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October 29, 2005

Firefighter Image Search

 

Who has the better firefighter image search?

Google

MSN

Yahoo

Flickr

Teoma/ASK


* Above photo attribution *


No. California Fire Season Ending

 
Northern California fire season is over for all intents and purposes says CDF spokeswoman Janet Upton and Darrel Wilson, a director for the Butte County Fire Safe Council, said the region "dodged the bullet" with a relatively calm fire season. He said firefighters were able to quickly extinguish any tough fires that arose.

"Whenever we get them like this we should be thankful," Wilson said."

Here here!



October 24, 2005

Incident Scene Photo Blog

 
I found this blog, A Firefighter's Camera while searching Google's new blog search feature. He has a great idea posting incident scene photographs and blogging a little about the incident.


October 22, 2005

Former FDNY Deputy Chief's Letter To Homeland Security

 
Retired FDNY Deputy Chief Vincent Dunn wrote this open letter to Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge less than one year after the attack on the the WTC. While the contents of the letter are directed at the needs of his department the message pertains to the needs of most large city fire departments.

1. The fire service needs a new portable radio for high-rise fires.

2. The fire service needs the so-called “smart turnout coat” to protect firefighters.

3. The fire service needs a -firefighter tracking system to supervise and control firefighters during smoky building fires

4. The fire service needs a telescopic- video warning - system to detect structural failure in burning buildings.

5. The fire service needs robots for firefighting.

6. The New York City Fire Department needs firefighting helicopters.

7. The Fire Service needs new fireboats to protect the waterfronts of New York and New Jersey.

8.The fire service needs a new self-contained breathing apparatus SCBA (masks).

9. The fire service needs an officer and five firefighters on every responding high-rise engine company.

10. Firefighters need a phase three elevators in high-rise buildings that works.

11. The fire service needs a computerized- virtual- simulator for firefighting training.

12. The fire service needs computerized dispatching that can warn first responding firefighters of the dangers in high- and low rise buildings.


October 19, 2005

Firehouse.com, The Internet's Best Fire Site

 
Firehouse.com is simply the best firefighting site on the internet. Nothing compares, nothing can. In case some visitors here have never looked in on their portal I suggest they take a few minutes and give them a spin.


October 15, 2005

Is Bin Laden Under The Quake Rubble?

 
I was looking over the news of the earthquake in Pakistan and it occured to me Osama Bin Laden could have been killed in this quake. Latest news accounts had him placed in the region most affected.

The only item I can find on the subject was this article in the Chicago Sun-Times

As Drudge says, "developing"..........


October 12, 2005

"Kinks" Found In FDNY Safety Ropes

 
N.Y Daily News reports today that FDNY brass has pulled the safety rope program for the time being. Apparently there were some issues found during training.
Work it out guys, this is an important piece of equipment!


October 08, 2005

Firefighter Blog Redux, Ann Coulter Pic

 

I am a fan of Ann Coulter, a real big fan so I posted a picture of her sitting on a deck step pointing a rifle towards the back 40 that I found on Ann's site. An unintended result of that post is that up to 40% of my visitors get here by searching Google image search for pictures of Ann Coulter.
For those of you with no interest in fire related links, news and general firefighting stuff I have a great link for you here.

Her new book " How to talk to a liberal (if you must)" must be doing very well.


October 07, 2005

F.D.N.Y Issues Ropes To Firefighters

 
WCBS New York reports New York City firefighters began getting safety ropes this week. New York is leading the way. Though a few departments already issue personal safety ropes many more cities will follow suit now.

"The ropes have been the subject of debate since twofirefighters died from jumping out a fourth floor window of a fire in the Bronx back in January.

The firefighters were trapped by flames and had no other choice. Four of those who jumped were injured.

The new rope systems were designed largely by a team of city firefighters. It's a ligtweight rope make of Kevlar, the material used in bullet-proof vests. With a harness, a hook on one end, and and a descent control device, it weighs six pounds. It's worn in a harness bag at all times, and can be secured, with a firefighter then exiting a window in seven to ten seconds.

The fire department says the ropes will cost about eleven (M) million dollars to buy, distribute and train the firefighters.

The devices cost 350-dollars apiece. The 100-foot ropes are coated in Kevlar,weighing six pounds with hardware and harness. And easier to wear and deploy than older ropes, according to Lt. Tim Kelly of the Fire Adademy. "Older ropes, their weight and their size were probably detriments. We found out a lot of firefighters weren't carrying them."

The need for the ropes became tragically apparent on January 23rd when Lieutenant Curtis Meyran and Firefighter John Bellew died after jumping from a fourth-floor window to escape a fire in a Bronx apartment. Four other firefighters who also jumped were seriously hurt, including two who tried to use a rope that failed
.....WCBS New York "

Search here for more information about personal safety ropes.


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October 04, 2005

More Firefighters Return From Katrina Deployment

 
Manchester New Hampshire
(Themurchannel.com)

"A small group of New Hampshire firefighters returned from the Gulf Coast on Monday after spending four weeks in hurricane-ravaged areas of Mississippi.The crews worked in 95-degree heat with no power, no facilities and few signs of life, but they said they would do it all again.

The eight firefighters told stories of helping out in one of the hardest-hit areas, Waveland, Miss., where the eye of Hurricane Katrina struck with 140 mph winds and a 32-foot storm surge."From the beaches to about a quarter to a half mile inland, it was just pickup sticks," firefighter Jim Roy said.Roy led the crew as it delivered ice and water, handed out food vouchers and helped people find temporary housing.

Roy said the devastation was worse than New Orleans because everything in Waveland is gone, except for people's spirits."They're determined, hopeful," Roy said. "They're a fantastic people, really."Firefighter Jeff Goley recounted his conversations with survivors who rode out the storm in attics and were later plucked from rooftops amid the wreckage."There were boats on rooftops," he said. "It was incredible devastation, like a bomb went off."Goley and the crew stayed on a military base in a tent with 350 people........"full story


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October 01, 2005

Topanga Fire Photoblogged

 




These Topanga Fire pics were found on Flickr.com. This image was posted with permission of JustnM.



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FEMA Called And Some Responded

 
Last month I blogged on FEMA's request for firefighters to come to the aid of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The job description was for non-fire positions however it does look like some of the responders are finding work beyond paper pushing - good thing!


"Storm Surge---
Firefighters are among flood of relief workers

By Ann Depperschmidt
The Daily Reporter-Herald

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent Hill and Monty Kitzman, both Berthoud firefighters, to Mississippi on Sept. 5 to distribute food, water, relief information packets and check on people who couldn’t or wouldn’t evacuate. The two returned Sept. 19.

Two other Berthoud firefighters, Scott Lindschmidt and Sean Baker, flew to Belle Chasse on Sept. 20 to help at a fire station there.

On Sept. 1, the International Association of Fire Chiefs received a plea from FEMA: Send 1,000 two-person firefighter teams to help people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Berthoud Fire Chief Steve Charles paged his crew, and Hill and Kitzman answered right away.

“There was a need to provide as much assistance as we could,” Charles said. “We didn’t have any hesitation. We felt it was the right thing to do.”

Hill and Kitzman packed their bags — officials told them to bring only what they could carry each day — and headed out to Gulfport, Miss., where they heard stories of a 30-foot storm surge that had carved up the city.

“There were no houses standing,” Hill said. “Nothing to be seen but a lot of people who needed help.”

The two joined other volunteers in a 400-person tent, where they woke up at 5:30 a.m. every day, were briefed on that day’s jobs, and worked until curfew
.....cont. article "


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