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51 Years Ago: THE OUR LADY OF ANGELS FIRE

Administrator — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:42:24 +0000

51 Years Ago: THE OUR LADY OF ANGELS FIRE

Today is the 51st anniversary of the Our Lady of the Angels Fire in Chicago: December 1st, 1958.
Here is a website dedicated to the fire. http://www.olafire.com and we have more links below.

You can also get a CD, with proceeds going to the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance and the IFSA Burn Camp for Children by Fire Lt. Mike Mason. Mike, who is a survivor of Our Lady of Angels fire and a Lieutenant with the Downers Grove FD, created this excellent CD titled “Angels of Fire” which is dedicated to his classmates who perished in the tragedy on December 1, 1958.

Click HERE for more details:

http://www.ricofirerescue.com/pages/gear.htm#Angle%20of%20Fire%20CD

EXCELLENT VIDEO AND RELATED LINKS related to the fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czM5ZCooYzY (Documentary)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLhO25vBT5c (Actual video footage from the fire)

http://statter911.com/2008/11/28/50-years-ago-lessons-learned-from-tragedy-a-look-back-at-our-lady-of-the-angels-school-fire/ (An excellent selection of info from Dave S)

Be sure to check out the book: ”To Sleep with the Angels: The Story of a Fire” by David Cowan and John Kuenster. There is a follow up book by Kuenster of the first book “Remembrances of the Angels: 50th Anniversary Reminiscences of the Fire No One Can Forget”
92 kids and 3 Nuns lost their lives in this fire. R.I.P.

Take Care-BE CAREFUL.

BillyG

The Secret List 12-1-09 / 2025 Hours

www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com

This could happen to any of us.

Administrator — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:05:30 +0000

It is with deep regret that we advise you that a Firefighter with the Oregon Hill Volunteer Fire Department was killed in a rollover crash early this morning while responding to a run. Oregon Hill VFD is located in Rockingham County, North Carolina. We will have more details posted later but initial reports are that he was in his POV and was ejected.

ALSO-While not a Firefighter-this could absolutely happen to any of us. A Maryland Transportation Authority Police Officer is dead following a hit & run this morning in Baltimore. Corporal Courtney Brooks was struck while setting out flares to control traffic on Interstate 95 near the Interstate 395 interchange. Cpl. Brooks was taken to Baltimore Shock Trauma, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. For more information with specific details and guidelines on the dangers of operating on roads, go to: www.ResponderSafety.com

Our deepest sympathies to all those affected by these losses.

Take Care-BE CAREFUL.

BillyG

The Secret List 1-1-08 / 1005 Hours

www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com

Apparatus Downfall

Administrator — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 15:07:40 +0000

The Fire Apparatus Driver of the Baltimore City apparatus and the Fire Officer supervising that driver and crew on the rig at the time of the fatal crash earlier this month, were both suspended without pay on Friday. In that crash, 3 civilians were killed. The Fire Apparatus Driver, FF Nathaniel D. Moore, and the Company Officer, Lt. Thomas Moore (no relation), were suspended pending a hearing on administrative charges that will be held soon. Baltimore City Truck 27 was 3rd of 4 fire vehicles responding on Dec. 9 to a report of a fire. The truck company collided with the SUV as the apparatus came through the intersection against the red traffic signal. In Baltimore City, all emergency vehicles responding are required to stop at traffic signals and make sure it is clear before proceeding though.

This is a tough and horrific situation for all affected. Clearly these FF’s didn’t do this intentionally…but on the other hand, 3 civilians tragically lost their lives.

Drivers-STOP at red lights and stop signs when responding without exception…Officers-supervise your drivers and enforce the policies without exception.

Odd’s are that if anyone involved in this nightmare could turn back time, it would be handled differently. This is the last thing any of us ever want to experience.

Take Care-BE CAREFUL.

BillyG

The Secret List 12-30-07 / 0015 Hours

www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com

Remember the Odor

Administrator — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:30:04 +0000

Hey…

“Respond for the smell of gas”…or a “respond to the gas leak”…that’s a transmission all of us have heard many, many times on the speaker as our companies are dispatched to “check it out”….

Well, the next time you are dispatched for that, remember the North Division Street Explosion in Buffalo N.Y. on December 27, 1983 where 5 Buffalo Firefighters were killed just as they arrived at a building to investigate the report of a 500 gal LP Gas tank leaking.

BFD members Mike Austin, Mickey Catanzaro, Red Lickfeld, Tony Waszkielewicz, and Matty Colpoys were killed instantly. The three engines, two trucks, rescue and 3rd Battalion were responding to a report of the large propane tank leaking in the building. Engine 32 arrived and reported nothing showing, but they were talking to some workmen from the four-story, heavy-timber warehouse (approx. 50′ x 100′). Truck 5, Engine 1 and BC Harvey Supple (who was critically injured) arrived right behind E-32.

Thirty-seven seconds after the chief arrived, there was a massive explosion. It completely leveled the 4 story building and it demolished many buildings on 4 different blocks. It seriously damaged buildings that were over a half a mile away. The ensuing fireball started buildings burning on a number of streets. A large gothic church on the next block had a huge section ripped out of it. For 2 excellent articles on this tragic fire by then new firefighter-and now, BFD Fire Commissioner Mike Lombardo, check out:

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=2596&sectionId=6

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=2596§ionId=6
Take Care-BE CAREFUL,
BillyG

The Secret List 12-27-07 / 1410 Hours

www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com

We will do our best

Administrator — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:44:19 +0000

We will do our best to post information that pertains to each category. If you have something that can be useful to others, please poet it. I have something that is on you mind, we welcome your comments.

We will do our best

Administrator — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:43:55 +0000

We will do our best

Administrator — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:43:31 +0000

We will do our best

Administrator — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:43:12 +0000

We will do our best

Administrator — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:38:55 +0000

Fire Police

Administrator — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 14:51:59 +0000

I wanted to take a moment and tip my helmet to the personnel who we call the Fire Police. Years ago, the Fire Police were a squad that you went to when you were too old to get on the back of rig anymore. Well, today that has all changed. The amount of emergency personnel that are injured on the highway or at a scene is on the increase. The roll of these dedicated squad members has also increased. Their function is as important to the emergency worker on the scene is as the emergency responder is to the victims they are helping. Fire Police members are not properly equipped. They are sent out there to direct traffic with a wand and not much else. Drivers aren’t looking for someone that is standing in the middle of the road trying to direct them, especially when there isn’t someone normally there doing that. We have to give them the best chance possible to be seen by motorists. A reflective safety vest alone is not going to cut it. They need reflective traffic gloves, safety vests, reflective hats and any type of road flare, either traditional or new type of LED flares, such as, TurboFlare360s. These people are there to help protect us. Why are we giving them whatever it takes to help protect them?