LAFAYETTE, Tenn. — It's been nearly two weeks since LaFayette Public Safety Director Tommy Freeman was fired, leaving officials with a decision on the best route to take to improve leadership at the police and fire departments.
One decision is whether the top spot should be split into two positions — a fire and a police chief.
"That'll be the City Council's decision," City Councilman Wayne Swanson said. "Either way, I want to talk to [interim safety director Bengie] Clift."
City officials also must decide whether the person should come from within the department or from outside. Clift has said he would be interested in the job if the city hires from within the department.
LaFayette City Manager Frank Etheridge said the idea to split the department stems from criticism at a March meeting in which Freeman was accused of making decisions that saved money for the fire department but could cause a safety threat to firefighters.
Freeman had his basic certification to work with a fire department, but nothing more, Etheridge said.
Freeman did not return calls seeking comment.
While Etheridge said he thinks it would be a good idea to split the public safety director position into two, he said he isn't going to create another high-paying chief position. He will find a creative alternative if that's the direction the city goes, he said.
A decision on how to move forward likely will be made at the City Council's two-day retreat, or planning session, to be held June 1 and 2, Etheridge said.
Swanson said this is the first time the council has had a retreat in his 16 years in office.
"I'm sure it will be productive," he said.
Freeman, who was accused of public tirades and retaliation against employees, was fired May 16. The stated reason by LaFayette officials is that they lost trust in his ability to lead the safety department.
But six days before Freeman was fired, Etheridge gave him a written reprimand, warning him that the City Council was concerned about his lack of leadership, harsh management style and profanity in the office.
"You are seen spending most of your work time getting coffee, shooting the breeze with your senior staff and playing computer card games," Etheridge wrote.
Freeman — who was paid $74,776 a year — was told to change and take on his responsibilities professionally or be fired.
Etheridge said he based his findings on confidential interviews with employees when Freeman was on vacation in April.
But according to a May 10 letter from Etheridge, after the reprimand, Freeman retaliated against his staff and went on a hunt to find out which officers had talked with the city manager, lying to them that he had already been told what was said.
Freeman then planned a meeting to reassign officers, which caused fear of demotions and firings, Etheridge wrote in Freeman's termination letter.
Accusations against Freeman came to a head in a meeting in March when multiple residents accused the City Council of ignoring complaints against Freeman for years. The meeting was to decide whether fired firefighter Johnny Stephens Jr. should be reinstated, but it turned into a heated debate about Freeman.
Freeman was hired in 2007 to replace former Chief Charles "Dino" Richardson, who died of cancer.
Copyright 2012 Chattanooga Publishing Company
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Fire officials in New Mexico said Saturday that the Whitewater-Baldy Complex fire has shrunk slightly to 82,000 acres but is still 0 percent contained because of weather conditions. The evacuation of Mogollon, a privately owned ghost town, was ordered due to extreme wind around the southwestern New Mexico fire. Four helicopters and more than 500 firefighters from around the state were on hand to fight the blaze but still had to contend with "extreme conditions."
Cities, as far away as Albuquerque, remained under a health alert until Sunday afternoon due to smoke from the fire, which has spread across the state. State officials were warning residents during the Memorial Day weekend to limit outdoor activities, especially if smoke was visible.
The haze that blocked views of the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque on Friday appeared to have decreased by early Saturday afternoon, but smoke continued to hang over parts of the city.
Meanwhile on Saturday, crews in Colorado battled a wildfire that has scorched more than 3,000 acres of rugged canyon land near the Colorado-Utah border. U.S. Forest Service spokesman Steve Segin said the fire started Friday afternoon and is burning in a remote area near Paradox. It is not threatening any structures, and no injuries have been reported.
Shannon Borders, a spokeswoman for The Bureau of Land Management, said sheriff's deputies have evacuated the Buckeye Reservoir area, a popular recreation spot near the Utah border. The Rock Creek and Sinbad Valley areas also were evacuated.
In California, higher humidity and light winds were helping firefighters get ahead of a stubborn wildfire that has charred 4,100 acres of tinder-dry grass and brush in rural San Diego County.
The blaze near Shelter Valley was burning Saturday in steep, rocky terrain away from the town of Julian, said Thomas Shoots, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It was 30 percent contained.
No injuries or damage to structures were reported, and the fire was not moving toward any homes as it burned southeast on Saturday.
Authorities evacuated about 100 homes in the Shelter Valley area along Highway 78 in the early stages of the blaze, but evacuation orders were lifted late Thursday and residents were allowed to return, Schuler said.
Arizona fire officials said a cold front arriving over the state late Friday was providing additional relief to firefighters battling the Gladiator Fire, a blaze that has charred 16,000 acres and is now 40 percent contained. Electricity has been restored to some areas.
]]>HANOVER, Pa. — The state Attorney General has filed legal action against several former officers of defunct Aspers fire and ambulance companies, accusing those members of mismanaging the organizations, redirecting official funds for personal use and wasting charitable assets.
Attorney General Linda Kelly said in a Friday press release the civil action involves the Aspers Fire Company, Aspers Volunteer Ambulance Inc., and the Aspers Volunteer Firefighters' Relief Association, all operated from offices at 1555 Center Mills Road, Aspers.
In 2010, about a year after concerns were raised over the financial practices of the Aspers Fire Co., four municipalities dropped the 90-year-old department. Formerly a responder for Menallen, Butler, Tyrone and Huntington townships, the fire company that then included about 87 volunteers no longer serves as a responder for any of the four.
The long list of parties named in the legal action includes: Lewis J. Alexander, 21 Aspers North Road, Aspers, who at times served as president, fire chief, EMS captain or in other positions of responsibility; Alberta Alexander, 21 Aspers Road North, Aspers, who served as vice-president, treasurer or in other positions; George Acevedo, 107 Park St., Bendersville, who served as treasurer of the corporations; Sherrie Haines, 1493 Center Mills Road, Aspers, who served as president or in other positions; Donald Haines, 1493 Center Mills Road, Aspers, who served as president, fire chief or in other positions; Edward Kuntz, 53 Prospect St., Aspers, who served as secretary for the corporations; Joyce Kuntz, 53 Prospect St., Aspers, who served as membership secretary; Barry Shealer, 4247 Carlisle Road, Gardners, who served as board member of the corporations; and Clair Showers, 462 Clearview Road, Aspers, who served as a board member.
According to the Petition for Citation which was filed by the Attorney General's Office in Adams County Orphans' Court, the fire and ambulance companies and their assets allegedly became an "alter ego" of Lewis Alexander and members of his immediate family.
Under the direction of Alexander and his associates, charitable donations and official funds were allegedly redirected or mismanaged, including:
The release said officials from the fire and ambulance companies are accused of violating a "cease and desist" order issued by the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, issued in August 2010, by continuing to solicit charitable contributions and operate raffles, bingo and other small games of chance after the organization had stopped providing services.
Additionally, funds from the firefighters' relief association were allegedly used to pay legal bills, and officials failed to protect the assets of the relief association.
The Petition for Citation filed by the state Attorney General's Office seeks a full accounting of all funds received and spent during the preceding three years by the Aspers Fire Company, Aspers Volunteer Ambulance and the Aspers Community Fire Department Relief Association, also known as Aspers Volunteer Firefighters' Relief Association.
Additionally, the petition requests a full accounting of charitable contributions received as the result of unlawful solicitations, including all funds that were raised in violation of the cease and desist order, along with civil penalties of up to $1,000 for each violation.
Kelly said the Attorney General's Office has also moved to terminate the non-profit corporate franchises for the Aspers organizations, and is requesting the court liquidate any assets, which should be directed to appropriate firefighting and ambulance services in surrounding communities.
The case is being handled by Senior Deputy Attorney General Michael T. Foerster of the Attorney General's Charitable Trusts and Organizations Section.
Attempts to reach Alexander for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.
Copyright 2012 MediaNews Group, Inc.
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ALAMEDA, Calif. — The family of a man who drowned in Alameda last Memorial Day weekend as police and firefighters stood on shore have sued the city and Alameda County, claiming officials were negligent for not rescuing the man.
A distraught and fully clothed Raymond Zack, 52, waded 150 yards into the water at Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach on May 30, 2011, shortly after 11 a.m. Police and firefighters who responded did not enter the water to try to rescue him.
Zack's sister and brother, Bernice Jolliff and Robert Zack, said in their lawsuit that authorities should have helped their brother, who waded into the 54-degree water in a suicide attempt.
After his death, firefighters said they did not enter the water because they were not certified in land-water rescue and did not have a rescue boat that could maneuver in the shallow waters. Police said they did not go in because Zack was possibly violent. Both the rescue boat and the certification have been reinstated.
The complaint alleges failure by county dispatchers to contact the proper agencies and a failure by officials to determine whether a U.S. Coast Guard boat should be called to enter the shallow waters. A female swimmer finally went into the water and pulled Zack's floating body from the bay. He was pronounced dead at Alameda Hospital.
City and county officials could not be reached for comment late Friday. The suit, filed Friday in Alameda County Superior Court, seeks unspecified damages.
Copyright 2012 Contra Costa Newspapers
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HERTFORDSHIRE, U.K. — Hertfordshire's leading firefighter has been personally thanked by the Emperor and Empress of Japan after heading the UK's search and rescue team's efforts to locate earthquake survivors.
Roy Wilsher, 49, Hertfordshire's Chief Fire Officer, was the guest of honour a reception at the Japanese embassy on May 17 where Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko thanked those who supported Japan after the earthquake on March 11 2011.
Mr Wilsher led a team of 63 rescuers from the UK including 59 firefighters and four medics who searched for survivors in Imaichi and Ofunato.
Reflecting on the rescue efforts in Japan, he said: "It was unimaginable, the amount of devastation.
"You would drive through street after street, district after district, town after town that had been completely destroyed.
"It was unique to my experience, there had obviously been a huge loss of life.
"It was like Buncefield [oil disaster] but hundreds or thousands of times worse.
"Unfortunately we didn't find anybody alive, that was partly due to the freezing conditions, at night temperatures fell to -5 degrees.
"The reception we received from the Japanese people was absolutely fantastic, it almost sounds stereotypical to say but they were very polite, humble and stoic and just very grateful that the rest of the world was concerned for them.
"I very much see it as another part of my job but it was an experience I will never forget."
He said being invited to the Japanese embassy was an honour both for himself and for Hertfordshire.
He said: "It was a reception in collaboration with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee where I was presented to the Emperor and Empress.
"She was very much saying thanks and offering her gratitude for how much the UK effort helped them.
"He was also very grateful but asked me about the operation and what we did and how we did it."
Mr Wilsher is no stranger to disaster situations and was on duty during the Buncefield oil depot fire in 2005, he also provided assistance following the 1991 mortar attack on Downing Street and the Ladbroke Grove rail crash in 2009.
The Barnet-based hero left London Fire Brigade to join Hertfordshire in January 2004 and became Chief Fire Officer the following year.
He added: "I have been in the fire service almost 30 years and have seen a number of disasters and terror attacks.
"This was my first overseas operational deployment although I have trained with the EU in Poland and I ran a large international exercise in Hertfordshire and Hampshire in 2010 during which we trained for earthquake scenarios.
"A lot of that training came in very helpful when we were setting up too."
Copyright 2012 NewsQuest Media Group Limited
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KITTERY, Maine — Those who have spent time on Navy submarines will tell you that few combustible materials are aboard. But don't tell that to the firefighters who rushed to the Miami when a blaze swept through the billion-dollar nuclear-powered submarine.
"It's like going into a chimney," said Portsmouth Naval Shipyard firefighter David Funk, who said that insulation and wiring fueled a smoky fire that became hot enough for aluminum to burst into flames.
On Friday, two days after the blaze began, workers at the shipyard finished pumping fresh air into the fire-damaged sub, allowing Navy investigators to enter to begin the first damage assessment.
It remains to be seen whether the submarine can be salvaged.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, both members of the Armed Services Committee, visited the shipyard Friday and met with its commander.
They thanked a small contingent of firefighters, including Funk, who battled the blaze as the sub's metal hull trapped the heat inside.
Three Navy investigative teams were dispatched to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to help determine what caused the fire, the senators told reporters.
The blaze started early Wednesday night shortly after a shift change at the shipyard, where the sub was being overhauled in dry dock. A handful of shipyard workers were in the forward compartments, where the fire began, Collins said.
The fire wasn't extinguished until the next morning. More than 100 firefighters responded from more than a dozen agencies as far away as Groton, Conn., and South Portland.
The Miami fire damaged the torpedo room, crew quarters and command and control areas in the front of the submarine, but the nuclear-propulsion components at the back of the sub weren't harmed.
One defense analyst suggested that the repairs would be so costly that the 22-year-old sub would be scrapped, a scenario that would be reminiscent of the Bonefish, a diesel-electric sub decommissioned and scrapped after a fire at sea in 1988.
Copyright 2012 Virginian-Pilot Companies LLC
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INVERGARGILL, New Zealand — Firefighters pulled a toddler from a burning house in Invercargill after his family had fled the flames.
Invercargill Fire Brigade senior station officer Alan Goldsworthy said that when emergency services arrived about 8.10am yesterday, thick smoke was billowing from the house.
The adult occupants of the property had made it outside, but the 3-year-old boy was plucked from a bedroom in the burning house by firefighters after a short search, Mr Goldsworthy said.
"From when we arrived we would have had the child out well within five minutes . . . It felt like ages but it was probably only a couple of minutes or so," he said.
The boy's stepmother, Kelly Wilson, said he had been flown to Starship children's hospital in Auckland for skin grafts. Flames and thick clouds of smoke had prevented other occupants from rescuing the boy, and it was devastating to see him emerge from the burning house in the arms of firefighters, she said.
"I'd like just to tell them I say thank you. If it wasn't for them . . ."
Copyright 2012 Wellington Newspapers Limited
All Rights Reserved
LEITHSVILLE, Pa. — At least one person was killed Thursday afternoon when a dump truck crashed into the Leithsville Volunteer Fire Company in Lower Saucon Township and burst into flames, destroying the building and three firetrucks inside, authorities said.
The dump truck driver escaped the 12:55 p.m. accident with serious burns, but the Northampton County coroner's office said Thursday night that a body had been found in a vehicle inside the gutted firehouse.
Coroner's office officials and Lower Saucon police were on the scene investigating at 9 p.m. Officials did not want to speculate on whether more than one person may have died, or whether the dump truck may have hit a car before it rammed into the building.
Full story: Body found in Leithsville fire station after dump truck crash and massive fire
]]>CENTRALIA, Pa. — It's an anniversary the few remaining souls who live in Centralia won't be celebrating.
Fifty years ago on Sunday, a fire began at the town dump that ultimately spread to a network of coal mines underneath hundreds of homes and businesses in the northeastern Pennsylvania borough, resulting in the demolition of nearly every building.
All these decades later, the Centralia mine fire continues its grip on the popular imagination, drawing visitors from around the world. It's a macabre story that has long provided fodder for books, movies and plays, the latest one debuting in March at a theater in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Yet to the handful of residents who still occupy Centralia, their town is no sideshow attraction. It's home, and they'd like to keep it that way
]]>First responders searching the rubble of collapsed buildings following an earthquake, terror attack, or even attempting to reach trapped miners following a cave-in work not only against the clock but against poisonous gases, flooded tunnels, explosive vapors and unstable roofs and walls.
Engineers at Sandia National Laboratories are trying to beat that clock, and the elements, with an easy-to-use robot that can be sent into close, dangerous quarters first to survey the situation so disaster managers can plan rescue operations.
The unit, called the Gemini-Scout Mine Rescue Robot, can also provide relief in the form of food, water and communication to those trapped.
"After a mine accident, the advance of rescue teams into any portion of the mine is limited by the lack of information regarding the air quality and structural integrity of the mine," said project manager Jon Salton.
Salton said Gemini-Scout will enable teams to scout ahead and advance into collapsed areas more quickly while at the same time keeping humans out of harm's way.
Gemini-Scout is designed to navigate through 18 inches of water and climb 45-degree boulder and debris inclines, and its suitcase size (4 feet long by 2 feet wide by 2 feet high) allows it to go places where people sometimes can’t.
The robot is operated remotely via a standard Xbox 360 controller, making it easy for new users to control. Its electronic components are housed in water-proof, explosive-proof casings, so flooding, methane or other gas explosions can’t disable the unit.
"The robot is intended to make mine rescue operations both safer and faster to the rescue teams, since the teams should be able to advance into and assess post-accident areas of a mine before it’s deemed safe enough for human teams to do so," Salton said.
Salton told Homeland1 that currently there is only one rescue robot approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, but it isn't designed for the rugged, unstructured environments found in collapsed structures or mining areas. It’s also about twice the size of the Gemini-Scout.
"Gemini-Scout has extreme mobility capabilities for both structured and unstructured environments and is rugged enough to withstand the heat, standing water, deep mud and debris found in mines," Salton said.
While the robot was designed with mine rescue in mind, other responders may find uses for it.
"We anticipate that this technology is broad enough to be appealing to other first responders, such as police, firefighters and medical personnel," Salton said. "Gemini-Scout could easily be fitted to handle earthquake and fire scenarios, and we think this could provide real relief in currently inaccessible situations."
About the author
Since leaving a withering aerospace engineering career in 1994, Doug Page has been writing about technology, medicine, and marriage peril from the Panic Room in Pine Mountain, Calif. He won a 2006 Tabby Award for a story titled "Life in a Disaster Morgue" that appeared in the January 2006 issue of Forensic Magazine. From 1998-2008 he was the Technology Correspondent for Fire Chief Magazine. Page is also a former contributing editor for Homeland Protection Professional and Science Spectra magazines.
DETROIT — The City Council on Thursday approved the city's 2012-13 budget, keeping much of Mayor Dave Bing's proposed $250 million in cuts intact but restoring some departments slated for elimination.
The council passed the $1.1 billion budget by a 6-3 vote. Council members JoAnn Watson, Kwame Kenyatta and Brenda Jones voted against the budget, saying it is based primarily on the consent agreement between the city and the state, which they oppose. The city's corporation counsel has issued an opinion that the consent agreement is illegal due to unpaid debt the state owes Detroit.
"We did the fiscally responsible thing, (but) it's tough," Councilwoman Saunteel Jenkins said, referring to the budget. "It means a lot of people are going to lose their jobs (and) a lot of city services are going to be cut back. We have to make these tough decisions now to get to a better place in the future."
Corporation Counsel Krystal A. Crittendon is expected to take part in a conference call with state Treasurer Andy Dillon and Attorney General Bill Schuette on Wednesday to address her legal objections to the agreement. Council members have delayed making appointments to the board that will oversee the agreement until the matter is settled.
"This limbo state is not productive or helpful," council President Charles Pugh said.
The budget represents the start of Detroit's restructuring efforts following the approval of the consent agreement in April. Rough cash projections over three years indicate the city could end 2015 with a surplus of $240 million, ending years of deficits. The city's accumulated deficit is more than $200 million.
The three members who voted against the budget said they did so because of Crittendon's opinion that the consent agreement violates the city charter.
The city alleges the state owes $224 million in revenue sharing and a $4.5 million past due water bill.
"The reality is that it (the budget) is a product of the consent agreement," said Kenyatta, who urged his colleagues to vote their conscience.
Bing said he looked "forward to reviewing the budget council approved today and bringing this year's budget process to a close."
"My administration will continue to implement our plan to financially stabilize the city," he said.
In April, Bing proposed a budget that sought $250 million in cuts across all departments and the elimination of 2,566 jobs. The proposal is on his desk for approval. The budget reduces the deficit by $75 million and includes a 10 percent pay cut for police officers.
It reduces spending by $75 million to $340 million in the Police Department and cuts officers through attrition and work rules to about 2,950.
The Fire Department's budget will decrease about 13 percent to about $160 million.
The council's changes included:
Restoring the Law Department budget to $15.5 million. Bing had proposed a cut of $8.6 million.
Maintaining the Human Rights Department.
Providing enough funding through the General Services Department to maintain comfort stations at Belle Isle.
Restoring $2.3 million to the Department of Elections. The Bing administration recommended a budget of slightly more than $5 million.
Providing six months' worth of funding for the city airport and the Health & Wellness Promotion Department. The health department would get about $4.9 million of its $6 million budget while a proposed management institute is created to run it.
"I applaud the mayor for cutting $250 million out of the budget.
"I had been pushing it for two years," Council President Pro Tem Gary Brown said. "I may not be as happy as where the cuts came from, but we made the adjustments necessary and the important thing now is to hold the administration's feet to the fire to restructure and reorganize."
Copyright 2012 The Detroit News
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SMITHS STATION, Ala. — Volunteer fire departments in Lee County could have to cut back services or close all together if a fire fee increase doesn’t pass.
Since 1989 folks who live outside the municipalities of Phenix City, Opelika and Auburn pay a $25 fire protection fee each year which goes towards sustaining six volunteer fire stations.
With rising fuel and operating costs Lee County voters in a special election Tuesday will decide to increase the fire fee in their district by another $25.
]]>CINCINNATI — Drones are commonly used by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. But now they are being tested here at home as a tool for police to improve public safety. Now some worry the device may invade your privacy. Local 12's Curtis Jackson has a look at this growing industry.
Thanks to a new law, the Federal Aviation Administration is bringing drones from war zones to the friendly skies. And while the technology could be a useful tool for those who keep us safe at home... even supporters admit drones in our skies raise difficult questions about safety and privacy.
At first glance, it looks like a toy you'd find in the mall. But it's really an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, perhaps better known as a drone. And if Donald Smith and others are right — UAV's — large and small — will become common sights in skies across the Tri-State in as little as three years. "They're either cheaper, better, faster, or safer."
NEWBERRY, Mich. — A wildfire in Michigan's Upper Peninsula has nearly doubled in size, consuming an estimated 17,000 acres.
Ed Golder of the state Department of Natural Resources said Friday the fire grew overnight from about 9,500 acres. Golder said dry and windy conditions are expected to cause the blaze to grow. The blaze officials are calling the Duck Lake Fire is raging in Luce County north of Newberry.
Golder said more than 40 structures are threatened and six have been lost. He said it wasn't immediately clear whether they were homes or outbuildings. An unknown number of people have been evacuated.
The fire is one of two wildfires in the area.
Crews continue fighting a fire at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Schoolcraft County that's burned 3,000 to 3,200 acres.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
A fast-moving wildfire fed by dry conditions in Michigan's Upper Peninsula burned Friday, consuming at least 9,500 acres, or nearly 15 square miles, and prompting evacuations, officials said.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said the blaze it's calling the Duck Lake Fire was in an area of Luce County north of Newberry that includes Lake Superior State Forest land and approached Lake Superior. It was detected Wednesday after a lightning strike, the DNR said, and intensified Thursday — burning along the tops of jack pine trees in the forest.
"Strong winds and high temperatures ... enabled the fire to escape," the DNR said in a statement.
No injuries were reported, the DNR said. An undisclosed number of homes in the Pike Lake area were evacuated because of the blaze. Evacuees were sent to a shelter set up at a youth center in Newberry and were being helped by the American Red Cross.
Amy Witherspoon, 41, said firefighters knocked on the door of her family's cabin Thursday on Pike Lake and helped them leave. Witherspoon, her 71-year-old father and her 19-year-old daughter all got out safely, grabbing clothing, medicine and a few other belongings.
"There's a lot of sentimental things there," Witherspoon said of the cabin, which has been in her family for about 50 years. "We wish we had grabbed the pictures off the wall."
Witherspoon, who lives in the Lower Peninsula community of Lakeview, about about 40 miles northeast of Grand Rapids, didn't know Friday morning whether the cabin had been damaged. She was among more than a dozen people getting help at the shelter in Newberry. She said area hotels were full.
The fire is one of two major wildfires in the area.
Crews have been fighting a fire at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in northern Schoolcraft County that was started Sunday by a lighting strike. The Seney fire, located west of the Duck Lake Fire, had burned 3,000 to 3,200 acres, or roughly 5 square miles, as of Thursday night.
The refuge covers about 95,000 acres. Some area trails and roads were closed, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said Friday.
At the Duck Lake Fire, crews used tractor plows, bulldozers, fire engines and other vehicles to fight the blaze. In addition to dozens of DNR firefighters, crews from several departments in the area were sent to help fight the blaze.
A message seeking updated information about the fire was left Friday morning with a DNR official.
The DNR said an earlier fire broke out in the area Monday afternoon. Located near Pike Lake, the fire had been contained to 22 acres by Monday night. Crews were working to put out hot spots from that fire Thursday when the Duck Lake Fire broke out.
]]>PHILADELPHIA, Tenn. — The fate of Philadelphia is in the hands of a small group of citizen volunteers battling financial burdens that threaten the tiny Loudon County town's very existence.
The town was almost counted out four years ago when it couldn't find anyone to run for mayor or other offices. Volunteers stepped up to lead the town, but as another election looms, future leadership remains uncertain.
At a Loudon County Commission budget committee meeting earlier this month, the Philadelphia fire department was criticized for poor response to mutual aid calls. Committee members also said they were concerned about the financial health of the community.
The committee recommended that the county no longer provide $23,000 in funding for the fire department.
With one convenience store, one motel, a couple of used-car dealerships and the flagship Sweetwater Farms Dairy, the 1.6-square-mile town doesn't have much of a tax base, admits Mayor Paul Stallings.
"We're like a lot of small towns without a source of revenue," he said.
Stallings said he learned only this week about the recommendation to withhold funding for the fire department. Loss of the county funding would be a big blow to the town, he said.
The fire department provides an important community service to the 500 or so residents in the town and many more in the surrounding area, Stallings said. The town has applied for grants to build a new firehouse that would be available for use by the EMS units stationed in that part of the county, he said.
Commissioner Sharon Yarborough said she made her decision not to recommend funding of Philadelphia's fire department because of her overall concern for the stability of the town.
"We decided not to fund them until we felt more comfortable with the direction they are headed," she said.
County Commission Chairman Roy Bledsoe, who represents Philadelphia, was the town's first mayor after it incorporated in 1967.
"I don't think it's fair to single out just one community," he said about the recommendation against funding the fire department.
The recommendations of the budget committee will be presented to the entire commission, along with the county budget. Bledsoe said he hopes to know more by the time the budget comes up for a vote. Stallings said he, his wife and a dedicated group of local volunteers have worked hard to keep the town from fading away during the last four years. In 2008, when an election deadline approached and there were no candidates for mayor, there was speculation that the only recourse was to abandon the town charter.
Stallings said he volunteered to run unopposed for mayor in the last election because he didn't want to see the town disappear. If the town is going survive, it will be because other concerned residents step up, he said.
"We've been trying to get more citizens involved in helping us keep the town running," he said. The town has hosted several events, including a fall festival, concerts and a chili cook-off, to try to raise money, boost town spirit and encourage community involvement.
Stallings, who works a full-time day job, said he has not yet made up his mind whether he will run again.
Whoever takes over will have to contend with the same financial issues that have dogged the town for years.
According to the 2011 state audit, the town's expenses of $107,600 exceeded revenue of $95,575. Philadelphia has only two paid employees, one of whom, the town recorder, is Stallings' wife, Anita. She is paid $60 per month. Audits for 2009 and 2010 criticized the town for not reconciling bank statements every month and on several occasions spending as much as $14,025 over the approved budget.
The 2010 audit also found that, because of the small town staff, certain duties were being performed that are not compatible. The person who handles cash receipts should not record the payments to the accounts receivable ledger, the report said. The 2011 audit indicated that accounting practices have been improved.
The responsibility of the town's other paid employee is to mow the grass on the town-owned land. The position is being considered for elimination because of budget shortages, Stallings said.
"We're hoping that we can get volunteers to help us with the mowing in the future," he said.
The town tried hiring a police officer to provide a better response to local calls and to generate revenue through traffic tickets. The plan backfired when most of the tickets that were written were thrown out of court, he said.
If there is one jewel in the crown of Philadelphia, it would have to be the municipal park. Taking care of the park's ball fields, tennis courts and wooded picnic areas was a big budget item, Stallings said.
The expense of maintaining the park led some on the town council to consider selling it or trading it for other property. Locals like retired Judge Bill Russell, who had worked to have the park built with government grants back in the 1970s, balked at the idea.
"We felt the park was the only tangible asset the town had. A lot of us have a lot of memories there," he said.
Volunteers led by Russell and businessman James Purdy have agreed to maintain the park at their own expense.
Philadelphia has at least one other important asset — its history, Stallings said.
The town was first founded in 1820 and has a pre-Civil War legacy that includes use by the Underground Railroad.
Philadelphia also was the site of the largest Civil War battle in Loudon County. The 150th anniversary of "The Affair at Philadelphia," as it is called in some history books, will take place in October 2013.
In 1863, Confederate cavalry routed a Union brigade in an action that set the stage for the Battle of Knoxville. The town has heard from Civil War reenactors who are interested in using local land for their activities, Stallings said.
Last Friday was the first day that candidates could register for the November election. Philadelphia has five positions — mayor and four aldermen — on the ballot. As of this week, only one candidate had registered.
John D. Drinnon, a pastor with the Word of Faith Family Worship Center in Loudon and current Philadelphia alderman, has registered to run for mayor.
"If we don't have community involvement, the city is destined for failure," he said.
Copyright 2012 Knoxville News-Sentinel Co.
All Rights Reserved
MUMBAI, India — You may soon have to pay a fire service fee for the emergency fire services provided by the Mumbai Fire Brigade under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The proposal seeking to introduce a fire service fee for residential and commercial buildings in the city is set to be tabled at the civic standing committee on Friday.
The fee would be charged in addition to the 4% fire tax that citizens are paying as part of the general assessment tax or property tax to the civic body. However, the fire service fee to be levied is provided under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, which was passed by the state government sometime ago.
Developers and flat owners would both be hit if this fee, which would be calculated on the basis of the built-up area of a building, is introduced.
Citizens staying in high-rises, however, would be charged the most. The criterion of a height of 24 metres has been set to classify buildings into high-rises and others.
For buildings under 24 metres high (approx six storeys), the proposed charges are Rs20 ($0.36) per sq metre while buildings of 24 metres and above would be charged Rs30 ($0.54) per sq metre.
The above charges multiplied by the built-up area of a building would have to be paid by the developer when the occupation certificate is handed out and 3% of this amount will be collected annually from the housing society.
Buildings less than 15 metres high (four storeys) are exempt from paying the fee.
Fire department officials said the revenue generated from the fee was necessary for the overhaul of the services of the department.
Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.
Copyright 2012 HT Media Ltd.
All Rights Reserved
EL PASO, N.M. — About 50 people have been interviewed as part of the on-going investigation of the fire that destroyed a 130-year-old building in Downtown El Paso last month.
On April 19, more than 140 firefighters responded to the fire at 100 E. San Antonio.
After hours of battling the blaze, firefighters extinguished the flames, but the three-story building, known as the First National Bank building, was a total loss.
More than a month later, the rubble has been cleared. There is an obvious void at the intersection of San Antonio Avenue and El Paso Street, where the building stood.
The investigation by both the El Paso Fire Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is not finished.
Fire Department spokesman George De La Torre said investigators are done with the physical part of the investigation, but they are still reviewing the evidence and interviews.
The cause of the fire is still undetermined. Investigators have not ruled anything out, including that it was arson or that it started accidentally.
As a result of the blaze, a six-person team from the Fire Department has been inspecting Downtown buildings to check on whether they are in compliance with the city's building code.
De La Torre said the Downtown inspections have taken longer to complete than originally planned. About 400 of an estimated 600 buildings have already been examined.
"Everything will be presented to City Council at the end of the inspections," De La Torre said. "It will have all our findings and recommendations."
The First National Bank building was a historic landmark. Its architecture was distinctive of the 1880s, and construction was entirely of wood.
The second floor contained gunslinger John Wesley Hardin's law offices.
The property now belongs to River Oaks Properties, which is owned by Gerald Rubin.
River Oaks Properties referred the El Paso Times to the company's lawyer, Yolanda Giner, at Gordon Davis Johnson and Shane Law Offices. Giner did not return messages left by the Times.
The night of the fire, Rubin was at the Downtown scene but walked away from reporters when they approached.
In the beginning of May, Rubin made a $100,000 donation to the El Paso Fire Department, thanking the firefighters for risking their lives, according to a statement released by the city that day.
The money was put into the capital fund for the department to be used for firefighting equipment.
The city spent $65,000 to fight the fire, damaging 22 pieces of equipment and using 940,000 gallons of water, according to a Times article.
While the donation was accepted, city Rep. Susie Byrd publicly voiced concerns over the gift and asked that the city return the money.
Copyright 2012 El Paso Times, a MediaNews Group Newspaper
All Rights Reserved
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Winds and erratic flames forced firefighters to sit on the sidelines Thursday as a massive fire that destroyed a dozen homes and several other structures in small New Mexico community grew larger and put more buildings at risk.
Tripling in size over the last day, the lightning-sparked Whitewater and Baldy fires merged to burn across more than 110 square miles of the Gila National Forest by Thursday.
"At this point it's just a monitoring situation to see whether (crews) can find some place where they can build lines or do something to slow it down," said fire information officer Iris Estes.
The wind-whipped fire burned Wednesday afternoon through the Willow Creek subdivision, a small summer community in southwestern New Mexico. Officials confirmed 12 cabins along with seven small outbuildings were destroyed, and the damage assessment continued Thursday.
Fire managers said employees with the State Forestry Division and the U.S. Forest Service would be contacting property owners.
While some residents questioned whether fire managers could have done more early on to contain the blaze, others acknowledged that fighting flames in the area's steep canyons was near impossible now.
"The fire had been around about 10 days, lurking and creeping and then kaboom, it exploded," said Tabitha Sims, secretary of the Willow Creek Landowners Association. "They made a heroic effort at trying to build a break, but I think it was unfortunate that this wind event happened to come right at the worst time."
Sims, an Arizona resident who owns a cabin at Willow Creek, said parts of the area were vulnerable due to a lack of fire over decades. She described Willow Creek as "an incredibly special spot" where generations of families have spent their summers.
"The people who have lifelong memories of going there, I just feel for them," she said.
Seven Willow Creek residents evacuated earlier this week, and the community of Mogollon was under voluntary evacuation. Authorities said many structures were still at risk.
Firefighters were anticipating winds of up to 35 mph late Thursday afternoon.
In northern Nevada, high winds also were expected in an area where a fire broke out Tuesday, burned 7,500 acres and damaged two homes. Crews near the Nevada-California line raced to secure a line above a second rural community Thursday before the winds kicked up.
Meanwhile, firefighters in a rural part of California's San Diego County fought a 1,200-acre wildfire that led to evacuation orders for 100 homes. Gusts of up to 45 mph were forecast in the area Thursday night.
In the Gila National Forest, the flames have raced across more than 70,500 acres of rugged terrain. The Baldy fire was first spotted May 9 and the Whitewater blaze was sparked May 16, but nearly all of the growth has come in recent days thanks to relentless winds.
There is no containment.
The blaze is about half the size of last summer's historic Las Conchas fire, the largest in the state's recorded history. That blaze burned 156,593 acres and destroyed dozens of homes in northern New Mexico's Jemez Mountains.
With drought conditions persisting, New Mexico forestry officials have been urging residents to take precautions to help avoid another record fire season.
Many trails in the Gila region were off-limits due to the Whitewater-Baldy fire and more could be closed as the blaze continues to burn.
About 10 miles to the southeast, volunteers and staff at the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument have been watching the column of smoke develop each afternoon.
"The plume above us yesterday was truly awesome. It was scary awesome," said volunteer Dave Young.
The monument was not in any immediate danger, but Young described conditions in the area as "bone dry."
"We're talking single-digit humidity in the afternoon. We've been down to 1 percent, and you can't get below 1 percent," he said.
Aside from low humidity and high temperatures, Estes said crews were expecting the red flag conditions to last through Saturday.
More than 400 personnel were assigned to the fire.
___
Follow Susan Montoya Bryan on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susanmbryanNM
Copyright 2012 Associated Press
]]>FENNVILLE, Mich. — Bruce Grams has been a firefighter for 47 years, so when his friends at the Fennville Area Fire Department joined the fight against cancer, he didn’t think twice about pulling on the proper equipment — a bright red bra. “It’s for a good cause,” the 75-year-old said.
Grams joined 11 other firefighters from the Fennville and Clyde departments to make a calendar to raise funds for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Allegan County-Lakeshore.
Relay for Life is a 24-hour event June 9-10 at the Fennville High School track. Participants have team members walk all night to help bring awareness to cancer research and raise money to find a cure. This year’s overall fundraising goal is $76,000.
Full Story: Firefighters pose for pin-up calendar to help cancer research
]]>WELLINGTON, Nev. — A wildfire that destroyed two homes in a rural neighborhood near the California-Nevada line may have been caused by an illegal burn that had been smoldering at a private residence since the weekend, investigators said Wednesday.
Rugged terrain forced firefighting crews to concentrate on an aerial attack to try to slow the flames. The fire had consumed about 7,000 acres of mostly sagebrush, cheat grass, juniper and pinion as it burned in the mountains within miles of another residential area in rural Lyon County, about 60 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe.
No deaths or injuries have been reported, and evacuations have been lifted. There were no active flames near residential areas Wednesday evening, but officials said dozens of homes continued to be threatened because the fire was only 15 percent contained and hot spots remained within burned-out areas.
Northern winds blew smoke from the fire more than 350 miles southeast to Las Vegas, where a sooty haze obscured surrounding mountains and Clark County officials issued a smoke advisory.
Investigators believe the fire started when a resident failed to properly snuff out a burn Sunday and it suddenly burst into flames Tuesday afternoon at Topaz Ranch Estates.
Authorities initially indicated the burn likely was within the confines of a county permit that allows open burning of weeds and grass in rural areas when conditions are favorable.
But Douglas County Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Halsey said Wednesday a preliminary investigation indicates the residential burn exceeded the permit requirements, including ignition of materials prohibited under county regulations.
Halsey did not name the resident or provide other details about the burn, but he said the sheriff's office, Nevada state fire marshal and U.S. Bureau of Land Management were continuing to investigate.
One resident who lost everything said the fire department was called to a neighbor's home two days earlier when an intentional burn got out of control.
Fire officials would not comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
But Jack Taylor said the fire re-erupted Tuesday in the same place.
He was on the couch reading a book when he noticed the smoke. He grabbed a garden hose to try to protect the home where he lived with an elderly, disabled man he considered his grandfather, but the fire was swift and furious.
"After it hit the chicken coop, we ran," he said.
"I don't know what to do next," Taylor said, standing in front of the blackened hillside that used to be his home. He escaped with a few pairs of pants and some T-shirts. "I'm angry."
Authorities remain concerned because Thursday's weather forecast calls for relatively dry conditions and strong gusty winds, conditions that create extreme fire danger. As many as 560 firefighters were on-scene Wednesday evening.
Crews had dug a line around about 10 percent of the fire's perimeter, and full containment was expected by Saturday.
But the steep, rocky slopes in the foothills of the Pine Nut mountains were keeping most fire engines and heavy equipment away from active flames Wednesday as the fire burned to the east approaching the Upper Canyon Road neighborhood in the Smith Valley northwest of Wellington.
At least four air tankers and five helicopters were helping the mostly hand crews battling the blaze.
"It's difficult to get firefighting equipment up there so it is basically an air show at this point," Halsey said.
Authorities warned boaters to beware of helicopters dipping their aerial buckets in Topaz Lake to haul water to the fire.
Rita Ayers, fire information officer for the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center, said two homes and 17 outbuildings had been destroyed by the fire. Authorities reported during the initial, frantic hours of the blaze that seven houses had burned, but they scaled that back Wednesday after determining several of those structures were not residences.
All evacuations had been lifted by Wednesday, but officials said approximately 120 residences, 300 outbuildings and numerous utility lines "continue to be threatened."
"Even though this area is doing pretty good, we could have some flare-up," said fire spokesman Mark Regan. "We have a lot of open line right not and a lot of hot spots."
Halsey said the fire had burned less than 10 acres when crews arrived at the scene at about 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, but the wind "just took off and (the fire) was growing like gangbusters."
"It shot across the valley real fast," said resident Diana Richardson, 69. Richardson said she and her husband were "just sitting here minding our own business" when they noticed flames halfway up a hill near their house in Topaz Ranch Estates. "It was scary."
Strong winds gusted steadily through Tuesday across a region that has seen very little moisture all winter, leaving vegetation dry and extremely flammable.
Betty Hathaway, 52, said the fire started behind her home in the foothills of the Pine Nut mountains and that a house two doors down "completely burned down."
"It was just a wall of fire," she said. "It is unbelievable my house did not burn down."