Dec. 27, 2022 Only two ambulances were nearby and medevac helicopters were ordered to stage three miles away from Robb Elementary.

Source Firehouse.com News

Law enforcement’s well-documented failure to confront the shooter who terrorized young students and teachers in Robb Elementary in Uvalde for 77 minutes wasn’t the only snafu that day.

Emergency medical care was delayed due to a number of issues including the lack of unified command and roads clogged by police cruisers among others, according to a joint investigation by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and The Washington Post.

“The disjointed medical response frustrated medics while delaying efforts to get ambulances, air transport and other emergency services to victims. Medical helicopters with critical supplies of blood tried to land at the school, but an unidentified fire department official told them to wait at an airport three miles away, according to the ProPublica. 

“We as a nation are not ready,” said Dr. Babak Sarani, the director of critical care at George Washington University Hospital. “The air assets and the ground assets do not talk to each other very well. The fire, the police do not talk to each other very well.”

Experts said that the Uvalde shooting response appeared to lack both an overall incident commander and someone clearly in charge of coordinating the emergency medical response.

Although helicopters were available, none were used to carry victims directly from the school. At least four patients who survived were flown by helicopter to a more fully equipped trauma center in San Antonio after first being driven by ambulance to a nearby hospital or airport.

Multiple cameras worn by officers and one on the dashboard of a police car showed just two ambulances positioned outside the school when the shooter was killed. That was not nearly enough for the 10 or more gunshot victims then still alive, though additional ambulances began arriving 10 minutes later, the newly released documents show.

Uvalde EMS radio traffic (12:58 p.m.) “10-4 we are [inaudible] at Grove Street and Grove Street is blocked off by law enforcement.”

One minute later, six students, including one who was seriously wounded, were taken to a hospital in a school bus with no trained medics on board, according to the Texas EMS records.

The bus driver handed the officers, at their request, a first aid kit that contained band aids. Frantic parents were trying to get onto the bus to see if their children were there.

Locked police cars parked throughout the area forced medics to frantically try various routes to the school, crisscrossing through residents’ yards. Thirty-three minutes after police killed the gunman, an ambulance struggled to access the school via South Grove Street, documents show.

In public statements made since May, law enforcement officials have defended their officers’ actions as reasonable under difficult circumstances. Federal, state and local agencies that responded to the shooting have not directly addressed the medical response, nor did they answer detailed questions from the news organizations that worked jointly on this investigation.

Jacklyn “Jackie” Cazares, 9, likely survived for more than an hour after being shot and was promptly placed in an ambulance after medics finally gained access to her classroom. She died on the way to the hospital, the reporters learned.

“We as a nation are not ready,” said Dr. Babak Sarani, the director of critical care at George Washington University Hospital. “The air assets and the ground assets do not talk to each other very well. The fire, the police do not talk to each other very well.”

Experts said that the Uvalde shooting response appeared to lack both an overall incident commander and someone clearly in charge of coordinating the emergency medical response.

The rural community’s emergency medical services are contracted out to private companies. On that day in May, Stephen Stephens, the director of Uvalde EMS, was in charge of organizing helicopters and ambulances responding to Robb Elementary, he later told investigators.

“My job was to manage assets,” he said, noting that Juan Martinez, his deputy, instructed medics arriving at the scene.

After police breached the classrooms where the shooter had been holed up, Stephens said he handed command over to the fire chief of neighboring Medina County. The Medina fire chief declined to comment to the news organizations.

It’s unclear what information Stephens had about how many victims first responders should expect to find. Multiple medics expressed confusion over who was in charge of the medical response and where to go, according to the report.

“There was no EMS command and control,” said Julio Perez, a medic for AirLIFE, who told investigators he was pleading to help. “Nobody could tell me anything.”

His account was backed up by Lewis, the manager for the air transport service, who said several of her medics were upset. “They feel like the resources weren’t used as they should have been.”

Dec. 27, 2022 One of the drivers the Mequon firefighter was trying to help also was struck and died of her injuries.

Source Firehouse.com News

A woman was killed and an off-duty Wisconsin firefighter was seriously injured Dec. 23 when they were hit by a vehicle at a crash scene.

Mequon Firefighter Josh Lipp who stopped to help after a wreck remains in the ICU, Fox6 reported. 

Xuan Nguyen Rollmann, one of the people he was helping, died.

“He helps people. That what’s he does here, and that’s what he did out on the freeway. It didn’t surprise me that he decided to stop,” Mequon Fire Chief David Bialk told reporters.

Lipp suffered a broken back, broken ribs and some injuries to his hand. The chief says he has a long road to recovery. He said his firefighter’s actions speak volumes.

Jolene Reit, who was involved in the initial crash, was moved by the firefighter’s willingness to help. 

“I didn’t know at the time, but he was a firefighter. I ended up thinking about it. It was his first instinct to make sure everyone was OK,” said Reit.  “I just think about everybody that puts their life on the line. He wasn’t even on the clock, and he put his life on the line.”

Bialk added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the woman that was killed on the freeway that Josh stopped to help.”

Dec. 27, 2022 North Haven Firefighter Matthias Wirtz, 46, described as ‘everybody’s friend,’ had been with the department for 22 years.

By Mike Mavredakis Source Hartford Courant (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A North Haven firefighter died from injuries sustained while on the scene of a fire that displaced 13 residents of a multi-family home in North Haven Monday morning.

Matthias Wirtz, 46, who was a 22-year department veteran, sustained serious injuries in the fire and later died at Yale New Haven Hospital, North Haven Chief Paul Januszewski told reporters Monday. He said Wirtz was working outside of the building and was not inside.

North Haven Police said he became distressed while battling the fire and was then transported to the hospital.

“It’s a tragic loss for the North Haven Fire Department and all our families,” Januszewski said.

Januszewski described Wirtz as “everybody’s friend.” The chief said he was “a great person, he was a great family man, he would do anything for anybody.”

Wirtz recently signed on to be an engine driver and was excited about the switch, Januszewski said.

“We ask our community to pray for Wirtz’s family and his extended firefighter family, who are grieving this tragic loss,” the North Haven Police Department said in a statement. “At a time when family comes together for celebration, our brave firemen are now grieving the loss of one of their own.”

The American Red Cross responded to the scene and is assisting the 13 people displaced from the fire at the four-family home, Januszewski said. One of the four units was unoccupied at the time of the fire, he said.

There was heavy fire coming out of the back of the house, Januszewski said. Firefighters were working to suppress flames on each of the three floors, plus an attic space, while doing primary and secondary searches, he said.

He said there is heavy smoke and water damage to the home.

Gov. Ned Lamont lowered the U.S. and state flags to half-staff in honor of Wirtz Monday until an undetermined amount of time. No flag shall fly higher than the U.S. flag during this time period, according to his office.

“This is particularly upsetting as it comes at a time of year when families and friends are gathering to celebrate the holiday season,” Lamont said in a statement. “His passing is a painful reminder that first responders work every single day of the year, 24 hours a day, and often miss holidays with their families in order to protect the people of our state. My heart is with his family, friends, and colleagues in the North Haven Fire Department.”

The Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit have taken over the investigation of the fire. The cause has not yet been determined, but Januszewski said there is no reason to believe it was a suspicious fire.

Dec. 27, 2022 Two Phoenix firefighters found the house ransacked, a dog missing and items stolen.

Source Firehouse.com News

Two Phoenix firefighters are likely calling Christmas anything but magical and jolly. A nightmare, a feeling of violation and angst would probably be a start. 

That’s because while Jake Normali and Jacob Walshire were working the overnight shift, thieves broke into their home and made off with thousands of dollars’ worth of items, FOX 10 reported.

But, the most precious thing missing is Normaili’s dog, Bear. Another dog, Coto, has returned.

“It does take away a big peace of mind living here. We never thought this was gonna happen to us, and we never thought we were in an unsafe environment, and we like our neighborhood and we think it’s really safe, but this obviously changes that a little bit,” Wilshire told reporters.

They suspect the thieves broke in through a sliding door. Among the items stolen were guns, personal information, birth certificates, social security card, passports and Christmas presents. Tools were used to open a safe. 

“The next step is just to find my dog and try to not pretend it didn’t happen, but try to just go back to our normal lives,” said Normali.

“Our neighbors have come together and help compile a Ring footage and their security cameras, and they’ve been sending us stuff to try and give the police, so they can maybe put something together,” said Walshire.

Dec. 26, 2022 Michael Riley was caught in an explosion at a gas station as he and other St. Augustine firefighters worked to control the incident.

Source Firehouse.com News

Nearly 11 years after a St. Augustine firefighter was caught in a massive explosion at a gas station fire, Michael Riley passed away.

Riley, 61, responded to the August 2011 fire at a gas station where a storage tank overflowed and, vapors from a delivery truck ignited the explosion. 

“We were absolutely covered in fuel,” Chance Hines told news4jax.com. “To see men like Mike Riley, standing there, trying to protect the community was amazing.” 

Hines lost hearing in one ear from the force of the blast.

About six years ago, Riley’s health took a downturn and was unable to with without assistance.

He was diagnosed with Parkinsonism, Alzheimer’s and encephalopathy and Parkinsonism and he had trouble speaking.

Last year, Riley filed a lawsuit that they lost against the gas station, the truck driver and the fire department. 

Lani, Riley’s wife, is working on a soon to be released documentary, “Behind the Smoke” about the dangers of smoke for firefighters.

Dec. 24, 2022

Source Firehouse.com News

Detroit firefighters battled flames, winds and bone-chilling weather at a Friday morning warehouse fire.

The fire was reported around 5 a.m. on the east side, just blocks from Belle Island.

The building was filled with cars and boats, Detroit fire officials told the Detroit Free Press.

Chief James Harris said more than 65 firefighters responded to the scene and worked as wind speeds topped 55 mph with wind chills well below zero.

No injuries were reported, according to ClickOnDetroit.com.