'There was a man on fire. It was terrifying'

'There was a man on fire. It was terrifying' | UK News | The Observer

With a screech of tyres and burning petrol, the Jeep headed for Terminal 1 of Glasgow Airport - a third attempt to create terror mayhem in Britain in under 36 hours. Only luck saved lives

It was the first full day of school holidays in Scotland. James Edgar was with his young daughter, trying to book a holiday, when commotion and terror took hold. 'People ran past me,' he said. 'I thought it was because they were late but then I saw the panic in their eyes. I came outside and the fire had started. People were trying to put it out with extinguishers, but it was having no effect. There were some taxi drivers telling everyone to get back in case there was a bomb in the car. It was a frightening experience.'

Home inspection nightmares

Home Inspection Nightmares IV

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/gallery

Check out these pictures of disasters found by home inspectors. They will surprise you!!

The top photo shows some extreme whittling of a floor joist to accommodate a bathtub drain, along with telephone wire supporting drain pipes. The other picture is of a window in an addition...built against a brick wall...makes it kind of hard to escape! The rest of the photos are just as interesting!

Remember....these were all found in homes....where most fires occur! There are safety issues here for both the occupants AND the responders! What's in YOUR home?

JOBS!!!

Here are some current openings....
Firefighter- City of Fullerton

Application Packets will be available online at this website UNTIL FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2007 AT NOON. Application packets will not be mailed, e-mailed or faxed to you by the City of Fullerton.

The Human Resources Department must receive application packets by the filing deadline regardless of the date mail is postmarked. The City of Fullerton is not responsible for any delays with the US Postal Service. Application packets will only be accepted if they are sent via courier, US Postal Service or delivered in person. We will not accept them through e-mail or fax.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

In order for your application packet to be considered complete, the following documentation MUST be included:

* City of Fullerton application (open PDF or Word version)
* Statement of Tobacco Use (open PDF or Word version)
* Proof of graduation from a California State Board of Fire Service approved basic Firefighter I Academy. Candidates who have not graduated by July 6, 2007, will not be eligible.
* Proof of current and valid EMT-1 or EMT-F/S certificate showing expiration date.
* Equal Employment Opportunity – Statistical Information Form (open PDF or Word version)

Failure to submit all required documents may lead to disqualification from the testing process.

Here are some fire prevention openings:
Fire Prevention Officer- City of San Bernadino $3553- $4318 per month Closes July 5.
Fire Inpsector- City of Vista $3975-$5328 per month Until filled.
Office Support Coordinator (Fire Prevention)- City of Rancho Santa Fe Fire Closes July 6
Hazardous Materials Inspector- Livermore/Pleasanton Fire $6179 - $7509 per month Closes 7/5
Deputy Fire Marshal I & II- Santa Clara Fire $6728 -$8179 & 7596 -$9233 per month Closes 7/2

16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives--Firefighter Tribute

I thought the movie was pretty moving and well done but I feel compelled to include more information about firefighter safety...as there is more to it then simply hoping your "angel" is working overtime! That little boy deserved to have his mom or dad come home from work.

Recognizing the need to do more to prevent line-of-duty deaths and injuries, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has developed a national program to bring prevention efforts to the forefront.

In March 2004, the Firefighter Life Safety Summit was held in Tampa, Florida to address the need for change within the fire and emergency services. Through this meeting, 16 Life Safety Initiatives were produced to ensure that Everyone Goes Home. Please take a minute to browse the resources available on our website -- Learn how you can take responsibility for yourselves and your crew -- SO Everyone Goes Home®.

16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives
1. Define and advocate the need for a cultural change within the fire service relating to safety; incorporating leadership, management, supervision, accountability and personal responsibility.
2. Enhance the personal and organizational accountability for health and safety throughout the fire service.
3. Focus greater attention on the integration of risk management with incident management at all levels, including strategic, tactical, and planning responsibilities.
4. All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.
5. Develop and implement national standards for training, qualifications, and certification (including regular recertification) that are equally applicable to all firefighters based on the duties they are expected to perform.
6. Develop and implement national medical and physical fitness standards that are equally applicable to all firefighters, based on the duties they are expected to perform.
7. Create a national research agenda and data collection system that relates to the initiatives.
8. Utilize available technology wherever it can produce higher levels of health and safety.
9. Thoroughly investigate all firefighter fatalities, injuries, and near misses.
10. Grant programs should support the implementation of safe practices and/or mandate safe practices as an eligibility requirement.
11. National standards for emergency response policies and procedures should be developed and championed.
12. National protocols for response to violent incidents should be developed and championed.
13. Firefighters and their families must have access to counseling and psychological support.
14. Public education must receive more resources and be championed as a critical fire and life safety program.
15. Advocacy must be strengthened for the enforcement of codes and the installation of home fire sprinklers.
16. Safety must be a primary consideration in the design of apparatus and equipment.

Click here for 50 Ways for Firefighters to Die (pdf format) by Vincent Dunn.
For more information please visit http://www.everyonegoeshome.com/index.html.

Fatal fire draws charges

Fatal fire draws charges - baltimoresun.com
New information has been released regarding the death of the BCFD cadet in February. Click on the link for the whole story, the synopsis is below.

Racheal Wilson died Feb. 9 after she was trapped in a rowhouse that had been deliberately set on fire as part of a training exercise.

A state agency charged the Baltimore City Fire Department yesterday with "intentionally" and "knowingly" violating safety rules resulting in "a substantial probability [of] death or serious physical harm" during a Feb. 9 training exercise that killed a fire cadet.

The Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, after a five-month investigation, cited the department for 33 safety violations and singled out two fire commanders for the haphazard planning and execution of the live burn that claimed the life of Racheal M. Wilson, 29, and injured two others in a vacant rowhouse on South Calverton Road in Southwest Baltimore.

It said that eight fires -- not seven as the Fire Department previously reported -- were lit by three people inside the rowhouse while the safety officer stood outside. One blaze was set on the first floor, five on the second floor and two on the third floor, the document said.

National standards require that only one person -- an ignition officer -- should set the fire and that only one blaze should be set at a time.

The newly disclosed information also showed that firefighters and trainees inside the burning building were not wearing proper breathing or safety gear and that when the fire got out of control one instructor abandoned four trainees.

Also, when the cadets entered the burning building, the backup hose line, which should have been charged with water in case of emergency, was "rolled up on the back of a pickup truck," according to the document. It said there was no water reserve available for the burn.

National regulations require a hose line to be charged and ready to put out a training blaze from the moment it is ignited...

All 33 violations were labeled "serious," meaning there was "a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result," according to definitions of the violations listed in the charging document.

Of those, 17 were also labeled "willful," meaning "the employer committed an intentional and knowing violation" or acted with "plain indifference to or in careless disregard of employer responsibilities."

The charges dealt exclusively with the fatal live burn on Feb. 9 and did not address other incidents. The day before, for example, two firefighters were injured at a live burn in a vacant house in East Baltimore. It was unclear from the charging document whether the earlier burn was, or is, being investigated...

One citation said the instructor-in-charge -- Crest -- "did not stop the live-fire training evolution when multiple fires set on three floors of the burn building created the potential for a rapid uncontrolled burn."

Another said the safety officer -- Hyde -- should have prevented instructors from lighting the multiple fires. He also failed to remove debris from the building, ensure that backup hose lines were in place and establish emergency exits, according to the charging document.

When the house was set on fire it contained "mattresses, broken window frames, trees and brush, tires, lumber, street lamp, trash, drywall and insulation," the document said. Such materials -- particularly the tires -- can release toxic smoke.

Fire at plastic recycling company produces thick, potentially toxic smoke, closes freeway interchange

Fire at plastic recycling company produces thick, potentially toxic smoke, closes freeway interchange | Inland News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

A fire at a Riverside plastic recycling company sent a giant plume of toxic, black smoke into the air Tuesday afternoon that could be seen for miles, prompting a health advisory and forcing the closure of a major Inland freeway interchange during rush hour.

Flames broke out in a storage yard about 4:40 p.m. at Unlimited Plastics Inc. in the 2600 block of Durahart Street and spread across an acre of wooden pallets, heaps of cardboard boxes and piles of plastic, authorities said. Thick, black smoke engulfed a section of Interstate 215 and spread east to Yucaipa and Banning.

In a written statement issued Tuesday night, Riverside County Health Officer Dr. Eric Frykman advised residents in smoky areas to stay indoors, use the "air recirculation" function on their air conditioner and to limit their outdoor activity...

Emissions from burning plastic contain toxic gases and substances, including carbon monoxide and carcinogenic soot, that create the black color of the smoke, said Jean Ospital, the health effects officer for the South Coast Air Quality District.

Depending on the type of plastics burning, the smoke may also contain toxic formaldehyde, benzene, dioxins and other dangerous compounds...

At Tuesday night's City Council meeting, Planning Commission Chairman Finn Comer finished up an annual report on the commission's work with unplanned remarks about the fire. He cited a previous fire at the location and said city code enforcement officials should have been monitoring the operation more closely.

"It needed to clean up a long time ago," Comer said.

Carl Cranor, a UCR philosophy professor who lectures on risk assessment in the Environmental Toxicology Department, said that fallout from the fire may show up as dust in homes.

"Once the fire is out, it's going to be a long time and a scientific problem to figure out if there were any severe diseases caused by it," Cranor said.

No permit for structure where fatal fire started

foxcarolina.com - News, Weather, Video - Greenville, Spartanburg, Asheville, Anderson | No permit for structure where fatal fire started
This will get more interesting as time goes by no doubt.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Charleston officials say a room and loading dock where a fire which killed nine firefighters started was built without a city permit.

The Charleston Post and Courier reports today the city is investigating to determine if a permit would have required the Sofa Super Store to have additional fire walls or a sprinkler system.

There were no sprinkler systems in either a large warehouse or in the furniture showroom where the nine firefighters died in the June 18th blaze.

The area between the warehouse and the showroom had been empty space. Building officials did --not-- realize something had been built until they saw aerial photos after last week's fire.

Store owner Herb Goldstein told the newspaper he didn't know he needed a permit.

RAGING TAHOE FIRE'S ROOTS: 150 YEARS OF FOREST ABUSE / HISTORY OF MISMANAGEMENT: From Gold Rush logging to modern development

RAGING TAHOE FIRE'S ROOTS: 150 YEARS OF FOREST ABUSE / HISTORY OF MISMANAGEMENT: From Gold Rush logging to modern development

This article explains why todays forest fires are so much more destructive then the ones we fought 50 years ago. It is worth clicking the link above and reading the entire story.

The raging fire that is denuding hillsides and darkening the clear blue waters of Lake Tahoe is the final product of 150 years of mismanagement of the Sierra Nevada ecosystem, fire management experts said Monday.

From Gold Rush clear-cutters to modern home-builders, people have brought changes to the Tahoe basin that have fueled the intensity of the 2,500-acre Angora fire near the town of South Lake Tahoe. By Monday night, 178 homes had fallen casualty to the 2-day-old blaze, which was only 40 percent contained.

Ecologists and local residents said they saw such a disaster coming.

"It's the fire we've been anticipating for 20 years," said Patsy Miller, who owns a residence at Fallen Leaf Lake, about a mile from where the flames had spread by late Monday.

"People have interjected their homes into a system that has a natural tendency to burn very frequently, and where we have suppressed the frequency of those fires for so long, there's an ungodly amount of fuel there," Forest Service regional ecologist Hugh Safford said.

The immediate cause of the Angora fire was under investigation Monday. But the fire's beginnings can be traced all the way back to the Gold Rush and the Comstock-era mining boom.

"They clear-cut about two-thirds of the basin," said Shane Romsos, science and evaluation program manager for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

Mixed-growth forests of fire-tolerant species like the self-pruning Jeffrey pine were replaced by uniform stands of dense white fir and undergrowth, which grew rapidly in the unusually wet years of the early 20th century.

Then came the vacation homes and ski areas. As development spread, land managers focused on fire suppression, allowing the fuel load to build every year.

Federal officials began to shift fire-management policies in the mid-1990s and in recent years have sought to clear away dense underbrush and thin trees in the forests around Tahoe and in the rest of the Sierra. U.S. Forest Service officials said those efforts probably saved at least 500 homes that otherwise could have been engulfed by the Angora fire.

But many forests are still vulnerable to catastrophic burns. This past winter had a notable shortage of snowfall, and Sunday brought ferocious winds that whipped the flames from treetop to treetop even in woodlands where some thinning had been done. Winds that died down Monday were expected to pick up tonight and Wednesday.

"Conditions were ripe for a fire like this," Romsos said.

Now, fire-stripped hillsides could lead to a surge of runoff, clouding Lake Tahoe.

Volunteers needed for firework shows!

If you are interested in learning more about the field of pyrotechnics, you might be interested in this learning opportunity! Pyro spectacular is looking for volunteers to help them set up and clean up at their firework shows this summer. This offer is for current and past SAC Fire Tech students 18 yrs of age and older. My current Fire Behavior sudents may earn a maximum of 30 extra credit points for doing this (see me for the details) Everyone gets a great learning opportunity not to mention awesome seats for the firework show!

If you are interested give Margot a call at 909-355-8120 ext 233.

Teen escapes burning home- but no water available to fight fire!

The smoke detectors and exit plan worked.....but what happened to the water?

A 17-year-old boy jumped out a window and called 911 early this morning after a fire engulfed his home on Kent's East Hill.

Around 3 a.m., the teen was awakened by the sound of smoke detectors going off and got out of the house in the 11400 block of Southeast 281st Street, according to Kent fire officials. When firefighters arrived on the scene at 3:10 a.m., they found the house fully engulfed in flames.

Because there aren't any fire hydrants in the neighborhood, firefighters had to use a truck to shuttle water to the blaze from a hydrant about a half-mile away, said fire Capt. Kyle Ohashi.

220 homes + 2 pieces of fire apparatus burned so far in Lake Tahoe fire

A major timber-fueled wildfire is burning on the California side of South Lake Tahoe. The fire started a little after 2 pm Sunday afternoon.

According to fire officials in Lake Tahoe, the fire is burning approximately 2,500 acres in heavy wooded land near Angora Lake.

One 22-year veteran firefighter say he's never seen "anything like this." Some fire officials have been quoted as calling the fire is "a monster."

Over 220 homes have burned and more than 500 additonal houses are threatened.

North Upper Truckee Blvd. is under evacuation all the way up to Upper Truckee Road near Tahoe Paradise. Structures are either on fire, or threatened and evacuations are underway.

Residents near Saw Mill Pond area and Gardner Mountain have been told to be prepared for evacuation.

Winds are too high at this time for air tankers to attack the flames. Multiple agencies are en-route to the fire at this moment.

Over 1,000 residents have been evacuated.

Evacuations have been ordered for several homes in the area near the Tahoe-Paradise subdivision. South Lake Tahoe High School is also facing a threat as flames near its location. While officials from the United Stated Forest Service have confirmed some structures have been lost, they have not said how many.

Road closures are reported as follows: Eastbound Hwy. 50 is closed at Slide Park; Hwy. 50 westbound at Stateline is closed; In Lake Tahoe, southbound Hwy. 89, north of Emerald Bay is closed, and northbound Hwy. 88/89 at Luther Pass is closed.

Fire crews report having lost 2 vehicles to the flames.

1,400 residents are without power. So far, 450 firefighters are on scene and over 200 people are working at the fire command center.

Current news for wildland fires in the US can be found by clicking here.

House fire- Marijuana Farm- Contact high?

Firefighters at a house fire in San Diego which turned out to be a "pot house".

Fire Debris Possibly Caused Contact High Thousands of pounds of marijuana found in warehouse

From San Diego to Texas....weed fires a new hazard?

EDINBURG, TX - Some Edinburg firefighters could test positive for drugs after battling a warehouse fire.

It happened off Owassa Road in Edinburg. Edinburg Fire Chief Shawn Snider says the fire crew quickly learned marijuana was on fire. He tells us no one breathed in the burning pot.

"I advised them on the radio that, to make sure everyone comes out of the truck with an air pack on, which is standard operating procedure for anyone going to fight the fire," he explains.

But having the air packs on might not have stopped their exposure on other parts of their bodies.

The fire chief says his crews were exposed to marijuana debris, after they put out the fire. They may have absorbed ashes in skin or hair.

"They were decontaminated. We washed them down. We washed their bunker gear down and their boots to make sure they didn't bring any material with them," he says.

Marijuana can be traced even months after someone's been exposed to it. Chief Snider says the City of Edinburg has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drugs.

As a precaution, he contacted city officials and gave them a list of everyone who responded to Wednesday's fire.

Snider says he wants the city to know his guys' drug tests could come back positive through no fault of their own.

He adds his firefighters are clean, but he isn't taking any chances.

The county fire marshal continues to investigate the warehouse fire. We're told there was no signs of forced entry.

13-year-old girl charged with murdering relative in arson fire

The 13-year-old step-granddaughter of a Sprenger Avenue man who died in a fire early Friday at his house was charged with deliberately setting the blaze.

The girl, whose name was withheld because of her age, was taken into custody by Buffalo police homicide detectives just after 6:30 p.m. and charged with two counts of seconddegree murder and first-degree arson in the death of Vincent Fairfax, 43.

Firefighters arriving at 125 Sprenger shortly after 4:15 a.m. discovered the two-story home engulfed in flames. Neighbors said four people, including two children, were calling for help from the second-floor porch as flames shot out the windows of the house. They were rescued by firefighters.

Fairfax was pronounced dead at the scene.

“There was a trail of some kind of flammable liquid [the suspect] used on the first floor,” Deputy Fire Commissioner Patrick T. Lewis said.

Lewis said the liquid was apparently poured in the kitchen, outside a bedroom and dining room area. Investigators from the Buffalo Fire Marshal’s office and Buffalo Police Homicide Unit questioned children and other members of the family.

Sources close to the investigation said the suspect also doused an 11- year-old boy asleep in the house with the liquid, waking him up. She told him he’d better get out or he’d “burn with the rest of them,” said the source, who added that the suspect also led a girl with cerebral palsy out of the house before setting it on fire.

Investigators said the girl admitted to setting the fire. However, they refused to release any details about the girl’s motive.

Click the link above to read the rest of the story!

"When we lose one, it affects us all,"

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - Nine caskets lined the front of a coliseum Friday as thousands of firefighters from across the nation, their hats in their hands, honored nine colleagues killed in a furniture store blaze.

With an orchestra playing a Bach air, uniformed escorts walked the men's wives, siblings and children to their seats in a long procession of red carnations, tears and hugs.

The fire Monday night created the single largest loss of firefighters' lives since the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Beside the caskets, the faces of its victims looked out proudly from large photos: Capt. William "Billy" Hutchinson, 48; Capt. Mike Benke, 49; Capt. Louis Mulkey, 34; Mark Kelsey, 40; Bradford "Brad" Baity, 37; Michael French, 27; James "Earl" Drayton, 56; Brandon Thompson, 27; and Melvin Champaign, 46.

Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. called the men heroes.

"It was their calling, it was their training, it was their duty and, unflinchingly, without hesitation, with extreme courage, they did it," he said. "They are public servants of the highest order. They want to serve. They want to help. They want to save. And they want to protect."

Gov. Mark Sanford said questions may always linger about a higher purpose behind the deaths, but that the men proved their courage Monday night.

"Who we are crucially depends on what we're willing to stand up for in life. In short, are we willing to walk the walk?" he said. "They walked their walk right into the company of angels and to heaven's gate."

The first of the nine funerals was planned for later Friday.

Before the memorial service, a procession of about 100 fire trucks wound through streets lined with mourners in the firefighters' honor, passing the charred warehouse and several of the city's firehouses.

"When we lose one, it affects us all," said Lt. James Diego, who drove from the Newport News, Va., Fire Department with several colleagues. "Most of us have suffered some sort of loss in our careers, and it's a way to pay back the people who supported us when we had a line of duty death."

Black bunting hung over the lighted signs around the packed 9,000-seat arena. With arena full, about 200 people gathered to watch a broadcast of the service at a convention center adjacent to the coliseum, and 100 firefighters, Red Cross workers and neighbors watched on a big screen set up outside.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told the gathering that the nine firefighters "demonstrated the same bravery our nation witnessed on September 11."

"The tragedy of Monday reminds us that we live in a world in which danger is all around us," he said.

Flying fire hydrant kills Oakland man

Wow...talk about being in the wrong place a the worst time...

OAKLAND _ Humberto Hernandez never saw the 200-pound flying piece of iron that killed him and veteran police officers could not remember ever seeing anything like this accident.
Hernandez, 24, was killed Thursday evening when he was hit by an airborne fire hydrant that was dislodged from the sidewalk when it was struck by an SUV, police said.

Motorcycle Officer Eddie Bermudez, who is investigating the death, said Friday it was ``a million-to-one chance'' that something like this could happen to someone.

Bermudez said if Hernandez had been one step ahead or one step behind where he was on the sidewalk ``he would not have gotten hit.''

Police said the hydrant hit Hernandez _ who was walking with his wife _ in the back of the head, skipped off him and hit a fence before landing another 20 feet away.

Lt. Fausto Melara, a 25-year veteran and a longtime motorcycle officer, said, ``I've seen a lot of accidents but never anything like this.

``I've seen people hit fire hydrants but never anyone killed by a flying fire hydrant.''

Police said Hernandez was walking with his wife in the 900 block of 98th Avenue _ a short distance from his home _ about 5:52 p.m. Thursday.

Bermudez said Hernandez had just bought his wife some flowers and some cherries and they were walking to a restaurant at 98th Avenue and International Boulevard to have dinner.

Police said a 2007 Ford Escape driven northbound on 98th by a 45-year-old Danville woman who said a tire blew before the vehicle swerved onto the sidewalk.
Bermudez said police have not confirmed that the tire blew. He said the driver told police she was not talking on a cell phone or was distracted in any other way.

When the SUV smashed into the hydrant, the impact and released water launching it at a 45-degree angle toward Hernandez, who was about 10 feet away walking northbound on same side of the street.

Police are not sure if the hydrant might have skipped off the pavement before hitting 5-foot-6 Hernandez in the back of his head.

``He was walking a bit ahead of his wife and then, all of a sudden, he is in the line of fire,'' Bermudez said.

After hitting Hernandez, the hydrant still had enough velocity to ricochet through a fence before stopping.

That was especially surprising to police, including one officer who said, ``You can't even pick those things up.'' Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife was not hurt.

9 Firefighters Die in South Carolina Fire

VOA News - 9 Firefighters Die in South Carolina Fire

Nine firefighters have died in a blaze that swept through a furniture warehouse in Charleston, in the southern state of South Carolina Monday night.

Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley said earlier Tuesday that at least two of nine people killed in the blaze were firefighters. But in a later news briefing, he confirmed that all of the victims were firefighters.

The fire broke out about 7:00 p.m. (midnight UTC) Monday in the furniture store and warehouse, forcing officials to close off part of a nearby roadway. Witnesses say the building's roof collapsed, trapping the firefighters inside.

Riley said he believed all of the store's employees escaped. At least one worker and two firefighters were taken to the hospital.

Riley called the dead firefighters heroes.

From another report

Overnight, firefighters, police officers and other rescue workers saluted as the bodies were carried from the warehouse.
"To lose nine is just a tragedy of immense proportions," Riley said. "To lose nine is just unbelievable."

The cause of the fire was under investigation, but Riley said arson was not suspected.

He said the blaze apparently started in a storage area. He was unsure whether there were sprinklers in the building.

Witnesses said the store's roof collapsed, throwing debris over about two-dozen rescue workers. Onlookers were hit with flying ash.

"It was like a 30-foot (nine-metre) tornado of flames," said one witness, Mark Hilton.

11 Year Old Girl saves family from fire that she played a part in causing

WAVY TV 10 - News, Weather, Traffic, Sports for Hampton Roads, Virginia - North Eastern North Carolina - 11 Year Old Girl saves family from fire that she played a part in causing

11-year-old KeKe Wilson says this to other kids,""Don't, don't mess with fire ever again."
Wilson speaks the truth even when it has cost her so much. Her Suffolk home on Lake Kennedy Drive went up in flames about 4:30 this morning. And the girl admits her actions ignited this accidental fire. Wilson says, "I was like had matches and I had lit the candles. I had two candles. I had lit 'em and that's, that's the cause of the fire."

But her mistake is the kind any grownup could have made and what she did after has more than made up for her slipup. Suffolk firefighters say Wilson told them she did light the candle hanging on a wall that was the source of the flames. Hours later in the motel where she and her grandmother are now living, Wilson further explains she thought she had extinguished the candle flame,"I thought I had blew the candle out I thought I had blewn the candle it, it wasn't, it wasn't out so."

Wilson says she fell asleep and then woke up to a fire burning her bed by her feet, "I just ran, I ran to my grandma's room and I said, I said to my grandmom, I said mom there's a fire, there's a fire, there's a fire in my bed."

Wilson's 60 year old grandmother, Dorothy Mae Cross, says, "So I jumped up ran and looked into her room and saw the fire at the foot of the bed started hollering calling my brother telling him the house is on fire and get up, get up, got to get up and get out."

Now Suffolk firefighters credit the girl for saving herself, her grandmother, and her 30 year old grand-uncle Tyrone Ralph-- who jumped out a window to escape after hearing Wilson's grandmother's warnings.

Suffolk Fire Captain Jim Judkins points out, "This could have been a very tragic story here today."

Cross adds, "I'm very proud of her cause my baby could have been gone. She could have got burned up... I thank God we're here, God woke her up to wake us up."

Bengay Death Highlights OTC Dangers

Bengay Death Highlights OTC Dangers
Did you hear about the girl that died of an overdose of Bengay? Seriously. Sounds like a joke, I know....but it is for real!!
Just because it's nonprescription doesn't mean it's harmless, experts caution in wake of teen track star's overdose from sports cream

The bizarre death of a New York City high school track star from a muscle pain cream overdose is raising a red flag once again on the hazards of overusing common over-the-counter medications, experts say.

The New York City medical examiner's office ruled last week that 17-year-old cross-country runner Arielle Newman died from an accidental overdose of methyl salicylate, the wintergreen-scented ingredient found in popular sports balms.

To help ease exercise-related discomfort, the Staten Island teenager reportedly had been putting Bengay on her legs between running meets, while also using adhesive pads with methyl salicylate, an aspirin-like anti-inflammatory, and a third product, according to the Associated Press.

"There were multiple products, used to great excess," Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the NYC medical examiner's office, told the AP. All of the products can be found as nonprescription items on drug store shelves.

But over-the-counter almost never means "harmless," experts warned.

Methyl salicylate, or salicylic acid, is the active ingredient in creams such as Bengay, Icy Hot and Tiger Balm, as well as aspirin, and "is potentially harmful if it is overused," said Dr. Gerard Varlotta, the director of sport rehabilitation at Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine in New York City.

An anti-clotting agent, salicyclic acid at very high doses "can cause internal bleeding, it can cause arrhythmias of the heart, it can cause problems in the liver -- there are any number of ways it can get to you," Varlotta added.

However, long-familiar brands like Bengay (which first debuted in U.S. drug stores more than 100 years ago) don't set off alarm bells in most Americans' minds, so the temptation to overuse them is there, Varlotta said.

And while most people would definitely think twice about swallowing a fistful of aspirin or other OTC pill, people forget that creams carry dangers, too.

Click the link above to read the whole story!

Rampaging squirrel injures 3

Rampaging squirrel injures 3 - Animal Peculiarity - MSNBC.com

BERLIN - An aggressive squirrel attacked and injured three people in a German town before a 72-year-old pensioner dispatched the rampaging animal with his crutch.

The squirrel first ran into a house in the southern town of Passau, leapt from behind on a 70-year-old woman, and sank its teeth into her hand, a local police spokesman said on Thursday.

With the squirrel still hanging from her hand, the woman ran onto the street in panic, where she managed to shake it off.

The animal then entered a building site and jumped on a construction worker, injuring him on the hand and arm, before he managed to fight it off with a measuring pole.

"After that, the squirrel went into the 72-year-old man's garden and massively attacked him on the arms, hand and thigh," the spokesman said. "Then he killed it with his crutch."

Man Charged With Using Bible To Start Motel Fire

6/14/2007 - Niota Man

Charged With Using Bible To Start Motel Fire - Breaking News - Chattanoogan.com
Chattanooga fire investigators made an arrest Thursday in connection with a small fire at a local motel last month.

The fire occurred at the Best Western Heritage Inn at 7641 Lee Highway on May 27. Only one room was involved and the fire apparently burned itself out when Chattanooga firefighters arrived on the scene. No one was injured, and the fire caused approximately $5,000 in damages.

Captain James Whitmire with the Fire Investigation Division was called to the scene, and the physical evidence suggested that the fire had been deliberately set.

Following a three-week investigation, Captain Whitmire arrested Richard McCoy, 37, of Niota, Tn., and charged him with aggravated arson and vandalism.

Captain Whitmire said McCoy used pages from a Bible to help set several fires in the room, and he also disconnected the smoke alarm to delay the fire's detection.

McCoy was charged with aggravated arson because he endangered the lives of all the other people staying in the motel at that time, he said. Some additional charges may be filed.

Police: Children Who Died in Pittsburgh House Fire Left Home Alone, Playing With Matches Started Blaze

FOXNews.com - Police: Children Who Died in Pittsburgh House Fire Left Home Alone, Playing With Matches Started Blaze - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

The outcome of this story is tragic...yet much more expected then the first story (about a babysitter that fled the scene). Children (under the age of 5) that die in fires, often die in fires set by other children...and the leading factor in child fire play...is children that are left unattended (not monitored...)Unfortunently this story illustrates all too clearly the statistics that make up our nations fire problem.

PITTSBURGH — Police investigating a row house fire that killed five small children earlier this week have determined that the youngsters had been left home alone and started the blaze when they were playing with matches.

There was no 17-year-old baby sitter looking after them, as authorities had originally been told.

Seven children ages 3 to 8 were left home by themselves, according to authorities. Five died and two 8-year-old boys escaped uninjured.

The fire, first reported at about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday, began when children playing with matches ignited furnishings in the living room on the second floor, officials said. The five children, who were found in an adjoining bedroom, died from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Click the link above for the rest of the story.
For more info on Children and Fire, check out these links:
Child Fire Casualties
Children and Fire (Firesetting information)
Fire Risk and Children
Investigating City Characteristics and Residential Fire Rates
Children and Fire in the US 1994-1997
Socioeconomic Factors and the Incidence of Fire
Fire in the United States
Resources for Parents and Teachers
More Resources from www.usfa.dhs.gov

Scrubs: JD on Fire

It all starts so innocently w/some flaming shots....Will JD remember to stop drop & roll?

Eureka! Episode 25 Volume & Density

This program explains that volume refers to the amount of space an object envelops and that density refers to the amount of mass that is compacted in a given volume.
This episode is missing from the collection below.

Back Draft

Who needs breathing apparatus or masks?? Sigh. Remember what I told you about the guy on the end w/o protection? This is one example of many.

Backdraft

The narration is in french...but the pictures are worth a thousand words. THIS is backdraft...you will see how it differs from a flashover!

Christmas Tree Fire- Flashover

Here is the video of a flashover using a christmas tree.

Bradford City fire (upsetting Scenes)

Here is the video of the fire in the soccer stadium we talked about in class. You will see the rapid fire development, flash over and human reaction. 56 people died in this fire. Why did the people wait so long to evacuate? What do you think of the crowd's reaction? WARNING: VIDEO IS GRAPHIC, SOME MAY FIND IT DISTURBING.

Globe Fire Sprinkler Corp. Recalls Dry Fire Sprinklers

Globe Fire Sprinkler Corp. Recalls Dry Fire Sprinklers

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Model J Heads Can Fail to Operate During a Fire.

Name of Product: Globe Model J Series Dry Fire Sprinklers

Units: About 300,000

Manufacturer: Globe Fire Sprinkler Corp., of Standish, Mich.

Hazard: The sprinkler heads can deteriorate over time and fail to operate in a fire.

Incidents/Injuries: Globe has received five reports of sprinklers that failed to operate as intended during a fire. Globe has received no reports of injuries caused by sprinklers failing to operate.

Description: Model J Series dry fire sprinklers come in pendent, upright, and sidewall configurations. The name "Globe,� the letter "J� and the year of manufacture (1990 though 1999) are embossed on the frame of each sprinkler. These dry sprinklers were designed to be installed in areas of buildings where the sprinklers or water supply pipes may be subject to freezing, such as unheated attics, freezers and coolers, parking garages, porches and warehouses.

Sold by: Fire protection contractors nationwide from January 1990 through December 1999 for between $27 and $36 per sprinkler head.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Contact Globe immediately to arrange to receive replacement sprinkler heads at a reduced cost of $9 per sprinkler head.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Globe at (800) 248-0278 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
Written by CPSC

Ex-Fire College chief indicted

Ex-Fire

College chief indicted - Breaking News from The Birmingham News - al.com
Federal authorities arrested the former Alabama Fire College director Tuesday on theft, conspiracy and money laundering charges, the first indictment against a key target in the ongoing criminal investigation of Alabama's two-year college system.

William Luther Langston, 65, of Tuscaloosa, appeared in Birmingham federal court after being arrested Tuesday morning on 37 charges accusing him of theft and misuse of more than $1.5 million in taxpayer money. Langston, who is scheduled to enter a plea on the charges later this week, is accused of stealing the money for himself, family, friends and two-year college officials while he served as the Fire College director and head of the Alabama Fire College Foundation. (Read the indictment: Download file)

Click the link above to read the entire story.

Living with the Atom - Part 2 of 3

Explains the structure of the atom.

This was missing from the collection below!

Science Videos

I have posted a variety of science videos, including most of the cartoons from the Eureka! series. Some are educational and fun, some simply educational and others, simply funny. Hopefully you will find them helpful!

Eureka! Episode 30 - Radiation Spectrum

Viewers learn that the waves of heat energy radiated by the sun come in many forms, which together make a band, or spectrum, of energy waves 4:50

Eureka! Episode 28 - Heat as Energy

Heat is produced whenever there is movement and friction between two objects. Since movement is a form of energy, it follows that heat must also be a form of energy. 4:50

Eureka! Episode 27 - Convection

This program explains how the principle of buoyancy is responsible for the process of heat transfer called convection. 4:50

Eureka! Episode 26 - Buoyancy

Showing viewers that objects immersed in a liquid are buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the liquid displaced, this program explains the principle of buoyancy. 4:51

Eureka! Episode 24 - Conduction

Eureka! looks at the process of conduction, explaining that the application of heat to an object makes the molecules or atoms vibrate faster and cause a sort of "domino effect." 4:50

Eureka! Episode 23 - Electrons

Using an animated model of an atom, Eureka! illustrates how electrons whiz so quickly round the nucleus that they appear to form layers. 4:50

Eureka! Episode 22 - Atoms

This program explains that molecules are made up of atoms. In pure metals, all the atoms are arranged separately in a lattice-work pattern, but in most non-metals, liquids, and gases, the atoms are bunched together intomolecules. 4:51

Eureka! Episode 21 - Temperature vs. Heat

Eureka! explains that heat refers to quantity of hotness, and is determined by the mass and speed of molecules. This program demonstrates that a bucket of water at a temperature of 50?C contains more heat than a cup of water at 100?C. 4:50

Eureka! Episode 20 - Measuring Temperature

Eureka! shows viewers how Swedish scientist Anders Celsius invented the Celsius thermometer, using the expansion of mercury as a measure of temperature 4:49

Eureka! Episode 17 - Molecules in Liquid

As molecules in a solid get hotter, they vibrate faster and faster and eventually slip out of their lattice-work pattern. When this occurs, the substance melts, changing from a solid to a liquid state. 4:49

Eureka! Episode 16 - Molecules in Solids

This program defines the three states of matter, and illustrates the lattice-work pattern of molecules in solids. Viewers learn the origin of the word 4:49

Eureka! Episode 14 - The Screw and The Wheel

This program provides examples and definitions of a screw and a wheel; a screw is simply a twisted inclined plane; a wheel is simply a circular lever, whose fulcrum has become an axle.4:51

Eureka! Episode 13 - Mechanical Advantage and Friction

Professors A and B compare the mechanical advantage of an inclined plane with that of a lever. 4:51

Eureka! Episode 6 - Gravity

Isaac Newton's celebrated falling apple is cited to explain the force of gravity and the unit with which the force of gravity is measured. Concept: Force of gravity = mass x 10m/s2

Eureka! Episode 5 - Acceleration Part II

An animated locomotive helps explain how acceleration works and is calculated. The importance of reasonable units is stressed. Concept: Acceleration = m/s2 4:46

Eureka! Episode 4 - Acceleration Part I

With the examples of a bicycle and a baseball player, an important rule of physics becomes apparent. Concept: Force = mass x acceleration.

Eureka! Episode 3 - Speed

The concept of speed is introduced to the inertia-mass relationship. Concept: Force varies with mass and rate of change of speed 4:48

Eureka! Episode 2 - Mass

Building on the concept of inertia, Eureka! adds the factor of mass, tells how it's measured, and shows how it differs from size. Concept: Inertia increases with mass

Eureka! Episode 1 - Inertia

This program introduces the series and sets forth the concept of inertia, the first law of physics: Things like to keep on doing what they're already doing. (more)

Living with the Atom - Part 3 of 3

The atom bomb.

Living with the Atom - Part 1 or 3

8:41 Great introduction to atomic structure...even though it OLD.

The Six Simple Machines Made deadly

Mock education video where the demonstrations quickly get ugly...but it does a good job of explaining the six simple machines! 4:48

The Force, and You!

A sick paraody ...explaining Newton's laws. Sick. Very little educational value. Enjoy! 2:06

The Laws of Sir Isaac Newton

The Laws of Energy explained w/Legos. Excellent presentation and explanation(and it was made for a 9th grade project!) 4:51

Claymation- Newton's Laws

Again...have fun w/this review...2:22

Introduction to Chemistry

A good review of the basics. Outlines major principles, concepts and ideas in Chemistry. Discusses the Reliability and Validity of data gathered from secondary sources. It includes A brief summery of matter, atomic structure, periodic table. 5:18

The Elements

The song performed by Tom Lehrer, about all the elements in the periodic table. Overall a nice review of the periodic table! 1:23

Glitch Blamed for Fire Alarm on Orbiter

Glitch Blamed for Fire Alarm on Orbiter - New York Times

False alarm in the space station! Uh oh....click the link above to read the whole story!

Astronauts and mission managers scrambled yesterday when a fire alarm went off on the Russian part of the International Space Station. Within 20 minutes, however, the problem was determined to be a software glitch.

After alarms clanged in the background and a Russian interpreter seemed to grow breathless trying to keep up with the stream of discussion on the alarm and the response, Clayton C. Anderson, an astronaut on the space station, called down to mission control and said, “We looked around and smelled around,” and found no evidence of fire.

In a briefing for reporters from Houston, mission managers said the alarm was set off by a problem with Russian computers that work with American ones to control the navigation and functions of the station.

When the Russian computers failed, control of the attitude of the station was transferred to small maneuvering jets on the space shuttle Atlantis. But in that mode of control, the station’s solar panels rest in a poor position for gathering sunlight, so power levels dipped and mission control had to order some inessential equipment be turned off until attitude control could be turned back over to the station

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OCFA Firefighter Trainee Positions Now Open!

Hurry up and get your app in! They are only accepting 4500!!! Click here to apply!

Blaze destroys fire station

Charlotte Observer | 06/12/2007 | Blaze destroys rural fire station

LIBERTY --Several firefighters stood in a circle with their hands on their hips outside of the smoldering ruins of their fire station Monday in rural Rowan County.

Rarely do firefighters have to put out a blaze at their own station. But about 75 volunteers were called before sunrise Monday in an attempt to save one of the two fire stations in the Liberty township, about 10 miles east of Salisbury.

Tim Shaver, 53, has volunteered with the fire department since he was 18 and worked at the Liberty station when it opened in the late 1970s.

He said he was heartbroken. It took selling "a lot of chicken suppers" to raise the money to build the station, he said.

"They always tell you `things happen for a reason,' " said Shaver, the fire department's deputy chief. "But you wonder, `Why?' "

The volunteer station was empty when the fire started. One volunteer who showed up to fight the blaze was sent to the hospital after part of the station's roof collapsed with him inside. Authorities said he wasn't seriously injured.

The fire station's siren started sounding around 4 a.m. as it always does when volunteer fire fighters are being called to duty, officials. But on Monday, no one arrived to shut off the ringing.

Eventually, a neighbor with a key to the station made the trip, intending to shut off the alarm. Firefighters learned about the blaze when the neighbor asked someone to call 911.

"The first thing I thought was -- the truck is in the fire department. What are you supposed to put out the blaze with?" said Darrin Tresler, the department's fire chief.

So the firefighters went inside to get the truck. A water tanker arrived from a nearby station. Flames leapt dozens of feet in the air, and firefighters spent Monday putting out the blaze.

Crews were able to rescue the fire engine, an all-terrain vehicle, a brush truck and a boat. The water tanker truck was retrieved after the blaze was under control. But the building was a total loss.

Rowan County Fire Marshall Tom Murphy said investigators were trying to figure out the cause of the blaze. No one had been in the fire department since the station had its last call Sunday afternoon, he said.

For now, firefighters will have to operate out of a newer station about four miles away.

"And we'll rebuild," Shaver said. "That's all we can do."

Five children die in house fire

Five children die in house fire - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Five young children died early this morning in a Larimer house fire, as some siblings crawled through the windows to escape, a relative said.
As many as 12 children could have been home when the fire broke out after 1 a.m. in the 6400 block of Winslow Street, Pittsburgh Deputy Fire Chief Colleen Walz said.

"It's been reported that no parents were home," Walz said. Officials were searching for a baby sitter who was supposed to be watching them.

Flames were shooting from all three floors of the building when firefighters arrived, officials said. The children's bodies were found on the second floor.

History with Fire in Its Eye: An Introduction to Fire in America, The Use of the Land, Nature Transformed

History with Fire in Its Eye: An Introduction to Fire in America, The Use of the Land, Nature Transformed, TeacherServe, National Humanities Center
An essay by Stephen Pyne that discusses the origin of the fire policy in the US.

For the 1880 census, Charles Sargent mapped forest fires. Fire was nearly everywhere, some places more vigorously than others. The amount of burning was, by today's standards, staggering. A developing nation, still primarily agricultural, the United States had a fire-flushed landscape not unlike those of Brazil and Indonesia in more recent decades. While lightning accounted for some ignition, and steam power (notably locomotives) for a growing fraction, the principal sources of fire were people—people burning for hunting, for traditional foraging, for landclearing, for clearing field fallow, for pasturage, for the ecological equivalent of housecleaning. And of course there was a significant amount of sheer fire littering. Where spark met large caches of combustibles (as around logged sites), horrific fires, implacable as hurricanes, broke out. The idea that one might abolish fire seemed quixotic, in fact, dangerous. Without fire most lands were uninhabitable. Free-burning fires came and went with the seasons, as unstoppable as the movement of the sun across the heavens. Right-thinking conservationists, as good Progressives, argued for government intervention to stop them.

Click the link above to read the entire essay.

Cast Away Fire

The scene where Tom Hanks firsts makes a fire.

Feud over firefighter's job reveals department discord

Feud over firefighter's job reveals department discord - Today's Paper > Local News | Bakersfield.com - Kern County news, events, shopping & search
Wow...rumors, sex and alchohol... Perception is everything! Click on the link above to read all of the sordid details!

The story so far

Fired firefighter Robby Pratt was disciplined for allegedly engaging in a sex act at a fire station that was witnessed by Capt. Bryan Perry back in 2003.

Pratt contends it didn’t happen.

Perry is the only witness.

Pratt was charged with drunken driving in August 2006.

The charges were dismissed for lack of evidence, but Fire Chief Ron Fraze and City Manager Alan Tandy fired Pratt.

The Fire Civil Service Commission heard Pratt’s appeal in February and upheld his firing.

Commissioner Stuart Gentry, who has since resigned, initiated contact with Pratt both before and during Pratt’s hearing. Pratt is asking for a new hearing. He also has three lawsuits against the city for unfair disciplinary actions.

“Is (Pratt) a saint?” asked Pratt’s lawyer Richard Middlebrook. “No. But did he get railroaded? Yes.”

Charles Brehmer, another lawyer for Pratt, said the city has ignored his demand for a new hearing.

“There’s been absolutely no response,” Brehmer said. “Surprise, surprise.”

Lone Survivor of Motel Fire Critical

11Alive.com - Lone Survivor of Motel Fire Critical
The family was found taking shelter in a bathroom. The surviving girl and her mother fell through the floor of the second floor bathroom. Five people died in this fire. They couldn't get out!
"(They) could not escape the room because their room door was stuck. The family had been using a bobby pin to open it and ended up trapped during the panic as the flames closed in on them.

"The door knob had broke about two weeks ago when we were getting ready to open it," Alma said. "It had fallen off. So my fiancé had put a safety pin in it so it could hold it. I asked the landlord to fix the door."

Alma said her daughter's fiancé frantically tried to call other residents from his cell phone for help, telling them they were stuck.

"I was angry. I'm angry now. I'm still angry," Alma said. "There's only one way in and one way out. They couldn't get out, nobody could get 'em from the bathroom. I know they knew that there's a possibility they wouldn't get out. They're stuck in the bathroom, in a tub. Five, six people. And all they could do was sit there and let it overtake them. No way out."

Fire In Queens Supermarket Injures 5 workers..and 12 FIREFIGHTERS. Employees were LOCKED IN!

wcbstv.com - Fire In Queens Supermarket Injures 17 People

Firefighters rescued five people locked inside this business...however...12..that's right...TWELVE firefighters were injured in this fire!

QUEENS Five workers locked inside a burning supermarket early Saturday were rescued after firefighters broke down the doors, the fire department said.

The workers and 12 firefighters suffered minor injuries in the Queens blaze.

Investigators said the cause of the blaze was a propane torch used to remove floor tiles, and the owner of the Met Food location could be issued a summons for the device.

It wasn’t clear if the workers were locked in for the night or if one of them had a key but was unable to use it, the fire department said.

The fire was under investigation. No names were released, and there was no answer at the phone number of the grocery store.

The problem of locking in workers is not new. From Triangle Shirtwaist to Imperial Foods...the legacy of fires in facilities where people are locked in are a part of the fire service history. But the practice wasn't left behind in the 20th century. It Walmart? Sams Club? Click the link to read more!

FDNY probes 2nd fire in 2 days set by children

FDNY probes 2nd fire in 2 days set by children - Newsday.com

NEW YORK -- Investigators are probing the second tragic blaze in two days that appears to have been set by children playing with fire.

One of the Brooklyn blazes was started by children playing with matches. Another appeared to have been sparked by a child with a cigarette lighter. The result, in both cases, was horror.

The first fire, on Thursday, killed 10-month-old Melanie Webb as she lay in her stroller in the borough's Brownsville section.
The second, on Friday in Bedford-Stuyvesant, injured eight people, including 2-year-old Tavonne Green.

"They say Tavonne is burned from head to toe," a relative, Joseph Story, told the New York Post. The boy's mother, India Green, was also badly burned in the fire. His 7-year-old brother and 8-year-old sister suffered less severe injuries, but were also hospitalized.

Firefighters said the children appeared to have been playing with matches when the fire broke out shortly before 6 a.m.

India Green and a 14-year-old neighbor rushed into the burning brownstone after hearing the children's cries. The teen was beaten back by smoke. Green kept trying, even after the flames set fire to her clothing.

Firefighters pulled the entire family to safety.

That blaze had a happier ending than the fire a day before that killed Melanie Webb.

Relatives said investigators believe the infant's stroller was accidentally ignited by a sibling playing with a cigarette lighter. Two other children in the home suffered smoke inhalation.

Police on Saturday said they had charged the baby's mother, Althea Stuger-Webb, 24, with endangering the welfare of a child. Investigators said she was running an errand when the fire broke out. The children were home alone.

New trial for teacher over cyberporn in classroom

New trial for teacher over cyberporn in classroom - World - smh.com.au
Porn pop-ups on a classroom computer- instructor found guilty may spend up to 40 years in jail-or may be aquitted in a new trial. Read on (or click the link above for the full story):

WASHINGTON: A US judge has ordered a retrial of a schoolteacher found guilty of computer porn charges after a sustained campaign by internet specialists proclaiming her innocence.

Julie Amero, 40, was convicted in January of causing a series of sex advertisements to pop up on a classroom computer, which were seen by pupils in October 2004. She faces up to 40 years in jail...

The prosecution at the trial in Connecticut had alleged Amero must have clicked on porn websites for the pop-ups to begin appearing. But after the trial 28 computer science academics in the state sought to prove that the rapid-fire sequence could have appeared automatically.

Sympathetic campaigners argue such pop-ups are one of the scourges of the internet and say she is the victim of a witchhunt...

Pupils, some of them as young as 12, told police that the computer had been left on for several hours and they had seen men and women engaged in oral sex.

Discussion: What are the implications of this trial? How might this situation apply in a fire station or other public facility? What about a fire service training classroom? Or even during a public education program!? Is there a different standard for an adult classroom? How might the outcome of this case impact your job?

Certainly the outcome of the new trial will be interesting! (In the meantime- note to self: turn on the pop-up blocker!)

Scrubs - The More You Know

Protecting the public, one PSA at a time.

Toyota Salesmen at a Rave

Talk about customer service! Watch this commercial which shows just how far Toyota will go to understand their customers.

Fire report: Life over structure

thedesertsun.com | Fire report: Life over structure

A new report in the aftermath of the deadly Esperanza wildfire says firefighting needs to emphasize "the priority of life over structure protection."

As wildfire-fighting agencies attempt to learn lessons from the blaze, one of the most difficult changes firefighters may have to make is fighting their instincts and letting homes burn, Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley said Monday.

"You get these situations where if firemen are going to be in great peril, they just have to let those structures go," he said. "And these guys are not built to do that."

Reba Coulter, executive director of the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council, a citizen group that encourages homeowners to be proactive in protecting their homes, said she doesn't expect firefighters to put themselves in danger to defend her Crestview Drive house.

"Human life is far more important than any home," she said.

Changing the culture, not just among firefighters but in society's expectations of them, "is going to take serious effort," he said.

"We very seldom congratulate people or give them great acknowledgement for bringing their crew back alive with three homes burned down," he said.

"What's going to happen when (a news helicopter) has a picture of an engine crew sitting on their butts as a home burns up because it wasn't safe to go into it? Do you think that's going to go over well?"

THE 6 BEST SMART ASS ANSWERS OF 2006

SMART ASS ANSWER #6
It was mealtime during a flight on Hooters Airline.
"Would you like dinner?" the flight attendant asked John, seated in front.
"What are my choices?" John asked.
"Yes, or no," she replied.

SMART ASS ANSWER #5
A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets.
As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her. Without missing a beat, she said, "Sir, I need to see your ticket not your stub."

SMART ASS ANSWER #4
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn't find one big enough for her family.
She asked a stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?"
The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."

SMART ASS ANSWER #3
The cop got out of his car and the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window.
"I've been waiting for you all day," the cop said.
The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could."
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.

SMART ASS ANSWER #2
A truck driver was driving along on the freeway. A sign comes up that
reads, " Low Bridge Ahead." Before he knows it, the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge.
Cars are backed up for miles. Finally, a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?" The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."


SMART ASS ANSWER OF THE YEAR 2006
A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam. "Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury, illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!" A smart-ass guy in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, "What would you say if tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?" The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering. When silence is restored, the teacher smiles knowingly at the student, shakes her head and sweetly says, "Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand."