Delaware Junior Firefighter On-Duty Death

Junior Firefighter Justin Townsend, 17, of the Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department on September 27, 2012 was dispatched for an outside fire in a wooded area on East Clogg Drive just outside town limits. While en route to Station 73 in a personal vehicle, Junior Firefighter Townsend was fatally injured in a motor vehicle crash on Pepper Road, in the area of Jay Patch Road. No further details of the accident are available at this time. The Delaware State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit is currently conducting an investigation into the fatal incident.

Our condolences to the Townsend Family, Friends, the Dagsboro Volunteer Fire Department, and to all affected by Firefighter Justin Townsend's passing.

Dagsboro junior firefighter Justin Townsend dies in crash


To date, 60 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2012. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) Fatality Notices page.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

USFA: Washington On-Duty Death 09.17.2012

The U.S. Fire Administration has announced the official on-duty death of Firefighter Chris Seelye, age pending, of the USDA Forest Administration on September 17, 2012.

Firefighter Chris Seelye, under contract with the USDA Forest Service, suffered a medical emergency while battling the Wenatchee Complex Fire.  Firefighter Seelye was treated by incident medical personnel and rushed to a nearly hospital where he passed away later that evening.

Darby timber faller dies on fire in Washington

Our condolences to the Seelye Family, Friends, the  USDA Forest Service, and to all affected by Firefighter Chris Seelye's passing.


To date, 59 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2012. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) Fatality Notices page.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

USFA: On-Duty Death Texas Firefighter/Smoke Diver

The U.S. Fire Administration has announced the official on-duty death of Captain Neal W. Smith, 46, of the Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department on September 17, 2012.

On Saturday, September 15, during a smoke diver class designed to train firefighters advanced survival skills in full gear, Captain Neal Smith passed out from a heat-related illness.  He was transported to a hospital during which CPR was administered.  Captain Smith remained in critical condition until Monday, September 17, when he succumbed to his injuries at approximately 6:30 p.m.  Doctors reportedly determined that Captain Smith's body temperature was more than 106 degrees.






Our condolences to the Smith Family, Friends, the Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department, and to all affected by Fire Police Captain Neal W. Smith's passing.

To date, 58 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2012. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) Fatality Notices page.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Lockheed P-2V fire bomber air tanker emergency landing with gear failed on 06.03.2012

I had thought I had heard as well as seen this particular aircraft emergency landing before making it old news. Did a little research to find that this Lockheed P-2V fire bomber air tanker crash landing actually took place on Sunday, June 3rd, 2012 as stated in a published Fox News article...

"...Another P-2V, this one owned by Minden Air Corp. in Minden, Nev., was fighting a wildfire south of Reno on Sunday. Its crash-landing at Minden-Tahoe Airport was captured on video, with the plane dropping to its belly and sliding across the runway. No one was injured...."

Read more: Firefighting plane cause for concern in fleet

There were a few news reports with the release today of a Live Leak video showing some remarkable video footage of the Lockheed P-2V fire bomber air tanker making the crash landing. This emergency landing actually took place Sunday, June 3, 2012.

This is the moment a quick-thinking pilot performed an incredible emergency landing at a Nevada airport.

A Lockheed P-2V fire bomber air tanker belly-flopped to the ground amid a cloud of dust as the pilot frantically brought it down at the Miden-Tahoe Airport in Nevada. Miraculously no one was hurt after failed landing gear forced the extreme measure.

The remarkable footage, posted on Live Leak, begins with the small craft soaring through a cloudless sky. As it prepares for landing other planes can be seen on the tarmac for which it is aiming, as well as people, making the pilot's ability to find a clear place to land all the more remarkable.

Closing in on the runway the plane falters, tipping from side to side, spraying up dirt from the ground below.

Touching down at a particularly jaunty angle the left wing drags as the plane continues to roll along at high speed.

As it slows it curves to the side, covering itself in dust, and leaving the tarmac for dry grass. Only its tail flag, bearing the number '55' can be seen as it finally comes to a halt next to the runway. The dust clears and the stricken plane lies motionless, propellers still churning.

For an agonizingly long time there is no movement from within the cockpit until finally a top hatch opens and a small figure emerges. So far from the camera filming the action, the shape of a man can only just be seen, waving his arms, as help arrives in the form of three people running toward the plane.

They cautiously approach, stepping onto the left hand wing and attending to the pilot, the only person on board the plane.

More people arrive on the scene and the sound of a helicopter overhead can be heard.

Zooming out the camera captures a bright orange chopper poised above the scene of the emergency, ready to assist in rescuing the pilot if necessary.

Ambulances, police cars and fire trucks pull up close to the plane and the pilot is taken to safety, suffering no injuries.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

4-Alarm Fire East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY 09.15.2012

FDNY put out a 4-alarm fire, Box 2303, where a blaze engulfed a Brooklyn Fine Fare supermarket at 405 Remsen Avenue early Saturday afternoon. The fire apparently started in the basement of the supermarket.  All companies were withdrawn and went to an exterior firefighting operation. The blaze escalated to a four-alarm fire shortly after 2:00 p.m. before firefighters were able to get the flames under control. The FDNY said no injuries were reported.











New York City Fire Department officials are still investigating the cause of a supermarket fire that blazed in East Flatbush, Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon. Investigators say the fire started in the basement of the one-story building on Remsen Avenue.

"We had a total of four handlines stretched at any given time and in operation. It was a punishing job, as I said, and we were very fortunate that we were able to keep it in the supermarket's cellar," said FDNY Chief James Esposito.

No major injuries were reported other then the fire chief saying there were only a few smoke-related injuries.








(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

FDNY PIPES & DRUMS 9/11 COMMEMORATION 9-11-12

Manhattan, NY-- 9/11 Commemoration Anniversary with the FDNY Pipes & Drums playing in front of O'Hara's Restaurant & Pub...







(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

U.S. Fire Administration - Two On-Duty Deaths 09.12.2012

The U.S. Fire Administration has announced the official on-duty death of Fire Police Captain Steven Henry, Sr., 52, of the Columbia Consolidated Fire Department on September 6, 2012.

Fire Police Captain Henry responded to a fire call during which he became ill, reporting to his family doctor the next morning. Captain Henry passed away from a cardiac arrest suffered at his home later that day.

Our condolences to the Henry Family & Friends, the Columbia Consolidated Fire Department, and to all affected by Fire Police Captain Steven Henry's passing.

To date, 57 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2012. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) Fatality Notices page.

The U.S. Fire Administration has announced the official on-duty death of Fire Chief Richard J. Schaefer, 52, of the Hopkinton Fire Department of Contoocook, New Hampshire on September 2, 2012.

Chief Schaefer died from an apparent heart attack while working a shift during the Hopkinton State Fair. The Hopkinton ambulance squad transported Schaefer to Concord Hospital but all attempts to revive the Chief were unsuccessful.

Our condolences to the Schaefer Family & Friends, the Hopkinton Fire Department , and to all affected by Fire Chief Richard J. Schaefer's passing.

To date, 56 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2012. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) Fatality Notices page.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)