California Fire News - Updates in your mail box

Link to California Fire News - Structure, Wildland, EMS

HazMat: San Luis Obispo County - Orcutt Creek and Avila Beach - 30,000-gallon sewage spill

Posted: 03 Feb 2009 07:17 PM PST

San Luis Obispo County Health advisory: Avila Beach, Orcutt Creek

San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health Services is warning people to stay away from the waters of Orcutt Creek and Avila Beach after a 30,000-gallon sewage spill.

Why: According to health officials, the sewage was released from a corroded sewer pipe at Orcutt Road and Lawnwood Drive in San Luis Obispo at about 7:00 a.m. Tuesday. The sewage flowed into Orcutt Creek in San Luis Obispo, which flows into the ocean at Avila Beach.

What now: Health officials took water samples from the creek and the beach to test bacteria levels. In the meantime, health advisory signs have been posted near Orcutt Creek and at Avila Beach near the creek's outfall. The public is advised to avoid contact with the waters in the creek and off of Avila Beach until test results show that the water is safe.

Florida: Wearing tightie whities and watching the Playboy channel while on duty - Oh My!

Posted: 03 Feb 2009 07:02 PM PST

Volusia County fire - Sexual Harassment claim costly for firefighters

By DINAH VOYLES PULVER
Environment Writer

Editor's note: This story has been modified to include new information on who paid for the Playboy Channel and to correct the punishment for one lieutenant.

DELAND -- Volusia County firefighters watched the Playboy channel while on duty and supervisors failed to investigate claims of sexual harassment, concluded an investigation that cost two captains their jobs.

The investigation also resulted in disciplinary action against four lieutenants, who were suspended or demoted or both. One firefighter was disciplined for poor job performance.

Internal affairs investigators did not substantiate the harassment claims, but did find that male firefighters were sleeping in their "tightie whities" briefs in the presence of female firefighters. It concluded the officers failed to take appropriate action to follow up on a dispute between two firefighters or to nix the Playboy channel, which the firefighters were paying for.

County Manager Jim Dinneen launched the inquiry last summer after learning that several complaints made by firefighter Laura Chorost had not been investigated.

Dinneen met with a group of female firefighters, then ordered a full investigation into actions surrounding Chorost's charges of harassment by other firefighters and poor job performance by her partner, Mark Nordquist.

Roughly a third of the department's 185 field personnel were interviewed during the five-month investigation last summer. Fewer than 10 percent of the department's field personnel are women.

Dinneen has made it very clear to employees that any kind of harassment "would not be tolerated," said county spokesman Dave Byron. As a result of the inquiry, the county has begun renovating fire stations around the county to ensure firefighters have separate sleeping quarters and separate restroom arrangements. The county also is "undergoing a series of serious sexual harassment training especially among supervisors."

Efforts to reach the disciplined officers Monday night were unsuccessful.

Captains William Whalen and John Moak were dismissed for failing to take appropriate action after learning of the problems.

"The real failure was the failure of supervisors to take this seriously and take the appropriate action as supervisors, and that is unacceptable," Bryon said.

The report found that supervisors told Chorost to "let it go" or keep it "in house."

In a letter, Jim Willits, director of the county's department of public protection, wrote that both captains blamed their problems on too-little supervisory training. However, Willits noted, both had seen years of service with other fire departments, including serving as supervisors.

"As a fire services supervisor, you know or should know what is acceptable behavior, and what is not," Willits wrote in one letter.

Byron said all county employees receive training regarding sexual harassment when they're hired and supervisors received additional sensitivity training.

Nordquist was disciplined for failing to meet his responsibilities as a paramedic and for watching the Playboy channel while on duty.

Lieutenants Jason Castelli and Eric Nicholson, were demoted to firefighter and suspended without pay for three 24-hour shifts. Lt. Michael McMillen was demoted and suspended for 10 24-hour shifts. Lt. Arlene Redmond was suspended without pay for one 24-hour shift. Lt. Arlene Redmond was issued a written reprimand.

Four firefighters were commended for their performance during the investigation: Captains Jeff Smith, John Pasqualle and Andrew Millwater and Firefighter/Paramedic Melissa Wolf-Johnson.

Source: news-journalonline.com - Link

BART: Collision and derailment - 5 Minor injuries

Posted: 03 Feb 2009 06:06 PM PST

Oakland Fire Dept. responded to a collision between BART trains

IA: 3 p.m - .Two Bay Area Rapid Transit BART trains have collided at the 12th Street station in Oakland, and involved one train headed to Richmond and another headed to Pittsburg/Bay Point sations.
Sizeup: Both of the trains were entering the 12th Street station when the collision happened, one coming from Lake Merritt and the other from West Oakland. He said the trains were moving slowly and that the impact probably felt like a "bump" to passengers. One of the trains derailed.
Evacuations: Passengers managed to exit the trains and used a catwalk to return to the platform.
Injuries: Preliminary reports indicate that four or five people suffered minor injuries. Injured commuters were being taken on stretchers up escalators and elevators to ambulances waiting on Broadway, and BART officials said one wheelchair-bound passenger may have remained on a train at about 4 p.m.
Delays: Trains heading from Fremont to Richmond were delayed by between 10 and 15 minutes, and passengers on other lines could experience slight delays as well, BART spokesman Linton Johnson said.

OCFA News: Smoke detector awareness - Free Smoke detectors for Seal Beach residents

Posted: 03 Feb 2009 02:57 PM PST

Free Smoke detectors for Seal Beach residents as fire department and police visit more than 300 homes.

Orange County Fire Authority - Smoke detector and fire safety awareness program

Seal Beach, CA – A Seal Beach community will be a little safer after Orange County Fire Authority
(OCFA) firefighters visit more than 300 homes in the College Park East area on Saturday, February 7th starting at 10:30 a.m. OCFA Station 48 firefighters and reserve firefighters, explorers, fire prevention, community relations, Seal Beach CERT, and Seal Beach Police are participating in this program, which is designed to provide residents with a working smoke alarm, installed for FREE.
"It could make the difference between life and death," says OCFA Fire Marshal Laura
Blaul. "The extra two minutes that the smoke alarm provides, greatly increases your chance of survival in a house fire. They are one of the best safety devices you can buy and install to protect you, your family, and your home. "

We are asking the community to join the OCFA in efforts to reduce risks, prevent fires, and
improve community safety by doing the following:
• Have a battery operated smoke alarm on every level of your home, even if you
have hard-wired smoke alarms
• Check your hard-wired and battery operated smoke alarms every month
• Change the batteries twice a year
• Replace the entire unit every 8-10 years
Captain McKeown will coordinate photo and interview opportunities at Heather Park, located at
Heather St. and Hazelnut Ave. in the City of Seal Beach.
For other important safety information, call (714) 573-6200 or go to www.ocfa.org.
# # #
The Orange County Fire Authority is a joint powers authority that serves more than 1.3 million residents
in 22 cities and the unincorporated areas of the county.

Shelter in place - Bay Point in Contra Costa County - Law enforcement emergency

Posted: 03 Feb 2009 11:48 AM PST

EDIS - Shelter in place in bay point in Contra Costa County

There is a law enforcement emergency in Bay Point due to a fugitive.

Instruction:
People in the Bay Point are near Sharon, Virgil and Linbrooke streets are advised to take shelter in the nearest place of safety. Go inside, and close all windows and doors.
Wanted subject: Police are looking for a black male adult in his early twenties wearing a dark blue jacket and pants.The rear pants pocket have a gold skull.

Please call 9-1-1 if you see this individual.
Do not approach him.

Area: Vicinity of Bay Point in Contra Costa County
Affected Counties or parts of: in Contra Costa County
Sent: 2009-02-03T11:25:38-08:00
From: Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office

CAL FIRE - VMP - Red Bluff / Colyear Springs area

Posted: 03 Feb 2009 11:15 AM PST

700-acre Prescribed burn planned west of Red Bluff

Location: Colyear Springs area about 18 miles west of Red Bluff.
When: The vegetation management burn is planned for Wednesday.
Who: The vegetation management burn(VMP) is being conducted by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

A Cal Fire spokesman says the brush burning will be conducted by helicopter and hand crews on private and Bureau of Land Management property.

Port of Los Angeles. - Vessel fire - Coast Guard mutual assist

Posted: 03 Feb 2009 07:47 AM PST

Firefighters doused a fire Friday aboard a 36-foot fishing boat at the Port of Los Angeles.

The boat, the Mary Claire, was next to other boats docked at Berth 72 when it caught fire about 2:50 p.m., Coast Guard spokeswoman Stephanie Young said.

No one was on board.

People aboard a ship tied next to it noticed the fire and cut the Mary Claire's tie so it would drift into the channel.

The Coast Guard, county lifeguards, port police and city firefighters responded to the call.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

San Diego County vehicle accident starts wildland fire

Posted: 03 Feb 2009 07:40 AM PST

JAMUL, Calif. -- An autopsy was pending Tuesday on the body of a man killed in a rollover accident that sparked a quarter-acre brush fire in Jamul, authorities said.
The man was driving northbound on Honey Springs Road when his vehicle left the roadway for unknown reasons around 6:40 p.m. Monday, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office.
The vehicle rolled several times before striking a tree and catching fire, with the man still inside, the Medical Examiner's Office reported.
He died at the scene, according to Cal Fire Captain Nick Schuler.
Flames from the vehicle fire spread to surrounding brush, sparking a blaze that charred about a quarter-acre, Schuler said.
The man's identity was not immediately released.
Source: 10News - Link