All 'Blog' ↓

Come see all the action of the CFED West Fight Night!  I know I’ll be there rooting for the Fire FIGHTERS..

Modesto Mayor Jim Ridenour’s plan to shrink an $8.7 million budget gap includes a proposal to temporarily shut down a fire company when firefighters miss work instead of using overtime to keep the city’s 10 stations running at full force.

That change would save Modesto $400,000. It would lead to reductions in staffing 70 percent of the time from December through July at one of two fire stations.

Engine 21 at Station No. 1 parked inside the facility. Modesto is proposing another $6.4 million in budget cuts. One of the big decisions to "brown out" Engine 21 or Engine 11. Engine 21 is downtown at Station No. 1 and Engine 11 is at Station No. 11 in north Modesto. The engine crew will fold up when firefighters call in sick or miss vacation. /photo by Modesto Bee - Bart Ah You

It’s part of a slate of budget cuts Ridenour is sending to the City Council’s Finance Committee on Monday. He’s proposing $5.2 million in spending reductions and efforts to collect about $1.5 million in new revenue.

The package does not include revenue from the tax-sharing agreement the city approved for General Petroleum on Sept. 9, or from two similar deals for Modesto fuel distributors that are scheduled to appear before the council Tuesday night.

The mayor’s proposal won’t go into effect unless the City Council approves it. And there’s a chance Ridenour will propose more spending cuts before the city’s budget year ends in June to protect reserves.

“By the end of the year, we’ll be where we need to be even if I have to come in again,” he said.

The mayor also wants to save $100,000 by reducing trash pickups in city parks to twice a week instead of three times. Another budget cut calls for the city to eliminate part-time positions, saving $213,000.

The two fire stations that could be affected by the staffing reductions are:

Station No. 1 on 11th Street, which could lose Engine No. 21 at times. The company is the first responder to calls in the airport neighborhood.

Or Station No. 11 at Carver Road and Pelandale Avenue could give up a rescue truck.

Fire Chief Jim Miguel said the department would choose between the two companies based on risk to residents.

“We know where it’s likely to have the least impact,” he said. Continue reading →

So… what did you do last Thursday? Display your flag (hopefully the stars and stripes) at your home? Watch endless hours of documentary features of the tragic events of that day? Observe a moment or two of silence during the day in respect of those lost? Attend a memorial service? Talk about the events to friends and family? Spend quality time with loved ones? Excellent! Once again, you’ve set the example for others to follow. Me? I hung out with 500 friends and waved at all the people watching us. Yeah… it was another one of them motorcycle things.

We gathered at Station 231 and were surprised to see a much bigger participation from our local group than last year. Wives, girlfriends, friends of friends and two individuals that felt strongly enough to ride that one rented a bike (at about $110 a day) and one borrowed a bike from a captain that had to work. Both agreed at the end of the day that it was worth the effort. We cruised down to Elsinore and picked up two more riders from that area and then headed out on the Ortega Highway to Ladera Ranch for a lunch time BBQ. We were a total of 20 bikes including a crotch rocket with a rider that refused to use both wheels on the ground. Ah, youth….

After an outstanding lunch we made our way to Cook’s Corner in El Toro to meet up with several hundred other riders from around the Southland. I noticed a couple of bikes from Oregon and Nevada. Channels 2 and 7 news vans were there as well as a couple ofl older fire engines as escort. To explain further – Gary Biggerstaff is an Engineer from Long Beach FD and he started this little event about 4 or 5 years ago to commemorate the date and give back something for his extended FD family to simply “… remember and never forget”. It has grown exponentially ever since. This is my 3^rd time participating and it just gets better every year. From Cook’s Corner the procession makes it’s way to PCH and follows the coast to Joe’s Crab Shack in Long Beach for a short break. The entire route is dotted here and there with on-duty fire engines and ladder trucks from the local agencies – some with crews dressed in Class A uniforms standing at attention and saluting. Police and Lifeguard units are waving as well. Citizens on the street and in their cars are waving and honking their horns. Business owners come out of their shops to see what the noise is all about and wave enthusiastically. Flags are held high and people seem to really get into the spirit, it seems, even more every year.

After a short break at Joe’s, we re-assemble and cruise for another 15 minutes to Gary’s house in Belmont Shore – a small street filled with bungalow style houses. TV helicopters are filming, news reporters are taking pictures and crowds are getting bigger as we drive down Bennett Ave. The bikes park along a 3 block section of the street and crowd around in front of Gary’s house that is marked with 343 small white crosses with the names and company assignments of the fallen brothers from FDNY. There are numerous antique pumpers in the driveways and parked on the street. Gary has a microphone set up on his front stoop and the guests are treated to patriotic songs, the Pledge of Allegiance, poems, thoughtful words from FDNY firefighters and the Mayor of Long Beach, and a final few words from Gary thanking everyone who participated and ending with a “see ya next year”.

If you haven’t been a part of this flag-waving, patriotic, lump-in-your-throat sort of Americana then you are truly missing out on an opportunity to connect with 9-11-01 on a visceral level. The mood and the emotions are a part of the very fabric of why we are Americans. The ability to ride a motorcycle on such a beautiful afternoon and to be part of something wholly larger than that infamous day while sharing it with your brothers and sisters is something that should be mandatory at least once in your life. September 11^th, 2009 – you are hereby requested to attend a motorcycle ride (or come along in your car – all are welcome) with us to Gary’s house in Long Beach. He invited us. We shouldn’t let him down. Tell ya what – I’ll remind you next year. No worries.

http://remember911ride.com

Cheers!

Bill Beaumont

San Bernardino City Fire Department

Wind & Fire MC, #73

There are several videos avaailable to us now regarding the recent train crash in Loas Angeles.  The collision actually occured in Chatsworth.

West Coast Firefighters did a tremendous job in searching through the wreckage and extricating victims.  Our hearts go out to those lives lost.

Since we are in an election year, I thought it would be appropriate to post a video by Nextel on what the world would be like if Firefighters ran it.

Even if you’re not a Firefighter, you’ll get a pretty good laugh out of this one…

Now, if we could actually get our meetings to go this well.

See more featured firefighter videos

Jason Serrano, Editor

Remember the days when we played together off-duty with our families? We’d go to the big parks or lakes or to the river and have picnics, play volleyball, softball and waterski. We’d share stories and re-live tough calls. We were closer because we lived closer to each other and within the cities we worked. But times have changed and we’ve moved out of our cities for various reasons and with those moves have come a more individual lifestyle. Many of us have kept the bonds close by still managing to hang out together in smaller groups but have had to schedule times to make trips work. Most of us have simply adapted to an off-duty type of mindset and made friends outside the department. The internet has added to the long distance existence but it has also provided an enhanced communication ability and capability to extend greetings and invitations to friends and groups well outside our immediate area. One of these opportunities has come in the form of transportation that doubles as entertainment… the motorcycle.

Although it can be more expensive than other forms of activity, it’s not necessarily always the case. Many have turned to it for their basic commute to work. There is a core group of us that have embraced the bike as a way of living beyond the more accepted methods of riding. It‘s known as the long distance trip. A multi-day adventure built around riding as far as possible and seeing as much as can be absorbed on two wheels. Some have been doing this for years – even decades. Some of us here on San Bernardino City Fire have been involved in this since 2000. We started out getting together with members of Pasadena Fire Department and embarking on a 4 day odyssey we ended up calling “Chrome on the Coast”, a name derived from the trip route up the coast of California to Monterey Bay. We’re now into our 7^th year of COTC and have explored Northern California’s redwood forests, Napa Valley, the Russian River and an extensive exploration of the coastline from San Louis Obispo to the Point Arena Lighthouse. We do this ride every May.

But the crown jewel of long distance riding is “The Fortnight Ride” or “5000”. This is a well planned tour that usually takes about two weeks and covers over 5000 miles, hence the name. Daily averages range from 325 to 450 miles and can span 12 hours of riding. The sights, sounds and smells of this kind of riding can only be experienced – no amount of writing or explanation can express the complete immersion you feel as the miles click by. To give you a brief example – one does not simply ride through an area… you are part of the environment and all of its exposures. You are part of the landscape. You are the weather, the wind and the aromas. There are no glass windshields, no A or B pillars, no roof and no floors to block the views. Everything is taken in all around you all at once. Imagine Banff National Park in Canada and the Columbia Icefields. Imagine the Juan de Fuco Straight and Vancouver Island. Imagine Glacier National Forest and the Going-To-The-Sun Road. Imagine Yellowstone Park and the Yellowstone Grand Canyon. Now imagine all this with no obstructions, no time limits and sharing it with friends. That is the essence of long distance riding and is the pinnacle of the riding experience. It’s an opportunity to get the full measure of why you bought that expensive toy in the first place. It doesn’t matter if it’s American or Metric. It’s not important if it’s an 800cc V-Twin or a 2000cc 6 cylinder motor. It makes no difference if you like day trips for coffee and pie or the occasional overnighter trip to San Diego. The only thing that matters is that IF you bought it and are licensed to ride it and can do so safely… then why not ride it? So many of the bikes purchased in the last 5 years are barely ridden with less than 5000 miles on the odometer. Imagine the opportunities that have passed you by or will pass you by again.

We used to hang out together and do family activities. Some still do. We used to go to the lake or river and waterski till our arms fell off. Some still do. We used to have an “Auxillary” that promoted family time and department get-togethers. Some departments still do. We used to live within 20 miles of each other and spontaneously visit each other – “check in” – as it used to be known. Some still do. But most of us… don’t. The past is the past and life moves on. Rookies become veterans and familiar faces eventually retire. In between that period of time is the place called “The Dash”. It’s the written place marker on your tombstone that is in between the year you were born and the year you died. It’s the dash. This is the time that life is lived and careers are made. This is the moment for living and experiencing the opportunities that you create. How are you living your dash? Are you satisfied with what it represents? Could you do more? See more? Experience more?

Mike Alder, Mike Clark and I decided to finish what we had started over a year ago. We had planned on a two week trip up the coast and into Canada. Plans were made and then put on hold. The decision was made early in ’08 to follow through and complete our 5000+ mile trip. On Sunday, July 13^th, 2008, we started at the Mobil Gas Station on 4^th Street at the Ontario Mills Mall and finished late Monday evening, July 28^th. All of the sights I wrote about above are just some of the sights we saw plus hundreds more. On top of that we met some amazing people and rode with some of them on a spur-of-the-moment suggestion. We were invited to a steak dinner in Hinton, Alberta, Canada and made gifts of our department patches to some of the people that we met. We helped a few poor souls that needed assistance and had our picture taken by several people that didn’t speak a word of English. We rode through some interesting weather and spent some time realizing that we were doing the right thing at the right time. We were riding to improve our skills and at the same time we were ambassadors of our department and the fire service as a whole. We answered endless questions and thanked them for their kind words of support and praise for those that were currently on the fire line. We saw some amazing sights and managed to complete our trip without even one negative comment or personality issue - an accomplishment that has us all baffled.

The reality is this – If you have a motorcycle, ride it. Our time together as a fire service family has become more complex and not easily shared anymore due to schedules, distance, age and personal tastes. The purpose of this little article was to reminisce, share, offer and support. Our trip was truly a lifetime experience and one that all three of us have decided to repeat in the very near future. Our Chrome on the Coast ride is an annual affair and is open to everyone. There are numerous opportunities for day rides and special events throughout the Southern California area all year long. I / We simply wanted to show you all what a great time we had and extend an open invitation to anyone reading this - if you have a motorcycle, you’re invited. The choice is yours on how you want to live your dash.

Cheers!

Bill Beaumont

Mike Alder

Mike Clark

San Bernardino City Fire Department

Three members of Las Vegas Fire & Rescue (Medical Director/M.D., Engineer and Firefighter/Paramedic) have been deployed with FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Nevada Task Force One, to the Southeast U.S. to assist because of the Hurricane that is expected to hit this weekend.

60,144 - TOTAL NUMBER OF CALLS JAN. 1, 2008 TO DATE (57,399)

84,762 - TOTAL NUMBER FOR THE YEAR 2007

A divided city council approved a $1.5 million contract with the state to take control of its municipal fire department.

The city projects that hiring Cal Fire to run the department will save about $1.4 million over the next five years — a point of close contention among the council members.

Mayor Joan Faul, Mayor Pro Tem Lesa Rasmussen and Councilman Nelson Crabb supported going with Cal Fire to manage the department. Councilmen Joe Rivero and Gary Frago dissented.

“This city is not afraid of watershed moments,” Rasmussen said before calling for the vote. “The progress is in front of us, and all we have to do is reach out and grab it.”

The council approved the contract Monday. Faul signed it Wednesday and sent it to Sacramento for the final stamps of approval.

Under the deal, the city maintains the equipment and stations, while Cal Fire manages the staff and deals with union contracts.

A final date for Cal Fire to take control hasn’t been set, though city leaders expect it to happen Oct. 1 or sooner. Firefighters will sever ties with the city and be hired by Cal Fire, which also contracts with Merced County, Livingston, Gustine and Dos Palos.

The split vote ends 15 months of city research into whether a Cal Fire contract would benefit the city and the firefighters. The union signaled it wanted to be at the table if the city council looked into contracting for fire services.

City estimates show that the city will lose about $124,000 in the first nine months of the deal because it must pay out sick and vacation hours earned by the employees. Projections show it will save $186,000 in the next 12 months. By the end of the five-year, nine-month contract, the city believes it will have kept an extra $1.4 million that wouldn’t be there, had it kept running the department.

This includes an estimate that the contract’s cost will increase by nearly 20 percent in the next five years.

Resident Constantino Herrera wondered if the city would get stuck with expensive contracts later on with little choice but to approve them. “Once we go down this road, it sounds like we’re stuck with whatever cost,” he told the council.

Frago, the city’s first paid firefighter, noted that a possible switch posed an emotional decision for him and he wasn’t ready to support it. “It may be a good thing, but we’re moving too fast,” he said. “This is a big move for the citizens of Atwater.”

Rivero, after doing his own calculations, questioned the accuracy of the estimated savings. He thinks the city will only save $50,000 yearly. “I don’t care what anybody says,” he said. “I have gone over the forms. I have triple-checked them and quadruple checked them with different calculators.”

He worried that the city will lose control of the department and couldn’t support such a change.

Cal Fire Unit Chief Mikel Martin said Atwater Chief Ed Banks will become a Cal Fire battalion chief. He’ll still attend council meetings and manage the two stations.

“The patch might change,” Martin said, “but we’re not here to upset (the service).”

West Coast 911 firefighting news source - Merced Sun-Star

Three Buffalo firefighters were injured this morning battling a fire that started in a vacant East Side home, the latest in a long list of firefighters hurt while responding to fires in vacant or abandoned city buildings.

The blaze started just after 5 a.m. in an unoccupied, two and one half-story frame house at 21 Herman St., off Broadway, according to Buffalo Fire Department officials.

The fire caused $20,000 damage to the building, and its cause is under investigation.

The fire spread to the houses on either side, at 15 Herman and 23 Herman, before firefighters were able to bring it under control.

The house at 15 Herman sustained $42,000 total damage, while 23 Herman sustained $22,000 damage.

Three firefighters were taken to the Erie County Medical Center with injuries that didn’t appear to be serious, a fire official said.

Though the cause of this fire is not yet determined, vacant buildings are attractive targets for arsonists.

In 2007, 60 percent of Buffalo’s arsons were set at vacant and abandoned buildings, according to a recent Buffalo News analysis of city fires.

Twenty-seven firefighters were hurt while battling those fires, including Mark P. Reed, who nearly died while fighting a blaze in a vacant Wende Street house last year. Reed later lost a leg because of his injuries.

West Coast 911 firefighting news source - The Buffalo News

Pittsburgh’s first female deputy fire chief has been replaced by a man who four years ago was passed over for the job.

Colleen Walz, 46, of Brookline called the move “desperately wrong.” She said Fire Chief Darryl Jones brought her into his office Downtown on Monday afternoon and told her that she had been reassigned.

Walz will retain her rank of deputy chief for salary and seniority purposes, but her duties will be those of a battalion chief in Oakland, according to Walz and an office memo issued by Jones.

“He said, ‘You are no longer deputy chief,’ and he reassigned me,” Walz said Thursday. “He said it was by court order.”

The order stemmed from a 2006 lawsuit against the city in which Battalion Chief Michael Mullen said he was unfairly passed over for a promotion to deputy chief in favor of Walz.

Mullen sued the city and won. On Monday, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Timothy P. O’Reilly ordered the city to install Mullen as deputy chief immediately.

According to court records, Mullen was passed over for promotion because of “numerous issues surrounding his attitude and conduct.”

Other firefighters and paramedics accused him of physical and verbal abuse, records show, and Walz once accused him of intimidation, creating a hostile work environment and other charges, leading to a city investigation in 2002.

Mullen was cleared of the charges. Walz sued him in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, and they settled for $60,000.

Walz, who started in 1987 as a firefighter at stations in the Hill District and Brookline, described the reassignment as a de facto demotion “through no fault of my own.”

“I think it is interesting that right in the middle of a huge promotion to try to attract women and minorities to the fire department, this is how the only woman (ranked deputy chief) is being treated,” she said. “This is absolutely insulting.”

Mullen declined to comment. Reached at home, he said the case took “a long, long time, with a lot of painful memories,” adding that he wanted to focus on the future.

His attorney, James DePasquale, said Mullen and the city still are haggling over back pay. When Mullen won the case in March, the city paid him $25,000 in back pay. DePasquale said his client deserves an additional $40,000. O’Reilly will rule on the back pay at a future hearing.

Chief Jones said only that the decision had “absolutely nothing to do with the performance of Deputy Walz. I can’t stress that enough.”

Ed Mann, Pennsylvania state fire commissioner, said he was surprised by the news.

“In my dealings with Colleen and watching her teach classes at the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, her demeanor and approach to things has always been professional,” Mann said. “In the things that she’s done for us, she’s been more than qualified.”

Last year Walz co-chaired the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ task force to analyze and enhance investigations into firefighter deaths.

“It certainly shocked us when we found out,” said Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, chairman of the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ safety health and survival section. “We don’t know the circumstances, but any time someone is reduced in rank, it certainly raises eyebrows.”

Walz said she is “investigating her options.”

West Coast 911 firefighting news source - The Pittsburgh Tribune