April 8, 2023 A four-alarm fire spread through a Medina carpet store and firefighters drew water from a nearby canal and lake to fighter the fire.
Source Firehouse.com News
NJ Firefighter Needs Life-Saving Kidney Transplant
April 7, 2023 Anthony Maiolo has been serving as a volunteer at Lodi Fire Company 1 for 25 years and would like to serve another 25.
Source Firehouse.com News
Anthony Maiolo has been serving the Lodi, NJ, community for 25 years as a volunteer firefighter at Lodi Fire Company 1 and would like to serve another 25 years.
He comes from a long line of volunteer firefighters, but life took a pause when he was hit with Type 2 diabetes in 2007, a below-the-knee amputation in 2019 and most recently, kidney disease in 2020.
“It’s been an up-and-down journey,” he told CBS 2 NY. “It’s not something you can just put a Band-Aid on, but it’s a part of life, right now, for me.”
Maiolo’s kidneys are failing and he does dialysis three times a week.
“It’s very hard for me to come out and ask for help,” he said.
Despite a public plea and many friends and family stepping up, no matches were found for a kidney donor.
Until a friend’s fiancée got tested.
“She ended up being a direct match,” Maiolo said, fighting back tears.
A date has not yet been set for the surgery.
Maiolo has a message for possible organ donors.
“Help someone to live the rest of their life. It means a lot for someone to step up and help me. If you could do that for someone, that is one of the greatest gifts you can give somebody.”
NH Firefighters Rescue Man Trapped in Frozen Waterfall
April 7, 2023 Conway Fire Department’s Swiftwater Rescue Team made the ice rescue from Sabbaday Falls.
By Brendan Rascius Source The Charlotte Observer (TNS)
A man fell into an icy waterfall in New Hampshire, prompting a high-stakes rescue effort involving bystanders and firefighters, officials said.
The man, who has not been identified, fell into Sabbaday Falls and became pinned by an ice shelf on April 6, according to a news release from the Conway Fire Department.
People nearby offered assistance, preventing the man from becoming fully submerged in the frigid water, officials said.
“By the time first responders arrived, he had been in the water up to his neck for about 45 minutes and was experiencing hypothermia,” according to WMUR.
Rescue swimmers entered the water and were able to free the man using ropes, officials said, calling it a “dramatic swift water rescue.”
“We were actually saying it’s an ice rescue, a swift water rescue and a high-angle rescue all at once,” Conway Fire Chief Stephen Solomon told WMUR. “We are very well versed in swift water rescue. We do numerous swift water rescues every year.”
Sabbaday Falls, located in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, is a popular location to visit, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Swimming at the falls is not permitted.
TX Department Trying to Prevent More Firefighter Suicides
April 7, 2023 After four suicides and two more attempts, Dallas-Fire Rescue is implementing new measures as part of aim to prevent additional tragedies.
Source Firehouse.com News
According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, six Dallas firefighters have attempted suicide since 2018. Four of them died.
In their honor, the department and union are pushing for improved mental health resources.
“We don’t know what’s going on inside people’s heads,” Jim McDade, President of the Dallas Fire Fighters Association told WFAA. “One of the members of the department that committed suicide was my best friend.”
Capt. Kenny Crutcher took his own life on Nov. 13, 2021.
“With Kenny — with a lot of these guys — we didn’t see it coming,” McDade said.
Since Crutcher’s death, two Dallas more firefighters killed themselves, and another two others attempted suicide.
“The number two killer of firefighters right now is suicide, and it’s a scary thought,” said McDade.
According to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, suicide is three times more likely to happen to firefighters than a line-of-duty death.
Together, Dallas Fire-Rescue and the Dallas Fire Fighters Association are pushing to prevent suicide and promote mental health awareness.
Through their efforts, here’s what the department now offers its firefighters
- Peer support is available with 60 to 70 trained peers
- DFFA offers three free months of counseling
- Paid mental health leave through the City of Dallas
- Single-function paramedics are hired to reduce the call volume for firefighter-paramedics
- A psychologist is on staff (the goal is to eventually have three psychologists total for the department)
- A resiliency coordinator is available
- The chaplaincy program is available
All these efforts are to honor those they’ve lost to suicide.
Houston Firefighters Rescue Three from Rising Water
April 7, 2023 Firefighters early Friday rescued three people near downtown Houston who were trapped when Buffalo Bayou began rising during a storm.
By Matt deGrood Source Houston Chronicle (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Apr. 7—Firefighters early Friday rescued three people near downtown Houston who were trapped when Buffalo Bayou began rising during a storm.
Emergency responders received a call from three people after 4 a.m. who had taken refuge under a bridge near Smith and Preston streets when the water in Buffalo Bayou began to rise rapidly, Hunter Chappeaux, a district chief for the Houston Fire Department, told Metro Video Services. Firefighters arrived and lowered a ladder to the three men, who were able to climb out.
It took about 30 minutes to rescue the men.
CA Firefighters Dodge Bullets to Get Wounded Officer into Station
April 7, 2023 Roseville firefighters treated the CHP officer for gunshot wounds to the chest and hand.
By Michael McGough, Rosalio Ahumada, Molly Jarone Source The Sacramento Bee (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A man shot a California Highway Patrol officer Thursday at a Roseville park, then shot two additional people he had taken hostage, leaving one of the hostages dead and the other injured, before ultimately surrendering to law enforcement and being taken to a hospital, authorities said.
Roseville police responded shortly after 12:30 p.m. to a call from CHP reporting one of its officers had been shot at Mahany Park, Capt. Kelby Newton of the Roseville Police Department said in a news conference.
The suspect took two adult victims hostage at the park for a short time, until officers arrived and confronted him, Newton said.
The suspect allegedly shot both hostages. One of the hostages died at the scene, Newton said. The other was taken to a hospital, where their condition was not known as of Thursday afternoon.
The suspect surrendered to officers and was taken into custody, Newton said, before also being taken to a hospital for unspecified injuries. Newton said it did not appear the suspect had been shot.
“One of our officers was struck by gunfire from the suspect’s firearm,” CHP Officer Ricardo Ortiz said. “That officer is being treated for his injuries and is in stable condition.”
Newton said CHP was serving an arrest warrant at the time of the incident, but the nature of the warrant was not clear.
Ortiz said he had no other information available regarding the investigation, which remains active.
The shooting and hostage situation developed quickly, in a matter of minutes of police responding to the scene, Newton said.
“It was a rapidly evolving situation and occurred within a couple of minutes of the initial broadcast of the CHP officer being struck by gunfire,” the police captain said.
The identities and ages of the suspect and victims have not been released.
The incident drew a large police presence to the park on Pleasant Grove Boulevard beginning around 12:30 p.m.
The Roseville Police Department in a social media post just after 3:05 p.m. said the “suspect has been taken into custody and the scene is safe and no longer active.”
Dozens of law enforcement vehicles from multiple agencies remained at the scene as of 3:15 p.m. Activity centered on the park, which includes softball fields and a dog park.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the response, spokesman Sgt. Amar Gandhi said. Gandhi said “major” law enforcement activity was underway.
Placer County sheriff’s deputies were also at the scene. Pleasant Grove Road was closed to traffic between Woodcreek and Del Webb boulevards as of 2:30 p.m.
SHOOTING PROMPTED LOCKDOWNS, INCLUDING NEAR FIRE STATION
Police were using armored vehicles to attempt to contact a shooter as of 1:15 p.m. at a location near Mahany Park, according to dispatch radio traffic.
Multiple ambulances were also responding to the scene, according to radio traffic. The suspect was taken into custody shortly before 1:25 p.m., according to scanner audio.
An officer announced over the radio at 12:34 p.m. that shots were first fired at Mahany Park. The officer was in pursuit. Firefighters at Roseville Fire Department Station 5, adjacent to the park, reported active gunfire near the station, according to scanner traffic.
City parks and recreation personnel were hunkered down, taking shelter near the fire station. Officers reported the suspect, who they could see, was “armed with a pistol and taking shots at officers,” according to radio traffic.
At one point, a civilian was on one of the fields at the park with a dog; officers worked to evacuate the person. About eight minutes after the shooting began, a CHP officer was reportedly shot near the fire station.
Firefighters brought him into the station and performed medical aid, according to police radio. His condition was not immediately clear.
“There is an active police situation in Mahany Park at this time,” the Roseville Parks and Recreation Department said in a Facebook post just after 1:15 p.m.
“Mahany Fitness Center and Riley Library are currently in lockdown.”
Lockdowns were lifted at Mahany Park facilities around 3 p.m., the police department said. The fitness center and library will remain closed the rest of the day.
Children attending a day camp in the area were moved to Quail Glen Elementary School for pickup by parents.
INCIDENT TOOK PLACE NEAR SCHOOL, PARK AND BUSINESSES
Located on Pleasant Grove Boulevard in the western portion of Roseville, the Mahany Park complex includes softball and baseball fields, a dog park and a library.
Mahany Park is immediately adjacent to a Roseville fire station, sharing a driveway with the park’s parking lot. The scene is also near Woodcreek High School and the Roseville Aquatics Complex.
Classes were not in session at Woodcreek High due to spring break. The campus was briefly locked down for staff working at the school, Roseville Joint Union High School District board president Pete Constant said.
Several other businesses are located near the incident, including the Roseville Utility Exploration Center, Mahany Fitness Center and Martha Riley Community Library.
Across the street is an apartment complex, and a plaza with a Raley’s supermarket, Starbucks and banks.
‘WE GOT INTO A SAFE SPOT’: TEEN WITNESSES HEARD GUNFIRE
Ben Mercado, 13, was with friends at the batting cages at Mahany Park when they heard gunfire. “Roughly 20, 25 shots” to start with, Mercado said.
He believed what he heard was a shootout between the suspect and police.
“We dropped down, got into a safe spot in the cage.”
Mercado said he and his friends crawled on the ground toward police, who had them run to a nearby parking lot.
He said he heard roughly another 15 to 20 gunshots after leaving the batting cages for a total of about 40 shots.
The teen, off from school for spring break, said he goes to Mahany Park frequently with his friends to play baseball.
Ben’s mom, Nicole Mercado, is a nurse and was at work when her friends started texting her, asking her whether her son was at Mahany Park.
“They hang out here all the time,” Mercado said about her son and his friends.
“I was freaked out.” Around 12:40 p.m., she received a text message from her son saying he and his friends were just in the middle of a shootout. Police respond to a major incident.
Nearly Dozen Hurt as Detroit FFs Battle Massive Apartment Building Blaze
April 7, 2023 Firefighters kicked doors and pounded on windows to wake residents.
Source firehouse.com News
About a dozen people were injured early Friday in a massive blaze in a Detroit apartment building.
Firefighters kicked doors and pounded on windows to wake up residents and get them out, according to WDIV.
It’s not known if everyone escaped as the building was collapsing.
Firefighters say the building was full of “old fuel” including building materials, clothes, etc,
Crews will be on the scene for an extended period.
FL Chief Staying Put Despite ‘No Confidence’ Votes from Union, Council
April 7, 2023 Apopka Chief Sean Wylam has come under fire since a firefighter was killed last year trying to move a trailer of sand.
By Stephen Hudak Source Orlando Sentinel (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Apopka City Council voted, 3-2, to express “no confidence” in Fire Chief Sean Wylam and to fire City Attorney Michael Rodriguez, but Mayor Bryan Nelson said Thursday he does not intend to fire either.
“I hope you take that to heart, the will of this council,” city commissioner Kyle Becker said to Nelson after the votes Wednesday, which were mostly ceremonial because only the mayor has authority under the city charter to hire and fire.
Wylam has been under pressure from the community — and rank-and-file firefighters — since last summer’s accidental, on-duty death of firefighter Austin Duran, who was crushed under a trailer of sand he was directed to move though he had never been trained how to move it.
Austin Duran’s family and others often speak harshly of Wylam at city council meetings.
“We all know what needs to be done. Why are we sitting on our hands and not tearing this failed leadership apart so that we can rebuild, reform and improve the city’s fire services?” Michael Duran, father of the fallen fighter, said at Wednesday’s meeting.
The votes for Wylam and Rodriguez, proposed by Becker, came near the end of a marathon, eight-hour meeting.
“This is not sustainable, what’s going on in these council chambers every single week,” Becker said of sharp criticism of the fire chief’s leadership and poor communication skills. “We’ve talked ad nauseam on this topic. It’s time to hire new leadership in the department.”
Nelson, who leads council as mayor, and commissioner Alexander Smith voted against “no confidence” and firing Rodriguez.
The mayor said he was limited in what he can say publicly because the Duran family put the city on notice they intend to sue; the city and firefighters union are negotiating a contract; and the city has a pending search for an expert to be a “change manager” for the fire department.
Nelson in his second term as mayor defended Wylam, who did not return calls for comment.
“He’s a great fire chief,” the mayor said. “Is he the greatest communicator in the world? No. I think he would agree with that.”
Since Wylam’s appointment as chief in 2019, the city has generated $1.3 million more in revenue from billings for emergency-medical services provided by firefighter-paramedics, Nelson said, crediting the fire chief’s analytical skills, attention to detail and credentials.
He said Wylam also reined in overtime spending in the fire division, which has about 125 firefighters.
The mayor said Wylam lacks the warm, personable communication skills of his immediate predecessor, Chuck Carnesale, who was “great in front of the TV camera, great on Facebook and great with the troops but who operationally was not nearly as efficient.”
“You got one guy that holds you accountable for everything, and one guy who wanted to be your best friend,” Nelson said.
About 85% of the city’s unionized firefighters voted “no confidence” in Wylam last month.
The mayor discounted that figure because the vote was not conducted by secret ballot.
But Apopka firefighters don’t trust the department’s leadership, said Lt. Alex Klepper, who heads the Apopka fire union.
“The big thing is the department cannot continue to function without a clear direction and transparency — that’s causing a lot of frustration, a lot of fear and anger,” Klepper told council. “We have to know where we’re going. We have to know what the plan is.”
A consultant’s review of the fire department, conducted by Gannon Emergency Solutions following Austin Duran’s death, alleged that firefighter health and safety programs had been neglected for years, a charge Wylam disputed in suggested edits of the findings.
Commissioned by the city, Gannon said in a 45-page report the department “needs a reset” and recommended hiring a “change manager” to oversee organizational and cultural changes needed to improve accountability, strategic planning and other functions.
The report took note of “the shared grief over Austin Duran’s death, but other than that, the department is dysfunctional in many key areas and needs urgent operational and administrative reform to improve both member safety and workplace culture.”
Disagreement over the drafting of the “request for proposal,” or RFP for short, contributed to the call for firing Rodriguez, as it appears to prohibit Gannon from winning a city contract to implement the strategies they outlined to improve the fire department.
In a memo to city council, Rodriguez noted, “it has been the policy of the City’s Finance Department to exclude from bidding consultants that have provided consultation for projects to be implemented at a later date,” a description which could be applied to Gannon.
Commissioners Becker, Diane Velazquez and Nick Nesta said they were dissatisfied with Rodriguez.
Velazquez, the lone woman on council, said she sometimes feels “dismissed” by the attorney.
Rodriguez has interpreted the city charter to require the mayor’s consent to replace him.
Becker disagrees with that view. He said terminating Rodriguez’s contract would be “an HR decision at the council level.”
In an interview Thursday, the mayor defended Rodriguez, hired in 2020.
“He’s a very, very smart guy. Not very personable, maybe, but like I said [Wednesday] night, our legal counsel’s here to tell us what we need to hear not what we want to hear,” Nelson said. “I’m perfectly happy with his performance, what he’s done for the city.”
Detainee Sets Fire in Rikers’ Cell During NY Legislators’ Visit
April 7, 2023 Of the 20 injured, 15 were corrections officers and staff.
By Graham Rayman, Emma Seiwell Source New York Daily News (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Fire erupted Thursday in a Rikers Island unit that houses detainees in solitary confinement as correction officers searched for contraband while state legislators visited Rikers jails.
Twenty people were injured in the blaze, 15 of whom were treated and five of whom refused medical attention, said the Fire Department. The injured included 15 Correction Department staffers and three detainees, said a Fire Department source. The identities of the other two injured people were not immediately clear.
Most of the injuries involved smoke inhalation, said a Correction Department source. The Correction Department did not respond to requests for comment about the incident.
Trouble began Thursday morning in the North Infirmary Command, which houses the island’s sickliest detainees, said lawyer MK Kaishian, who has a client there.
“When everyone woke up, everything was normal until about 9 a.m.,” said Kaishian.
But the legislators issued a news release about their visit at around 8:30 a.m. By 9 a.m. the elected officials were starting to arrive on their surprise visit, aimed at pushing back against Gov. Hochul’s proposed bail reform rollbacks, Kaishian said.
The contraband search by the Correction Department Emergency Service Unit began around then, said Kaishian.
Kaishan said her client noted detainees’ shoes, mattresses, bed sheets, privately-purchased undershirts and underwear, and other items sent from loved ones were seized in the search.
“Everyone was very upset by the treatment. Their only worldly possessions were being taken away, and it was in retaliation because of the legislators’ visit,” Kaishian said. “They were about to get a tiny political platform, and they were getting it taken away from them.”
As it turned out, the legislators visited other Rikers units — the George R. Vierno Center and Anna M. Kross Center.
The blaze erupted around 1:35 p.m. on the North Infirmary Command’s second floor, sources said.
A Correction Department source said the blaze was set by one detainee in his cell, and that staffers tried to douse it with a fire extinguisher but then had to use a hose. The detainee who set the fire was seriously injured, the source said.
Among the detainees injured was Marvens Thomas, who in August 2021 was charged with attempted murder for attacking a correction officer who was searching his cell by flashlight, said sources. Thomas, 30, suffered severe burns in Thursday’s blaze, the sources said.
Sixty firefighters responded to the scene and brought the flames under control by 2:15 p.m. Fire marshals were still investigating the cause of the fire Thursday, FDNY said.
Kaishian said her client refers to the cells searched on Thursday as “kennels” which are unofficially used for solitary — despite promises by Correction Commissioner Louis Molina and other officials that the city has essentially phased out the use of solitary confinement.
She believes the morning search was meant to provoke an emergency that would limit the legislators’ visit.
“What happened to them [the detainees] was horrific and seemed designed to prevent people from the outside from coming in,” Kaishian said. “It’s completely unsurprising if they are manufacturing these concerns to avoid oversight.”
An internal Board of Correction report from October 2020, showed over half of the fires in city jails at the time started inside restrictive housing units, including those in the North Infirmary Command.
The Board’s discussions with DOC staff suggested detainees light the fires in an effort to get moved from restrictive cells.
They “feel they have no other way to bring attention to their concerns about conditions in the unit and feel they have no way of controlling their own lives,” the memo read.
Current Personnel Say Testing Process for New MD Dept. is Unfair
April 7, 2023 They were originally told they would be ‘grandfathered’ in, but now they have to re-apply.
By Sherry Greenfield Source Baltimore Sun (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Several candidates for positions in the new Carroll County Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services are expressing confusion and concern about what they say are unfair testing requirements.
As part of the formation of the department, all current fire and EMS personnel who work in Carroll County have had to apply for new positions with no guarantee of getting hired.
Some current fire and EMS personnel working for volunteer departments in Carroll County say they have failed the psychological testing portion of the county’s multistep hiring process, which also includes a written exam, physical ability testing, a background investigation and an occupational physical.
This has caused frustration and anger among the fire and EMS personnel, who contend that their years of paramedic and firefighter experience should be enough to secure them a position in the new department.
In emails to county officials, Jason Jackman, who is a paid paramedic for the Westminster Volunteer Fire Department, and his wife, Nicole Jackman, who does not work in firefighting or EMS, say that having an assessment that weighs heavily on personality and life experiences is dangerous.
“Instead of focusing on individuals who have proved they could safely respond to medical or fire emergency, you end up with those who know how to answer a test, a test where a majority of the questions do not relate to the actual EMS/fire profession,” the Jackmans wrote.
The Jackmans and others have taken their frustration to social media, including special Facebook pages, to air their grievances. They contend that department Director Michael Robinson Sr., assured those already working in Carroll’s volunteer companies that they would be “grandfathered in,” and would be rehired by the county for its new department.
Robinson told the Board of Carroll County Commissioners in February 2022 during discussions on the new Department of Fire and EMS, that the psychological testing is designed to assess essential job functions of public safety personnel and predict behavioral risks and adverse outcomes.
“We intend to emulate the process of some of the other jurisdictions in the region, which includes psychological testing,” Robinson said last year. “They’ll look at areas of past history and ability to perform under duress. There is a high degree of accuracy for predicting success.”
On Tuesday the county sent an email to firefighters and paramedics who applied for a position in the new department but failed the testing. The applicants were told they would have to wait six months before retesting, but the email states that the department is providing a one-time opportunity to take the exams again.
“Carroll County Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services is striving to establish one of the premier systems in the state, region or even the country with serving and protecting residents as our number one priority,” the email states. “We set a high standard and every effort is made to not sacrifice our goals or standards regardless of challenges.
“As we navigate through this hiring process for the first time, it is only natural for us to evaluate our processes and consider improvements to our plans.”
Those who want to be reconsidered for a paramedic, firefighter/paramedic, fire apparatus driver or operator position must register and attend a mandatory refresher session on April 10 or April 12. Retests will be given on April 14 and 15 at the Carroll County Public Safety Training Center in Westminster.
“As a reminder, this is a one-time opportunity and applicants who do not successfully pass the written exam again will be subject to the six-month waiting period from the date of the retesting before they will be able to reapply for a position with [the Department of Fire and EMS],” the email states.
Jason Jackman said he failed the testing in February and was told he would have to wait six months to retest.
Though he plans on taking advantage of the opportunity to retest next week, Jackman said he is still frustrated with the hiring process, specifically the psychological testing.
“I failed the first test,” he said. “The personality part of the test got a lot of us. Basically, at this point I can go back and answer the questions against my personality.”
Robinson denied a request for an interview on this topic. Instead the county sent an email Wednesday stating that hiring for the department is an extensive multiphase process.
“As we embark on hiring our inaugural group of employees and work through the established process for the first time, it is only natural and expected for the county to evaluate our processes,” the email states. “The county, through both the Department of Fire & EMS and the Department of Human Resources, has spent over a year developing a hiring process. This process is reflective of industry standards to include several assessments that encompass an objective evaluation of candidates and validation of both their credentials and past fire & EMS experience.
“The end goal is to establish a pool of the most qualified personnel to meet the needs of Carroll County. This is an ongoing process to support our incremental hiring and deployment of personnel beginning in June 2023.”
Jackman and other fire and EMS personnel said they were told by Robinson that their jobs were secure and they would automatically be part of the new department.
“Robinson came to everyone and told us, ‘You’re not going to have to fight for your job,’” said Joel Yingling, who works as a fire truck driver and operator for the Reese Volunteer Fire Company in Westminster, and said he failed his first round of testing. “They’re losing all these good people, because of backdoor stuff, and these stupid tests.”
However, Robinson told county commissioners in May 2022 that as part of the development of the new department, all current fire and EMS personnel would have to apply for a position with no guarantee of getting hired again. He also said specifications and responsibilities for the job could change.
The county plans to hire up to 200 new personnel to staff the new department. So far 16 lieutenants have been hired and began work last month. They are now facilitating the hiring of about 134 more personnel from an applicant pool of more than 300.
Robinson told commissioners last spring that the county’s fire and EMS needs are sometimes not being met due to inconsistent staffing levels. Robinson, who became the director on Sept. 9, is charged with the overall direction, administration and evaluation of the newly established department and will plan, develop, implement and evaluate a countywide combination fire and EMS system, as well as policies and procedures.
“Our objective is to assure 24/7 fire and EMS coverage to the county,” Robinson said last year.
The push to create a combination paid and volunteer county fire service began in Carroll County more than a decade ago. In 2018, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation allowing the county to establish the new department, and, in October 2020, commissioners unanimously voted to pass an ordinance creating it.