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Fire Daily’s Back Page- Are We On The Same Page?

“MAYDAY, MAYDAY!”

Did you get enough training so far this week?  Because you are a proud and professional firefighter, I already know your answer.  So allow me to offer some more.

Here’s a little something to think about:

Is everyone on the same page regarding MAYDAY’s on the Fireground?

Many departments have “talked” about MAYDAY’s, maybe even practiced one on that burn down in September, remember?  No, seriously, do you remember?

MAYDAY’s are like aircraft crashes- very rare but we’d better be ready to act decisively when they occur.  This is when you need to be at your peak performance.  It’s Showtime.

  • Have you put much thought into what you should do if confronted with a situation in which you need to initiate a MAYDAY?
  • Do you know what information to give on the radio?
  • Have you heard of the acronym LUNAR?  Quick- what does it stand for?
  • As you come to realize you are having the worse day of your life, will you able to verbalize that information succinctly and effectively?
  • How will the other members of your own company respond to a MAYDAY report from a company operating nearby?
  • Is some form personal accountability utilized on EVERY incident?

The time to answer these questions is now, BEFORE the crisis, so that your actions will be effective and REFLEXIVE.  Your ability to respond to this nightmarish event WILL make the difference between a successful outcome and a department funeral.

So What Should I Do?

Start with a thorough review your department’s SOP’s/SOG’s on initiating and reacting to a fireground MAYDAY. Sit down with your company and make sure that you understand what will be expected of you should a MAYDAY occur.

Sadly, there are still some departments out there without an SOP/SOG for MAYDAY’s.  If that’s your case, don’t let that stop you.  Step up.  Draft one up with your group and submit it to the proper people on your department.  Get the ball rolling.  It’s your ass on the line, too.

Practice verbalizing your own MAYDAY.  Actually performing this task will make it more AUTOMATIC for you when the feces hits the fan.  That’s where you want to be in your head- AUTOMATICALLY ACTING.

Review the responsibilities of each crew operating at your incident when a MAYDAY is called.  Do you drop everything and save the firefighter?  Ignoring the fire can kill your trapped comrades, as well as those who need to effect a rescue.

Bottom Line: Everyone on your department needs to be on the same page so that you act REFLEXIVELY and EFFICIENTLY together when a MAYDAY is called.

*     *     *     *     *

Watch this video from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation ‘Courage to be Safe Program’ of a MAYDAY in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  It will get your juices flowing to make sure you are all on the same page

» The Mayday – “Are you ready?”
Kevin Sehlmeyer, Chief of Training, Grand Rapids Fire Department (MI)

Next Steps:

If you haven’t already done so, visit the Everyone Goes Home Website and take advantage of the Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives Resource Kit Volumes 1 – 4.  DVD’s 1, 2, and 3 offered for viewing on this page.

Then click here to request a copy of DVD #4 be sent to you free of charge.

Finally, share them with every firefighter you can.  Keep on training. Help spread the word.

Help get your team better prepared so that Everyone Goes Home.

Stay Stoked!

-J

-Send me a note on a MAYDAY in which you may have been involved.

Share your experience so that others may benefit.

Posted in Close Calls, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Training, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

Posted by John Mitchell on February 25, 2010 • View Comments

US Supreme Court to hear another “Ricci-type” case today

The justices will decide whether blacks who were not hired in Chicago because of their test scores are due damages for years of lost wages.

Based on an article in the LA Times by David Savage

Although they share the building with the Chicago Bulls, nearly all of my visits to Chicago’s United Center have been to watch our beloved Blackhawks in action.  Now the UC is not just a sports stadium.  Holding nearly 23,000, the UC has been host to huge concerts and other events.  The circus comes to town for a couple of weeks every winter (insert Chicago joke here).

Last century (1995), the United Center drew one of its hugest crowds as 26,000 fire department applicants jammed into the sports arena to take an entry-level, paper-and-pencil test for jobs in the Fire Department.

Only those who scored 89 or above were considered “well qualified” for the jobs, the city said in January 1996. Assuming they passed a physical and medical test, these top scorers stood a good chance of being hired over the next eight years.

According to an article written by David Savage of the LA Times, about 76% of those in the “well qualified” group were white — 11.5% were black even though there were only slightly more whites than blacks taking the test. Mayor Richard M. Daley called the results “disappointing.” Those who scored between 65 and 88 were classified as “qualified” but were told they were unlikely to be hired.

Beginning today, the United States Supreme Court will hear a case brought by more than 6,000 African Americans alleging racial discrimination.  The group earned “qualified” scores, but who lost out to mostly white applicants who had higher, “well qualified” scores.  In their 1997 suit against the city, they relied on a part of the Civil Rights Act that says job standards, including tests, are illegal if they unfairly screen out applicants because of their race or gender.

The justices ruled for white firefighters in New Haven last year, who said they were victims of illegal racial discrimination when the city threw out the results of a promotion test. The whites had earned high scores and would have gotten nearly all the promotions. City officials dropped the test results because they feared being sued by blacks who were denied promotions.

Shortly after this ruling, the high court voted to hear the case of the black applicants from Chicago.

In the Chicago case, the justices will decide whether blacks who were not hired in Chicago because of their test scores are due damages for years of lost wages. The potentially $100-million civil rights case comes before a high court that has already shown its skepticism toward such claims.

“This case is the flip side of Ricci,” said Benna Solomon, deputy corporation counsel for Chicago, referring to the New Haven case. “It illustrates the tension that public employers face.”

The outcome of the Chicago case is likely to have a national impact, because most state and city agencies are required by law to use competitive tests for hiring.

Stay tuned….

Posted in News

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 22, 2010 • View Comments

Pre-FireGeezer Fire Geezers – 1943 FDNY Video

(Here’s a video that will even make Bill feel young)

From the YouTube description:

This All Hands building fire took place sometime during the fall or winter of 1943, and shows the Fire Patrol arriving on the scene and carrying tarps in to protect property.

The engine that took the hydrant first was perhaps an American LaFrance, made in the early 1920′s.

Note, the neat looking rig that the Fire Patrol was using.

The rest of the engines on the scene all appear to be Macks, some of which had open cabs while others had enclosed cabs.

Note the gasoline tanks were located behind the cabs.

On the enclosed cab engines you can see what looks like a Federal Sign and Signal Model l8 emergency warning light.

This video was complied and edited from movie film in the Stillman Fire Collection Archives. The original movie was silent. We added the sound track, and if you want to view it as it was taken then turn off your computer speakers.

Posted in Just For Fun, Tradition, Videos

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 22, 2010 • View Comments

Open Phones Night over at Firefighter NetCast- Tuesday at 9pm ET

Firefighter Netcast is live again this Tuesday night at 9pm ET.  Join me and my co-host Rhett Fleitz (FireCritic) for the first “Open Phones Night” in which you- the caller- decide the direction of discussion.

As usual, Rhett and I will have our own takes on a few of the more interesting and notable firefighter stories out there.  We’ll also have a new Training Drill Bit as well as another look at the upcoming events at FDIC in Indianapolis in April.

Join us to participate either by phone or in the live chat room, or feel free to just listen in.

Of course, if you can’t join us live, we’ll always be available at iTunes where you can subscribe to our show and download past shows to your iPod or other mP3 player to listen to at your leisure.

All the information can be found at the Firefighter NetCast website.

Posted in NetCast, Tips and Tricks, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

Posted by John Mitchell on February 21, 2010 • View Comments

Chicago FD rescues two of their own in this awesome 1980 video

I ran across this video made in 1980.

Chicago Fire Department rescues two of their own the old-fashioned way-

climb on up and drag them out.

fire building 27th and Dearborn

Posted in Rescues, Videos

Posted by John Mitchell on February 20, 2010 • View Comments

DeKalb County- four sides to every story

I’ve always said there’s three sides to every story: one side vs. the other- then somewhere in the nebulous mix, the truth is rooted.  Three sides.

I’m going to modify my adage now following further revelations concerning the storm clouds engulfing the DeKalb County GA fire department.

You may recall the tragedy in Dunwoody on January 24, 2010 in which Ann Bartlett, 74, died when a fire swept through her home after firefighters responded to her early morning emergency call and left when they couldn’t find a blaze. Five hours later, they responded to a second 911 call from neighbors and found the home fully engulfed.  Her body was found in the home’s remains after the fire was extinguished.

Less than a week later, acting officer William J. Greene, Capt. Tony L. Motes and Battalion Chiefs Lesley Clark and Bennie J. Paige were fired for “neglect of duty” following an investigation into fire response time in the Jan. 24 fire.  A little over a week after that, Fire Chief David Foster resigned

Before it was all over, a total of five firefighters and their leader- gone.

Hmmm.

The incident was the focal point of a lively discussion featured on Firefighter NetCast this month.  A similar refrain was heard during those discussions:  “This is too bizarre, there has to be more to the story that we haven’t heard.”

Hence, the fourth side of the story: that which we don’t know.

As the days and weeks progressed, little bits of information have bubbled to the surface.  Fourth sides.

Two of the four officers initially fired are looking to be reinstated.  They say they were fired for violating a department guideline in that they failed to establish command during the initial response.  They claim they could not establish command because they had no scene yet.

Now a story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting another fourth side to the story.  A. Lee Parks, the lawyer for former fire chief David Foster, claims the resignation was retaliatory.

“It was not voluntary”, Parks said.

And if any of us fell into the trap that he was resigned due to the Dunwoody fire, we may need to pull ourselves up and out of that conclusion.

It seems that other dark storm clouds had been gathering before the cloudburst at Dunwoody.

According to DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis, the chief and county administrators have been talking for several months about a number of problems in the fire department. Ellis declined to identify those issues, saying they are now the subject of an internal investigation by the county’s human resources office.

Ellis confirmed that one of those issues was the Dunwoody fire.

“I had some concerns about his handling of things and the aftermath,” Ellis said. “It wasn’t the sole factor.”

Another factor may be that the chief had filed a discrimination claim two weeks before he was resigned.

As these new developments emerge, more questions are raised, including:

Why was the chief resigned?

Were the four other officers who lost their jobs and careers pulled into the developing rift between Ellis and Foster?

Is there any culpability in how the call was handled by the dispatchers?

And, I still maintain there HAS TO BE MORE to why the responding crews were unable to locate a burning building called in by its terrified occupant!

Maybe these fourth sides of the story will continue to surface.  Until then, best to hold off on your conclusions!

Stay stoked!

-J

Posted in Administration & Leadership, NetCast, News, WTF?

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 18, 2010 • View Comments

Civilian Friends vs. Firefighter Friends

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you’re too busy to talk to them for a week.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having the last time you met.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Have cried with you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it’s yours.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that’s what the crowd is doing.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Will kick the crowds’ ass that left you behind.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Are for life.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have shared a few experiences…
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no citizen could ever dream of…

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you’ve had enough.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, “You better drink the rest of that before you spill it!! Then carry you home safely and put you to bed…

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will talk crap to the person who talks crap about you.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Will knock them the hell out for using your name in vain.

Can you think of any more?  Leave a comment…..

Posted in Brotherhood, Firefighters, Just For Fun, Tradition

Posted by John Mitchell on February 15, 2010 • View Comments

All you need to know this weekend

Justin Shorr, Mark Glencourse,  Thaddeus Setla, and Chronicles of EMS

Posted in Change, EMS Topics, technology-communications-ems-topics

Posted by John Mitchell on February 12, 2010 • View Comments

What The Hell Were They Thinking?

Head on over to Backstep Firefighter and watch this interesting video from 1982.

After watching the video, editor Bill Carey suggests some thoughts to contemplate as he begins his focus on “whether or not various safety initiatives and programs have developed a culture of digital safety officers and keyboard battalion chiefs.”

Like it or not, tomorrow’s technology is here.  In fact, next year’s technology will be here within months.  Such advances in the internet and social media continue to have profound effects on each of our departments and agencies (think back to all the “what the hell were they thinking?” YouTube videos as examples).

Bill also steers us to the last Firefighter Netcast which featured the topic of old-school vs. new school firefighting and the effects of social media and the internet.  You can link to that program here, or download the podcast for later listening over at iTunes.

So are we ready to handle all this technology?

When we see firefighters making mistakes on a video, the unfortunate yet inherent desire to criticize others combined with the immediacy and worldwide distribution that new technology offers often results in departments shying away from such exposure.

Yet, the same technologies that scare some away presents unparalleled opportunities for all of us to learn.  And the curiosity to continue learning is exactly what makes you a smarter, more professional firefighter (as opposed to the comfy-yet-surprised 4-year veteran I posted on earlier).

My hope is that we all reach a certain level of new-age maturity, where knee-jerk criticisms can be throttled so that departments increasingly share the wealth of what they have learned from their mistakes.

Because the reality is simple: with today’s technology, far away is now in your day room, and tomorrow is here yesterday.

Stay Stoked!

Posted in Change, NetCast, Technology & Communications, Training & Development

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 11, 2010 • View Comments

How This Mid-Westerner Responded to Our 3.8 Earthquake Centered 25 Miles Away

Normally, a gargantuan boom that rattles the windows and occasionally knocks loose objects from their place of relative safety is commonplace in our home, especially with all the fiber we’ve been gobbling down by way of kidney and garbanzo bean-laden chili.

But I was awake and lying in bed at 4am today and knew this odiferous-free boom was not auto-generated from my body, and therefore wasn’t my fault.  Nor the dog’s.

In fact, we don’t have a dog.

I used to blame such events on our youngest daughter, but she’s old enough now to effectively protest her father’s unfounded claims that “she did it”.

So what had just happened?  Had an evil-intentioned criminal busted his way into Casa del Mitchell?  Did a car skid out of control on the ice and snow-covered road and hit the house?  Had a nearby neighbor again blown up their home as a result of the “imaginative heating” systems often employed in the season other than the “mosquito season” here in Northern Illinois?  And since we’re in questioning-mode, will the cast of Jersey Shore ever re-sign with MTV?

The savior of our family and all things emergencified, I leaped into action by slowly rolling over and nudging my slumbering wife, sans a reaction of course.

If at first you don’t succeed…. still nothing.  Crap!

Frustrated and grumpy, I realized that ONCE AGAIN, I would have to inconvenience MY comfortable existence if I wanted any answers.  Sheeesh!

I got up, armed myself, and hopped and twisted my way from room to room ala John Belushi (Animal House when he’s creeping around at night preparing to plant the horse) to ensure the safety and continued peaceful slumber of my family.

After an ever-so-brief stop in the kitchen for a quick breakfast burrito (1:20, turn over, then another 1:10 in the micro-nuker), I continued my search for the cause of the boom and shaking.

No car had hit the house, the deck had NOT YET collapsed due to the weight of the snow, and I could hear no screaming from the neighbor with the homemade wood-burning/natural gas heating system, nor any of that post-explosion smell of burnt, well, whatever.

Carb-laden and satiated, I yawned and returned to my warm bed, more sleepy now than curious.  I slowly fell back asleep hoping to re-join my dream of me and Will Robinson’s sister (not Penny, but the older one) flying around in our jet-packs, already in progress.

I HAVE to stop falling asleep watching MeTV.

Posted in News

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 10, 2010 • View Comments

360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 2/9/2010

What God Hath Brought Together, Let No Man Put Asunder

We knew Justin Schorr and Mark Glencourse would find a way to get together for Valentine’s Day weekend.

The big news this coming weekend is the Online Premiere of The Chronicles of EMS.  Head on over to the official website to see how to watch live online with all the rest of us and view the trailer of the upcoming series.

What started out as two guys blogging has morphed into what just might be the second coming of EMS around the world.  Seriously!

If you haven’t yet been caught up in the furor and excitement of what’s happening, check out the emotion in the post by Chris Kaiser over at Life Under The Lights entitled Why I am Passionate About the Chronicles of EMS.  We were honored to have Chris as our featured guest at Firefighter NetCast last week, along with an interview with Thaddeus Setla, Creative Director at Setla Film Productions, the producers of Chronicles of EMS.

Incidentally, that Firefighter Netcast is now available for download over at iTunes by searching for “firefighter” in podcasts.  You can also subscribe to our netcast there as well.  Finally, check out the Firefighter NetCast web site for all the links and more information.

Are you a Smart Firefighter or a Surprised Firefighter?

Smart firefighters are those who are settle into being comfortable after attaining a certain level of knowledge.  You’ve seen these four-year veterans before.  Just enough balls to tell everyone else how it’s done, yet constantly surprised when the feces hits the proverbial oscillating air movement device.

Here’s another reason why the level of your professionalism is directly proportional to the level of your curiosity:  Familiarity with the buildings and conditions that exist in your response area.

In VentEnterSearch’s blog post What It’s Not Telling You, firefighter Chris Hebert from DCFD Engine 13 shared some interesting information about some buildings that many of us have seen before at the National Mall in Washington DC. These approximately 300-400 square foot buildings are located throughout the National Mall in between the various monuments and museums. But have you really ever thought about them?  What goes on there?  How do the store and prepare all of the food and drinks?  How does it all fit?  Curious at all?

After checking out this blog post, transfer the lessons to your own particular situation.  Are you curious about any structure in your district?  Satisfy that curiosity and become a Smart Firefighter.

Heaven Help Those Who Set Fires to Churches

Two more rural east Texas church fires are being investigated as having a possible connection to seven others that have been deliberately set since January in Texas.  The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is continuing their investigation.  Mercifully, no injuries to the public or firefighters have been reported.

Yet.

Firefighters respond to a blaze at Dover Baptist Church in Smith County, Texas, on Monday. This fire is the latest in a rash of East Texas church fires, most of which have been ruled arson.  (photo by Christopher R. Vinn, Tyler Morning Telegraph, via AP)

Posted in News

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 9, 2010 • View Comments

DC Snow Time-lapse Video: It’s like watching a marshmallow in a microwave

Even as we here in Chicago deal with the newest round of snow, we’re captivated by this short time-lapse video of snow falling last week in the D.C. area. Wonder if the microwave will explode when the next round of 1-2 feet hits this week!

Hang tough, my Mid-Atlantic friends!

Posted in Just For Fun, News, Videos

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 9, 2010 • View Comments

“Haunted” Suburban Chicago Fire Station to be Featured on A&E This Week

According to a news article in today’s Chicago Southtown Star, Frankfort (IL) fire station 3 on LaGrange Road will be featured on the new A&E program “Paranormal Cops” Tuesday night at 9:30 CT and again at 1:30am.

Read the full story here, including these claims by firefighters:

Shadowy things going in and out of the ambulance…a darkened figure walking in front of a firefighter watching TV one night after the rest had gone to bed…..a tall blue shadow in the hallway….several silhouettes and shadowy figures going by doors or windows and standing over their beds at night.

“I’ve heard they are friendly spirits. I just wish they would do some work around here,” Lt. Kevin Linhart said.

Fire Lt. Kevin Linhart stands in a hallway Friday near where a ghost reportedly was seen at Frankfort Fire Protection District Station 3 in Green Garden Township.
(Matt Marton/SouthtownStar)

Posted in Chicagoland, In Da House, Just For Fun, WTF?

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 8, 2010 • View Comments

360 Burn Size-up of The Fire Web 2/8/10

Not a great night in Indy…

According to firefighter reports, a man was heating grease on the stove when he decided he needed to go to the store.

Flamage ensued.

Although everyone got out safely, about 20 people were left without homes in the large apartment fire on Indianapolis’ northeast side late Sunday night. More on the story here.

“I don’t know what he was going to eat from that heated grease, but he’s probably a lot safer now then he would have been had he eaten it.” said one bystander.

iPod Charges, Chevy Suburban Crisps

Firefighters are warning drivers to unplug all electrical chargers from their vehicles when they are not running, after a charging iPod reportedly caused a Chevrolet Suburban to burn up last week. Read the full story at PublicOpinionOnline.com

Agreement Disagreement Changes Personnel Exchange Agreement Changing Personnel’s Pension Payout Agreement.

Damn.

Only a couple more months and he might have had it made.

If you missed it the first time around, be sure to catch Dave Statter’s story on Sarasota FL Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbee and what could have been a monetary windfall for him on the shoulders of the taxpayers of Washington D.C.

See how a “Personnel Exchange Agreement” was worked out (before being unworked-out) for the former DC Chief, ironically in charge of Community Outreach.  Then, compare that to the treatment given to critically burned DC firefighter Joe Morgan in another story over at STATter911.com.

Posted in 360 Burn, Fires, News, WTF?

Posted by John Mitchell on February 8, 2010 • View Comments

Indoor Video of a Catastrophic Fire Event

I’ve read about and heard from a few firefighters who have told me that they were in a room which flashed.

The mere fact that they are able to relate such an experience is almost always a clear indication that a flashover did not occur.  Certainly some type of catastrophic fire event (CFE) took place, but in all likelihood, no one survives a flashover and lives to tell about it.

So what happened?

A trick question that always gets my students is:  Does it really matter what type of CFE it truly is?

The answer is hell yes!  Why?

If we want our crews to survive, we need to constantly be aware of the what’s going on inside the burning box we’re crawling through.  Different CFE’s give different clues as to what will be occurring next.  Recognizing these clues will make the difference between crawling out of the structure, or being carried out by your brothers.

In the spirit of training, here is a cool video (from fireman985 over at FireRescue1.com)  of a catastrophic fire event taken from five feet outside the door of the room.  Watch it closely as it develops, then make your guess as to what type of CFE it may be.

Above all, learn to recognize these clues and keep your brain engaged constantly next time you’re crawling through that burning box.


FlashoverTV is powered by FireRescue1.com

This is a flashover as viewed from 5 ft away from the doorway. The fire was allowed to continue on purpose to achieve the flashover. I captured the footage with my special camera. A secondary smoke explosion in the attic blew two sheets of tin off. I use the footage for training. Hope you can use it for instruction as well.- fireman985

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Posted in Firefighting Operations, Training, Videos, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 3, 2010 • View Comments

How Many Tasers Are Needed to Squelch an Assistant Chief?

Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chief Arrested During Firefighting Operations

Last Sunday, the “leaders” of the Franklin Township Fire Department put on quite a show, causing Pennsylvania State Police to step in, forcing the duo to end their two-act play before their curtain call.

According to a report by James Loewenstein at TheDailyReview.com, the Assistant Chief was not satisfied with the way Monroe Hose Company,led by Fire Chief Paul Bump, was putting out the fire at his house, Assistant Fire Chief Dale Stranger was yelling and shouting at firefighters on the scene and “had to be detained by fire personnel on scene,” Pennsylvania State Trooper Ben Bigus said.

Firefighters just wanted him to calm down or leave, but eventually were forced to summon police so they could continue their suppression activities without the irate interference of this highly-trained professional.

Upon arrival, state troopers ordered Dale Stranger to cease his actions.  However, he “again became disorderly and was taken into custody” after two TASERS were used on him, the state police said in their press release.

Donald Stranger, 61, of Monroeton, who is the chief of the Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company, was also arrested when he  “became disorderly after failing to comply with orders from the state police,” the press release said.

So, the answer is two.

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Firefighting Operations, Leadership, News, WTF?

Posted by John Mitchell on February 2, 2010 • View Comments

Bahhhh Groundhog!

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Posted in Just For Fun, News, WTF?

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 2, 2010 • View Comments

Tulsa Firefighters Approve Pay Cuts and Other Benefits

Tulsa Fire UnionFirefighters Local 176 President Stan May (center) announces the firefighters will accept a pay cut amounting to $304 per month for each firefighter. Photo Sherry Brown / Tulsa World

(Written by Tulsa World)  Tulsa OK firefighters voted overwhelmingly to save 147 jobs by agreeing to a 5.2 percent pay cut and other benefit concessions, union officials announced Sunday night. There’s nobody else trained to do what we do, said Stan May, president of Tulsa Firefighters Local 176. “If we took 147 firefighters off the streets, we would put this city in serious risk.”

Union members voted 442 to 177 to accept the mayor’s proposal, which includes a 5.2 percent salary cut for 17 months, eight unpaid furlough days in the next fiscal year and the elimination of benefits such as fitness pay and a clothing allowance.

The announcement comes days after 124 Tulsa police officers and 59 civilian employees were laid off after both their unions turned down pay cuts in lieu of the job losses.

In a statement Sunday night, Mayor Dewey Bartlett thanked the firefighters for helping the city.

“We can now get on with the business we were all hired to perform, to deliver quality services and protection to the citizens of Tulsa,” Bartlett said. “We offered a very good plan to the fire union members in order to retain all our workforce, and our collaborative discussions with the fire union leaders were obviously productive.”

Bartlett also said he appreciated the firefighters faith in his administration, something Tulsa police officers said they lacked when voting down his proposal for their department.

Bartlett said the union’s “ability to promote their members as a true example of brotherhood and sisterhood is a breath of fresh air.”

May said firefighters “voted their heart” to keep Tulsa safe.

The pay cuts could be revisited in a year if the budget gets back to where it was at the beginning of this fiscal year, he said.

Firefighters began the voting process Tuesday. It included three days of member education and three days of voting to allow for all three 24-hour shifts to participate.

The Fire Department has a budget gap making up $2.5 million of the city’s $10.4 million shortfall for this fiscal year.

On Friday, 124 Tulsa police officers were laid off after the Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police overwhelming voted down a similar proposal from the mayor Wednesday. At the last minute, 31 jobs were saved as city officials revised their number crunching.

Also Friday, 59 civilian employees were laid off. Their union also voted against a 5.2 percent pay cut for all, although their decision was not binding on the mayor.

The firefighters who received layoff notices Jan. 22 would have been off the job immediately had the union voted down Bartlett’s proposal.

James Fuller, 26, a firefighter on the chopping block, said he was grateful to his colleagues for accepting the agreement. At lot was riding on the voter for Fuller, his wife and two children, a toddler and a 2-month-old baby.

“I’m thankful it passed,” Fuller said as he took a celebratory swig from his beer bottle at the firefighters’ union hall, where a news conference was held announcing the firefighter vote.

“I’m thankful I get to go to work tomorrow morning, get on the engine and do what I do.”

Posted in Funding & Staffing, IAFF, News, Staffing

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Posted by John Mitchell on February 1, 2010 • View Comments