Back to school- did you feel it?

Hello everyone,

Well the first week of classes is over and we are celebrating with a holiday weekend. Nothing like easing into the new semester!

Did you feel the any of the earthquakes this week? I was in my office on campus Wednesday and felt the 4.1 that occurred in Yorba Linda. I was talking with a student when we heard a bit of a bang, the walls and ceiling shook and then we experienced some slight rolling. Of course everyone wanted to continue just going about their business. In fact some classrooms didn’t even evacuate! 

 

I was at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg MD last May, which is also home to FEMA. While I was there we were evacuated into the basement due to a Tornado Warning. The second Tornado warning, an hour or so later, we stayed above ground, away from the windows (but close enough to look out). The third time, about 7 pm that evening, we moved our beer from the glass walled “garden room” into the masonry pool hall. The fourth time, 11 pm, - we had moved back into the bar- we decided to stay where we were and watch the FEMA Trailers through the glass walls, agreeing that if they flew away we would move. And these were some of the highest trained emergency responders in the country, as well as your humble professor. Embarrassing but true.  Actually I kept my eye on both the FEMA trailers for lift-off and the graveyard next door for…movement. There was lots of lightning and would have been a perfect setting for some zombie action. Just saying. Risks.

 

We had two cohorts that took shelter for each alarm. They told us they had seen to many victims who said “If only….”, and they didn’t want to be in that position.

The attitude “it won’t happen to me” is persistent in our culture. We are very good at giving up responsibility for our own safety and taking risks based upon false assumptions, “Chimpanzees make awesome pets.”;  “Google Navigator doesn’t make mistakes.” “Physics does not apply to fire apparatus or school busses” ”Safety restraints on amusement rides are designed to hold everyone.” “Cats like babies.”   

I was on an airport shuttle when two women, both Professors from a college in Oklahoma entered the van and settled in. One of the ladies turned to the other and said “Mary, be sure to buckle your seatbelt”

“Um, ok, why?”  I kid you not, that was Mary’s response. 

I expected her answer to be “the laws of physics are different in California”, which would have made sense. I would have accepted “because your ricocheting body, in the event of a bad thing, would hurt me- and that odd woman with the dropped jaw sitting behind us and eavesdropping on our conversation.” It was neither.

“Because they have very strict seat belt laws here.”  was her reply.  (“And excellent brain surgeons” was what I thought in my head, because I am quietly sarcastic like that.)

Anyway, my point is that we interpret risk is a little bit warped.  Which is more dangerous- Swimming Poos or Guns? Drunk driving or drunk walking?

 

 

The book (and movie) Freakanomics does a good job of illustrating this. (Let me know if you want to read the book or watch the movie for extra credit

Why do you think that is?

The first week of school is always busy and this semester is no exception.

Class enrollment is down, believe it or not. That means smaller class sizes for you. The college has also added new class sections, full semester and 8-week classes, that do not appear on the printed schedule. If you or someone you know need more units take a look online. 

I have heard that the first Physical Ability Test in September has a lot of openings. This is a really good opportunity to a) get it done if you are finishing your core classes or b) give it a try to find out where you are currently performing at.

There are also still openings in FAC 008B the Physical Ability preparation class. It is an 8 week class that meets 2 hrs each week (Wed night or Friday morning) at the Central Net Training Ground (behind the HBFD station on Gothard between Talbert & Ellis). It is only .3 units, so it is cheap. Get added Tuesday (call the fire tech office) and you can work out Wednesday!

If you are currently volunteering your time, as an explorer, CERT member, or – whatever- get with our Service Learning Program and receive recognition for you work. Participants receive a Presidential Certificate for 100 hours of community service.

The Fire Tech Club will be meeting in room W101 on Tues, Sept 4 at 3:00 pm. We will be registering members, selecting future meeting times and dates, nominating leadership roles, discussing the club constitution and selecting projects and goals for the semester.

Leadership roles that need to be filled include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Publicist; Interclub Council Representative; Interclub Council Representative Alternate; Project managers. Projects already under consideration include the Hero’s to the Top stair climb, Zombie Run, Small group EMT tutoring, Small Group Cross Fit Training, “Mini-Biddle” relay, movie night, resume workshop, mock oral board.

We will also have club T-Shirts & shorts ($15 each) as well as wristbands ($2) for sale.

 If you can’t make the meeting you can sign up in the Fire Tech Office. Members need to have a current Student Services sticker ($5).

I will be using this blog to share with you my thoughts and observations as we move through the semester. At least once a week, a new post will be added. These posts will include a look at what has been happening at Santa Ana College, opportunities and “breaking news”, current events, real stories, as well as your questions and comments answered.  

You can also find me at www.twitter.com/fireprevgeek and www.facebook.com/firepreventiongeek.

I am dedicated to helping you, our Fire Tech students, to understand more about what we do… and when I can, helping your experience at Santa Ana College be as rewarding as possible.

I hope you enjoy it.     

Cheers

 

911 Call: Woman stuck in her car

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Firefighters: Goats May Be to Blame for Iowa House Fire

FOXNews.com - Firefighters: Goats May Be to Blame for Iowa House Fire - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News:

"NORWALK, Iowa — A group of goats may have started a fire that destroyed a home in central Iowa, firefighters said.

The fire broke out early Tuesday near Norwalk. Three people in the house escaped unharmed.

John Hadley said his cat woke up him up, and he saw smoke coming from a ceiling. Hadley then woke up his ailing mother and her companion and got them out of the house.

The fire may have been started by some goats kept in a shed attached to the rear of the house, Assistant Northern Warren County Fire Chief Kevin Dingman said.

He said a space heater was kept in the shed to keep the goats warm, and the goats may have knocked it over, starting the fire.

The goats and a family dog were rescued, but a cat was missing."

The goats, started it, and the cat woke them up and the dog was saved....Despite the evil plot by the goats.

Minnesota Woman Tried to Set Boyfriend on Fire, Police Say - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

FOXNews.com - Minnesota Woman Tried to Set Boyfriend on Fire, Police Say - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — A St. Cloud woman is in jail after police say she tried to set her boyfriend on fire using a lighter and air freshener.

Investigators say the 49-year-old woman is accused of pouring fingernail polish remover on the victim and the blanket covering him, then trying to light him on fire.

The victim was able to take the air freshener from the woman. Police say she then hit him on the back of the head and bit him several times. As the man tried to call police, the woman allegedly ripped the phone cord out of the wall.

The woman is in the Stearns County Jail on suspicion of domestic assault and interfering with a 911 call.

Drunk worker starts fire in museum - Yahoo! News

Drunk worker starts fire in museum - Yahoo! News

MOSCOW (Reuters) – A drunk electrician started a fire at a world-famous Moscow art museum after he fell asleep while smoking a cigarette, a police source told RIA news agency Sunday.

The blaze at Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery started in an engineering building next to the main gallery Saturday and damaged technical equipment but not any of the museum's valuable art works.

A police source told RIA that a 49-year-old workman had caused the fire, but a spokeswoman for the Moscow museum said it was too early to say what started the blaze.

"According to preliminary reports, the man fell asleep with a lit cigarette when he was drunk," RIA quoted the source as saying.

"He is now in a hospital intensive care unit and it is not yet possible to take a testimony on the accident."

The gallery houses some of the best-known Russian art, from 9th century Orthodox icons to 19th century impressionism and portraits of famous Russian writers.

One of its most famous paintings, by the 19th century painter Ilya Repin, depicts a tortured Ivan the Terrible after he killed his son in a violent rage.

(Writing by James Kilner; Editing by Sophie Hares)

Woman Charged With Murder in Burning of Sleeping Husband - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

FOXNews.com - Woman Charged With Murder in Burning of Sleeping Husband - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

ADELAIDE, Australia — An Australian woman accused of setting her husband's genitals on fire because she thought he was having an affair has been charged with murder.

Prosecutors said 44-year-old Rajini Narayan confessed to neighbors that she set her husband on fire on Dec. 8, 2008, after she saw him hug another woman.

She was initially charged with endangering life and arson but the charges were upgraded to murder after her 47-year-old husband, Satish Narayan, died from his injuries last week.

Prosecutor Lucy Boord said Narayan told neighbors she was a "jealous wife" but she hadn't meant to kill him when she doused the sleeping man's genitals with an alcohol-based solvent and then set him on fire.

Boord quoted Narayan allegedly saying: "I just wanted to burn his penis so it belongs to me and no one else. ... I didn't mean this to happen."

The husband jumped out of bed and knocked over the bottle of alcohol, causing the fire to spread and resulting in $711,000 of damage to their town house and an adjacent property, the Adelaide Advertiser reported.

Narayan was remanded in custody for psychological assessment and will reappear in court Friday. She has been charged with murder, arson and three counts of endangering life, as the couple's three children were at home during the incident.

Job Security....

Video From TooShocking.com
Idiot sets himself on fire.

Funny Insurance Commercial

Man blowtorching snow sets home on fire - Weird news- msnbc.com

Man blowtorching snow sets home on fire - Weird news- msnbc.com

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - Fire officials in New Bedford, Mass., say a man using a blowtorch to melt ice on his back porch ended up setting his house on fire, causing up to $30,000 in damage.

Fire Capt. Scott Kruger tells The Standard-Times of New Bedford that no on was injured during Monday's incident at the three-story home.

Kruger says the man was using a torch hooked up to a 20-pound propane cylinder. He got too close to the building's wood frame and ignited the vinyl siding. The fire quickly spread into the building's second- and third-floor apartments.

It took 25 firefighters to subdue the blaze that damaged bedrooms in the upstairs units, and caused damage to the structure and wiring.

The homeowner will not be charged.

We can file this under "job security"!

The "Man Rules" ...for Women

For your Learning Pleasure. Submitted by a caring student:

At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down Finally , the guys' side of the story. ( I must admit, it's pretty good.) We always hear "The Rules" from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side.

Please note.. these are all numbered "1 " ON PURPOSE!

1. Men are NOT mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down.
We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work!
Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do.
Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become Null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one

1. You can either ask us to do something Or tell us how you want it done.
Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials..

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong.
We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine... Really .

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball or golf.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

1. Thank you for reading this.
Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping!

Man dies after setting himself on fire in hotel

Man dies after setting himself on fire in hotel -- chicagotribune.com

WEST SIDE - A man fatally burned himself Tuesday in a hotel on Chicago's West Side after apparently using rubbing alcohol on his body and then lighting a cigarette, authorities said.

Firefighters were called to the 4500 block of West Washington Boulevard about 11:15 a.m. for a report of a fire in one of the guest rooms, Chicago Fire Department spokeswoman Eve Rodriguez said.

Companies arrived to find the victim still in his room with severe burns on his head and torso.

"The victim was using rubbing alcohol on his upper body and then lit a cigarette," Rodriguez said. The man, Otis Jenning, 52, was taken to Loretto Hospital and pronounced dead at 12:11 p.m. The death appeared to be an accident, police said.

For a visual...here are idiots setting themselves on fire w/rubbing alchohol.

Fire set by grounded boy killed his brother

A 15-year-old boy who killed his little brother by setting fire to the family home as revenge for being grounded, was sentenced to at least ten years imprisonment today.

Matthew Stringer, who was 14 at the time, had been caught stealing thousands of pounds from his older brother and was angry at the punishment dished out by his family who had also confiscated his Xbox computer console.

Stringer poured white spirit in the hall and stairway of his house in Wombwell, near Barnsley, before igniting the fire with a match. Sheffield Crown Court heard that he watched “impassively” as his panicked family tried to escape the house.

His mother, sister, two elder brothers and one of their girlfriends, who was six months pregnant, were forced to jump from upstairs windows to escape the blaze. One of the older brothers broke both his ankles and his badly burned mother spent a number of months in hospital as a result of the fire on November 3 last year.

In the rush to flee the burning building nobody noticed that the youngest brother Adam was still in his room. His body was found by firefighters in his badly charred bed, he died of smoke inhalation while sleeping under the covers still wearing his brand new headphones.

The court heard that Stringer’s behaviour had deteriorated in the months leading up to the fire. In October he told a friend at school that he was planning to burn down his house to kill his mother after she had grounded him.

Since his parents separated in August 2005, Matthew Stringer had lit fires in a skip, a field and a garden shed. He had also used a cigarette lighter to cause burns to his hands.

Scrubs: JD on Fire

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

1977 supper-club fire still haunts rescuers

The Columbus Dispatch : 1977 supper-club fire still haunts rescuers

Today is the 30th anniversary of the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire (which occured in Kentucky).

On May 28, 1977, as many as 2,800 guests and employees were in the club on a hilltop across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. An estimated 1,300 of those people sat at tiny tables jammed into the Cabaret Room, nearly triple the number of occupants the room could safely accommodate.

The building did not have an automatic sprinkler system, now regarded as a common fail-safe in public buildings and required in many areas.

Investigators later blamed the fire on problems with the aluminum wiring.

John Beatsch, now chief of Southgate Fire Department, was 21 and on the first firetruck to respond.

After arriving, he ran to the back, where firefighters were pulling people from the Cabaret Room. The overflow crowd had been wedged in. Tables and chairs had been set up in the aisles and along ramps to the stage.

"We could hear people calling for help. Firefighters were yelling, 'Move your arms.' They were piled up. It seemed the people on the bottom were alive. The people on top were overcome."

Firefighters also were frantically searching inside the building; they worked until nearly dawn pulling bodies out.

"There were plenty of signs that said exit, but they didn't lead directly to exits," said Greg Hirsch, a Southgate firefighter. "There was a long hallway and if you went all the way down, there was an exit. But there were dressing rooms and closets along the hallway. We found people inside those rooms. They got confused, couldn't see. They thought they found a door."

Gerald Sanford, now chief of Central Campbell County Fire District, had traded shifts with another firefighter and was working that night.

"Being in Vietnam, I thought that was the worst you could see," he said. "But even having that training, I wasn't prepared for 165 people dying."

Here are links to more information about this fire:
The Cincinnati Post- In depth report of all aspects of the fire. Floorplan of layout.
A 20 year Retrospective...also from The Post.
From the Laconia Fire Department you will find some of the facts of this fire as well as links for other fires of significance in the US.

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.

History of the Black Firemen on the Los Angeles Fire Department, 1897 to 1956

History of the Black Firemen on the Los Angeles Fire Department, 1897 to 1956
From the Los Angeles Fire Department Historyical Archives I found this web site that chronicles the history of Black Firefighters through 1956.
Here is an excerpt:

Fire Station No. 14

On November 2, 1936, twelve years after the segregation of Engine 30 the white firemen were removed from Fire Station 14 and it also became all-black. Angry at being removed from their station, the whites trashed the building with garbage and fecal matter. The Battalion Chief ordered them back to clean up their mess.

Click on the link above to read the rest.

Children in Ninth Avenue fire face a painful road to recovery

Oshkosh Northwestern - Children in Ninth Avenue fire face a painful road to recovery
Dad attempted suicide by fire. He died. The children lived.

From the moment her mom walks in the room and begins taking the bloody bandages off, Ariel Stussy screams. She hits, kicks and flails her arms, trying to make her make her mom stop.

“Stop! You’re hurting me,” she screams.

While Tena Riste is inflicting pain on her 6-year-old daughter, it’s a necessary pain.
Ariel Stussy is undergoing burn care, a treatment aimed at helping heal the wounds she suffered last summer in a Ninth Avenue fire that badly burned the girl and her brothers, Zachary and Randy Jr.

Their father, Randy Stussy, died in the fire. His death was ruled a suicide. Authorities believe he intentionally started the blaze.

Three times a week, Riste administers burn care on her daughter. During the treatment, bandages are removed and Riste has to scrub the dead skin off her daughter’s legs before applying ointment and changing bandages.

It’s a painful process. And although Ariel has the option of taking pain medication before the treatment, Riste said it doesn’t help numb the pain her daughter feels.

“When I first had to do this, it was extremely hard, because I wasn’t the disciplinarian,” Riste said. “And at first there was a lot of crying, but I knew I had to stop and do it.”

The July 5 fire left the three Stussy children with burns covering their bodies. Zachary, 9, was the most badly injured, with burns covering 75 percent of his body. Burns covered 40 percent of Ariel’s body and Randy Jr., 11, had wounds covering 20 percent of his body.

New LAFD incident adds fuel to the fire

LA Daily News - New LAFD incident adds fuel to the fire
Turns out there was yet ANOTHER incident. The Chief delivers the "State of the LAFD" speech after serving 100 days as Fire Chief. He maintains the problem is with only a few members. He has announced a "zero-tolerance" stance on horseplay, hazing and other bad behavior. But will his actions back up his talk?

Among the messages he is asserting: "Your job is in jeopardy by engaging in those behaviors."

No one has been placed on leave so far in either of the two most recent investigations. Jerry Thomas, an LAFD captain and regular critic of the department who is currently on leave, said Barry has to mean what he says.

"Once the facts bear everything out and the members are afforded due process, you got to hold them accountable," he said. "You've got to start terminating people. The Fire Department shouldn't condone that behavior."

Man ignited gasoline in elevator to kill self, ex-girlfriend

WHDH-TV - New England News - Man ignited gasoline in elevator to kill self, ex-girlfriend
Breaking up is hard to do. Just ask Raymond Echavarria. He was so distraught when his girlfriend broke up w/him...he went to the place she worked at...and waited for her to come back from lunch...with her 5 year old. Then he pulled her into an elevator where he dumped a can of gasoline and ignited the vapors. The elevator exploded..with both of them in it...while the 5 year old watched.

Terrible Car Accident - Drifting Goes Wrong

Wow!!! Drifting is not the smartest hobby one can have...talk about human projectiles..you gotta see this one!