When the call was dispatched about a derailed train in De Soto Thursday, many things went through the fire chief’s mind.
“What’s actually derailed? What’s in these containers? Because I know that they carry so many various chemicals, hydrocarbons you name it. There’s telling what actually got hurt, what didn’t get hurt, and what’s leaking. All the things that run through your mind,” De Soto Chief Chris Mussatti told reporters.
Two cars carrying paint went into the Mississippi River, but they have since been secured to the bank. Other cars carrying lithium-ion batteries and oxygen containers are on shore.
“At this time, the response is no hazard to the public. There is no hazardous material we are concerned about for public safety,” Jim Hackett, Crawford County Director of Emergency Management, said.
Four railroad workers on the train were transported for treatment.
Hacket praised this community response from volunteer fire and EMS fire companies saying it was ‘nothing short of amazing.’
He added that he was impressed not only by the number of volunteers who responded but how fast they initiated incident command. “It also was nothing short of phenomenal.”
Three firefighters were injured at a house fire Thursday night.
Three firefighters were injured – one of them seriously – while battling a blaze in Birmingham Thursday night.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service responded shortly before 10 p.m. to a structure fire in the 1200 block of Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard. Battalion Chief Jackie Hicks said that location is a duplex that appeared to be vacant at the time the fire broke out.
There was a substantial amount of fire coming from the duplex when firefighters arrived. Crews quickly made entry and tried to know down the fire from inside.
“Conditions worsened a little bit so crews started to back out,’’ Hicks said. “Unfortunately on the way out of the fire, the porch gave so we had three firefighters that were trapped up under some debris.”
A Mayday call went out – which is used only when a firefighter is trapped, injured or missing.
“They got them out pretty quick, a couple of minutes maybe,’’ Hicks said. “Crews were right there with them so once they saw them go down, they acted quickly to get them out.”
Two of the firefighters sustained minor injures while the third suffered serious injures. Hicks said all three were taken to UAB Hospital but are expected to be OK.
As of 11:30 p.m., firefighters were still working to put out hotspots. Hicks said they would do a thorough search to make sure no one was inside.
Just six days ago, another Birmingham firefighter was injured at an apartment blaze in east Birmingham. The erupted about 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 21, at 1417 Montclair Road. That is the large, two-story complex across the street from Fair Haven Nursing Home.
That firefighter remains hospitalized at UAB but is also expected to make a full recovery. “We’re still praying for him,’’ Hicks said.
Apr. 27—MORRISON — The widow of a Sterling firefighter killed in a December 2021 residential fire has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Rock Falls and the two lead firefighters at the scene.
Brittney C. Ramos maintains in her lawsuit that Lt. Garrett Ramos died as a result of the fire chief and deputy fire chief not following proper procedures.
But the city of Rock Falls, Fire Chief Cris Bouwens and Deputy Chief Ken Wolf, who are all named as defendants, counter that they have immunity under Illinois law. They also said Ramos was partially responsible for missteps he made that contributed to his death in the Dec. 3, 2021 fire.
Brittney Ramos, who is seeking in excess of $50,000 in damages, filed her suit in Whiteside County Court on Dec. 1, 2022 — three days before the one-year anniversary of her husband’s death.
A year ago, in April 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration released its initial incident report, dated March 8, outlining multiple “willful” errors made during the fire. The final report was released in December, and as a result, the cities of Sterling and Rock Falls paid a combined $36,000 in fines for “lapses” in each department’s policies and procedures.
Those lapses that contributed to Ramos’ death from “asphyxia caused by inhalation of products of combustion due to a structure fire,” the report said.
Brittney Ramos lawsuit by Joe Biesk on Scribd
While the direct cause of Ramos’ death was “exposure to respiratory hazards,” the indirect causes were a failure “to identify the presence or absence of a basement,” and a failure to ensure that firefighters entering the home “were operating on the designated [radio]frequency,” among others, OSHA said.
Among other things, Ramos’ suit cites the OSHA findings, and also cites Bouwens’ failure to assess that the home at 10031 Ridge Road had a basement.
“One of the most basic responsibilities of a supervising firefighter is to immediately determine if a structure has a basement before directing firefighters into the structure,” it says.
“This information is vitally important because a basement increases the risk that the fire will damage the floor beneath the firefighters, and in-turn increase the risk of the floor collapsing resulting in serious injury or death …”
The suit also accuses Bouwens and Wolf of failing to call off firefighting efforts when the garage was destroyed and the home was engulfed, when part of the roof collapsed, when part of the floor collapsed and when the fire was deemed under control.
Each time, “there was absolutely no need to risk RFFor SFD personnel to remain in a home that contained no occupants and was not salvageable,” it says.
It also cites their failure to identify and find Ramos after he made two mayday calls in the wake of the floor collapse.
Such errors constitute “willful and wanton violations of accepted firefighting practices,” the suit says.
That language is important, because under the terms of the Illinois Tort Immunity Act, neither the city nor its employees can be held liable”for any injuries cause by any acts or omissions while engaged in fighting a fire, absent proof that the defendants engaged in willful and wanton conduct,” their attorneys, Michael Kujawa and Deborah Ostvig of Schain, Banks, Kenny & Schwartz Ltd. of Chicago, say in their response to Ramos’ complaint.
The same holds true for any failure to supervise or negligent supervision, or for using their discretion in deciding how, when and where to fight a fire, the response says.
“Clearly, the decisions made by defendants in determining how to fight the fire … all necessarily entailed the balancing of competing interests, i.e., available resources, its obligations to the owners of the subject property and the safety of the firefighters. This balancing process, and all the decisions stemming therefrom, are discretionary in nature.”
Rock Falls Response by Joe Biesk on Scribd
The defense also asserts that Bouwens, Wolf and the city were not the proximate cause of Ramos’ death, and that he “was under a duty to exercise reasonable care and caution for his own safety.”
Ramos “failed to ensure that his radio was on the correct channel; failed to remain with his partners while fighting the subject fire; failed to refill is oxygen tank in a timely manner; and otherwise failed to exercise reasonable care and caution for his own safety,” it says.
“Because decedent Garrett Ramos is more than fifty percent (50%) at fault in causing his own accident and injuries, his recovery is barred,” the defense maintains.
Should Brittney Ramos win a judgment for damages, it should be reduced based on her husband’s role in his own death, the response says.
A motion to dismiss the suit was denied on March 29. The next case management conference is July 17.
Six D.C. Fire and EMS personnel were placed on administrative leave for fighting at an incident Tuesday night.
The clash did not involve personnel throwing punches at each other, but with a civilian. The crew also is observed kicking.
D.C. Police and fire officials are investigating the incident, according to NBC4.
“The actions depicting in a video of the incident are completely unacceptable and do not reflect the behavior we require of our members,” DC Fire and EMS said in a statement Wednesday night.
There was no information about whether anyone was seriously injured in the brawl.
Apr. 26—A North Apollo house fire has left a man homeless, and state police searching for answers.
No injuries were reported after firefighters from multiple companies put out a blaze Wednesday night at 1239 Pegtown Ave. near the borough’s Roaring Run Trail access.
First responders were dispatched to the scene, off of River Road at McCain Street around 8:30 p.m.
“It’s a two-story, single-family residence,” said North Apollo Fire Chief Chris Kerr. “I have the (state police) fire marshal coming down tomorrow out of Butler. I got conflicting stories (as to the cause of the fire). That’s why I’m bringing the fire marshal.
“I had heavy fire pushing out the front and right side of the structure. The first floor was unstable, so we pulled everybody out. We had a guy that almost went down through the floor. There was a hole in the floor.”
There was no damage to an occupied home to the left of the burning house. A vacant home to its right was also untouched.
Kerr said a recreational vehicle that was either being repaired or stripped for parts a few feet way from the fire sustained some damage.
Firefighters were addressing hot spots in the attic an hour after being on scene.
Murrysville and Oklahoma EMS personnel had rehab stations to help firefighters recover.
There was a small issue getting water from nearby hydrants.
“These hydrants down here are all on the same loop,” Kerr said. “We lost water briefly. We adapted and brought in a couple tanker trucks. There are four (hydrants) down here and we used two of them.
“Trying to use multiple hydrants caused a water issue for a short time. We were able to overcome it pretty quickly.”
Firefighters from Apollo, Kiski Township, Vandergrift, Bethel, Burrell Township, Parks Township and Kittanning responded, as did Kiski Township and state police.
It was unclear if the displaced man would stay with relatives or could be assisted by the Red Cross.
River Road was reduced to one lane around the scene.
The intersection of North Eleventh Street and North Warren Avenue a few blocks away was also closed for about an hour due to an abundance of fire trucks.
Michael DiVittorio is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Michael at 412-871-2367, [email protected] or via Twitter .
A 13-year-old girl cut a Gastonia firefighter and tried to assault others, including police officers, Tuesday night, according to police.
Firefighters were restraining the “combative juvenile,” when officers responded to the 3200 block of Pikes Peak Drive at about 9 p.m., according to a Gastonia Police Department news release.
It is not clear why firefighters were at the residence in the Crowder’s View community about 5 miles southwest of downtown Gastonia.
The girl tried to cut another firefighter with a knife before police arrived, police said. She also assaulted officers trying to get her into custody, according to the release.
The one injured firefighter was treated for minor injuries, police said.
The girl was charged with aggravated assault and ordered to be held in a Concord juvenile detention facility, according to the release.
San Jose firefighters who gave a scantily clad woman a ride in a fire truck last year are being disciplined.
Chief Robert Sapien Jr. told the city council that the truck was assigned to transport a man from the fire station to the Pink Poodle strip club where he worked. A woman climbed into the truck and asked for a ride-along, KTVU reported.
They originally refused, but she persisted. So, they drove partway around the block. She was filmed getting out of the fire truck.
“I have initiated dialogue sessions with senior and middle management to reinforce professional conduct expectations, a process that will continue through all department ranks,” Sapien said in a statement.
Former Cincinnati fire chief Michael Washington has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the city, city manager and mayor.
Prior to his termination, neither the mayor nor the city manager raised any concerns about how Washington was leading the department, WLWT reported, referring to the suit.
“It’s like they said strike three before he had strikes one or two”, commented Washington’s attorney Stephen Imm.
Regarding the Presidents Day fire at a high-rise apartment complex, the lawsuit states that Washington’s inability to be present at the fire is in “no way a dereliction of his duty.”
Washington was not given prior notice of his termination or an opportunity to be heard on the charges against him prior to termination, Imm told reporters.
When City Manager Sheryl Long announced last month that Washington was fired, she said the city wanted to create a sustainable workplace culture and believed the chief wasn’t capable of doing that.
As for whether that constitutes cause, Imm said, “I don’t believe it comes within a hundred miles of giving them cause to terminate Chief Washington. The Charter does not say that Chief Washington will remain in his position until the City Manager loses faith in him or loses confidence in him. You’ve got to have just cause to terminate him.”
Apr. 26—Police have arrested a Sutherlin man in connection to a February fire that damaged a church in Sweet Home. In court on Wednesday, April 26, he admitted he did it.
Deputies arrested Andrew Jacob Justin Cartwright, 36, on suspected charges of arson, burglary and criminal mischief.
The fire
On Feb. 25 at around 1:25 a.m., someone called 911 to report that the Fir Lawn Lutheran Church at 109 W. Holley Road was on fire.
Firefighters responded and found flames and smoke billowing from the church. The Sweet Home Fire District called in for backup from Albany, Brownsville and Halsey, and upgraded the fire to a two-alarm emergency.
Battalion Chief Shannon Pettner said firefighters worked for more than an hour on the scene. Pettner told Mid-Valley Media at the time that an investigation at the scene suggested the fire likely started under suspicious circumstances.
Following the fire, the Oregon State Police arson unit, Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Sweet Home Fire District all assisted Sweet Home police with the investigation.
According to a Wednesday, April 26 Sweet Home Police Department Facebook post, Cartwright was located outside of Linn County.
The aftermath for the church
“We’re kind of happy about (the arrest),” Fir Lawn Lutheran Church Council President Barb Moody said. “We hope he gets the help he needs.”
Moody said the church is trying to figure out next steps. The council will consider the church and community’s needs before deciding on where to rebuild. For now, services have been happening and will continue at the Sweet Home United Methodist Church.
Cartwright was arraigned in Linn County Circuit Court on Wednesday afternoon on charges of first-degree arson, second-degree burglary and first-degree criminal mischief.
“I don’t want an attorney,” Cartwright told Judge Michael Wynhausen. “I’m guilty.”
Wynhausen appointed Dillon Duxbury as Cartwright’s attorney.
According to Oregon’s online court database, Cartwright has another open case in Linn County Circuit Court where he’s accused of robbery and theft. During Wednesday’s arraignment, prosecutor Coleen Cerda said Cartwright had previously confessed to the robbery and the church fire.
A motive
“I did it because I don’t like church, Cartwright told the court Wednesday. He added that he wanted to proceed with sentencing as quickly as possible.
Cerda said the arson is now a bias crime following Cartwright’s admission.
“He’s lucky nobody was in the church,” Cerda said.
Court records show Cartwright has been convicted of multiple crimes in Linn County over the years, including harassment, possession of methamphetamine and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
“I ain’t going nowhere,” Cartwright said. “I’m going to prison for life.”
Wynhausen set Cartwright’s bail at $50,000 total for the two open cases. The next court appearance in the matter is scheduled for May 8.
Twenty people were sickened, with five briefly hospitalized, after a pair of cleaning chemicals were accidentally mixed together at a posh Brooklyn spa, creating noxious fumes, FDNY officials said Thursday.
Workers at World Spa in Midwood opened up all the doors and windows to air out the urban bathhouse around 10 p.m. Wednesday after a cleaning crew working in the basement combined the two cleaning agents, authorities said.
At least 20 people suffered dizziness and breathing difficulties. Firefighters evacuated the building on McDonald Ave. near Avenue M and five people feeling ill were taken to Coney Island Hospital for treatment and observation.
The rest were treated at the scene, an FDNY spokesman said.
The doors and windows to the World Spa, a new “social urban oasis” that opened in December and boasts a wide variety of baths, banyas, saunas and pools, were left open throughout the night so the noxious fumes could dissipate.
The fumes had dissipated by 1:20 a.m., FDNY officials said.
A year membership at the spa and wellness sanctuary runs about $5,000, according to the company’s website. An employee at the spa would not comment on the incident when reached.
