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Seizing Evidence at a CO Incident
Does the fire department have the authority by law, to seize the generator as part of the investigation?
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Did New Maine EMS Protocols Play a Role in Sugarloaf Incident
We have been following a tragic case involving the death of a skier at the Sugarloaf Ski area. The victim’s widow claims she was left by the side of the road by the transporting ambulance as it was enroute to the hospital, and that the ambulance subsequently discontinued treating the victim and returned his body to the ski area. David Morse of Nova Scotia died on January 12, 2012 after striking a tree and the incident remains under investigation by both the hospital based ambulance company, Northstar Ambulance, and the Carabassett Valley Police Department. The resulting media coverage has garnered…
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New Jersey Community Places Fire Department Out of Service
A New Jersey community has taken steps to close its volunteer fire company, and contract with a neighboring district to provide protection. The Folsom Volunteer Fire Department had served Folsom Borough since 1946. The Borough and the department had been at odds for years, and Borough officials attribute the move to close the department to the members’ refusal to submit to government oversight. The trucks and equipment were removed from the fire station last Thursday after the Borough entered a 10 year agreement with Collings Lakes Fire District. The move apparently caught the Folsom VFD by surprise. While removing the…
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Widow Makes Stunning Allegations Against Maine Medics
A widow has made some stunning allegations about her treatment by a Maine ambulance crew that was transporting her dying husband to the hospital last week following a skiing accident at Sugarloaf Ski Area. Dana Morse, a nurse practitioner from Nova Scotia, alleges that paramedics from Northstar Ambulance pulled over, let her out of the ambulance, and left her standing by the side of the road while they continued their transport of David Morse to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington. She further alleges that when paramedics later determined David was dead, they discontinued transporting his body to the hospital and…
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Florida Firefighters Sued for $1.4 Million in Fatal Accident
The driver and the officer of a Lake County, Florida engine company that was involved in a fatal Christmas day accident in 2009, have been sued for $1.4 million. The suit was filed on behalf of Gieco Insurance Company to recoup sums they have already had to pay out. Driver Brian Dimond and Lt. Robert A. Armas were sued, along with Lake County. The suit alleges the firefighters were negligent when they attempted to make a U-turn on the Florida Turnpike while responding to a reported accident. That call turned out to be a false alarm and the crew was using…
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Velarde Fire Chief Takes Aim At Sheriff and EMA Director
The strange case of the New Mexico fire chief who was arrested at an incident scene as a way to relieve him of command, is in the news again – this time with an entirely new twist. Fire Chief Eddie Velarde, of the Velarde Fire Department, was arrested by Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Adam Archuleta on March 29, 2011 and charged with disorderly conduct. At the time Chief Velarde was the incident commander at a 3.2 acre interface fire that damaged 3 structures and 3 vehicles. According to the headlines at the time of the arrest, Archuleta claimed Chief Velarde…
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Georgia Supreme Court Weighs in On DeKalb Termination
The Supreme Court of Georgia has issued an important ruling that orders the reinstatement of a fire captain terminated two years ago. DeKalb County Fire Captain Sell Caldwell was one of five firefighters terminated after the fire death of 74-year-old Ann Bartlett on January 24, 2010. Recall that companies dispatched to Bartlett’s home for a structure fire claimed they could not locate the address. An investigation revealed that none of the arriving firefighters bothered to get out of their apparatus to investigate before crews returned in service. They were called back to the scene several hours later when the hour…
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Louisiana Chief Sued for Accident
A fire chief in Louisiana has been sued for an accident that occurred in 2010. Fire Chief Marty Thibodeaux of the Little Caillou Volunteer Fire District was responding to a call in a department-owned SUV when he rear-ended a boat trailer being pulled by a pickup truck. The accident occurred on October 18, 2010, under rainy and foggy conditions. The suit alleges there were four passengers in the pickup, and that one of them, Kevin Picou, suffered “serious, painful, permanent and disabling injuries.” According to the suit the impact was so violent that it caused the pickup to “spin out…
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FDNY Fire Inspector charged in Day Care Scam
An FDNY Fire Inspector has been charged in a massive bribery scheme involving Brooklyn day care centers. Inspector Carlos Montoya was arraigned last Friday in Federal District Court in Manhattan, and released on $100,000 bond. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Pay Care”, involved a joint investigation led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and New York City Department of Investigation. It exposed a 1 million dollar scam affecting a city subsidized day care program. Montoya’s role in the scheme was to ignore safety violations so that permits for the day care centers could be issued or…
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Bizarre Coverup Alleged in West Virginia
The West Virginia State Police are investigating what appears to be a failed attempt by one or more volunteer firefighters to cover up for an accident involving their fire chief. On December 17, 2011 Beverly Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Jeffery Pritt was involved in an accident that police believe was alcohol related. Chief Pritt was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road, lost control, and wrecked his truck on the Files Creek Road. The fire department responded to the call, and Cody Daniels, a firefighter who also happens to be an off-duty Randolph County Deputy Sheriff, reportedly…
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Former Prosecutor to Investigate Cleveland Overtime Scandal
The city of Cleveland has hired former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Bakeman to head up the investigation into the Cleveland Fire Department’s overtime scandal. Bakeman’s appointment was announced earlier this week as the department struggles to address allegations that some personnel work only a few days per month, and overtime is out of control. Incidentally, Cleveland is not alone in trying to address the problem. Buffalo, NY and Clark County, Nevada top a list of departments trying to correct abuses stemming from improper use of substitutions, sick leave fraud, and in some cases pension escalators tied to overtime. [Note the…
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Connecticut Paramedic Facing Rape Charges
A Connecticut paramedic is facing felony rape charges after a patient alleged she was sexually assaulted during a transport. Paramedic Mark Powell, 49, turned himself in to police yesterday. The incident allegedly occurred at 3:00 am on Christmas morning. A 22 year old woman who had fallen and suffered a concussion claims she awoke in the ambulance during the assault. The victim was being transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital and allegedly was strapped down at the time. Powell worked for American Medical Response, and has been place on administrative leave. He is free on$25,000 bond. According to police, no further…
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Springfield Fire Cited By State Civil Service Commission
The Massachusetts Civil Service Commission has handled down a decision that harshly criticizes the selection process used by the Springfield Fire Department to hire 21 new firefighters. The Commission was responding to the complaints of four candidates who claimed they were improperly bypassed. To fully understand the decision, it is important to understand that in Massachusetts, municipal hiring decisions are governed by the state’s civil service commission. The multitude of decisions that go into the hiring process must all be done in accordance with state requirements, creating a bureaucratic nightmare for those unfamiliar with the system. The thrust of the…
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