Farmer's donkey

  One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey....
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
Free your heart from hatred - Forgive..
Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
Live simply and appreciate what you have.
Give more.
Expect less
NOW ............

Enough of that crap . . . . The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him... The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.

MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:  When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you. You have two choices...smile and close this page, or pass this along to someone else to spread the fun.

NIOSH Release report on Colorado Fire and Explosion

Full report here or here. 

On February 22, 2008, a deputy chief and eight fire fighters were injured during an explosion at a restaurant fire in Colorado. At 1340 hours, dispatch reported visible smoke and flames through the roof of a commercial structure. At 1344 hours, police arrived and began evacuating the restaurant and the adjoining retail store. The restaurant was part of a block-long row of adjoining structures. Over the next 25 minutes, 3 engines, 2 ladder trucks, and 24 fire department members arrived on scene including the injured fire fighters.

A crew entered the restaurant with moderate smoke showing toward the rear and no flames visible. The crew backed out and entered the retail store (an adjacent building attached to the restaurant) to check for fire in the ceiling but found only light smoke visible. Another crew attempted to ventilate the retail store with a chainsaw, and when the roof was noticed to be spongy, they moved to the roof of the next building, two buildings down from the restaurant. Interior crews operating in all three buildings had backed out. A crew closed the front doors of the restaurant fearing the oxygen would feed the increasingly greenish-black smoke pushing out of the roof of the restaurant. Fireground personnel noticed the front windows of the restaurant and adjoining retail store were vibrating as flames from the roof of the restaurant intensified. At 1427 hours, the restaurant and two adjoining buildings exploded sending glass, bricks, and wood debris into the street. The crew on the roof located two buildings down from the restaurant, felt the front portion of the flat roof heave up about five feet, sending a fire officer to the ground below and temporarily trapping four other fire fighters; all incurred injuries. In addition, four fire fighters, positioned on the ground within 6 feet of the store fronts, were injured by flying debris.

Three homes, three alarms in Rochester, New York. Pictures, video and fire ground audio.

Democrat and Chronicle photo by Steve Pfost. See more pictures.

Excerpts from Democrat and Chronicle article by Nicole Lee and Gary McLendon:
An official cause has not been given, but a fire Friday afternoon that damaged three 2½-story homes on Seward Street and took more than an hour to extinguish is being considered suspicious, Rochester Fire Department officials said.
About 50 firefighters battled the three-alarm fire that destroyed two homes at 18 and 22 Seward St. and damaged a third residence at 24 Seward St. A car in a driveway between 18 and 22 Seward St. was destroyed.
No occupants were injured and 24 Seward St. appeared vacant. One firefighter who may have suffered minor injuries was sent to the hospital.
"I've got no witnesses, so that automatically makes it suspicious," Salvatore Mitrano, executive deputy fire chief, said of the fire. "Something is not normal here."

Before and after: The same view of Seward Street, except without the smoke and fire trucks. Click the image to tour the neighborhood from Google Maps Street View.

Scott Ellman alerted us to this fire and Monroe County Fire Wire's coverage. As usual, Scott has it all covered with still pictures, video and fireground audio.

Two more clips from Tim Karnisky are here and here.

X-ray shows Chen Liu's nail gun death

Sick

A shocking X-ray shows how a man died with up to 30 nails fired into his skull by a high-powered nail gun.
Sydney, Australia, homicide squad detectives have released the graphic image as they make a fresh appeal for information about Chen Liu's murder.
The decomposed body of the 27-year-old, also known as Anthony Liu, was found dumped in the Georges River last November, wrapped in a domestic rug.
He was bound with electrical wires and an extension cord and the carpet was neatly folded with each end tucked in and then bound with three strips of wire.
Officers with Strike Force Renfree, formed to investigate the murder, have revealed they believe he was shot dead elsewhere and driven to the river in his own blue 2005 Range Rover Sport 4WD.
Detective Inspector Mark Newham said yesterday that post-mortem examination results had showed Liu was shot repeatedly in the head up to 30 times with a high-powered nail gun.
"Similar types of nail guns can fire nails up to 85 millimeters = 3.35 inches," Insp Newham said.
Detectives said the nail gun used in the murder was a standard cordless, framing, gas-charged gun, widely available for sale.
.

New Haven FF dies

New Haven firefighter died Tuesday of injuries sustained in a fall earlier this month.

Patrick Reardon, a 14-year veteran of the department, suffered a severe head injury in a fall at the Dixwell fire station, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

Reardon, 42, was taken to the Hospital of Saint Raphael where he died Tuesday afternoon.

Funeral Information:

Calling hours are scheduled for 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Monahan Co, Smith & Crimmins Funeral Home, 11 Wooster Place, New Haven.

A Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Lawrence Church, 207 Main St., West Haven. Burial will be at All Saints Cemetery.

Notice of Firefighter Fatality: New Haven, CT

from USFA Firefighter Fatalities

Patrick Reardon of the New Haven Fire Department in New Haven, CT has died as the result of an on-duty incident that occurred on 2009-04-11 00:00:00.0.

Sightings, photo give evidence of cougar in Wis.

CALEDONIA, Wis. -- Anna Lashley can't forget her surprise when she looked out her kitchen window three years ago and spotted a big cat.

Cougar in Northeast MN, about 47 miles from the WI border Courtesy: Wisconsin D.N.R.

"I looked up and there's this lion in the back yard, and I thought it must have gotten away from the zoo," she said. "I called the zoo, and they said they hadn't lost one."

She's convinced the animal that quickly departed was a cougar, also known as a mountain lion. The animals were wiped out in most of the eastern U.S. a century ago but have recently shown up again, migrating from the Black Hills of South Dakota into places like Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Deer commonly graze on Lashley's rural property just south of Milwaukee. During the past three years, she said she's seen cougars from her window several times. Her 47-year-old son, Joel Lashley, said he was there for the most recent sighting on March 28.

"It was a big one," he said, estimating the cat was bigger than a German shepherd, with a tail about half as long as its body.

"It turned to the side and then just leaped right through there," he said, pointing to the row of pine trees at the edge of the property.

The Lashleys aren't alone in the encounters.

State game managers get scores of reported sightings each year. They try to determine which are false, which are other animals, such as bobcats, and which are cougars.

Only two cougars have been confirmed. One was seen and left clear tracks in the snow in the Milton area of Rock County in January 2008. It was killed that April by police in a Chicago alley, some 100 miles away.

Bear hunters treed the second near Spooner in Barron County in March. It was photographed before an attempt to tranquilize it and attach a tracking collar failed, and the animal ran off.  Full story here

Leather Boots Versus Rubber Boots

Leather Boots Versus Rubber Boots

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is conducting a study of the impact on the body from wearing boots designated for suppression operations. One of the primary concerns is weight.

A rubber boot weighs about three pounds heavier than leather boots. The NFPA has expressed concern that boot weight may contribute to the stress of firefighting. This may lead directly to some of the 80,000 plus injuries occurring each year to firefighters.

Proactive departments have already switched to leather boots because of the comfort and safety factor. Though the price is higher the payoff is in a reduction of on the job injuries leading to workman's compensation claims.

Civilian administrators reading this article may wish to ask their respective fire chief if a switch has been made, and if not, encourage the purchase of leather boots.

NIOSH Web Site

FATAL AMBULANCE CRASH--NEW YORK AMBULANCE TRANSPORTING A PATIENT STRIKES A MOTORCYCLE...Motorcyle Reported To Have The Green Light

from www.firefighterclosecalls.com news

FATAL AMBULANCE CRASH--NEW YORK AMBULANCE TRANSPORTING A PATIENT STRIKES A MOTORCYCLE...Motorcyle Reported To Have The Green Light

 

A motorcyclist and married father of one was killed in Brooklyn last night on his way to work when he smashed into an ambulance rushing to a hospital with a patient, cops and friends said.
The 25-year-old victim, whose name was withheld pending family notification, stopped at a red light ...  [  more  ] 

St. Louis Strip mall fire last week

Early (and later) video of 3-alarm fire in a St. Louis strip mall

Pretty decent video, good one for a what would you do class room environment. I wish I was still teaching T & S classes. All the good (poor) stuff out there for teaching aids in the internet now. Used to be all you had to teach from was from still pictures. With the advent of helmet mounted cams, vehicle cameras its all out there for someone to grab now.

Raw video as fire burns through roof (or here)

Raw helicopter video of the fire (or here)

Watch news story from KSDK-TV (or here)

See series of still pictures -  More images from the fire

The fire was called in around 2:00 PM on Thursday afternoon at a beauty supply store in a strip mall at 4314 North Grand Boulevard in St. Louis. The fire spread to the adjacent Family Dollar store and also damaged a health center.

The YouTube video starts early in the incident when the fire ground operations are getting started and the rest of the material is shot as fire breaks through the roof. Three-alarms were called and the helicopter video shows at least five ladder pipes in operation. Good old surround and drown situation.

Click the image above for the Google Maps Street View of the area.

TOILET NEWS

Toddler stuck in potty is freed
A toddler who got her foot stuck in a potty had to be rescued by a team of firefighters with specialist cutting equipment.
Three-year-old Rebecca Rogers from Chirk, near Wrexham, became stuck in the handle of the potty after playing with her sister.
Using cutting equipment usually required for road crash victims, the crew freed Rebecca after 15 minutes.
Her father Kevin Rogers said: "It was really embarrassing."
He had only bought the potty on Wednesday to start taking his daughter through the early stages of toilet training.
But the following day, as he left Rebecca and her two-year-old sister Daniella with the potty as he washed some dishes, the accident happened.
"I heard this horrible scream but thought the girls were just fighting as usual," he said.
"When the scream carried on I realized something was really wrong so I charged into the living room, only to find that Rebecca had her foot lodged in the handle of the potty. She was hysterical.
I tried my best to release her foot before calling for help, but it was really stuck in there.
I never expected a full fire crew in the truck to arrive, but it did. It was really embarrassing when three firemen came into the house.
"I had to reassure neighbors that there was no fire!"

Fire/EMS Safety Week First of Four Key Areas: Safety - Emergency Driving

 

The IAFC and the IAFF are asking you to Protect Yourself: Your Safety, Health and Survival Are Your Responsibility. We’re calling on all fire/EMS departments and all IAFF affiliates to participate in the 2009 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week scheduled for June 14-20.

The recommended focus of this year’s Safety Week will incorporate four key areas where standard operating procedures, policies and initiatives—along with the training and enforcement that support them—can limit fire and EMS personnel’s risk of injury or death:

• Safety: Emergency Driving (Enough Is Enough—End Senseless Deaths)
• Health: Fire Fighter Heart Disease and Cancer Education and Prevention
• Survival: Structural Size-Up and Situational Awareness
• Chiefs: Be the Leader in Safety

To support your planning, we’ll provide you with information about each of the 2009 key areas. Below is the first area for your consideration. Look for the second key area to be included in the May 1 On Scene.

First of Four Key Areas:
Safety: Emergency Driving
(Enough Is Enough—End Senseless Death)

During Safety Week, we encourage all fire/EMS personnel to demonstrate they are truly dedicated to protecting themselves and the lives and safety of others by adopting an individual safe-driving code.

Start by never driving above posted speeds any time you’re responding to or returning from an alarm or incident. Drive the fire apparatus or your personal vehicle with great respect for your coworkers and the community you serve, allowing for your safe arrival on the scene to provide assistance to others. Response times are important, but not at the expense of losing a life in the process.

It’s been proven time and time again that wearing a seatbelt save lives. Start by saving your own by wearing a seatbelt every time you ride in any type of vehicle! No exceptions! 

Driving through an intersection in front of oncoming traffic is one of the most dangerous things we do, putting all of the crew at high risk. You should always stop and ensure every other vehicle at the intersection sees your vehicle and allows you to drive through. Never assume they’ll stop for you. Look the other driver in the eye and make sure they are stopped to allow you to proceed. 

Keep watching the Safety Week website for more information on this year’s program and planning resources developed by the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section.

A Different Kind of Brush Truck

 

AN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, LADDER TRUCK WAS ON THE STREETS Monday during a violent storm spate when they came across a large tree that had fallen across the roadway.  While they were out cutting the downed tree to clear the path, a gust of wind came along and toppled still another one that fell across the ladder...READ STORY and SEE MORE PICTURES

GM Recalls 1.5 Million Vehicles For Car Fire Dangers

Monday, 13 April 2009 

Related Article:

WASHINGTON – General Motors Corp. is recalling 1.5 million vehicles because of potential engine fires.

GM says there have been no reports of any fires or injuries.

Some of the recalled vehicles are no longer in production. The recall includes the 1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue, the 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix, 1997-2003 Buick Regal, and the 1998-2003 Chevrolet Lumina, Monte Carlo and Impala.

It involves vehicles with a 3.8-liter V6 engine. The government says drops of oil could fall into the exhaust system and cause a fire in the engine.

GM spokesman Kerry Christopher says it was a precautionary measure for consumers

NJ Easter Garage Fire With Propane Tank Explosion

Monday, 13 April 2009

Hellskitchen2134 on YOUTUBE puts up a great video that reminds us of the dangers of garage fires and fires in general. Keep in mind in garage fires there may be flammable liquids, gases, or materials stored inside.

Text from hellskitchen:
At about 1320 on Sunday April 12 2009 the Bergenfield Fire Department was dispatched to 73 River Edge Road for a garage fire. Upon the arrivial of DC1, fire was showing from the garage area of the house. As first arriving companies entered the block, a propane tank exploded sending a chunk of the tank skipping across the street and hitting a house. Members made a quick stop of the fire preventing it from spreading to the attached house. A New Milford FAST Team along with engines from Hackensack and Teaneck responded to the scene while an engine from Dumont and an Englewood ladder covered the town. Companies were off the scene by 1530. Video by Alex Kneisler

Three Firefighters Injured After Floor Collapse

From North Braddock News

 

Firefighters operating at a house fire were injured over the weekend. The firefighters, two from North Braddock and one from Braddock, were hurt when the kitchen floor collapsed and fell into the basement.

The firefighters were transported, treated and released.

Searching or operating on the floor above a basement has claimed lives over the past 100 years. The dangers faced by firefighters is the weakening of structural members supporting the floor above. Firefighters performing a search or working to achieve a knock down may be operating on borrowed time.

The National Fire Fighter Near Miss Reporting System has discussed basement fires. One such report can be read here.

This still seems to be a high learning curve for this type of incident. Isn’t it time that all fire fighter should know about this type of incident?

Application Period to Open: Fiscal Year 2009 Assistance to Firefighter Grants

USFA Press Office: (301) 447-1853

The Department of Homeland Security has posted the FY2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program Guidance on the AFG Website. The application period is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Applications for these grants must be received by Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Nationally, the AFG awards, which will be distributed in phases, will ultimately provide approximately $510 million to fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations throughout the country. AFG awards aim to enhance response capabilities and to more effectively protect the health and safety of the public with respect to fire and other hazards. The grants enable local fire departments and emergency medical services organizations to purchase or receive training, conduct first responder health and safety programs, and buy equipment and response vehicles.

An applicant tutorial is available through the www.firegrantsupport.com website. The tutorial provides you with valuable grant information and will walk you through the preparation and submittal of competitive applications. In addition, the applicant tutorial will provide an overview of the funding priorities and evaluation criteria. Applicants who have questions regarding the Assistance to Firefighters Grants opportunity should contact the help desk at 1-866-274-0960 or at firegrants@dhs.gov . During the application period, the help desk will operate Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EDT), but is prepared to revise hours of operation based on volume and demand.

The AFG Program is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate in coordination with the U.S. Fire Administration.

For access to the FY09 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program Guidance or FAQs - visit www

Oficer with flashlight makes Rescue from burning car in Clinton Township, Michigan

I thought this story would soon be added to Mag Instruments' Mag Amazing Stories web page. But as one eagle eyed STATter911.com reader notes, despite the officer referring to his Maglite, he was carrying a Streamlight.

The article below by Christy Arboscello of The Detroit Free Press:
A Clinton Township police officer rescued a man trapped inside a burning car today immediately before it was completely engulfed in flames.
At approximately 9:30 a.m., Officer Mark Krutell noticed smoke billowing from outside Tower Automotive on Groesbeck south of Hall Road. Around the same time, a 911 call was placed that a man fainted inside his locked 2002 Ford Escort that was partially on fire in the parking lot. When Krutell arrived, bystanders were trying to break open the window with rocks. The officer ended up smashing the glass with his flashlight, opening the door and dragging the unidentified man to safety. Witnesses also helped bring him away from danger. Seconds later, fire ravaged the car, Capt. Bruce Wade said.
“The man apparently had some type of medical condition and passed out with his foot on the accelerator and the accelerator pushed to the floor…The car overheated and caught on fire,” Wade said.
He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries. Inside the hospital, he shook Krutell’s hand and thanked him for his actions, police said.
Township police officials are recommending that the veteran of 23 years gets honored for his bravery.
“He really did just a marvelous, heroic job,” he said.

USFA Announces 2009 Arson Awareness Week Theme

The U.S. Fire Administration announced the theme for the 2009 Arson Awareness Week: "Arson for Profit." From May 3 to May 9, the USFA and partnering agencies will emphasize statistics about arson for profit in their public-education efforts in the hope of expanding the resources and support necessary to reduce this crime.

The USFA's National Fire Incident Reporting System showed the two leading causes of civilian deaths are arson, at 28%, and smoking, at 18%. Arson is, by far, the leading cause of property loss, at 26%.

The USFA is partnering with the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI).

For more information, including a media kit for the 2009 Arson Awareness Week campaign, go to USFA's Arson Awareness Week page

Two Houston Bravest Lost Battling Easter Morning House Fire

 

FirefighterNation.com News
Two Houston, Texas firefighters died early Easter morning battling a house fire, numerous local media stations reported.
During an aggressive interior attack of the one-story structure during which at least one person was rescued, command determined fire conditions were too intense and backed all crews out. During the post evacuation accountability check, the two firefighters were determined to be missing.
An e-mail from FirefighterCloseCalls.com early Sunday indicated that early information was that the victims were a veteran Captain and a rookie firefighter, but the names and ranks of the vicitms had not been released by the Houston Fire Department as yet.
A mayday was called, KHOU reported, but intense flames kept crews from going back in for search and rescue for up to 10 minutes. The exact timeline of the incident was not immediately available.
KTRK reported that at 4:26am, Houston firefighters formed two lines outside of the home as the bodies of the fallen firefighters were removed from the scene by stretcher. Reports indicate CPR was started when the firefighters were brought out of the home, but they were pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation as firefighters are providing their accounts of the incident to investigatiors.
There have seven line of duty deaths in Houston in the last nine years, according to the Houston Fire Memorial site.

Chicago - Body Found 2 Days After Fire

 

A FIRE VICTIM IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, WAS NOT FOUND until two days after the fire occurred.

The man was found Wednesday in his basement apartment.  Crosby Lipscomb, a retired school janitor who lived there, was found by family members who had come looking for him.  The heaviest location of the fire was in the basement apartment and when the FF’s left the scene there was about 2 ft. of water still standing in the basement.

The Chicago Tribune reports:

Family members said they found Lipscomb’s body on Wednesday after kicking in the door to the home, which had been boarded up after the fire.

“The Fire Department didn’t do their job,” said Haywood Lipscomb, 42, a nephew of the victim who said he was among Wednesday’s private search party. He said he had implored fire officials on Monday to keep looking for Lipscomb when his uncle did not emerge from the smoke.

The whole family asked the Fire Department” to continue the search, Haywood Lipscomb said.  “It appears we missed a recovery,” (a fire department spokesman) said. “It’s a terrible thing for a family member to find someone after a fire.”

Investigators believe that the fire was started by a portable cook stove that was being used.   An autopsy is scheduled for today.

Read the full story in the Tribune HERE.

WFLD-TV has this video report:

Shows of Restraint

 

Motor-vehicle accidents are the second-leading cause of firefighter fatalities in the United States each year. In 2008 alone, vehicle crashes resulted in 29 firefighter deaths.

While there aren’t any fire service–specific statistics on seatbelt use, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that seatbelts reduce a person's chances of dying in a crash by 45% and being injured by 50%. Seatbelts also prevent ejections from vehicles during a crash, an important factor in preventing fatalities, since 75% of car occupants ejected during crashes are killed, according to NHTSA. Several independent studies have shown that seatbelts also reduce the severity of injury. The odds of serious injury for people not wearing seatbelts are four to five times greater than for people who are belted.

Here, Steve Eickenroht of LifeGuard Technologies, a division of IMMI, discusses what measures manufacturers are taking to keep firefighters safe while inside their vehicles.

Why do firefighters not wear their seatbelts? We talk to a lot of firefighters; we talk to a lot of the chiefs; and I think the biggest reason is the time factor. Many firefighters feel they don’t have the time to get their seatbelts on. They’re responding to an emergency, so they’re trying to get themselves prepared for the call. There’s a lot in the cab with them. They’re messing with their gloves; they have their coats; they have their SCBA packs. So there are a lot of distractions keeping them from putting on their belts. Our goal is to make the seatbelts easy to use, so they can put on their belts and arrive safely to the scene.

What does test data on seatbelt use and injuries show?
Industry statistics from NHTSA say that drivers who wear their seatbelts are nearly twice as likely to survive an accident.

At IMMI, testing is a critical part of the development process for all of LifeGuard products. We have a crash test facility on our campus, called CAPE (the Center for Advanced Product Evaluation), where we do barrier testing, dynamic sled testing and rollover testing for fire apparatus. The video footage we collect during these tests shows us what happens to firefighters who aren’t belted in rollovers and frontal impacts.

In a frontal collision at 30 mph, an unbelted person is launched forward at 30 mph and hits the windshield at that same speed. This impact is equivalent to a person falling to the ground from the top of a 3-story building.

Another danger unbelted occupants face is ejection. In a rollover, unbelted occupants fly across the cab, sometimes into other passengers, and a passenger who is ejected is four times as likely to be fatally injured.

What we’ve done and what we’re continuing to study is how people are being injured and where there are contact points. This helps us to place our supplemental protection systems in the most effective locations.

What is the industry doing to improve seatbelt usage?
LifeGuard manufactures about 80% to 90% of seatbelts in new fire apparatus sold in the U.S. The new 1901 NFPA requirement mandates seatbelts with electric buckles and a vehicle data recorder on new apparatus. We’ve designed DataTrak™ to help fire officials meet NFPA requirements and improve seatbelt usage among their firefighters. It’s basically an on-board vehicle data recorder that records if there is someone in a seat and if he is wearing his seatbelt.

What is being done to improve cab safety? A lot of our products are created as a result of ideas we receive from people out in the field, and we encourage people to keep doing that. Stop by our booth at trade shows, participate in our surveys and let us know your struggles. We want to create products that solve problems and meet your needs.

For example, we created our SmartDock Gen2™ hands-free SCBA holder after listening to firefighters who were having trouble exiting their apparatus when they had levers and straps to deal with, as well as other equipment getting in the way. SmartDock is completely hands-free and releases automatically when the firefighter stands up.

The RollTek® system was created to help reduce deaths related to rollover accidents since more than half of fatalities in large commercial vehicles are a result of rollovers. The RollTek system tightens every firefighter’s seatbelt to keep them securely in their seats, pulls down suspension seats to increase survivable space, and cushions the heads and necks of firefighters.

Our 4Front® system was created to protect firefighters in the most common type of collision — where the apparatus is hit head-on. The 4Front sensor detects a crash and sends a signal to tighten the seatbelts, lower the suspension seats and inflate two airbags — one on the steering wheel and one knee bolster airbag.

All of these products are tested and evaluated at CAPE before they come to market in the fire industry.

What is the added cost of these systems on a new rig?
OEMs really control the pricing on these systems. Since RollTek has been out in the field longer, we have a better idea of the cost to the end-user, and that system typically runs between $5,000 and $10,000 per truck, depending on the number of seating positions.

In general, we recommend people contact their OEMs directly for pricing information.

Can older apparatus be retrofitted?
RollTek and 4Front are engineered into specific cabs and have to be validated through a series of tests at CAPE before being made available on a truck platform. If a customer has a specific request and the product has been validated on that platform, we could technically retrofit these products. We haven’t participated in one of those retrofit programs to date, so I don’t have a cost for what that would be relative to a new truck. If it’s an older cab that’s not in current production, the OEMs won’t support a retrofit.

SmartDock Gen2 is currently available for retrofit on any brand of truck through Pierce Aftermarket Parts. With its low profile, SmartDock Gen2 works with a wide variety of SCBA seats and fits more than 85% of SCBA in today’s U.S. fire departments.

What advice do you have for fire chiefs who cannot afford added safety devices such as air bags?
Seatbelts are the primary safety system in a truck. It’s your first line of defense, so I’d recommend putting a program together to educate firefighters on the benefits of using their seatbelts.

Accidents at 30 mph may sound minor but when our crash tests show the trucks going into the wall at this speed, it’s easy to see why most of those accidents aren’t survivable without a seatbelt. Getting firefighters to wear their seatbelts is a huge factor.

We do know that there are firefighters out there who do wear their belts. Within the past year and a half, we’ve had two trucks equipped with RollTek roll over. All the firefighters were belted and protected by the airbags, so we know there are good stories out there about our products and how they’re making a difference in protecting firefighters.

Fire wrecks 4 homes, displaces 29 people in Chicago On Sunday

 

Arson investigators and a specially-trained police dog scoured the remains of several homes on South Springfield Avenue this morning, where an early morning fire destroyed four homes and caused significant damage to two others.
Twenty-nine people were displaced by the fire, 19 of them receiving help from the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, Red Cross officials said. Red Cross officials said they are helping the displaced residents with food, clothing and shelter.
The Chicago Police Department's Bomb and Arson Section is investigating, officials said. CLTV has a video and full story

 

Chicago Fire Department and state fire marshall officials this morning investigate the cause of a fire that swept through five homes. (Chuck Berman/Chicago Tribune)
Andreas Terrazas, 30, lives next door to 3015 S. Springfield. He said that he saw the building on fire when he was awakened at 4 a.m. by people screaming in the street.
"The fire was inside when I came out," he said while standing across the street as firefighters aimed water hoses at his building. "I walked past [flames] on the porch."

Couldn’t pass up this Story, a must read “Firefighter Injured In 2006 Blaze Sues Department, Other Firefighters”

I had seen this blurb earlier this weekend and did not pay it much attention. As I was checking the news sources and blogs I came on it again and several of the comments caught my attention. It’s well worth the read, is it showing an open flood gate? I sure hope not. Thinking that the fire service is a type of brotherhood, what’s going on with it. Shouldn't the worker compensation be picking up the  medical bills, and compensation for here injuries?  I will be following this story if there is more coverage on it in the future I will put it here of my other blog spot. Here are some links that I have found on this story below. Anyone in the fire service should be paying attention to this. Maybe we will need to have a lawyer on retainer on all calls? Click on the links to learn more and read the entire article.

stltoday.com Web site has the story 

Stl TODAY'S  earlier reporting on the case

Firefighter injured in 2006 blaze sues departments, other firefighters

At the Greater St. Louis Area Fire Chiefs Association 2006 Awards ceremony in Florissant firefighters from the area were honored for their bravery. Community Fire District firefighter Cindy Schuenke looks proudly at her medal after receiving it for a fire she fought that nearly cost her her life. (P-D)

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

04/03/2009

Cindy Schuenke, the firefighter-paramedic who was severely burned in a fire three years ago in north St. Louis County, has filed suit against three fire agencies and numerous firefighters who responded to the blaze with her.

Chief Reason blog  Your Back Up May Be Your Attorney

Published by chiefreason under My Size Up and tagged: attorney, case, fire district, firefighter, lawsuit

“Firefighter Injured In 2006 Blaze Sues Department, Other Firefighters”.

You want a headline that grabs your attention, but lets go at some point after reading the story.

Since reading this story, I can’t let it go; it won’t let me go.

Suing your fellow firefighter has existed in the state of Illinois for several years. An attorney who specializes in fire district law told us that we could be sued if we hurt another firefighter.

More news on this More Even More

“Why Do Firefighters Need to Learn & Understand Building Construction?”… from The Housewatch.com

Why Do Firefighters Need To Learn & Understand Building Construction?

Aaron Lipski, Milwaukee Fire Department

The answer to this question is simple. Firefighters can take the time to learn and understand the principles of building construction ahead of time or they can learn as they are being maimed or killed by the building.

Buildings respond in predictable ways to the stresses put upon them by fire. More importantly, firefighters can avoid the hazards of structural failure by recognizing the various building construction types, analyzing how the fire has already weakened the structure, and predicting how the fire will work to cause structural collapse. Francis L. Brannigan observed that for firefighters, a structure is nothing more than a gravity resistance system (GRS). This means that the purpose of any building, under a fireload or not, is to not fall over or collapse. Simple enough, right?

Wrong. Buildings are being built using smaller structural elements to support heavier loads because engineers and building codes say it will work. In many cases, it does, in fact, work, but only until the occupancy suffers a fire. It is then that firefighters come to appreciate how fire actively operates to weaken and destroy a building’s GRS.

Modern engineering also puts firefighters in greater danger because of tighter, better insulated buildings. Vincent Dunn tells us:

“To summarize, the firefighters of the 1990’s go deeper into fires that burn hotter, in rooms that hold heat better, using gear that shuns the smoke barrier and belies the heat level. Under these circumstances, firefighters can unwittingly contravene safe search procedures and get in too deep to get out. The only safe piece of equipment that can protect us is our brain.”

A clear understanding of how a building (and lax fire protection engineering, weak building codes, non-existent fire chief involvement in those codes, and the Grandfather Clause) may work to kill firefighters is essential to staying alive in a structure fire. Ask yourself a simple question each time you arrive to suppress a structure fire: How is this burning building trying to kill me?

Another Gas Station Fire

A MAN AND HIS FAMILY ARE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AND HEALTHY this morning after a friend of theirs decided to pursue the Darwin Award on Monday.

The man, his wife and infant child were stopped at a gas pump in Chandler, Arizona, and he was self-serving some fuel into his car when a friend of theirs who was riding with them went inside to buy some cigarettes.  When the friend came back out, he decided to “have some fun” and lit a match by the pump nozzle.

This surveillance video recorded the entire event, including the “friend” setting himself on fire and leaving 20% of his body severely burned.  You’ll see Dad rescuing his child as his wife bails out.  They’re all ok.

Fridays Weird News in the Fire Service

April Fool's prank doesn't get much funnier than this, huh?: What better way to show your playful side than to call your aunt at 2:00 in the morning on April 1 to say you and your uncle (aunt's brother) are trapped in a car that drove off of the Oglethorpe Bridge and landed in the Flint River in Albany, Georgia. What a kidder? I am sure first responders in Albany couldn't stop laughing when they discovered the rescue efforts they started weren't really needed. But there is always one without a sense of humor who just can't take a joke. Can you imagine that the Albany fire chief thinks the 23-year-old woman (other articles refer to the jokester as a teenager) should face criminal charges? Read more. Watch the story.

Hearing set for chief accused of racial slurs: An update on the allegations against South Milwaukee Chief Jay Behling. Click here.

Firefighter charged with attacking neighboring chief: A Benton Township, Michigan fire lieutenant is accused of grabbing Berrien Springs-Oronoko Township's fire chief at the scene of a barn fire last week. Read the details.

Fire in dentist's office: A dental technician was seriously burned and two others suffered lesser burns from fire in a dentist's office in Austin, TX. The technician was using an alcohol-fueled torch to work on dentures when the fire occurred. Read more.

CO level very high in fire station: Read about problems at a Sandwich, MA, fire station.

Dramatic video from gas pump fire: Firegeezer takes us to Chandler, Arizona where a man rescues his wife and child as a gas pump goes up in flames and burns a man. Click here to read the story and watch the video.

"Everybody Out": Firefighter Spot has a recent video from a house fire in Great Neck where the order comes to exit the home. Click here.

Update on Houston Fire Apparatus Collision

Fire Trucks Collide In Houston

Update: From Fire Geezer

TWO HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT TRUCKS, ONE PUMPER AND AN AERIAL, had a violent collision at approx. 11 am Central time.  The crash injured nine firefighters and a passing bicyclist.

The crash rolled the ladder truck onto its side, crushing an occupied auto.  The driver of the car miraculously appeared to only have slight injuries.  Two of the firefighters suffered serious injuries.  One of them was apparently thrown out of the pumper.

KHOU-TV

The crash happened at an intersection where both vehicles met while responding to the same alarm that was transmitted as an apartment fire.  District Fire Chief Tommy Dowdy said that it appears at first that the pumper ran into the side of the aerial and that both trucks suffered significant damages.  The resulting collision took down a power pole cutting electric service to the surrounding neighborhood.

This raw video is from KHOU via CNN and has no sound:

Update:
The apparatus were Engine 7 and Ladder 16 and the accident occurred just a couple of blocks from Station 16.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that there are no skid marks at the scene.  The engine is one year old, purchase price $400,000, and the truck is only 6 months old, purchased for $800,000.

The driver of the auto, a 48-yr.-old woman, is expected to be released from the hospital later today.

The driver and officer in the Engine 7 were the two FF’s that were most seriously injured.  Their status has not been made public yet.  The civilian on the bicycle, also a woman, was pinned in the wreckage and is in critical condition.  Unconfirmed reports say that she may have perished.

The Houston Chronicle has more video HERE.

Video:  I Just Saw This on CNN.com: Fire trucks collide

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/v...

Police are on the scene of an accident between two fire trucks in Houston.