Oklahoma City Fire station burns

I first hear about this story the other day and did want to blog about it, but here I am doing it anyway. Not a good thing anytime that a fire station catches fire. What caught my eye was that not only was it a fire station, probably build in the late 60’s to early 70’s but that no sprinklers were evidently installed. In the story it’s reports that this station is being replaced anyway, I can only hope that the new one will have a sprinkler system and fire alarm installed. One other thing, and maybe part of the reason for it being closed, look where the oil well is in relation to station, Was that oil well there when they built this place? I guess it is Oklahoma and that’s normal ????

Watch story from KOCO-TV

More video from KOCO-TV

A look at the future for this firehouse

Click here for more helicopter video of the fire

Oklahoma City Fire Station 6 at 620 NE 8th Street caught fire Thursday afternoon and has put the station out of commission.

From the AP:

Oklahoma City firefighters have extinguished a blaze at an unlikely location - a fire station.
Officials say the blaze at a station near the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center began about 3:20 p.m. Thursday and primarily affected the building's living area and kitchen.
There were no reports of injuries.
Battalion Chief Brian Stanaland says officials think the fire started in the kitchen. Stanaland says the crew was out of the station when it caught fire.
An initial assessment indicated the building is uninhabitable and firefighters stationed there will be split up temporarily and moved to other stations.
The building is scheduled to be replaced when a new station in the Bricktown entertainment district is completed.

Guinness World Record Fire Truck Parade Updated

North Dakota - A southeastern North Dakota town believes it has set a new world record for having the most fire trucks in a parade. The town of Casselton recruited 181 fire trucks from throughout the Upper Midwest to take part in Saturday's Cass County Summerfest parade. The old record was 159 trucks.

Greg Kempel is the Casselton ambulance crew member and winery owner who led the effort. He says the town plans to send photographs and other documents on Monday to the Guiness Book of World Records, so judges can confirm the record.

The town of Oberdiessbach, Switzerland, set the previous record three years ago.

Watch their website, www.casscountysummerfest.com/firetruckparade.htm

 

5 firefighters, 2 others hurt in crash

August 15, 2009

Five firefighters and two others were hurt when a fire engine collided with another vehicle in the South Shore neighborhood this afternoon, a Fire Department spokesman said.

The incident occurred at about 5 p.m. at the intersection of 67th Street and Jeffery Avenue, according to Chicago Fire Department Chief Joe Roccasalva. The firefighters were responding to an automatic alarm in the 8000 block of South Brandon Avenue when the crash happened, he said.

A car collided with the fire engine as it was eastbound on 67th Street, police said. The fire engine then struck a pole.

Five firefighters were treated and released from Trinity Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Roccasalva said. One of them was taken from the crash scene in serious-to-critical condition, while the remaining four were taken in fair-to-serious condition.

Two people from the other vehicle were taken to Northwestern in critical condition, he said.

The driver of the vehicle, Michael Quinn, 30, of the 2100 block of East 72nd Street, was cited for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, no insurance and damage to city property, police said. He is still at Northwestern for observation.

A passenger in Quinn's vehicle, a 24-year-old woman, was listed in critical condition at the hospital, police said.

 

Getting Ready for Fallen Firefighters' Memorial

View Full List of Honored Fallen (PDF)

EMMITSBURG, Md. -- In about eight weeks, the family, friends and colleagues of America's fallen firefighters will be here to remember their loved ones.

The names of 104 firefighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice in 2008 as well as 19 from previous years will be added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

Organizers have been working for months to make sure the annual memorial weekend -- Oct. 2 to 4 -- is a memorable one.

The firefighters to be honored include pilots, wildfire crews, volunteers and career personnel. Some were with large departments, some tiny.

On Wednesday, people in charge of the various aspects or events met to share details.

A number of changes this year will call for enhanced coordination, said Raleigh, N.C. Chief John McGrath, the incident commander.

Motorcyclists who ride to honor the fallen heroes will arrive about 4:15 p.m. instead of noon. Those involved in the annual Red Helmet Ride will place a wreath at the memorial.

Also, the candlelight vigil is once again moving outside. For the past several years, the Saturday evening event has been held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.

"Having it outside at the memorial again will be more memorable for the families," said Larry Curl, the event's producer.

Luminaries -- designed by children of fallen firefighters -- will be lit prior to the ceremony instead of during the service as in the past.

Curl stressed that it's critical for everyone to know their job for the event to come off without a hitch. "It's all about the families," he said. "We want this to be an honorable occasion."

A mandatory rehearsal has been set for Saturday afternoon. "Timing is everything," he said.

Volunteers who are coordinating bag pipes, escorts, honor guards, logistics, transportation, communications, children's activities and other aspects have submitted an operation plan that are included in a binder.

"We are handling this event as we would on the scene," McGrath said. "Each sector has a plan, and shared it."

The former operations chief in Philadelphia said firefighters are used to being flexible. "We're planning for a long-term operation, and people know things can change."

McGrath, who has headed the command post on campus for the past several years, said he is pleased to be part of the remembrance.

"Look at the quality of the people in this room," he said. "This is a work of passion for all of us ..."

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Remember what the citizen see and perceives

This fire was from a month ago in the 800 block of East 22nd Street Baltimore . There is some interesting narration and a couple captions from the photographer. Remember the citizen have a preconceived perception and expectations of the things that the fire service does.

LANGUAGE ALERT: YOU ARE WARNED THAT THE WORDS SPOKEN ON THIS CLIP MAY NOT BE FOR CHILDREN AND THOSE WHO ARE EASILY OFFENDED.

Below is the account of the fire from the website of Engine 33 ,Truck 5, Medic 16, and EMS 3:
7/10/09 Box Alarm 33-10 800 E. 22nd St
E33, E6, E23, E51, E21, T5, T1, M16, BC2, BC6 (WF E31, T15, AF2, EMS3, SO2, M7)
At 1631 hrs units were dispatched to the above address for a dwelling fire. E33 and T5 went onscene with a 2 story eog row, with heavy fire showing from the second floor. BC2 arrived and immediately called for a working fire. Truck 5 threw ladders, ventilated and conducted a search, while Engine 33 knocked down a bulk of the fire on second floor. Good job by all companies preventing the fire from extending into exposures. Medic 16 transported one civilian patient suffering from smoke inhalation. After investigation and overhaul. All units returned to service in 2 hrs.

A sad obituary!

                                      Born 1776, Died 2008

It does not hurt to read this several times.

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Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the Presidential election:

• Number of States won by: Democrats: 19    Republicans: 29

• Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000    Republicans: 2,427,000

• Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million    Republicans: 143 million

• Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2    Republicans: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Republicans won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country. 
Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..."

    Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the   USA in fewer than five years.
If you are in favor of this, then by all means, delete this message.

If you are not, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.

Both Parties are corrupt. Vote them all out of office.

APPARATUS CRASH IN TEXAS-2 FFs ON BOARD REPORTED TO BE BELTED IN

 

Wednesday, August 5, 2009 

A Spring Volunteer Fire Department truck and van collided in far northwest Harris County this afternoon, sending three people to the hospital. The wreck occurred about 12:30 p.m. The van's driver was trapped inside his cab and workers are trying to get him out. 
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