WHITETHORN, Calif. — A persistent Dumpster fire in Whitethorn had officials concerned Thursday afternoon that they may have an environmental health issue on their hands.

"There is a HazMat situation," said Cal Fire spokeswoman Cricket Baird, adding that her agency is only assisting in the response.

Details remained sparse as of the Times-Standard's deadline Thursday, as most officials remained on scene in an area of Southern Humboldt without cell phone reception. It appears that the fire is potentially being fueled by hazardous materials, but officials won't know for sure until they can investigate, which isn't possible until the fire is fully extinguished.

As of late Thursday afternoon, the fire was still smoldering, according to officials, causing Cal Fire to close a large section of Briceland Thorn Road and requiring one Southern Humboldt school to cancel one of its bus routes.

According to a California Emergency Management Agency hazardous materials spill report, a fire was reported at about 8 p.m. Wednesday in a 40-yard Dumpster at the Whitethorn transfer station on the 14700 block of Briceland Road. Volunteer fire crews in the area responded to the fire Wednesday night and extinguished it but were called back a short time later when the fire reignited.

Briceland Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tim Olsen said crews dumped about 2,000 gallons of water on the fire Wednesday night and thought they had it extinguished but got a call Thursday morning indicating it was still smoking.

When crews returned to the scene, Olsen said, there was some worry as to the contents of the Dumpster and whether it contained hazardous materials.

"At that point, the command center, along with many others, thought it would be best not to put any more water on it until we could get folks out there to see," Olsen said, adding that the fire was putting off a heavy smoke that "laid down around the area a little bit" and caused crews to close the road and ask residents to keep their windows closed in case the smoke was in any way toxic.

The hazardous spill report indicates that officials have received reports from citizens in the area complaining of headaches from the smoke.

Olsen said he left the scene at about noon, leaving the Whitethorn Volunteer Fire Department and other officials on scene, and the fire was still going.

Supervising environmental health specialist Larry Lancaster of the environmental health division of the Department of Health and Human Services said officials can't assess the cause of the fire or the presence of potentially hazardous materials until the fire is extinguished, and the fire was reportedly still smoldering as of late Thursday afternoon.

Lancaster said a HazMat captain was on scene Thursday afternoon to give an "eyes-on" evaluation.

"When and if there's determined to be hazards present, we'll take an oversight role," Lancaster said.

Humboldt Bay Fire Capt. II Kent Hulbert said Thursday afternoon that he'd received a call from environmental health regarding the fire, but his department's HazMat team had not yet been called into action.

"The fire has taken precedence, and it's probably going to burn until they find a method of putting it out or it puts itself out. At that point, they would make an assessment and see if they need the HazMat team to come and identify what the things (on fire) are," Hulbert said. "Right now, there's nothing the HazMat team can do."

No waterways had been impacted by the blaze as of Thursday afternoon, according to the spill report.

According to the Southern Humboldt Union School District, Cal Fire has closed a portion of Briceland Thorn Road due to smoke from the fire, and the district consequently had to cancel one of its bus service routes from Whitethorn School. According to the district, Cal Fire directed motorists to an alternate route, but it is unsafe for buses. Consequently, the district asked parents to pick up their students at Whitethorn School, a move affecting about 60 students.

Lancaster suggested residents bothered by the smoke remain indoors and wait for local authorities to give the "all-clear" signal.

Copyright 2012 Times - Standard
All Rights Reserved

COLUMBIA FALLS, Maine — Three people are hospitalized Friday at the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor after a head-on collision Thursday evening on the Centerville Road north of Columbia Falls.

The accident was reported at 6:42 p.m. after a northbound 2006 Chevrolet pickup driven by Andrew Slicer, 38, of Columbia Falls was struck head-on by a 2000 Oldsmobile car driven by Corey Worcester, 22, of Columbia Falls. A preliminary investigation by the Washington County Sheriff's Department indicates that Worcester's vehicle crossed the center line, but Sgt. Rich Rolfe said the accident remains under investigation.

Rolfe said Worcester sustained internal injuries and had to be stabilized at the scene while being extricated from the wreckage of his car by the Jaws of Life, a process that Rolfe said took at least 30 minutes. Worcester was taken by ambulance to the Downeast Community Hospital in Machias and later airlifted by LifeFlight helicopter to Bangor for further treatment.

A passenger in Slicer's vehicle, Michelle Potter, 32, of Columbia Falls, sustained a broken leg requiring surgery. After being transported to Downeast Community Hospital, she was taken to Bangor by ground ambulance, as was Slicer. Rolfe said the extent of Slicer's injuries was unknown. A spokesperson at EMMC said Friday that Slicer was in fair condition. No information was available on either Worcester or Potter.

Rolfe said it appears that alcohol was not a factor in the accident.

Assisting at the accident scene were the Addison, Cherryfield and Harrington volunteer fire departments. Also assisting were ambulance crews from Milbridge, Cherryfield and Columbia.

Copyright 2012 Bangor Daily News

NEW YORK — Remains of another 9/11 victim have been identified.

The New York City Chief Medical Examiner's Office announced Friday that it had identified remains of Karol Ann Keasler.

She was 42 when she died in the terrorist attack a decade ago. She worked in the World Trade Center at investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc.

The new identification was made when officials retested remains gathered during the initial recovery efforts.

More than 2,750 people were reported missing in the attack on the twin towers. The newest identification brings the number of victims to have some portion of their remains identified to 1,633.

Another 1,120 never had any remains recovered.

The SAFER grant offers two funding activities to assist departments with staffing and deployment capabilities to adequately respond to emergency situations.

One funding activity is the Hiring of Firefighters and the other is the Recruiting and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters.

The Recruiting and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters activity is open to volunteer and combination departments only. This activity does not require a local match for the FEMA grant.

The Hiring of Firefighters is open to career, volunteer and combination departments. A major change from last year’s application is that the third-year requirement for departments to retain SAFER-hired firefighters is no longer a necessity.

Under the Hiring of Firefighters activity, FEMA has placed the highest priority on the rehiring of laid-off firefighters. To be eligible to meet this priority, applicants will have to show that any position they wish to fill has been the object of a layoff between Jan. 1, 2008, and the application deadline (Feb. 24, 2012).

The second priority under this activity is the retention of firefighters facing possible layoffs. To be eligible for this category, applicants must indicate that their department has firefighters who have been issued a formal layoff notice, including a specific date for the layoff action, prior to the start of the application period, and who face imminent layoff within 90 days of the close of the application period. The application period closes on Feb. 24, 2012, and therefore the layoffs must become effective on or before May 24, 2012.

The third priority for this funding year is the filling of positions that have become vacant through attrition. Eligible vacancies for funding under the attrition category must have occurred between Jan. 1, 2008, and the start of the application period.

The fourth priority is the hiring of firefighters to fill new positions. The Hiring of Firefighter Activity funding provides fire departments with money to pay 100 percent of the salaries and benefits for SAFER-hired firefighters (exclusive of overtime). Grantees must maintain staffing at the level that existed at the time of the award as well as the SAFER-funded staffing for the two-year commitment. Laying off firefighters during the commitment will result in termination of the grant award.

Under the Recruiting and Retention of Firefighters Activity, volunteer and combination departments may apply for funding to recruit and /or retain firefighters to create a net increase in the number of trained, certified and competent firefighters capable of safely responding to emergencies within the grantee’s geographic response.

SAFER funding will pay for incentives that the applicant has identified as tools to increase recruiting and retention activities. Some of the incentives funded in the past include length of service awards, tuition assistance, lost wage reimbursement and health and disability insurance.

The key to writing a competitive application under this activity is to identify the barriers that are currently hindering your department in recruiting new firefighters and retaining existing ones. Then develop a list of incentives that you feel will help address these barriers, and explain in your application narrative how your incentive program will operate.

The basic purpose of this grant — whether we are talking about career, combination or volunteer departments — is to increase the number of trained firefighters that the applicant will have available to answer alarms. To determine the applicant's current situation in meeting this benchmark for the SAFER application, FEMA has adopted the use of NFPA Standard 1720 for career departments and NFPA Standard 1720 for volunteer departments. Your application needs to contain your department’s current situation in not meeting the respective standard as the first evidence that your application should receive serious consideration from FEMA.

To assist you in developing a highly competitive application, FEMA has prepared a number of resources, including program guidance documents, get-ready guides and self-evaluation sheets. All of these materials are available on the SAFER website.

I suggest that you begin by reading the program guidance to determine your eligibility and the items you will need to compile your application. As always, we at FireGrantsHelp are also available to assist in answering your questions. Remember that the application period closes Feb. 24. Good luck!

Some say EMS organizations should be placed in the public safety realm because of their response to acute emergencies resulting from motor vehicle collisions, hazardous materials incidents, shootings, stabbings and traditional medical illnesses. Responses to these incidents will also result in a response from other public safety organizations, such as law enforcement and the fire department.

Other industry experts say the EMS organization reports to the public health sector. Indeed, EMS professionals are in the field, taking care of patients' health during times of acute or chronic illness or injury.

Normally, a simple change in the classification of an organization wouldn’t do much to change its fiscal outlook. However, when it comes to grants, the argument can open up new avenues for funding. The top-tier public safety grants (AFG, SAFER, COPS) are saved for the fire service and law enforcement. Other organizations such as the National Institute of Health provide funding toward public health, emergency medicine, and other medical professions.

Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG)

Now, here is where the dual classification can be beneficial to our EMS partners in the field. By adopting the public safety side of our operations and joining with our colleagues from the fireside, the 2011 grant guidance from the AFG program will provide volumes of information about potential funding through this annual program.

EMS agencies are further broken down within the public safety sector based upon their style of service. Traditionally, the EMS community is broken down into the following: Fire service-based EMS, in which the community fire department operates ambulances staffed with medical personnel; hospital-based EMS, in which the service is operated by a specific hospital; municipal-operated EMS, in which the local community provides EMS service through operating an independent (not held within the fire service) ambulance service; and for-profit agencies that contract with a community to provide EMS response.

Many grants for EMS operations exclude for-profit EMS agencies. This information will be stated in the grant guidance for any specific grants. If the application being submitted is for a fire-based EMS agency, it would be similar to any other fire department grant request.

If your agency is a hospital-based or municipal EMS organization, your application would be submitted under nonaffiliated EMS organization priorities. You can find this information in the 2011 Grant Guidance (For Grant Guidance Click Here), starting on page 24.

The AFG program considers five areas when funding the nonaffiliated EMS organization application: First responder/EMR training, EMS equipment acquisition, EMS personal protective equipment purchase, EMS wellness and fitness and modifications to EMS facilities.

In 2011, funding for the AFG program was capped at $404,190,000, which represents a significant decrease over the previous year's awards. Funding levels for the 2012 application have not been published.

To better understand the five categories for nonaffiliated EMS organizations and the funding priorities for each, we will look deeper into each category. The AFG grant guidance document gives values to each of the areas, which they call "funding priorities." Each year the funding priorities change; but in preparation for the 2012 application period, start planning around the 2011 AFG guidance document, and verify when the new document is released.

Category 1: EMS Training

“AFG provides grants to train EMS personnel. Examples of training activities include, but are not limited to, first responder, Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ALS), Paramedic, Hazmat Operations, or Rescue Operations.” (AFG 2011)

Funding priority in this category will be given to those preparing to increase the agency’s level of service from BLS to ALS through incorporation of EMT-I or from EMT-I to Paramedic. However, the lowest funding priority will be assigned to those trying to move from the EMT-B to Paramedic level due to the length of time and cost associated with this increase.

Category 2: EMS Equipment

“Equipment requested should solve interoperability or compatibility problems as may be required by local jurisdictions. Equipment requested, particularly decontamination and Hazmat equipment is fundable to the current level of an organization’s capabilities.” (AFG, 2011)

In this category, the highest priorities are assigned to departments upgrading from Basic Life Support (BLS) to Advanced Life Support (ALS) and agencies requesting equipment that brings the department into compliance with national, state or local jurisdictional requirements.

Category 3: EMS Personal Protective Equipment

The funding priority for this section is based upon getting first responders the protection they need. The highest priority is funding the purchase of PPE for the first time and replacing or updating obsolete PPE to meet current standards. In addition to requesting the personal protective equipment, agencies must ensure to the grantor that trained individuals will use the PPE purchased or that training will be provided as part of the purchase.

Category 4: EMS Wellness and Fitness

“Wellness and fitness programs are intended to strengthen personnel so their mental, physical, and emotional capabilities are resilient enough to withstand the demands of emergency services response. To be eligible for funding under this activity, organizations must offer, or plan to offer, all four of the following programs:

Periodic health screenings

Entry physical examinations

Immunizations

Behavioral health programs”(AFG, 2011)

Cardiovascular disease has been a leading cause of death and disability in the emergency services community. It stems from lengthy work hours, high stress levels, poor eating habits and minimal time allotted to exercise. Organizations that have implemented comprehensive wellness and fitness programs have been able to identify members who were diabetic and didn’t know. They identified others who had significant cardiovascular disease and could schedule for surgery before negative medical situations occurred.

Funding here excludes the purchase of gym memberships, new real estate, cash incentives and failure to meet National Fire Protection Agency Standard 1582.

Category 5: Modifications to EMS Facilities

This section is limited but designed to help organizations provide quality working environments. Nonaffiliated EMS organizations are limited to providing renovations to EMS facilities, and those renovations cannot exceed #100,000.00. Additionally, those renovations must meet environmental requirements and compliance with all EHP laws.

Conclusion

Prior preparation prevents poor performance. The 2012 AFG program will be publishing the grant guidance a little later this year. For the greatest potential to succeed in this highly competitive grant, it is best to prepare for this opportunity early.

With a funding cap of more than $400 million, this grant opportunity has funded many tremendous initiatives across the nation, and as funding for EMS agencies increases, it is good for all agencies to request it.

As part of the public safety community, EMS agencies can access funding to enhance the level of care provided to our citizens. Finding the source and the means of the funding is imperative to success.

Next month, we will review the alter ego of EMS and discuss how funding through public health will allow our EMS partners receive more funding to enhance pre-hospital emergency care.

In a statement released Thursday, Kent Hospital said they became aware of "an incident on the property that took place in late January involving a hospital employee and another individual.

"The hospital employee was not a nurse or a doctor. An internal review was conducted and handled according to our human resources policies. No further detail will be provided as this is a personal matter."

Peter Hanney, a spokesperson for the Department of Health, told WPRO, "Applicants for an EMS provider or an emergency medical technician have to follow requirement that they have demonstrated to the Department of Health that they are of good moral character."

NBC 10 reported the Coventry fire chief is also investigating the claims, but that the firefighter remains on duty.

Joshua Weissman, 33, who was hired as a Medic I for the Alexandria Fire Department in April 2006 and was promoted to Medic II the following year, suffered a severe head injury in the 30-foot fall.

He was transported to the Washington Hospital Center Trauma Unit, but his injuries proved to be fatal.

Alexandria Chief Adam K. Thiel, FireRescue1's Editorial Advisor, told local media, "This is a day of great sadness for all of us in the Alexandria Fire Department."

Chief Thiel described Weissman as "committed, dedicated, professional, to the end."

Weissman received many letters from members of the Alexandria community commending him for his work and effectiveness, according to a department news release.

In one situation, for example, Weissman had responded to a home incident in which a grandmother who had been carrying her young grandson had tripped and fallen.

The boy’s mother, upon arriving home after the incident, was concerned with the medical status of her son. Weissman revisited the home and reassured the mother that he had thoroughly checked the little boy during the initial response, thus alleviating the mother’s concerns.

The mother was so impressed by the paramedic's concern that she wrote a letter to Chief Thiel expressing her appreciation for his actions.

In a statement, authorities said Weissman was trying to reach a burning vehicle by “climbing over the cement barrier along I-395 when he fell through a gap and into Four Mile Creek, 30 feet below the interstate."

Funeral arrangements are pending.

"The department has not only lost an outstanding employee and paramedic, but a dedicated co-worker and friend," said a department statement.

MINNEAPOLIS — Dry foliage, dry soil, a dry atmosphere and a dry long-term weather outlook have fire officials in Minnesota bracing for what could be a dangerous fire season in the coming weeks.

"It all adds up to the possibility of increased activity this spring," said Doug Miedtke, fire management specialist for the Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids, Minn.

Without significant snow cover across much of the state, the Department of Natural Resources this week began requiring permits for open burning in all but about the northern fourth of Minnesota — a "very unusual" situation for early February, Miedtke said. Permits generally aren't required where there is at least 3 inches of snow on the ground.

In east-central Minnesota, enough timber from a pair of July windstorms still lies on the ground — even after continuing auctions to loggers — that public agencies are hiring additional firefighters, lining up additional heavy equipment and even extending a helicopter contract.

"The blowdown itself really raises the fire danger. But the extraordinarily dry conditions we have now just amplify that," said Jeremy Fauskee, supervisor in the Department of Natural Resources' regional forestry office in Sandstone. The storms virtually wiped out forest cover on nearly 30,000 acres of state forest and state park land, including parts of St. Croix State Park. Damage was spread over about 185,000 acres of public and private land — about 289 square miles.

Elsewhere, grasses usually matted by snow are standing tall, possibly allowing fire to spread through them more quickly than in a normal spring, Miedtke noted.

About a foot of snow now rests in much of the Superior National Forest, where a lightning-sparked fire in August later blew into the largest wildfire in Minnesota in 93 years. That's about as deep as the snow gets in Minnesota right now, but Ranger Mark Van Every said it doesn't have much moisture in it.

"Things are extremely dry," he said Wednesday. "It looked like a late summer dust cloud as I was driving down the road. If we don't see more precipitation — snow or rain — we're definitely going to have an early and active fire season." U.S. Forest Service officials may ask for a funding boost and call in seasonal crews early to cover possible spring firefighting, Van Every said.

Widespread drought

All but the extreme southeast corner of Minnesota is experiencing some degree of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In south-central and southwest Minnesota, as well as in the Arrowhead region of northeast Minnesota, the drought is labeled "severe." From Aug. 1 through Monday, precipitation at Waseca has been about one-third normal. At Marshall, rain and snow were about 15 percent of normal.

Through last week, more than half the state had less than an inch of snow on the ground, according to the Minnesota DNR climatology office. In the Twin Cities, the official depth dropped back to zero on Friday.

There's not much encouragement ahead. A wintry storm track has continued to run across Canada instead of the northern U.S., and dry conditions in an area such as Minnesota — far from maritime sources of moisture — can often be self-perpetuating, said Brian Fuchs, climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center.

Last spring's plentiful rains, Miedtke added, generated rich ground cover around much of the state, but after seven months of drought that grass is now a prime wildfire fuel. In northwest Minnesota, he said, ground fires last fall penetrated into dry peat below the surface and continued to burn through December.

Lack of snow has allowed frost to harden deep in soils across the state, Miedtke said, even with unusually warm weather. That means early rain, or a thaw of snow that might fall, may run off the surface without replenishing soils.

Tom Hoverstad, scientist at the University of Minnesota's Southern Research and Outreach Center, said the outlook for agriculture isn't at all grim — yet. Soil moisture at Waseca was about half of what's normal in November, when the moisture usually freezes. That means soils could be dry enough for early planting, and they may be able to absorb snowmelt and rain rather than just shed it, Hoverstad said.

Area farmers, he said, are wondering whether they should plant corn less densely than normal so the crop can draw enough moisture from the soil. "I'm answering 'No, plant corn the way you always do, and hope you get the best crop you've ever had,'" he said. "I think we can do that.

"But if we're still running well below normal June 1, then I'll start getting nervous."

Copyright 2012 Star Tribune
All Rights Reserved

PITTSBURGH — Although the Chevrolet Volt has fueled heated debates in the political arena, emergency responders are more concerned about preventing fires when it and other electric cars are involved in crashes.

Paul Gurcak, hybrid technician at Sun Chevrolet in McMurray, is working to help firefighters understand dangers specific to electric cars.

"You're working with high-voltage electricity," said Gurcak, 54, of Finleyville. "When these guys show up, they need to know how to protect themselves when doing extractions. You don't want to make it worse."

Gurcak partnered with the Elrama Volunteer Fire Department in Washington County last month for a training session that drew about 60 people from seven local departments.

Elrama Capt. Frank Culver said more departments have contacted him since then seeking similar sessions.

"No one knew what to do," Culver said.

Before extracting anyone who might be trapped in the car as a result of a wreck, firefighters must disable the low-voltage cables in the car's trunk. Those cables control the high-voltage cables, so cutting them decreases the chance of fire.

Gurcak said the safety measure is used primarily when a crash leaves people trapped in the car, not for fender-benders. Drivers should treat electric cars as they would any vehicle after a crash, he said. "There's nothing the consumer needs to do. You don't need to run away from it" for fear of fire, he said.

Gurcak uses a Volt to give firefighters firsthand experience with an electric car. The Volt came under criticism last year when battery fires erupted twice at testing sites. No fires occurred elsewhere, but the tests prompted a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation.

The two-month investigation ended last month with the safety agency concluding the Volt and other electric cars don't pose a greater fire risk than gasoline-powered cars. However, all Volts will undergo retrofits to better protect the battery from damage in crashes.

Republicans have accused the agency of purposely delaying disclosure of the Volt battery fires to avoid criticism of the government's bailout of General Motors Co. Agency and GM officials denied those allegations.

Since the vehicle became widely available last year, Sun Chevrolet has had two on the lot. One sold, Gurcak said.

Louis Chiodo, president of the Vortex Electric Vehicle Association in Sewickley, said his organization supports the firefighter training, which he said is becoming common across the country.

"It's not a government mandate that directs manufacturers to give direction to first responders," he said, adding that he's pleased the companies are opting to act on their own. "We see it as a very good thing."

Copyright 2012 Tribune Review Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved

FAYETTE, Maine -- More than $270,000 in federal funding announced Wednesday for the Fayette Fire Department is the largest grant the small force has ever received and will help buy new equipment.

"It's almost like we won the lottery," Fayette Fire Chief Marty Maxwell said on Wednesday morning. "It's huge. This will benefit the town a lot."

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said the Department of Homeland Security had awarded $270,750 to the department through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

"Our firefighters put their lives on the line at every call to save others and protect property, whether in a single house fire or in a widespread disaster," Collins said in a statement. "They need good equipment, adequate staffing, intensive training and public support to do their job."

Fayette firefighters will use the money to purchase a new tanker/pumper, which will replace a 25-year-old tanker and a 1956 engine.

Town Manager Mark Robinson credited the whole Fire Department, including Maxwell, Deputy Chief Stacey Rose and Assistant Chief John Churchill, for their work on the grant application.

Maxwell said the group will reconvene and draw up specifications for the new vehicle and put out a request for proposal to dealers.

Terms of the grant require a local share of $14,250. Both Maxwell and Robinson said that money would be drawn from the Fire Department's reserve account, which contains about $75,000. Townspeople voted last April to authorize the money for that purpose if the grant application succeeded.

"This is something that will not cost the taxpayers more money," Robinson said. "It's a great, great thing for Fayette."

The grant money will also include training for firefighters on operating the new equipment.

Collins' office said Maine fire departments have been awarded more than $54 million to help purchase new, used or refurbished vehicles and equipment over the past nine years.

The department, which has 19 active members and two junior firefighters, responds to about 70 fire calls a year in Fayette and surrounding communities that are members of the five-town Lakes Regional Mutual Aid group.

The Fayette Fire Department received a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant about seven years ago to help build a new fire station, Maxwell said.

Copyright 2012 ProQuest Information and Learning
All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2012 Kennebec Journal

PORTLAND, Maine — Sherwood Campbell was a large man who adored his small dogs. The kind-hearted 64-year-old, who had no children, doted on the long-haired miniatures.

So neighbors and family members were sad, but not surprised, that Campbell charged into the smoke-filled home he shares with his parents in a desperate effort to rescue his pets, shrugging off his brother-in-law, who tried to pull him to safety.

Firefighters found Campbell's body Wednesday morning at the entrance to his second-floor bedroom, the body of his dog Whomper with him, relatives said.

"He just loved his dogs. They were his world," said his sister, Cindy Holland. Besides Whomper, he also had Little Dog, a white Pomeranian, Holland said. A third dog, his parents' black miniature pincher, Muppet, also died.

Investigators with the State Fire Marshal's Office are still trying to determine what ignited the fire, which started in the kitchen area at the rear of the house.

Campbell's parents, who are in their 80s, were at Maine Medical Center at the time of the fire. Campbell's father, Sheldon, is in intensive care unit for a heart problem.

Mark Blanchette, Campbell's brother-in-law, said he was in his home across the street when Campbell ran over Tuesday afternoon yelling that the house was on fire.

"He had soot all over him and on his face," Blanchette said.

Gordon Stevens, who lives in a house just a few feet from where the Campbells' house stood, had just gone into his bathroom when he saw thick black smoke rolling from the house.

"Sherwood came out of the house and ran down to Mark's," he said. He said he didn't think the family had a phone.

Blanchette headed back across the street to the burning house and Campbell followed. As smoke billowed from the front door and windows, Campbell rushed into the house and up the stairs to the second floor.

"He shoved me out of the way and went after the dog," Blanchette said. "I kept telling him the dog's not worth it."

Blanchette latched onto Campbell's leg but he could not pull Campbell -- who weighed between 300 and 400 pounds -- from the house. Instead Campbell pulled him up the stairs.

"I held it as long as I could," Blanchette said. "I had to let him go."

Blanchette couldn't breathe and he could hear Campbell wheezing. He let go, ran outside and inhaled deeply, holding his breath as he ran back up the stairs and grabbed him again, he said. Campbell made the top of the stairs and turned left, wrenching out of Blanchette's grasp.

The dense smoke was about waist high on the first floor and on the second floor it was almost impossible to see, Blanchette said. He retreated, but could hear his brother-in-law call for help.

"He asked me to help him three times. The last time you couldn't barely hear him. It was really faint. I couldn't go back in," he said.

Stevens said he, Blanchette and Blanchette's daughter were at the house when firefighters arrived. Flames had burst out of the rear of the house by then.

When the first fire truck arrived, Blanchette, a former assistant fire chief until just recently, and Stevens, directed a spray of water at the back of the house until more firefighters arrived.

Fire Chief Shane Gallant said the station got the call at 4:45 p.m. and when they arrived the building was engulfed.

"There was fire coming out from the back of the house and the second floor of the house and smoke rolling everywhere," said Chief Shane Gallant. "By the time we had the personnel to do anything interior, it was too dangerous."

Firefighters from Canton and surrounding towns attacked the fire with water from the outside but made slow progress. They kept it from spreading to the neighboring houses, but the Campbell House at 9 School St. was destroyed.

The fire spread quickly, in part because of the large accumulation of possession's Campbell's mother Norma had gathered. Stevens said there were pathways between the belongings inside.

They raised chickens, geese and a cow behind their house. Blanchette said his in-laws were children of the Great Depression.

"The people in town could be mean. They called her a hoarder," he said.

She had antiques among her other possessions, but all were lost in the fire that consumed the building, including enough cookbooks to open a museum, her daughter, Cindy Holland said.

Still, the family was just getting by. Sheldon and Norma Campbell couldn't afford insurance on the house, Blanchette said.

Town crews used an excavator to turn over piles of debris as they sought to extinguish hot spots and prevent flare ups. Firefighters didn't leave the scene until more than 12 hours after the initial call and even then gray smoke floated up from the pile.

The structure was demolished and the pile of debris was nearly two stories high.

Blanchette said his daughter spotted a suitcase in which Campbell kept some of his baseball card collection. He figured there was probably extensive water damage, but maybe some of the interior collectibles could be saved.

Campbell was a fan of the Boston Red Sox. He had worked for some 20 years in the nearby Bass shoe factory, but the arduous hand work took its toll on his health and his eyesight started to worsen, so he had to leave, Blanchette said.

He was disabled after being declared legally blind, but surgery had removed cataracts and improved his eyesight, his sister said.

"He had a heart of gold for anybody. He would go without," said Blanchette, who was married to Campbell's sister, who died four and a half years ago of leukemia.

Some family cats, which mainly lived in the barn behind the house, survived the blaze. The town's animal control officer was notified and planned to come collect them, Stevens said.

Stevens said he understands Campbell's devotion to his dogs.

"To him, they were like his kids and if it were me, there's nothing that would keep me from going inside after my kids," Stevens said.

Copyright 2012 ProQuest Information and Learning
All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2012 Kennebec Journal

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Alameda police and firefighters say they have successfully responded to 16 possible emergencies on the water since they were roundly condemned for how they handled the suicidal drowning of a man in San Francisco Bay on Memorial Day.

At least 21 firefighters have also undergone training as lifeguards since the death of Raymond Zack, while police say they expect 10 officers will be certified to operate the department's patrol boat and two Jet Skis by this fall.

The changes are aimed at meeting 14 recommendations made by former state Fire Marshal Ruben Grijalva following an independent investigation into the drowning off Robert Crown Memorial State Beach.

As the 52-year-old Zack waded farther and farther from shore, police and firefighters remained on the beach until he slowly succumbed in the water, which was about 54 degrees Fahrenheit.

Police stayed on the beach because Zack was suicidal and possibly violent, while firefighters said they were not certified in land-water rescue and did not have a boat that could maneuver in the shallow water. Officers and firefighters, however, did attempt to secure rescue boats, including from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Crews quickly responded to the recent 16 possible emergencies on the bay or in the Oakland-Alameda Estuary partly as a result of the Zack case, fire Chief Mike D'Orazi said.

"There's definitely a heightened awareness after the tragedy," D'Orazi told the City Council Tuesday during an update on what has been done to meet the safety recommendations. The possible emergencies included a report that someone may have jumped into the Estuary and a kite surfer who appeared in difficulty on the bay. Both cases were unfounded.

"We wanted to make sure that they were not in dire circumstances or needed medical attention," D'Orazi said.

Other safety steps recently taken include outfitting every police car with a life-ring flotation device and a 100-foot rope, and the purchase of two rescue boats by the fire department.

Alameda firefighters also have carried out mutual aid drills with the Oakland and Alameda County Fire Departments since the drowning, plus 100 police department employees have now been trained in "acute suicide intervention."

The efforts have strengthened the working relationship between police and firefighters, Alameda police Chief Mike Noonan said.

"Things are going well and I am very confident that things will progress in a positive way," Noonan said.

The fire department earmarked $25,000 in its current budget exclusively for water rescue and the same amount has been set aside for the projected budget this fiscal year, which helps meet Grijalva's call for any changes to remain funded.

Among the recommendations in Grijalva's report was additional training — including with the U.S. Coast Guard and other local agencies — and better internal communication at an emergency scene when mutual aid is requested.

Police recently received a $13,000 state grant to maintain and outfit its 28-foot patrol boat. The department will continue funding the boat and training officers through its budget and future grants, Noonan said.

"I think your efforts will serve the public well," City Councilwoman Beverly Johnson said.

She was echoed by Councilman Doug deHaan, who said, "I am not sure if we have ever been at this readiness level."

The council will next review what has been done to improve safety and the funding as part of adopting a budget in June.

Copyright 2012 Contra Costa Newspapers
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CHICAGO — Just because they battle blazes doesn't mean firefighters are immune to the occasional smoky mishap.

Just before 11 a.m. Tuesday, Chicago Fire Department crews from the station at 76th and Pulaski in the Ashburn neighborhood went out to respond to a pin-in accident, department spokesman Rich Rosado said.

When they returned, a passerby reported smoke coming from the firehouse, Rosado said. Apparently a pot of meat was left cooking while the crews were responding to the accident, and it produced smoke but no flames.

The smoke was extinguished with a small hand pump, and no injuries were reported, he said. No word on whether the firefighters had to call out for lunch.

Copyright 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC
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BUFFALO, N.Y. — Twelve white Buffalo firefighters will get an average of $230,430 each in back pay, pension benefits and damages — a total of almost $2.77 million — for emotional distress because the City of Buffalo illegally passed them over for promotions, a state judge has ruled.

The 12 men sued the city in 2007, contending that the city illegally allowed two promotional lists to expire because minority firefighters had fared poorly on civil service exams.

The case was affected by a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said city officials cannot void the results of civil service exams simply because they are afraid of being sued.

The ruling on damages came 15 months after State Supreme Court Justice John A. Michalek ruled that the city illegally failed to promote based on its 2005 and 2006 tests for racial reasons.

A trial on damages was held late last year, and Michalek ruled Tuesday on the compensation for the 12 firefighters who lost promotions.

"This never should have happened. These are solid, hardworking firefighters. The city should have given them the promotions they earned and not put them through five years of litigation," said attorney Andrew P. Fleming, who represented the firefighters with co-counsel Christen Archer Pierrot.

The administrations of Mayor Byron W. Brown and his predecessor, Anthony M. Masiello, are both to blame for what happened, Fleming said.

"The original decision not to promote these men was made at the tail end of the Masiello administration, and it carried on into the Brown administration," Fleming said. "Mayor Brown had the opportunity to make it right but chose to continue on with this unnecessary litigation."

Brown took office in January 2006.

Fleming added that former Fire Commissioner Michael S. Lombardo testified in a deposition in the damages trial that he urged the Mayor's Office to promote the men in early 2006 but that his suggestion was vetoed.

The mayor's spokesman, Michael J. DeGeorge, said city attorneys are examining the judge's decision, and he declined to comment further.

Lawyers hired by the city took the position in the trial that none of the firefighters was entitled to any damages. One of those lawyers, Adam W. Perry, said city officials disagree with Michalek's rulings on both liability and damages. He said the firefighters "were originally seeking just under $8 million in damages."

"The city, at all times, acted under its rights under federal law," Perry said. "The city has maintained its position that the liability determination made by Justice Michalek was erroneous and should be reversed on appeal."

Fleming also told The Buffalo News on Wednesday that he has seen city records showing that Perry's law firm, Hodgson Russ, has been paid at least $700,000 to litigate the case. Perry, a partner in the firm, declined to comment, saying he does not discuss fees paid by clients.

Michalek ruled that 12 firefighters should receive damages from the city. They are Mark A. Abad, Brad J. Arnone, David T. Denz, Timothy R. Cassel, Joseph P. Fahey, Timothy J. Hazelet, Peter F. Kertzie, Peter J. Lotocki, Eugene J. Margerum, Matthew S. Osinski, Thomas J. Reddington and Scott T. Skinner.

Margerum was awarded $30,000 for "emotional damages," and Fahey was awarded $25,000. Each of the other firefighters got $20,000 for that.

Depending on his years of service and individual situation, each firefighter also was awarded between $49,859 and $528,706 in "general damages."

No money was awarded to a 13th plaintiff, Anthony J. Hynes, who has retired from the Fire Department. "[There] was simply never a vacancy available for him," Michalek wrote.

According to Fleming, being passed over for promotions that they had earned was a "nightmare" that caused years of anguish for many of his clients.

In addition to Hynes, Fleming said, about three other of the claimants have retired since the lawsuit was filed in 2007.

Fleming said trial testimony also showed that the situation caused morale problems in a large segment of the Fire Department.

Fahey said the case pointed to "the true nature of reverse discrimination: When it happens to blacks, everybody is correctly upset about it, but when it happens to whites, nobody cares."

In Michalek's ruling, he said some of the firefighters suffered from emotional distress, depression and self-medication issues. The judge wrote that some of the firefighters lost their enthusiasm for their jobs and became "bitter and cynical" because they felt they had legitimately earned promotions but were illegally passed over.

The total damages awarded to each firefighter:
*Abad, $167,545.
*Arnone, $175,584.
*Denz, $170,469.
*Cassel, $531,193.
*Fahey, $204,095.
*Hazelet, $252,309.
*Kertzie, $69,859.
*Lotocki, $122,577.
*Margerum, $558,706.
*Osinski, $138,859.
*Reddington, $127,061.
*Skinner, $246,913.

Copyright 2012 The Buffalo News
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MOUNT HEALTHY, Ohio — Several dozen animals have found temporary shelter after Ohio firefighters rescued at least 60 pets from a house fire in a Cincinnati suburb.

Authorities responding to the Thursday morning fire found a menagerie of about a dozen snakes, 18 rats, a hedgehog, a chinchilla, birds, rabbits and others creatures. Most of the animals survived the fire at the Mount Healthy home, although one bearded dragon iguana and two cats died.

Pet owner Nikki Hagaman, who volunteers at The Animal House pet store that also rescues animals, was not at home when the fire broke out. She said she had at least 77 pets.

"I can't say no," she told The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Authorities couldn't say Friday the exact number of animals rescued but Harold Dates of SPCA Cincinnati put the number at just over 60. He said the animals were well cared for but a "little shaken up." He said they went to rescue groups, volunteers or friends.

Hagaman told the media she believes a heat bulb used to keep her reptiles warm may have started the fire. Many of the rescued pets were taken to the pet store after the fire.

Adam Charles and his wife of Colerain Township took in almost three dozen animals, including ferrets, guinea pigs, and rats. Charles told WCPO-TV that the animals were adjusting to their new surroundings.

He said one of the rats has a broken back and the ferrets were coughing and sneezing from inhaling too much smoke.

Firefighter Chance Hyatt Zobel, 23, was killed as he was responding to a brush fire Nov. 13, 2010. Firefighter Larry Irvin was injured in the crash.

Firefighter Zobel's engine as well as a quint were dispatched to the scene, according to the report released Feb. 6. The engine pulled into the passing lane and parked next to the median to provide a protected work area for the firefighters. The quint then parked next to the engine near the guardrail, creating a traffic block.

A car and a van were both driving in the passing lane toward the parked fire truck when the van rear-ended the car. The car traveled onto the shoulder, passed between both apparatus and the guardrail, and then hit the two firefighters, who were both wearing retro-reflective vests.

Firefighter Zobel was launched onto the road shoulder, the report said. Fellow firefighters began emergency care immediately. He was taken to a local trauma center, where he was pronounced dead.

Troopers with the South Carolina Highway Patrol charged the driver of the van with driving too fast for conditions.

As a result of the fatality, NIOSH investigators recommended that fire departments, in conjunction with public safety agencies, traffic management organizations and private sector responders develop pre-incident plans regarding response protocols, scene safety, and traffic control for roadway emergency work zones. NFPA 1620 provides guidance to assist fire departments in establishing them.

Investigators also recommended developing, training on and enforcing standard operating procedures for all types, locations and durations of emergency roadway incidents. Special attention should be giving to positioning apparatus to protect workers from oncoming traffic.

"The department involved in this incident had a SOP on roadway operations that was revised following the incident to incorporate more definitive guidance on methods to protect emergency responders who are attending to a roadway incident," the report said.

Another key recommendation calls for developing and training members on a situational awareness program that addresses hazards specific to roadways. The fatality emphasizes the need to prepare for the worst-case scenario when working near traffic.

"Regardless of implemented prevention strategies, unpredictable events can occur within minutes of arriving on the scene, and danger is always present when operating in roadway emergency work zones where moving traffic is present," the report said.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Most big cities use a firefighter staffing standard that Kansas City would violate if it adopts proposed fire department cuts, Fire Chief Smokey Dyer said Wednesday.

Dyer told the city council’s Public Safety Committee that Chicago, Memphis, Louisville, Dallas and Houston are among major U.S. cities that require at least four firefighters per pumper, in compliance with national fire protection standards. That staffing allows two people in the first pumper on the scene to begin spraying water on a fire, while two others can begin attacking the fire within a building and rescuing any victims.

Kansas City began increasing its firefighting ranks and staffed up its pumpers ten years ago to meet that standard. But City Manager Troy Schulte has recommended cutting 105 firefighters, saying the city has far fewer fires now and can save $7.5 million without compromising public safety. Such a reduction would force deployment changes and reductions to the pumpers, Dyer said.

Full story: Chief warns cutbacks could hurt firefighting efforts in KC

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A man pleaded guilty yesterday to setting his ex-girlfriend's car on fire, endangering the lives of six people inside an Edgewater home last summer.

Felix Arnaldo Rivera, 33, of Hyattsville, pleaded guilty to second-degree arson in county Circuit Court in Annapolis. Judge Paul A. Hackner indicated he would give a sentence suspending all but five years in prison and, if Rivera qualifies, would order court-supervised treatment after 18 months is served.

Mulford ordered Rivera held without bond. Sentencing is set for March 21.

Prosecutors said Rivera texted his ex-girlfriend about a dozen times between 4:30 and 9 p.m. on Aug. 17, with messages including: "I want to kill myself," "I should (expletive) kill you with me," "Maybe I should go burn your car."

The ex-girlfriend's concern grew when she learned Rivera was in the area, said Assistant State's Attorney Thomas Mitchell. Then, just before 9 p.m., she discovered her car engulfed in flames in her driveway, in the 3300 block of Oak Drive in Edgewater.

By the time county police and firefighters arrived, the flames had reached the side of the garage, just 3 feet away from the woman's home.

Mitchell said six people were in the home at the time, ages 12 months to 81 years.

It took 25 firefighters 20 minutes to put out the fire. No injuries were reported.

The woman told police about Rivera's threats. Officers found him walking about a mile from the home. He was carrying a cellphone, two cigarette lighters and a small amount of marijuana, Mitchell said. The hair on his legs was burned and covered in ashes.

After his arrest, Rivera told police, "I just got mad, I burned it."

Just after the fire started, a neighbor saw a red gas container with the top off sitting on the ground next to the car. It had been burned in its entirety within minutes.

Fire investigators determined that Rivera poured a flammable fluid in the front passenger compartment and that sparked the blaze.

Copyright 2012 Capital Gazette Communications, Inc.
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WASHINGTON — A D.C. fire department spokesman has been placed on administrative leave for comments he made online characterizing a protest by firefighters against fire department leadership as "racist."

D.C. Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe suspended department spokesman Lon Walls with pay in order allow tensions within the department to "cool off," said Pedro Ribeiro, a spokesman for D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray.

"Things were getting heated; things were getting personal," Mr. Ribeiro said, adding the suspension likely would last "a couple days."

Mr. Walls confirmed on Monday that he made the comments on his personal Twitter and Facebook accounts. One of the posts, referencing the decision by more than 100 firefighters to walk out of a State of the Department address delivered by Chief Ellerbe, stated that the walkout was the "most blatant, ignorant and racist public display of disrespect I have ever seen."

The comments, which were posted online shortly after the Jan. 24 address at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, were taken offline Monday night after The Washington Times asked Mr. Walls about them. Mr. Walls removed the posts at the request of Chief Ellerbe, Mr. Ribeiro said.

Firefighters who participated in the walkout have said their protest was meant to draw attention to issues in the department, such as a controversial shift-change proposal, a lack of training, and a hostile work environment experienced by those who openly criticize the chief.

Mr. Gray said Wednesday he did not support the characterization made by Mr. Walls.

"I didn't write it. I wouldn't have said it," Mr. Gray said. "I don't think it's helpful."

Anger about the posts flared up this week as firefighters and fire department leadership sparred over whether officials issued directives in an effort to rein in possible protests at the mayor's State of the District address Tuesday night.

Firefighters over the weekend began circulating photographs of a variety of similarly worded orders they said were handwritten into fire-station logbooks and outlined behavior at the mayor's address that would result in punishment.

Paul Quander, deputy mayor for public safety and justice, denied that fire officials were responsible for the purported orders.

"It did not go out from management," Mr. Quander said Wednesday, echoing statements previously made by Mr. Walls.

The fire department union maintains the orders came from department leadership and said the union has a chain of email discussions with Chief Ellerbe that prove it.

"The guys didn't make that up," union President Edward Smith said. "I have the emails."

Copyright 2012 The Washington Times LLC
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SAN FRANCISCO — A woman and a boy were injured Tuesday night in an explosion and fire at an apartment building in San Francisco's Ingleside neighborhood that was apparently caused by drug manufacturing, police said.

Firefighters responded to the explosion on the 1200 block of Capitol Avenue around 9 p.m., put out the blaze and alerted police to the apparent existence of a drug lab, said Sgt. Daryl Fong, a police spokesman.

Investigators suspect that a butane tank exploded, Fong said Wednesday. He did not say what kind of drugs police suspect were being made in the apartment, which was on the ground floor of the two-story building. No other units were damaged.

The woman, who is 33, and the 12-year-old boy made it to California Pacific Medical Center's St. Luke's campus on their own and were transferred to the burn center at St. Francis Hospital, Fong said.

The extent of their injuries is not known, but the woman was expected to be released late Wednesday, Fong said. He would not describe her relationship to the boy.

Police expect to arrest the woman on unspecified charges when she gets out of the hospital, Fong said.

The blast blew out three windows on the front of the apartment building.

"It sounded like a car had hit the building," said Darren Brown, a 52-year-old truck driver who lives in an upstairs unit. "Those windows flew right out of the house, and the glass was all across the street."