Firefighters were called Monday afternoon to the scene of an extra-alarm fire which destroyed New Life Church in west suburban Maywood, officials said.
Firefighters arrived about 3:15 p.m. to the 1600 block of South 15th Avenue, and entered the building in an effort to extinguish a fire discovered in the rear of the structure. But conditions worsened, forcing firefighters to exit the building and go into defensive mode, said Maywood Fire Chief Craig Bronaugh.
The structure was a complete loss.
The building housed New Life in Christ Bible Church at 1642 S. 15th Ave.
Dec. 27—A father and son in a kayak were among those who helped rescue a 71-year-old Frederick pilot from a creek in Anne Arundel County on Monday morning after the small plane he was flying crashed shortly after takeoff.
The pair jumped into action when they saw the plane veer into Beards Creek, a short distance from Lee Airport in Edgewater, said Lt. Jenny Macalliar, a spokeswoman for the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.
Steve Couchman, the pilot, was taken by ambulance to Anne Arundel Medical Center with injuries not considered life-threatening, Macalliar said.
He was the only person in the plane he was flying, a single-engine Piper Cherokee, according to a news release on Monday from the Maryland State Police Annapolis barrack.
Maryland State Police from the Annapolis and Glen Burnie barracks were dispatched to Beards Creek shortly before 10:30 a.m. to respond to reports of a plane crash, according to the news release.
Preliminary reports indicate that moments after Couchman took off from Lee Airport, the engine of his plane began sputtering, according to the news release. Soon after, witnesses told state police, the plane crashed into Beards Creek.
Couchman climbed out of the plane and stood on the wing while it sank, according to the news release. The father and son who responded to the crash paddled to the pilot and had him grab onto their kayak to stay afloat, Macalliar said.
They weren’t able to pull Couchman onto their kayak, she said.
Moments later, two officers from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police arrived at the creek. One officer navigated to Couchman on his patrol boat and pulled him aboard, DNR spokeswoman Lauren Moses wrote in an email.
The officer then took Couchman to the Annapolis Landing Marina, where he boarded an ambulance and was sent to the medical center.
The kayakers weren’t injured during the rescue operation, according to the state police news release.
Maryland State Police are heading the investigation.
Officers from the Anne Arundel County Police Department also assisted in the rescue, said Lt. AJ Gardiner, a spokesman for the police department.
This isn’t the first time a plane has crashed after taking off from Lee Airport, Gardiner said.
He’s been with the department for 28 years, and estimates that he has responded to seven or eight crashes from the airport.
Gardiner recalled another crash in Beards Creek that was fatal.
A man died in 1998, according to The Baltimore Sun, when his experimental two-seater plane plummeted into the waterway while attempting to land at Lee.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
A 46-year-old firefighter, a 22-year-old department veteran, sustained serious injuries in the fire and later died at the hospital, North Haven Chief Paul Januszewski told reporters Monday. He said the firefighter was working outside of the building and was not inside.
“It’s a tragic loss for the North Haven Fire Department and all our families,” Januszewski said.
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.
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.
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. 25, 2022 A number of San Francisco fire stations took part in this year’s station decorating competition and judges selected Station 19 as the winner.
Dec. 23—Firefighters strung fire boats with lights, took spectacular drone footage and had snow hauled in from the Sierras for the city’s annual fire station decoration contest.
But it was Station 39, a charming neighborhood fire house at 1091 Portola Dr., that took the top prize — turning the historic station at the foot of Mt. Davidson into a light-covered wonderland.
The contest originally ran from 1948 to 1950, and was extremely popular, but ended bitterly after San Franciscans voted down a firefighter cost-of-living raise. It was revived in 2020, after a Chronicle article documented the original contest and suggested a return.
The 2022 contest was arguably the biggest ever. Several stations hosted block parties, and a Teamsters truck, escorted by emergency vehicles, crossed the Bay Bridge early Tuesday morning filled with several tons of winter snow. Also, San Francisco Mayor London Breed was the final judge, choosing the winners from finalists picked by a group that toured 10 stations on Tuesday night.
Station 39 was the winner, with Station 12 finishing second and the Bureau of Equipment in the Mission District third. The BOE, which has a snow-making machine and was the beneficiary of the Teamsters snow, was the 2021 winner.
“Thanks to our Fire Department we got to experience great community parties, mesmerizing Sierra snow, colorful lights, fun snowball fights, delicious homemade cookies and festive spirits all over San Francisco,” Breed said. “It is delightful to see people having fun at our fire stations and meeting firefighters, police officers, neighbors and small business owners.”
Station 39, founded in 1936 and still in its original building, lined its fire house in multicolored lights, built a firefighting scene on the lawn and framed the garage in holiday trees covered with yellow lights. A snow-making machine dusted the front sidewalk while an inflatable Santa waved from the roof.
Honorable mentions included Station 13 in the Financial District, Station 38 in Pacific Heights and Station 35 — the floating fireboat station along the Embarcadero.
Sponsors included San Francisco Fire Credit Union employees, Los Bomberos Employee Group and Code 3 Transportation.
The winners split $3,000 in money going to charities of their choice.
Fire stations will remain lit at least until December 31.
“This year’s station holiday decoration competition was absolutely amazing,” said San Francisco Fire Department Chief Jeanine Nicholson. “Your San Francisco firefighters, paramedics and EMTs did an amazing job engaging with not only each other, but the communities that they serve.”
