Yorkshire Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department

By Jeff Waters, Democrat Reporter

An O'Brien man allegedly threatened to shoot rescue workers who were treating his wife after they were called by a neighbor. Eighty-three year old James "Brownie" Curley Bass also threatened to shoot his wife, a neighbor and a sheriff's deputy, according to a report filed by Sheriff's Deputy Sheriff David Allen.

On Sunday Bass reportedly "disabled all the telephones at the residence" he and his 85-year-old wife shared in O'Brien. Meanwhile, Bass was said to be holding his wife inside against her will....
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By ART CAREY

Daniel McIntosh, those who knew him say, died the way he lived - serving others, preferring to speak with deeds rather than words. A full-time paramedic, part-time police officer, and volunteer firefighter, McIntosh, 39, suffered an apparent heart attack Sunday night while chasing a man who was threatening to commit suicide, police said.
"He was a good guy who would do anything for anybody," said Thomas Topley, executive director of Bensalem Emergency Medical Services, where McIntosh was a paramedic for 13 years. Bensalem Township police said that about 7 p.m. Sunday, a 911 call was received f...
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Police say a 58-year-old Lawton driver caused several accidents Monday night on M-43 in Almena Township, before his own vehicle rolled several times, killing him.

A Van Buren County Sheriff's Department officers news release indicates Everett Painter's1995 Saturn first struck a Coloma EMS Ambulance in the 23000 block of M-43 at 8:30 p.m.

Within a few blocks, police said Painter's car, going at a high rate of speed, struck three other cars before he lost control of his own vehicle.

His car rolled several times and crashed into a garage in the 30000 block of M-43. He w...
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Thanks to www.Statter911.com for bringing this story to our attention.
Nevada County Consolidated Fire Capt. Bruce Niederberger was being evaluated at Sutter Roseville Medical Center Monday after he passed out behind the wheel while on a call.
A stroke or heart attack have been ruled out, said Consolidated Fire Chief Tim Fike. The incident Sunday morning tied up traffic in Grass Valley, but a crash involving the engine was avoided.
Niederberger had been out on a stroke call, and his firefighter partner had accompanied their patient to Sierra Nevada Memorial
Hospital, Fike said. Niederberger was en route to the hospital to pick up his partner at about 10:30 a.m. an...
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I am not a firefighter, just a buff. However, I average between four and five 9-1-1 calls every year to report that fire apparatus and fire department ambulances (the most common culprit) forgot to turn on their emergency lights! I can't help but conclude that this is a common problem. I have seen it in many different departments. When I report it to the respective fire alarm office, they will sometimes quickly notify the apparatus on the radio to "check their lights" and sometimes wait so long to do so that it is no longer relevant. One large, east coast fire alarm office actually gave me a hard time for trying to report it. This may seem trivial to most of the safety matters that you address, but seems to me to be an unnec...
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Thanks to FDNY Chief of Safety Steven Raynis for sharing this video from a recent taxpayer fire at Bronx Box 55-3563. There was a partial roof collapse, followed by a collapse of the front parapet and exterior wall. Operations at this fire were changed from an offense to defensive attack because of heavy fire and concerns about the structural integrity of the building. Prior to the collapse all units were withdrawn and collapse zones were established. A HT announcement was made over the tactical and command channels by the Incident Commander. Suddenly without warning the front parapet and exterior wall collapsed. There were no injuries as a result of this collapse because collapse zones were established early on and all members remain...
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Over the past 70 years, the number of LODDs suffered by the FDNY has been drastically reduced. From 1941 to 1960, an average of 9.25 firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty. Over the next 20 years, it dropped to 8.25. From 1981 to 2009 — excluding the September 11 terrorist attacks — the department has averaged 2.04 fatalities annually.
But it's still not enough, according to the department — and it is on a mission to transform its safety culture.
"We can't tell anybody it's acceptable — two LODDs a year is two too many," Deputy Chief Stephen Raynis told the 2010 Everyone Goes Home Safety Summit in Emmitsburg Saturday.
Chief Raynis serves as Chief of Safety at the FDN...
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In a few months, NIST's fire investigators are expected to complete a study of the Sofa Super Store fire in Charleston that killed 9 Firefighters in the Line of Duty. Officials with the National Institute of Standards and Technology are scheduled to complete the investigation soon, though the study has taken longer than expected.

NIST's Michael Newman said that they expect to release an announcement soon regarding the findings of their study that has been underway since the 2007 fire. He said the goal of the organization is to help improve fire protection equipment and procedures to help keep firefighters safe.
Newman told the Associated Press that only a few members of the institute a...
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An independent Board of Inquiry has found at least 15 separate safety and maintenance issues played a role in the 2009 crash of a Boston fire truck into a Mission Hill apartment building. Veteran Fire Lt. Kevin Kelley died when Boston Fire Ladder 26 lost its brakes descending a steep hill and crashed into the building.
The Board of Inquiry, made up of 11 Boston Fire Dept. members, notes at least 15 problems played a role in the crash, including the age of the fire apparatus, the installation of improper parts on the and a lack of certified mechanics and maintenance workers for the truck fleet.
The findings echo earlier those of earlier investigations into the crash, which have already led to changes implemented by the ...
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A water rescue in Noblesville created some tense moments Sunday when the rescuers themselves got stuck and needed help.
Crews went out to the Riverwood Dam around 1:30 pm after a fisherman pulled up to the dam, got too close and couldn't maneuver his boat out. When firefighters launched their boat to rescue him, they got stuck too. That forced crews on shore to tow everyone in by rope.
"We had our secondary team in place and we launched them. We used our throw ropes. We were able to deploy some units onto the shore and we were able to pull our boat and him out to safety," said Rick Russell, Noblesville Fire Division Chief.
The fisherman, Paul Rossi of Greenwood, was taken to the hospital as a precauti...
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