Watch out for emergency vehicles

Engine 30 sustained damage on the drivers side when it collided with a passing vehicle on the Downtown Connector.

(John Spink, jspink@ajc.com)

The incident happened just before 5:30 a.m. on I-75/85 southbound past Langford Parkway. Fire crews responded to a reported car fire, but discovered on arrival that there was a disabled vehicle, but no fire, Atlanta fire Battalion Chief Paul Cuprowski told the AJC.

Cuprowski said the engine remained on the scene to block traffic for the stranded motorist. The driver was sitting in the fire engine when another motorist struck the left front of the engine, Cuprowski said. He said the firefighter sustained a side injury and possibly a head injury, and was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment. His injuries were not believed to be serious. The motorist that hit the fire engine was not injured. Cuprowski said that incidents where emergency vehicles are struck by other motorists are “unfortunately not uncommon.”

Other drivers sometimes “get tunnel vision and get drawn into the lights,” he said. The chief had advice for motorists when they approach emergency vehicles stopped along the highway. “A lot of this evolves from rubber-necking,” he said. “The best thing you can do is move over as far as you can and keep your eyes on the road, and not on the incident.”

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This incident stresses the need for the driving public to use extreme caution when driving in the vicinity of a medical emergency, fire, or other incident that has occurred either in the roadway or in the emergency lane. Here are some tips that, hopefully, will keep you and the responders out of harm's way:

Be wary of developing tunnel vision. This is especially true at night when driver's are "hypnotized" and get drawn into the lights of an emergency vehicle.If you see lights flashing, go ahead and move over one (1) lane (normally to the left) before you get too close to the scene.

Be alert for emergency personnel and/or other drivers. Although emergency personnel make every effort to "box in" a highway emergencies - meaning they surround it with their vehicles - however emergency personnel might still be in the lane(s) where traffic is still moving.

Stay off your cellphone when driving near a roadside emergency. Cellphone usage is dangerous when driving but becomes potentially deadly when there is a roadside emergency. The combination of personnel - or civilians - in the roadway along with emergency vehicles demands your full attention and you can't devote that if you're talking on the cellphone.

Don't rubber-neck! Battalion Chief Cuprowski summed it up best: "The best thing you can do is move over as far as you can and keep your eyes on the road, and not the incident".

Until next time . . .

Don't they ever go away?

SOUTH FULTON, Tenn. -- Firefighters in this northwest Tennessee city let a mobile home burn to the ground because the owner didn't pay an annual $75 fire protection fee, authorities say.

Jeff Vowell, city manager of South Fulton, said that the city fire department let Gene Cranick's trailer home near the Kentucky border burn last week because he didn't pay the subscription common in many rural areas.

Cranick's doublewide home is outside city limits. But South Fulton offers fire protection to nearby residents for a fee and once the fire threatened to spread, the department did protect a neighboring house that had paid.

Cranick's son, Timothy, was so angry he later went to the fire house and punched the chief, police said. The younger Cranick was charged with aggravated assault and is free on bond, according to authorities.

South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said that if the city allowed people to pay after the fact there would be no incentive to subscribe. As an analogy, he said an insurer won't pay for an auto accident if insurance lapses.

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My wife pointed this story out to me last night on Yahoo. I can remember back in the early 80's - when I first became part of the fire service - reading numerous articles about situations like this . . . but, like an annoying in-law, I guess they never really go away. Although I have to admit something new has been added in this situation with the Mayor publicly commenting on the situation. Usually the elected officials try to steer clear of the furor that the actions of a subscription fire department cause. It will be interesting to follow this story and see what develops.

Until next time . . .

Christmas time fire safety

Inviting scene isn't it? Sadly, however, these beautiful scenes are often marred by a destructive fire caused by the very decorations which are designed to make the season bright and cheerful. The good news is that these fires are easily preventable by following some simple safety tips that I will present here.

Trees

When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. Be weary of a tree that is already loosing needles -- this is an indication that it is already starting to dry out.

Before bringing the tree into the house, make a fresh cut at the base of the tree. This allows for better water absorption. Check the water level daily and add water as needed.

When placing the tree, avoid putting it near heating vents, wood burning stoves, or other sources of heat.

Use only lights that carry the Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) label. Prior to placing them on the tree, check for frayed wires, loose plugs, or broken bulbs.

Make sure others decorations - especially garland or tinsel - are flame resistant.

Do not overload outlets or run cords under rugs or across high-traffic areas.

Make sure to turn off lights when leaving the house or going to bed for the night.

Holiday decorating

Use only decorative lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Choose decorative lights which have fused plugs.

Before using light sets - even new ones - examine them for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard damaged sets.

Use no more than three (3) standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.

Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports to protect them from wind damage. Use only insulated staples to hold light strings in place -- never use nails or tacks.

Until next time . . .

Hallmark Sued for Fire Linked to Snow Globe

The Associated Press
Posted: Thu, 11/17/2011 - 06:55am
Updated: Thu, 11/17/2011 - 11:55am

PETOSKEY, Mich. --

An insurance company has filed a lawsuit seeking $1.8 million from Hallmark Cards and another company over a defective snow globe blamed for a fire that destroyed a home in northern Michigan.

The Jumbo Snowman snow globe was recalled in December 2008, weeks after a fire destroyed the Petoskey home of Stephen and Florence Hajek, who own two card stores. Federal regulators at the time said the globe could act as a magnifying glass in the sun and cause a fire.

Auto-Owners Insurance paid $1.8 million after the Hajek home was destroyed. Snow globes and other store inventory were at their home.

The lawsuit, filed Nov. 2 in federal court in Grand Rapids, accuses Hallmark and a Taiwan company of negligence and product liability. It claims "inappropriate materials in the shell and interior fluid" of the globe caused an unsafe medium for sunlight to pass through.

Hallmark, based in Kansas City, Mo., declined to comment on the lawsuit.

There were 7,000 snow globes when the product was recalled, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. They were priced at $100 each.

I was sitting here this morning reading an e-mail from Firehouse Magazine and came across the above article they had pulled from the AP wire. The more I read, the more dumb-founded I became . . . especially when I read the statement "Federal regulators said at the time said the globe could act as a magnifying glass in the sun and start a fire". Well, duh, that was one of the first basics that I was taught in a physical science class!  Two other things struck me in the article: 1) that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (US-CPSC) would recall the globes because of the carelessness of two people; and 2) that there was an attorney who would actually take the case . . .especially since there was no obvious misconduct or fault on the Hallmark Corporation. Oh, well, I can only hope that when the case finally goes to court that cooler - and more knowledgeable - heads will prevail.

Until next time . . .

Apparent arsonist has residents of a northwest Atlanta neighborhood worried.

Firefighters take a breath after controlling a fire started by an alledged arsonist.



Don't misunderstand the spirit of this blog, I understand this community's concern - and fear - but there are something they can do that will stop this alledged arsonist in his/her tracks. Here are some suggestions from the Arson Alarm Foundation (AAF):

Be vigilant of empty and/or abandoned property

If a house or commercial building is vacant, make sure that it is kept secure and that doors and windows are locked. While this might not completely stop a would-be arsonist, it would slow him/her down long enough for neighbors to notice and call the police. The AAF also reminds property owners not to use double-cylinder deadbolt locks without keeping a key readily available in the event of a fire or other emergency.

Use caution in storing flammable liquids in outside storage buildings

Store flammable liquids in approved storage locations. In addition to denying a would-be arsonist to substances which could be used to start a fire, it also serves to keep children safe. Also remember to keep these types of substances away from open flame - such as a furnace or water heater pilot light - or heating devices.

Be aware of suspicious activity or people

Report suspicious activity near homes or other buildings to the police.

Keep combustibles away from the exterior of your home (and other structures too)

Keep combusitbles such as leaves, brush, or woodpiles away from the exterior of your home and/or business. Without fuel a fire can't start.

Until next time . . .

Georgia Arson Control hotline

1-800-282-5804

The FDNY - my idea of a perfect department!

For as long as I can remember, I've been a fan of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) because, in my opinion, they epitomize what a perfect department is supposed to be.  Don't get me wrong, like all department's it has its problems, but the brothers seem to overcome them or, dare I say, thrive on them and keep on keepin' on. Take 9/11 for example, they took a major hit loosing 343 firefighters, but it didn't stop them -- they had a job to do and they did it!

There are probably those who would disagree with me, and say other departments are better, but I listen to the FDNY everyday either through ScannerLive, The Bravest.com, or Radio Reference, and they do a very impressive job. Take Thursday afternoon for example, they respond on a non-descript "fire in the basement" at a hospital. On arrival, they determined the fire was in an "oil-burner" (furnace) in the basement and achieved a quick knock-down. Never-the-less, the Incident Commander sounded (requested) a 10-75 - hi-rise assignment - to assist in the evacuation as well as to provide fresh crews for when rehab was necessary. Not counting the units that were assigned on the initial call, the hi-rise assignment brought five (5) additional engines, five (5) trucks, four (4) battalion chiefs,  one (1) deputy chief, one (1) rescue unit, and numerous other support units. For many departments, such a response would have severely taxed their available resources, but for the FDNY it was just another day in the Big Apple.

I encourage you not to just take my word for it, listen in using one of the links below and judge for yourself.

The Bravest.com

Radio Reference.com

Until next time, stay safe!

Starting over: confessions of a scale model builder

First of all, the image above is not a model, it's an actual American-LaFrance Aero Chief snorkel that served Baltimore, MD. You might ask what it has to do with constructing a model -- simple . . . it serves as my inspiration to start an old hobby back. You see, I started buidling models when I was about nine or ten (10) years-old, but I kind of laid it aside when I started working and moved out on my own and am just now getting back into it.  And, you guessed it, an Aero Chief is the first project I'm going to tackle. You might ask why I just a truck with such a "basic" color scheme to re-start my hobby. The answer to that is that I'm not sure how steady my hand will be after almost twenty (20) years away from the hobby. But, we will see . . .

Until next time --

Walter

Apartment fire safety tips

Editor's Note:

Although I have apartment dwellers - such as my wife and myself - in mind when I write this, the same safety information can also be applied to a single-family home.

-- WL

Being a Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) dispatcher, I have seen a gradual increase in the number of apartment fires in the last ten (10)  since cooler temperatures set in. It's not the first time I've experienced it, because I saw the same thing during the twenty-five (25) winters that I was a volunteer firefighter. The good news is that these fires are preventable with a few common-sense tips I am going to present here:

Cook with care

Cooking is one of the leading causes of fires -- both in apartment communities as well as single-family homes . . . therefore fire prevention needs to start in your kitchen. Make sure that your counter tops are clear and free of clutter that could catch on fire. That means (cloth) towels, paper products, and plastic bags should be kept a minimum of three feet (3') away from the stove. Never leave cooking unattended -- grease fires can erupt quickly and they spread very fast. If a fire does starts in a pan while you're cooking, carefully cover it with a lid or another pan and turn off the heat.

Down to the wire

Space heaters are the second most common cause of fires in residential structures. Whether you are using portable heaters or baseboard heaters, keep clothing, bedding, and furniture at least one foot (1') away. Never leave the heater on when leaving home or going to bed. Also, remember to exam the wiring on the heater when you first take it out of storage at the beginning of the fall or winter season.

Other appliances can be equally dangerous. For this reason, make sure that small appliances are unplugged when not in use. Fire safety experts also recommend not running the clothes dryer when you are sleeping or if you're going to be away from home and to clean the lint filter after each use. Also, it's advisable to avoid running your dishwasher if you're not going to be at home to monitor it. The reason being is that the heating coils - which dry the dishes - could melt plastic food containers and cause a fire.

Where there's smoke

Never smoke cigarettes, cigars, or a pipe when you are drowsy or if you are already in bed. Don't place an ashtray on a sofa or over-stuffed chair and make sure to extinguish all smoking material before exiting a room. If you use candles, they should always be kept in sight when lit and placed well away from furniture, drapes, bedding, or other combustibles.

Speaking of smoke, it's important that your apartment - or house - is equipped with a smoke detector. This little device is a big player in fire prevention and has been credited with saving many lives. Although most apartments have one smoke detector already installed, don't hesitate to install a second one to make sure that you're adequately protected. This is especially true is you live in a two-story townhouse or condominium.

Chili cook-off and Firefighter Challenge

Do you love the beauty of Lake Lanier in the Fall?

 and . . .

Think there's nothing better than homemade chili?

Have I got the event for you! The first annual Chili Cook-Off and Firefighter Challenge. The event is jointed sponsored by Lake Lanier Island and the Georgia Firefighter's Burn Foundation (GFBF). All proceeds from the event will benefit the GFBF. Festivities will begin this Saturday, November 5, 2011 @ 10:00 a.m. and continue until 6:00 p.m. For additional information, check the Lake Lanier Island Resort website:

Lake Lanier Island Resort