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PA EMS CHIEF COLLAPSES AT CRASH SCENE-LINE OF DUTY DEATH

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:59:12 -0800

15 MASSACHUSETTS FIREFIGHTERS GIVEN THE "WRONG TYPE" OF FLU VACCINE

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:45:19 -0800

Woman Steals Ambulance, Police Fire Shots

http://popup.lala.com/popup/576742262918563297 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:31:19 -0800

MOBILE, Alabama - The Mobile Police Department is conducting an internal investigation after at least one officer fired shots at a runaway ambulance during a bizarre chase through downtown Mobile.

Brent Becker, a Mobile firefighter, responded to a call on Forrest Circle around 4:30 Saturday morning. While Becker and his partner were inside a house tending to a patient, a woman jumped in the driver's seat of their ambulance and drove away.

"My partners was like did you put the truck in gear?" said Becker, who flagged down a nearby police officer. "The lights were on. She didn't know how to turn it off."

Police chased the stolen ambulance onto Interstate ten, then through a maze of city streets. Police Chief Lester Hargrove confirmed shots were fired during the chase, but he refused to release any more information. A spokesperson for the department also refused to give News Five a copy of the department's policy regarding when officers are authorized to fire shots.

The chase ended when the thief crashed into a fire hydrant at the corner of Tuttle Avenue and Dublin Street.

Josephine Armstead, 40, is charged with theft and alluding police. A beer can was found in the front seat of the ambulance after the crash, but Armstead is not charged with any alcohol related offenses.

Wildfire Arsonist Sentenced to Death For Killing 5 Firefighters

Bucksfan5471 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:43:01 -0800

A California man was sentenced to death on Friday for setting a hillside inferno in 2006 that killed five USFF firefighters. The penalty had been recommended by the jury that convicted the man, Raymond L. Oyler, 38, of murder and arson in March.

In imposing the sentence, Judge W. Charles Morgan of Superior Court in Riverside County said Mr. Oyler had “set on a mission — why? no one knows — to create havoc in this county by setting fires of his own design, for his own purpose.”

Judge Morgan added, “He knew young men and young women would put their lives on the line to protect property and people.”

Prosecutors said the Beaumont mechanic had set fires throughout the San Gorgonio Pass in the summer of 2006 leading up to the Esperanza fire on Oct. 26.

Early that morning, he used a combination of matches and a cigarette to light a fire in a remote area of Cabazon. Gusty Santa Ana winds drove the flames into the San Jacinto Mountains, where they reached speeds of 40 mph and temperatures of 1,500 degrees.

A U.S. Forest Service firefighting crew based in Idyllwild was overrun by flames while trying to save a house. Those killed were Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20; Pablo Cerda, 23; Mark Loutzenhiser, 43; Jason McKay, 27; and Jess McLean, 27.

Oyler’s trial lasted more than a month, during which jurors were shown gruesome photos of the dead, some of whom suffered burns to more than 90% of their bodies. But even after seeing and hearing the evidence, and after convicting Oyler of first-degree murder, the jury was hesitant to sentence him to death.

Man Attacked by Kangaroo After Trying to Rescue Dog

Associated Press — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:46:00 -0800

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- An Australian man who tried to save his dog from a kangaroo is hospitalized northeast of Melbourne after the animal turned on him.

Chris Rickard says he was walking the dog near a dam Sunday morning when they surprised a sleeping kangaroo. The dog chased the animal into the water but the roo then turned and pinned the pet underwater.

When Rickard tried to pull his dog free, the kangaroo attacked with its hind legs, tearing a deep gash into the man's abdomen and across his face.

Rickard tells The Herald Sun newspaper that "it was a shock." Rickard said he ended the attack by elbowing the kangaroo in the throat.

Kangaroos do not normally attack humans but will fight if they feel threatened.

Dogs often chase kangaroos, which have been known to lead the pets into water and then pin them under as a means of defense.

Fiery Vehicle Crash Kills Three [Video]

Contra Costa Times — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:39:00 -0800

SUNLAND - Three people from Riverside, including a 14-year-old boy, died in a fiery early-morning crash Sunday when their sport utility vehicle slammed into a lettuce-loaded big rig that was stopped on the shoulder of the Foothill (210) Freeway.

The 41-year-old male SUV driver, a 40-year-old female passenger and a teenager in the backseat died in the vehicle after it burst into flames at 5:11 a.m. on the westbound freeway east of Sunland Boulevard, according to California Highway Patrol.
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The Los Angeles County Department of Coroner has not yet released their identities.

The SUV was lodged underneath the big rig trailer on impact. CHP officials said it's unknown why the SUV driver veered onto the freeway shoulder and crashed into the truck.

Watch the News Report

An 11-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl, both from Riverside, were rescued from the vehicle by a man passing by before it was engulfed with fire, said Brian Humphrey, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman.

The children were transported to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and are in fair condition, Humphrey said.

The 73-year-old big-rig driver from Frazier Park was taken to Providence Holy Cross Hospital after complaining of chest pains and is in fair condition, Humphrey said.

The two-car crash sparked a fire on nearby vegetation. The blaze scorched a quarter acre and was extinguished in less than 30 minutes, said Humphrey.

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Firefighters Rescue Several from Indiana Motel Fire

Associated Press — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:34:00 -0800

VINCENNES, Ind. — Firefighters have found one body and rescued several people from a fire at a southwestern Indiana motel.

The Vincennes Fire Department says two people suffering from smoke inhalation were taken to a hospital after the fire early Monday at a Quality Inn. One police officer suffered a hand injury.
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Firefighters found heavy fire and smoke when they arrived around 2:30 a.m. at the motel, which had nine rooms occupied. The department says one room at the motel was gutted, with heat and smoke damage elsewhere.

Fire Chief Mike Lankford says it wasn't immediately known what caused the fire.

The name of the person killed wasn't immediately released.

Firefighter Rescues Man and Dog After Hudson River Jump

New York Daily News via YellowBrix — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:29:00 -0800

A rambunctious dog caused a scene when it leaped into the Hudson River Sunday - but it was only living up to its name.

Jerry Velez, 30, was walking Cain, a white pit bull mix along the Hudson River at W. 14th St. yesterday when he let the dog off its leash.

Bad move.

"I let the dog off the leash and the dog ran and jumped right over into the water," Velez told emergency responders, said Firefighter Paul Ruckdeschel.
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Cain's crazy leap drove Velez nuts.

"[Velez] was freaking out because it was his brother's dog," Firefighter Paul Ruckdeschel recalled. "He didn't know what he was going to tell his brother."

Velez walked out onto a pier and climbed down onto a support beam near the waterline.

Cain doggy-paddled over to him, and the pair were rescued by a boat from the FDNY's Marine 1 unit.

Both man and dog were fine.

"His brother actually called and said, 'Where are you? And where is my dog?'," Ruckdeschel said. "And he said, 'Have I got a story to tell you when I get home.'"

Marine Charged With First-Degree Murder after Four Found Dead in Fiery Home

Associated Press — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:16:00 -0800

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A former Marine was charged Friday with six counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of four people whose bodies were found in a burning home, including a prostitute featured on the HBO reality series "Cathouse."

David Allen Tyner, 28, of Locust Grove, is accused of shooting, stabbing and then burning the bodies of Brooke Phillips, Milagrous Barrera, Jennifer Ermey, 25, and Mark Barrientos, 32, at a southwest Oklahoma City home. Because Phillips and Barrera, both 22, were pregnant, two more murder counts were filed.

Phillips had worked at the Moonlite BunnyRanch, a legal brothel near Carson City, Nev., that is featured in the HBO reality show "Cathouse."
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According to a police affidavit filed with the charging document, a witness inside home told police someone known as "Hooligan" was arguing with one of the victims when the shootings happened. The witness later identified "Hooligan" as Tyner, the affidavit said.

The document doesn't say which victim Tyner was arguing with or what the dispute was about.

The witness ran from the home when Tyner yelled he had no problem with the witness, it says.

Oklahoma City firefighters who responded to a report of a fire at the house about 5:20 a.m. Nov. 9 found one of the victim before extinguishing the blaze. After putting out the fire, they found three more bodies inside, authorities said.

Autopsies showed all four had been shot.

Police have said one of the three women had cuts on her stomach, face and neck. Shell casings from two different handguns, along with several knives, ammunition, drug paraphernalia and about seven grams of marijuana were recovered from the scene.

An attorney for Tyner, a cage fighter, couldn't immediately be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater also didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Teen Killed After Police Shoot Off 14 Rounds; Causes Protest in NYC

WTOPNews.com — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:08:00 -0800

NEW YORK (AP) - A teenager killed in a confrontation with New York City police over the weekend was shot 11 times, the medical examiner's office said Sunday.

Dashawn Vasconcellos, 18, died of gunshot wounds to the torso, neck and extremities, medical examiner spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said. Police fired a total of 14 times, chief NYPD spokesman Paul J. Browne said.

According to an autopsy completed late Sunday, Vasconcellos had three gunshot wounds in the middle of his back, five in his right side and three on his left side, Borakove said. Five police bullets were recovered during the autopsy, she said.
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Vasconcellos and two others were spotted leaving a city park in Queens at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday by four officers in an unmarked car. Vasconcellos ran and was pursued by three officers. He then turned and pointed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol at them, Browne said.

"They ordered him to drop the gun, and he did not comply. Three officers fired a total of 14 shots," Browne said.

Vasconcellos, who was also carrying a boxcutter, did not fire his gun. He was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital.

The men with Vasconcellos, who did not flee police, have been questioned by officers. It's unclear why the men were in the park after hours.

Fatal police-involved shootings have led to protests in New York City and prosecutions of police officers.

In 2008, a judge acquitted three police officers in the fatal shooting of Sean Bell, an unarmed man killed in a 50-shot barrage on his wedding day. Bell was killed outside a strip club on Nov. 25, 2006, as he was leaving his bachelor party. Undercover officers investigating reports of prostitution at the club said they thought one of the men in Bell's group had a gun.

Ten years ago, 22-year-old Amadou Diallo was killed when he was struck 19 times by 41 bullets fired by police officers who mistook his wallet for a gun. The officers were acquitted in the February 1999 fatal shooting of the African immigrant.

Read the Article at WTOP.com

CLOSE CALL FOR CINCINNATI FIREFIGHTERS-COLLAPSE

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:32:52 -0800

CLOSE CALL FOR COLORADO FIREFIGHTERS-FLASHOVER-MEMBERS DOVE OUT THE WINDOWS

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:27:22 -0800

PA EMS CHIEF COLLAPSES AT CRASH SCENE-LINE OF DUTY DEATH

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:25:30 -0800

Helicopter Called After Accident

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:09:03 -0800

1997 EMS RUN EXPOSED FIREFIGHTER TO DISEASE-LOST HIS LIFE LAST WEEKEND-NOW DECLARED AN LODD

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:40:24 -0800

MARYLAND FIREFIGHTER BURNED AT DWELLING FIRE

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:37:36 -0800

Fulton man charged with murder after fatal accident in Cato

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:34:02 -0800

FDNY FIRE OFFICERS UNION SUPPORTS CHANGE ON 9-11 CALL TAKING, PROCESSING AND DISPATCHING BUT QUESTIONS STILL REMAIN

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:09:29 -0800

Cops Abuse Law to Detain People Says Paramedic

Minneapolis Star Tribune via YellowBrix — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:09:00 -0800

BROOKLYN - A veteran paramedic sued his employer and Brooklyn Center Police Department on Thursday, alleging they have routinely abused a state law that allows police officers to bring mentally ill people to a hospital if they are a threat to themselves or others.

Nate Berg, 30, who has spent almost 10 years working as a paramedic in the metro area, said he has personally witnessed more than 200 incidents in which an individual's civil rights have been violated. He said local police agencies have been misusing the law as a way to temporarily force people into hospitals when they don't have enough information to support an arrest.

Under an emergency hold, doctors can detain an individual for up to 72 hours against their will. Hospitals are allowed to charge for their services. Berg claims his employer, North Memorial Medical Center, overlooks questionable holds because the activity generates significant revenue. He said the hospital also wants to protect its relationships with local police agencies.
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"An administrative hold is an incredibly powerful tool," said Patrick Burns, Berg's lawyer. "You're denying somebody their civil liberties and it's something that shouldn't be used as a means for a hospital to make money, for ambulance companies to make money or municipal law enforcement officers to shirk their duties and responsibilities."

In a statement, North Memorial said "there is no merit" to Berg's allegations.

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Scott Bechthold said he couldn't discuss the lawsuit, but he said his department has policies, training and supervision in place to make sure officers are following the law regarding emergency holds.

Berg's lawsuit, filed in Hennepin County District Court, was prompted by a July incident involving Brooklyn Center police. He arrived at a group home on a hot afternoon, finding a sullen 15-year-old boy sitting in the back of a squad car.

The police officer said the patient was having psychiatric issues and was upset, Berg said in his suit. The officer said the patient may be off his medications, Berg said. But they were unable to produce a copy of the boy's care plan, which would have shown what medications he was on as well as his doctor's instructions for handling various situations.

The boy told Berg he was mad because he had gotten into a fight with his caretaker. But Berg said the boy didn't appear to be suffering from a medical problem and was speaking coherently. Berg told the officer it wasn't ambulance policy to take someone to the hospital because they were angry.
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When the officers told Berg that the boy had assaulted his caretaker, Berg said they should treat the case as a law enforcement matter, not as a medical issue. But he said police officers refused to listen to him, with one insisting that the boy "was going in," according to the lawsuit.

With the police yelling at him, Berg helped the boy out of the squad car and put him in the ambulance. Berg drove off, taking the boy to the emergency room of a nearby hospital because he felt it was the safest place for the boy after his confrontation with the police. On the way there, the boy told him he was upset about not being able to live with his parents, but he said he was taking all his medications.

"I did my job," Berg said. "I protected my patient. He shouldn't have been put on a hold and he wasn't in this scenario because of what I did."

Berg said he immediately called his supervisor to tell him about the incident. The next week, he filed a complaint with the state Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).

The POST board forwarded the complaint to the Brooklyn Center Police Department, which is required to investigate.

Cmdr. Mike Reynolds informed Berg in a letter that the department's officers were exonerated and that "the allegation of misuse of services was unfounded."

The hospital subsequently reprimanded Berg, saying his complaint to state officials could compromise "our excellent working relationship with this particular police department, a relationship which we painstakingly nurture and which is crucial to the functioning and safety of our crews on the street."

Hospital officials later apologized and said they would remove the disciplinary action from his record, documents show.

North Memorial spokesman Robert Prevost said paramedics aren't legally qualified to "question or otherwise make decisions" about whether an emergency hold is warranted.

"North Memorial has always followed the practice that it is the peace officer who has the authority to make the transport decision,'' Prevost said in a written statement. "North Memorial is certain that this practice has been well communicated to its staff, but will be preparing a written policy to advise all personnel about it."
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Roger Schwab, a state regional ombudsman for mental health and developmental disabilities, said the emergency hold law doesn't address whether EMTs or paramedics have permission to transport patients. The statute says only peace or health officers are allowed to transport patients. Emergency medical technicians and paramedics aren't considered health officers under the statute, Schwab said.

"It always used to be that law enforcement were the ones to transport," Schwab said. "Now it's an issue because law enforcement agencies need their officers in the field and don't want to be doing transport. Quite frankly, if the peace officers were that concerned, they could have transported the individual themselves."

Schwab said the statute needs to be updated and the question of whether emergency medical personnel can transport patients under an emergency hold should be addressed.

Firefighter Injured in Early Morning Fire

WTOPNews.com — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:59:00 -0800

GAITHERSBURG, Md. - A firefighter is being treated for first- and second-degree burns after battling a house fire early this morning.

Montgomery County firefighters were called to a home on Chelsey Knoll Drive in Gaithersburg near the county Airpark, just after 3 a.m.
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"Units arrived on the scene of a two-story, single-family dwelling, with heavy fire from the garage extending into the first and second floors," says Assistant Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Graham.

He says crews began attacking the flames from the inside, but, "the firefighters were forced then to go to a defensive attack due to the volume of fire in the structure."

The injured firefighter was taken to a local burn unit with burns to the hand, forehead and knee. The injuries are considered serious but not life-threatening. No one else was hurt.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.