Heat Leaves Imprint Of Ear On Firefighter's Hood

Heat Leaves Imprint Of Ear On Firefighter's Hood - Akron-Canton News Story - WEWS Cleveland

AKRON, Ohio -- An Akron firefighter is thanking his partners and his equipment for saving his life during a fire last weekend.

Jim Kocsis rushed inside a burning house because he was told children were inside, NewsChannel5 reported.

The house was empty but the flames flashed over, knocking Kocsis to the ground.

The heat was so intense that there is an imprint of his ear on his hood. His helmet and visor melted around his head and the carpeting melted on his knees.

Kocsis suffered second-degree burns.

Chemical Fire Sends People Fleeing

MyFox Memphis | Chemical Fire Sends People Fleeing
MyFox Memphis | Chemical Fire Sends People Fleeing
Employees and neighbors were terrified when this occupancy caught on fire...

Employees said a tanker unloading the chemical resin spilled and sparked the fire. Resin is used to make tubs and counter tops. However, fire investigators have not officially confirmed the cause of the fire.

Workers inside Lawrence Tile say hallways were filled with smoke and there was a lot of confusion. None of the workers were injured.

Lawrence Tile and Marble is at the end of a road mainly occupied by businesses. While many companies were not officially evacuated, the fear of a chemical explosion sent people running.

Woman, 4 dogs die in house fire

Woman, 4 dogs die in house fire - Northwest Florida Daily News
The smoke detector worked, but without an exit plan, Maria didn't make it out. Water shuttle operations were needed due to the rural location of the home.
MIAMI (AP) - A 71-year-old woman and her four dogs died in a house fire, authorities said.

Maria T. Pratt became trapped in her wood-framed home seconds after calling 911 about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Pratt and her husband heard a fire alarm and he asked her to call authorities while he tried to determine the source of the fire, Miami-Dade Fire rescue Lt. Shanti Hall said.

"He began to put the fire out with a garden hose," Hall said. "By the time he went back for her, the house was already engulfed in flames."

Pratt's husband, Joseph S. Pratt, was not injured. Twelve cats and a dog were still missing.

Fire officials said it took them 15 minutes to reach the house because it was located on two acres in a rural part of Miami-Dade County. Water had to be shuttled to the site because there were no fire hydrants nearby.

The home was destroyed. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

When kids play with fire, firefighters worry

Cabinet.com | The CABINET PRESS INC | Covering Milford, Wilton, Amherst, Lyndeborough, Greenville, Mont Vernon, Jaffrey, Mason, Hollis, Brookline, Merrimack and Bedford, NH.

MILFORD —A toddler played with matches and set a mattress on fire last year. Teens played with fireworks and nearly injured four firefighters in Milford last year.

Milford’s fire prevention officer says these are two examples of a huge problem across the nation: kids setting fires.

In Milford in 2006, there were nine such instances and seven of them were intentional. The nine instances involved 15 kids.

“We’ve had children as young as two who have set fires,” said Capt. Jason Smedick, the town’s Fire Prevention Officer.

The toddler was copycatting a grandparent who lit a candle with a match. But the toddler didn’t light a candle; the child set a mattress on fire. Smedick hopes to remind parents that children are watchful and prone to emulate what they see.

The article goes on to discuss the Juvenile Firesetting Program offered by the Milford Fire Department.

Rookie firefighter honored for dedication

Evening Sun - Rookie firefighter honored for dedication
Bart Martin recieved the "Rookie Firefighter of the Year Award"---Here is what his boss had to say about him:

To be named rookie firefighter of the year, the recipient must be nominated by someone in the department. For Martin, that person was his supervisor, Lt. Brian Barnes.

Barnes said he nominated Martin because of Martin's outstanding performance as a firefighter and emergency medical technician. Martin constantly takes training, helps newer rookies and is hard-working, Barnes said.

"He's always at work extremely early and is ready to go," Barnes said. "He's an outstanding employee, he's a reliable employee, he's a damn good guy."

Barnes said Martin impressed him from the start. He needed no guidance, Barnes said.

Martin was one of the top students in his class, and he completed his probationary book several months early. The book has four chapters and demonstrates a recruit's knowledge of all policies and procedures for government and the fire department, and skills in the academy.

"If we could get all recruits that come out of the academy like him, my life would be a whole lot easier," Barnes said.

Army Giving Troops Fire-Resistant Clothing

DESASTRES.org - Army Giving Troops Fire-Resistant Clothing

ARLINGTON, Va.— The Army will send fire-resistant clothes to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan this summer, including a new long-sleeve pullover shirt, officials announced this week.

The clothes are designed to give soldiers an extra layer of protection against fires caused by roadside bombs or rocket-propelled grenades, according to officials from the Army’s Program Executive Office Soldier at Fort Belvoir, Va. This is especially important for those traveling in vehicles or aircraft, where fire can be particularly intense.

In the past, fire-resistant clothes were reserved for aviators and tankers — soldiers who traditionally faced the greatest threat of fire.

But Army leaders have realized that fire protection is now an issue for all troops who travel outside the wire in Iraq and Afghanistan — in particular thanks to a phenomenon firefighters call “flashover.”

The heat from a flashover can melt polyester and other man-made fabrics, which have plastic or petroleum components, into skin.

To prevent such burns, Army regulations require troops to wear only 100 percent cotton shirts under their body armor while traveling the roads or flying in helicopters. Cotton burns but doesn’t melt and fuse into flesh the way artificial fibers can.

In January, the Army began sending more than 160,000 uniforms made of Nomex, the firefighting industry’s “gold standard” nylon-based fire-resistant fabric, to deployed soldiers conducting convoy operations.

But Nomex is a heavy, stiff fabric. It traps sweat and is very uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, especially next to the skin and in places like Iraq, where summer temperatures routinely soar into ranges topping 120 degrees.

That’s why the Army chose to use a lighter version of Nomex for the fire-resistant pullovers being supplied to all deployed soldiers, according to the news release.

The pullovers “breathe,” or wick, sweat away from the skin.

Exploding Stormdrain Covers!

Watch as the storm drain cover get blown off by thousands of gallons of water... and destroys a car! This happens when the pipes get flooded - they build up pressure till it finds the easiest place to escape!

Exploding Manholes

Another hazard you wouldn't normally expect!

BLEVE! Propane Tank Explosion Takes out City Block... TWICE

Gas leak at a propane storage facility in South Korea...all caught on tape. Wow!

Fire hydrant needs adopting

Just because.

The Fire Hydrant That Saved The Mission

The fires that raged after the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco caused far more damage than the quake itself. According to legend, this fire hydrant saved the Mission District. Every year, it is spray-painted gold in commemoration. aprox. 7 mins.

To learn more about the past and present of San Francisco's cultural epicenter, visit www.sfmission.com

PC Pitstop: Laptop Battery Fire

The authors intentionally created conditions in which the Li-ON battery pack would explode inside a generic portable. The results are dramatic. There are numerous conditions where these fires can occur in real life. Faulty battery packs (driving the recalls), faulty protection circuits inside the PC, exposure to excessive heat, and blunt force are some of the major ways that this could happen to you.

Hope your laptop isnt on your lap when this happens! 4:55

What's the Status of Fire Hydrants in Montgomery Co.? Magical apparently.

What's the Status of Fire Hydrants in Montgomery Co.?
Geeze Louise!...Apparently hydrants are magical in Mongomery County. No one knows where they come from or how they are maintained. The apparently just appear....or not....and then sometimes they work....or not. Un-freakin-believable. This is 2007. Wow.

ROCKVILLE, Md. - With word that 53 fire hydrants in D.C. need repairs, Montgomery County's Public Safety Committee will ask fire and water officials about the status of hydrants in their county.

"I think it's a wake up call for everybody," says Montgomery County Council member Mike Knapp.

When a huge fire broke out at the Georgetown Library Monday, firefighters couldn't use the two closest hydrants because they were inoperable.

"I think if nothing else, we should learn from D.C. that just because it's there it doesn't mean its always operational," Knapp says.

Knapp says the committee will ask fire and water officials if there's a way to check hydrants before an emergency.

"If there isn't, then I think it really provides a false sense of security to the community," he says. "Every minute that passes with a fire, the fire increases exponentially."

Knapp says some newer neighborhoods may not even have hydrants, and that's an issue he'd like addressed.

But it isn't just in D.C. or Montgomery County- Seems to be a problem in Seattle too~ Click HERE to read the story and watch the video and play with the interactive web site on Fire Hydrants that DON'T WORK!!

England Fireworks Factory Explosion

This is what happens when a group H Division 1 building catches on fire! Video runs 2:13.

Library Fire Exposes Problems With Hydrants

Library Fire Exposes Problems With Hydrants
What if there was a fire .... and the hydrants were all out of order? Don'tcha simply HATE it when that happens? They sure do in Washington DC-- Where the failure of the hydrants slowed firefighters tremendously.

WASHINGTON - The fire at the Georgetown Library has exposed problems with some fire hydrants in the city.
Dozens of them aren't in working order, including the two closest to the library, where some irreplaceable documents and artwork were destroyed.

The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority is in charge of more than 9,000 hydrants in the city, and the agency has identified 53 hydrants across the city that are in need of repair. Some leak, some have defective parts, and others don't produce water.

Officials say it's hard to keep up on inspections, so the fire department plans to work with WASA to do more checks.

Fire and union officials say the faulty hydrants often aren't discovered until a fire breaks out. Firefighters wound up using hydrants that were about two blocks from the burning building.

Officials say the broken hydrants slowed the response of some units by a few minutes but didn't have a major effect on the blaze.

This is why many fire departments have their own hydrant maintenance and testing program, such as the Charlottesville, VA FD. Click here to read their SOP.

California Town Uses Goats to Stop Wildfires - Firehouse.com News

California Town Uses Goats to Stop Wildfires - Firehouse.com News

MENLO PARK -- A hungry, four-legged firefighting crew has returned to the city's hillsides.

About 450 goats from the Dixon-based Ecosystem Concepts Inc. started feasting Tuesday along the slopes of Sharon Hills Park.

The critters are in town for a couple of weeks to chew up dry brush that otherwise could turn into tinderbox fuel heading into the fire season.

"They are a really neat mowing machine," said Robert McGrew, a former firefighter who runs Ecosystem with his wife, Brea, a licensed veterinarian.

The goats have been bringing their fire-suppression skills to Menlo Park around this time every year for almost a decade, and they've turned into a kind of neighborhood tradition for those living around Sharon Hills Park.

Check out the website for these four legged firefighters by clicking here.
Goats R Us is another company that provides the same service. Click here for their website.

Rapping Philadelphia Firefighter Fired - Firehouse.com News

Rapping Philadelphia Firefighter Fired - Firehouse.com News
What do you think? Are the lyrics of a song grounds for dismissal? Do you have a "right" to free speech as a firefighter?

firefighter who wrote rap lyrics calling police "pigs" and threatening to turn them into "bacon bits" will be losing his job, fire officials said Monday.

Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers reported that the investigation into musical lyrics produced by firefighter Rodney Jean-Jacques had concluded.

As a result of the investigation, Ayers has suspended Jean-Jacques with intent to dismiss effective Monday afternoon.

"Commissioner Ayers deeply regrets that anyone was offended by the lyrics, especially our important (first) responder partners, members of the Philadelphia Police Department," said a fire department press release.

The police union's president initially asked for a written apology, but when none came, the union demanded Jean-Jacques's firing.

Click here for the link to the previous story.
Click here to link to the music video Jean-Jacques made for the fire department...back when they liked him.

5-Year-Old Who Died In Fire May Have Been Home Alone

5-Year-Old Who Died In Fire May Have Been Home Alone - Local News Story - WCAU | Philadelphia

Flames broke out just after 8 p.m. inside the home near 19th and Carpenter streets on Monday.

It took firefighters about 15 minutes to bring the blaze under control, but officials said the severely burned girl was later pronounced dead at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Fire investigators said the blaze started after someone left food cooking on the stove.

Philadelphia police told NBC10 they are also investigating if the young child was home alone.

“She was,” Maisha Watkins said. “They didn't pull nobody out but her. Her family was over there.”

Fire Department Lt. Michael Grant said a 5-year-old should not be isolated from the rest of the family.

“If someone is cooking, stay with the minor,” he said.

Fire Lt. Michael Grant also said this is the 26th fire fatality this year where no working smoke alarms were found on the gutted properties.

Firefighters handed alarms out to the community Tuesday afternoon.

Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers asked anyone who lives in Philadelphia and doesn't have one to call the Smoke Detector Hotline at 215-686-1176 to get theirs for free.

"Our whole organization is sick of this. We're upset about it. We want folks to catch on. We know that people are starting to catch on, but we need everybody to get it," Ayers said.

A Fire That Could Have Been Foretold - washingtonpost.com

Courtland Milloy - A Fire That Could Have Been Foretold - washingtonpost.com

The fiery destruction of Eastern Market, our long-neglected, trash-strewn, rodent-infested "local treasure," hit us when we least expected it. Sure, the 19th-century Capitol Hill structure had no sprinkler system; the electrical wiring was faulty; the opaque plexiglass windows were set in rotted wood frames. But who could have guessed that those things might constitute a fire hazard?
The District has fire inspectors. Apparently, they didn't have a clue.

Ouch. This would be a very bad day at the office.

Bungee Math

What happens when you bungee jump 60' off a road with a 70' bungee???
Check out the link. I give him a 10 for form....but -2 for the landing....8 overall. What do you think?

WARNING: ADULT CONTENT- MAY BE DISTURBING.