We often spend our time trying to figure out how to recruit new members, without giving enough thought on what to do with them once they actually call.
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By Matt Gunderson The Union Leader CorrespondentLondonderry, N.H. — Ambulance calls to the Elliot Urgent Care at Londonderry have soared since the medical center opened in 2008. And for many town officials and residents, the spike in medical calls raises concerns about the local nonprofit medical center's impact on the town's strained fire services.In 2009, the Buttrick Road facility sent out ...
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By David Dekunder The San Antonio Express-NewsSAN ANTONIO — Cities throughout the Metrocom are showing their displeasure with the area's 911 provider over its refusal to help fund upgrades for the area's emergency radio dispatch system.Two city councils, Schertz and Cibolo, have passed non-binding resolutions opposing Bexar Metro 911's proposed fiscal year 2011 budget. Guadalupe County Commissioners ...
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By Lela Garlington The Commercial AppealMEMPHIS, Tenn. — If Germantown decides to get into the ambulance business, first-year startup costs are expected to reach nearly $1.6 million.The Board of Mayor and Aldermen will discuss a possible ambulance service during its work session at 5 p.m. Monday. The biggest expenses involve hiring 13 workers to staff two ambulances for $895,000 and buying four ...
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By Sergio Bichao The Asbury Park Press WOODBRIDGE, N.J. — Township officials say Avenel-Colonia First Aid Squad put their emergency blue lights on hold while their headquarters became a temporary party house suitable for a red-light district.Allegations of misconduct by members of the private nonprofit squad — including allegedly hosting parties with prostitutes — are the latest charges ...
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Hey,
We have been asked to forward this most recent updated information for Firefighters and visitors to the 4 LODD funerals in CT & VA tomorrow. SEE BELOW for those who CANNOT attend CT or VA Funerals.
 
 
DOUBLE LODD: BRIDGEPORT, CT:
REMINDER: IN SPITE OF PREVIOUS INFORMATION, BOTH BFD FUNERALS ARE OPEN TO ALL LOCAL AND VISITING FIREFIGHTERS, AND ALL ARE REQUESTED AND EXPECTED TO ATTEND BOTH.
 
Details for Lt. Steven Velasquez and FF Michel Baik of the Bridgeport Fire Department both of whom died in the line of duty on 7/24/10. Tomorrow: Friday, July 30
• Satellite parking lots on Stratford Avenue and Pembroke Street (known as Steelpointe) will open at 7 a.m. Friday, July 30.
• Shuttle buses will take visitors to St. Augustine’s Cathedral where Lt. Velasquez’ funeral will begin at 10 a.m.
• Shuttle buses also will be available from the Bridgeport train station to St. Augustine’s beginning at 7 a.m.

-Use of Metro-North or Amtrak is encouraged
-The Bridgeport-Port Jefferson Ferry also is available for firefighters coming from Long Island
-The train station, bus station and ferry terminal are all within one block of each other
-The Cathedral is a short walk away from all transit options
-Uniformed Firefighters also will be available at all transit and parking areas to give directions

• At end of Velasquez funeral, shuttle buses will take visiting firefighters to the Sacred Heart University parking lot on Park Avenue, where the American Red Cross will provide light lunch and refreshments.
• FF Michel Baik’s funeral will be held at 2 p.m. at St. Nicholas Antiochan Orthodox Church, 5458 Park Avenue (a short walk away from the Sacred Heart University parking lot).
• At end of Baik funeral, shuttle buses will take visiting firefighters back to the Arena at Harbor Yard where the collation for firefighters will be held.
• Shuttle buses will be available from the Arena to the train station and Steelpointe during the late afternoon to bring firefighters to their cars or back to the train.

Directions to Steelpointe parking lots:
=From New Haven and points north: Take Exit 29 off I-95 Southbound; end of ramp take a left at light; take a right at the next light onto Stratford Avenue. Take a right onto Pembroke Street into parking area.
=From New York and Points south: Take Exit 28 off I-95 Northbound; go straight down the ramp onto Ann Street; take a right onto Pembroke Street into the parking area.
=From Danbury and points west: Take Route 8 to Route 25 Connector; Take I-95 Northbound to Exit 28 off I-95. Follow directions above.
 
FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT ATTEND IN BRIDGEPORT: Other expressions of sympathy or condolences can be sent to the BFD and IAFF Local 834 at 30 Congress Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604 or emailed to bfdlocal834@aol.com .
 
DOUBLE LODD: ROCKY MOUNT, VA:
Travel and arrival details for Rocky Mount Fire Chief Posey Dillon and Ex-Chief/Firefighter William "Danny" Altice's funerals which will also be held tomorrow, Friday:
 
The Virginia Department of Transportation, working with the town of Rocky Mount, has planned road closures to accommodate funeral traffic on Virginia 40 and U.S. 220 as well as Virginia 718 in Glade Hill. VDOT will post message boards in the area containing information.
 
DIRECTIONS: Your best bet is MAPQUEST using Roanoke, VA as a point of reference from the Interstate:
CLICK HERE for an area MAP to help you: http://tinyurl.com/3y5me5x
 
FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT ATTEND IN ROCKY MOUNT: Other expressions of sympathy or condolences can be sent to: Rocky Mount Volunteer Fire Department, P. O.  Box 631, Rocky Mount, VA  24151
or emailed to http://www.rockymountva.org/index.cfm/go/forms.contact
Take Care, SAFE TRAVELS.
BillyG
The Secret List 7-29-10 /0920 Hours
www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com ...
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By Larry Hartstein
 
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An 18-year-old accused of stealing a Grady Memorial Hospital ambulance and going for a joyride turned himself in Saturday, Atlanta police said.
Frank Howard of Atlanta was booked into the Fulton County Jail on a charge of auto theft. He had been wanted since July 7. That's when paramedics responding to a sick call at an apartment complex left the engine running and returned to find the ambulance missing.
The ambulance was found the same day in a ditch along Thomasville Boulevard in southeast Atlanta -- its engine still running.
"Nothing was missing out of the ambulance," Atlanta police Lt. Antonio Clay told WSB-TV. "It just had been crashed."...
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By Charles McChesney - The Post-Standard
Oswego, NY -- A patient at Oswego Hospital's emergency room stole a city ambulance Friday morning, but it was found minutes later parked just blocks away, police said.
Witnesses told Oswego police that Matthew K. Belskis, 40, of Saratoga Springs, assaulted a hospital security guard about 10:46 a.m. and then drove off in an ambulance that was parked outside the emergency entrance.
Police found the ambulance nine minutes later on West Mohawk Street near Liberty Street. Belskis, they said, was found in a nearby home that he had entered unlawfully.
Belskis was arrested and arraigned in Oswego City Court on a charge of robbery in the second degree. He was sent to Oswego County jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
He's due back in court Tuesday.
The security guard suffered minor injuries, police said.
“We are continuing the investigation to determine if any other charges will be filed," said Oswego Police Chief Michael Dehm. "We are thankful that no one was seriously injured and that we were able to recover the ambulance and take the suspect into custody so quickly after the incident.”
Oswego Fire Chief Jeff McCrobie said he was also glad no one was hurt and the ambulance recovered. "I would like to emphasize that, at no time, were emergency medical services compromised,” he said.
Contact Charles McChesney at cmcchesney@syracuse.com....
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One person was killed and two were critically injured in a helicopter crash on Tucson's north side Wednesday afternoon.




The helicopter crashed into a fence in front of a house on North Park Avenue just south of East Glenn Street and burst into flames.
Three people were on board the AS350 B3 Eurocopter, which was operated by Colorado-based air ambulance service LifeNet.
Sara Perotti, operations manager for LifeNet parent company AirMethods, confirmed the copter was one of theirs but declined to comment on the incident.
"We don't have exact details; we will need time to determine what happened," Perotti said.
The helicopter's pilot was in contact with the control tower at Tucson International Airport at the time of the crash, but there was no indication of a problem, said Lynn Lunsford, an FAA spokesman.
The aircraft was traveling from Marana to Douglas at the time, but was not transporting a patient, Lunsford said. It crashed about 1:45 p.m.
Rotors stopped
Eyewitness Ricardo Carrasco said the helicopter's rotors stopped working and it started plummeting toward the ground.
He said the pilot managed to steer the chopper away from the house.
"If he (the pilot) hadn't turned around he'd have hit the house," said Carrasco, who ran toward the helicopter after it crashed but wasn't able to get close because of a "a wall of flames."
He and bystanders helped evacuate people in the neighborhood. There are no reports of injuries to residents or bystanders.
"One of the employees heard a loud boom, but he didn't know what it was and he went back to working on a car," said Tyler Edwards, 34, a service advisor at Stuttgart Autohaus, 614 E. Glenn St.
"Two people walked in who said they saw the craft go down. It appeared it had a malfunction and they saw it go down and then there was a lot of black smoke," said Edwards of the husband and wife who walked into the shop that repairs Volkswagens and Audis.
He said not long after the incident police squad cars, motorcycle officers, paramedics and fire engines began "flying down the street."
Officers began closing down the street at North First Avenue and East Glenn Street toward the east, Edwards said. Traffic began piling up in the area but motorists remained patient, he said.
House shook, flames intense
John Townsend, 74, who lives in the house where the helicopter crashed into the fence said he heard a loud noise shortly before 2 p.m. and then the house shook. He said he went into the back yard and saw smoke and flames.
Immediately after the crash Townsend said he didn’t realize it was a helicopter. He said he grabbed a garden house to try to put out the flames, but the fire and smoke were too intense and he went back inside.
Townsend said a neighbor banged on his front door and told him to get out of the house.
The FAA is sending inspectors to the crash site. The agency will conduct the investigation along with the National Transportation Safety Board....
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TUCSON, Ariz. — A medical helicopter crashed on a Tucson street and burst into flames Wednesday, killing all three people aboard. A witness said the pilot steered the plummeting chopper away from a house.
Witnesses told The Arizona Daily Star the helicopter crashed into a fence in front of the house on Park Avenue just south of Glenn Street.
The helicopter was owned by Colorado-based Air Methods. Officials with the air ambulance company confirmed that the pilot, flight nurse and paramedic were killed in the crash of the AS350 B3 Eurocopter, which was not transporting a patient at the time.
Air Methods officials said the names of the victims would not be released until Thursday at the earliest.
Federal Aviation Administration officials said the helicopter was traveling to Douglas from Marana at the time of the crash. The helicopter was in contact with air traffic controllers before the accident, and there was no indication of trouble, FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said.
Ricardo Carrasco told the Star he saw the helicopter plummet to the ground after the rotors stopped working. He said the pilot managed to steer it away from the house.
Tucson firefighters extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported on the ground.
The FAA was sending inspectors to the crash site and will conduct the investigation along with the National Transportation Safety Board.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ...
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