the ties are within the firefighting community.

Big Range Fires in 2005

Forest fire acreage was down while range fire acreage was WAY up according to this story in the LA Times.

BOISE, Idaho -- Wildfire experts have come across a seeming contradiction this summer: While the number of acres charred across the West is almost double the 10-year average, the blazes haven't been as big or devastating as those in past years.

Experts say that's due to the unusual moisture patterns in the region earlier this year, which favored big grass fires on the open range. Timber in the mountains got more moisture than usual well into the summer, keeping forest fires small.

...

With the 2005 wildfire season two-thirds over, the number of fires is down -- about 46,000 compared to the 10-year average of 63,000 -- and the number of firefighters suppressing the blazes has been lower than in recent years. Yet the total acreage burned is nearly double the 4 million acres that burned on average through late August over the past decade.

This article has lots of interesting data. It correlates to what I've seen around South Dakota this year. There was only one sizable fire in the Black Hills and quite a few good sized grass fires in the rest of the state.

American LaFrance to be Sold

From an article in Today's Trucking, it looks like Freightliner will sell off its American LaFrance business unit.

PORTLAND, Ore. (Sept. 7, 2005) -- Freightliner LLC will divest its American LaFrance fire and emergency services manufacturing business unit. The company is currently in discussion with a number of parties who have expressed an interest in acquiring the assets of ALF. Several organizations have emerged as likely investors, Freightliner says, adding that further details will be released as the company reaches a final deal.

A total of 528 direct and salaried jobs will be affected.

Based in Ladson, S.C., American LaFrance was acquired by the Freightliner organization in 1995 as part of a corporate expansion. Freightliner, a DaimlerChrysler subsidiary, controls Freightliner Trucks, Sterling, and Western Star commercial vehicle units.

ALF is the fifth largest fire and emergency services vehicle producer in the US, with a heritage dating back 173 years. It makes chassis, aerials, ambulances, pumpers, rescues and tankers.

This is a company with a rich history of producing fire apparatus. It will be interesting to see who buys it. I'll keep an eye out on this one and post updates.

Yates/Car and Driver Update

Watch this short video from WUSA 9 News on the Yates/Car and Driver issue I posted about earlier.

I still haven't received a reply to my emails to Yates and Car and Driver Magazine.

MDA Fill the Boot Campaign

Check out the IAFF website on the Fill the Boot Campaign which will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). There are lots of interesting articles about firefighters raising money for the MDA.

What Motivates an Arsonist?

Here is an interesting story from the BBC regarding the motivations of arsonists.

Mr Huff lists six potential motives for arsonists: revenge, excitement, profit, vandalism, extremism, and to cover another crime.

"Excitement is one of the big ones for wildfires," he tells the BBC News website.

Apparently, arsonists don't fully consider the consequences.

The deadly risk of starting a fire may seem obvious to some, but Mr Huff says the arsonist often does not intend to endanger life.

Elderly homeowners, local volunteers, and many firefighters have perished this year in Spain and Portugal.

"That's the rub," says Mr Huff. "When the arsonist strikes the match, he doesn't really know the ultimate consequences."

I don't really know much about arson or arsonists, but some prison time seems in order for those that start a fire that endangers or kills people.

FDNY and NYPD Bicker

Read this article from Firehouse.com about a turf battle between the FDNY and NYPD.

Is the bickering really worth it? The incident involved a mail box. Sheesh!

No Response from Yates or Car and Driver

Regarding this post, I haven't heard a thing from Brock Yates or Car and Driver magazine. Neither of them have responded to my e-mails. Stay tuned.

Effects of Fire Suppression on Long Island

In the West, there has been a lot of discussion about what the effects of fire suppression are on the environment. Typically, the fuel load gets higher and higher because wildland fires are not allowed to clean out dead material.

This effect has been documented in the pine barrens of Long Island (from Newsday.com).

Even in portions of the pine barrens where conditions are less extreme, fire still plays a role by weeding out less hardy types of plants and clearing out underbrush. But decades of fire suppression leading up to the 1995 fire hampered this natural process, allowing other flora such as tree oaks to move in alongside the previously dominant pitch pines and scrub oak. The trees grew tall and formed canopies that shaded out the ground below. This diminished the area of true pine barrens, which are characterized by a mix of widely spaced pitch pines and scrubland with openings that let light pour in.

UPDATE: The fire mentioned in this post is the Sunrise Fire. It is the 10th anniversary of this fire. Here is another article about the fire itself (from Newsday.com).

Author Claims Departments Won't Respond

Via a story from Firehouse.com, I learned that author Brock Yates has made an interesting statement in one of his articles. Brock writes for Car and Driver magazine. In the September 2005 issue regarding hybrid cars, Brock states the following:

And speaking of the environmental component (the glamour issue centered on the brave new world of hybrids), a number of EMT and fire crews have announced that they will refuse to rescue victims trapped in such vehicles, openly fearing electrocution or fatal acid burns.

It is difficult for me to think that emergency crews would refuse to rescue trapped victims. If there are departments that would refuse to respond, what departments are they? This from the Firehouse.com article:

Neither Car and Driver Magazine nor Brock Yates responded to Firehouse.com's request to identify which fire departments made these alleged announcements, and fire service leaders questioned the veracity of the statement.

In today's internet world, if you make a statement, you better be prepared to back it up. So far Yates hasn't responded, but I just found this story this morning so he may be formulating his response.

I'll be sending an e-mail to Yates and to Car and Driver myself. I'll post about their responses. Stay tuned.

I want to point out that the article was focused almost solely on the viability of hybrid cars. There were no other references to emergency crews in the article.

Another Stolen Truck

Here is a story about a truck that was stolen from a fire department in Hickory, NC (via WSOCTV.com).

Police said a Hickory rescue squad support truck was stolen and the thief led officers on a chase eight miles through the city.

The chase ended in the east end of Hickory on along some railroad tracks. Emergency crews had to remove all of the equipment before a crane could move the truck off the side of the tracks.

According to police, Omar Rueda-Rodarte came up to the rescue squad base appearing sick. Police said, once inside the building, Rodarte he got into the truck and drove through the garage door.

This follows on the heels of a stolen fire department vehicle in San Francisco.

These are some very expensive joy rides.

How to Name a Wildfire

Did you ever wonder how wildfires get their names? Here is an article that explains it all (from Firehouse.com).

Firefighters Build a Swing Set

This is a great article about some firefighters making a difference is someone's life outside of their regular firefighting duties.

You don't want to skip this one.

UFA Drops Support of WTC Memorial Foundation

The Uniformed Firefighters Association has dropped its support of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. The foundation is in charge of the development of the memorial at the World Trade Center site. This from Newsday.com:

Steve Cassidy, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, said in a statement that his "membership and our 9/11 families believe that the memorial design will take away from the memory and sacrifice of the firefighters who bravely gave their lives during the most horrific terrorist attacks our country has had to face."

The union stated its intentions in a July 26 letter to the foundation but announced its withdrawal publicly on Tuesday.

The Freedom Center and the Drawing Center are parts of cultural space long planned at the World Trade Center site. But in recent months family members have waged a campaign to remove the two institutions from the site, saying they could include anti-American exhibits and draw attention from a planned memorial museum.

I may be a bit naive, but it shouldn't be this hard to create a memorial. I guess there always has to be someone throwing a wrench in the works. I'm not sure who has thrown it this time.

Indonesian Departments Lack Equipment

Here is an interesting report from the China Post on forest fires in Indonesia.

Indonesia local fire departments, lacking sufficient fire trucks and other firefighting equipment, have been battling forest fires with buckets of water and garden hoses. So far, they have refused offers by other Asian nations to help douse the blazes.

Geez! I thought some of the departments around here were a little short of equipment, but not nearly as short as the departments fighting these fires in Indonesia.

French Air Tankers Return to Firefighting

From the Santa Fe New Mexican, an article about the return of French air tankers to firefighting.

PARIS - They're the daredevils of Europe's skies: pilots who swoop through blinding smoke, soaring flames and bone-jarring turbulence to drop water onto summer wildfires that rip through parched forests.

On Thursday, the pilots of France's fleet of Canadair water-dumping planes will return to the skies after a 10-day grounding at the height of fire season _ restoring firefighters with one of their most powerful weapons.

The planes were grounded Aug. 1 when two Canadair CL 415 pilots plunged to their deaths on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. Though the cause of the crash is still not clear, safety experts have checked all 10 remaining planes in the fleet and pronounced them fit to fly, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

It looks like the U.S. isn't the only country that has to deal with air tanker problems.

When Fire Strikes

Here is an excellent article from MarketWatch on what a homeowner can do to protect their home from wildfire:

On Oct. 26, 2003, my parents and I watched a local news reporter comment on tragedy, destruction and shock from Scripps Ranch, a residential community in San Diego. The street she stood on was being ravaged by wildfires from end to end, as firefighters frantically aimed hoses in every direction. The reporter then called our attention to one house, zooming in on the address and confirming our worst fears.

Our home.

My parents and I had been evacuated to a nearby hotel earlier in the day. There we sat in numb disbelief as we saw our burning walls and roof folding on top of each other, and could just make out my mom's grand piano -- a present from my dad and me -- burning and collapsing into a pile of rubble in the front window.

You'll want to read the whole article.

Rural Firefighting Institute

I ran across the website for the Rural Firefighting Institute. I didn't know there was such a thing. Here is what they are about:

The demands and expectations placed on the already overburdened members of North America’s small, rural, and remote fire departments increases with each passing day. We have done so much with so little for so long that more and more is expected of us.

To this end a group of concerned long-time members of the rural fire community proudly announce the creation of the Rural Firefighting Institute (RFI), a not-for-profit institute dedicated to the improvement and advancement of fire prevention and control for small, rural and remote fire departments.

Check out their website.

Jayhawks Staff Fire Station in Iraq

I haven't heard much about the firefighting efforts in Iraq, so when I ran across this article from the Topeka Capital-Journal, I thought I would post it. It has a Kansas University slant to it, but as long as you aren't a big Husker fan, it shouldn't bother you too much.

Peavler said he and the rest of the team train Iraqis in medical, rescue and firefighting techniques. A translator lives with the team at the fire station.

Antony Standifer, a Topeka native and an Air National Guard member, is part of that team. Standifer, who works for the Topeka Fire Department, said the firefighters' job is "to save lives and then property" no matter what twists and turns the war may bring -- or how miserable the weather.

"It's very hot and dirty and sometimes you feel like your skin is going to start cooking in the sun," he said in an e-mail to The Topeka Capital-Journal. "The wind, when it blows, feels like 1,000 hair dryers blowing in your face at once and you can't get away from it."

That is the best description of Iraq weather that I've ever heard.

I salute our firefighters serving in Iraq - stay safe!

Tent for a Fire Hall

If you think that your fire hall has problems, check out this article from the San Luis Obispo Tribune about the Morro Bay Fire Department. Their fire hall is a tent!

The temporary circus-like tents housing Morro Bay's fire engines won't come down until next spring at the earliest, even as the city has completed the planning process for a new permanent garage.

Morro Bay's fire station was damaged in the Dec. 22, 2003, San Simeon Earthquake. So fire Chief Mike Pond is looking forward to the permanent vehicle bay -- the department's fire trucks will have been in tents for two years by the time it's built.

The tents have been problematic for the station, which is one of the busiest in the county -- rivaled only by Arroyo Grande.

They're subject to blowing off and ripping, power failures, lead to rust on the equipment and are a farther way for firefighters to run to while responding to an emergency.

I've seen some interesting fire halls - old barns, shacks, someone's personal garage, but this one is new to me. I hope the Morro Bay firefighters have a speedy transition to better facilities.

Emergency Dispatchers

Firehouse.com has a great article on emergency dispatchers in Laramie, WY.

Firefighter Command Raging Inferno

I saw an ad on the internet for this game. Does anyone know something about it? Is it good or is it lame?

Cool Truck

Check out this cool truck at Project Responders (via Firefighter Blog).

50 Year Volunteer

Here is a great story about a man that has spent his life volunteering in the fire service.

After more than 50 years of dedicated service with the Lexington division of fire, it does not appear that Donnie Ridley plans to retire any time soon.

Retirement is something Ridley's sister, Myrna Burke, says she has discussed with her 66-year-old brother, but it's not an option that interests him.

"I've tried to get him to retire, but he won't," Burke said, chuckling. "I think it's wonderful that he's had the longevity to stay here."

Yesterday, Ridley was promoted to deputy chief, making his time with the department even sweeter.

Ridley, who is mentally disabled, has been an adopted brother of the fire department since he lived around the corner from Station No. 5 as a teenager in the 1950s.

Read the whole article. The firefighters in Lexington, KY have proven that they are the best.

World Firefighters Games

After a little surfing, I found another international firefighter sports competition – the World Firefighters Games. This one is similar to the World Police and Fire Games, except that it is only for firefighters and their spouses and it is held on even numbered years.

The next competition for the World Firefighters Games is slated for Hong Kong, China in 2006.

World Police and Fire Games 2005

I'm a little late on this, but I ran across the website for the World Police and Fire Games today. The games for 2005 finished on July 5. So what exactly is this event? This from the official website:

Every other year since 1985, the World Police & Fire Games Federation has been staging a one-of-a-kind event.

This international rendez-vous highlights the cultural uniqueness of the host country and the ethnic diversity of participating athletes. Representatives from four professions related to public safety take part in the Games with a single goal—surpassing themselves in the spirit of sport!

The World Police & Fire Games (WPFG), now the second largest international sporting event after the famed Summer Olympics, attracts more and more athletes each time they are held. With their wide variety of disciplines, the WPFG offer an unrivalled display of amateur athletic performance.

The symbolic torch of these Games burns even brighter thanks to the warm and friendly spirit of camaraderie that prevails!

There are 62 sports including events you would find at the Olympics such as track and field, boxing and soccer. Other sports that aren't traditionally found at the Olympics include angling, golf, tug-of-war, and ultimate firefighter.

The next games are scheduled for Adelaide, Australia in 2007. Better start training now!