Here is some helmet camera footage from Central Virginia. The companies involved include Darlington Heights VFD and Hampden-Sydney VFD.

The Virginia Tech Wildland Fire Crew is a student organization whose members have completed training and certification to fight wildfires. The crew goes on calls with the Virginia Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service within Virginia and beyond.

One purpose of the crew is to educate and train participants and the public about the value and necessity of using fire as a tool for wildfire management.

Spotsylvania County’s Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management is spending about $3,000 in the short term to prevent more drug thefts from its ambulances.

Fire Chief Chris Eudailey said the department is changing locks to medication compartments in every ambulance. It’s also adding separate lock boxes in ambulances for morphine and Versed–two drugs that have been reported stolen in recent weeks in three incidents at Chancellor-area stations.

Continue reading… Fredericksburg.com – DRUGS STOLEN FROM SQUADS.

Credit: 13News viewer Firefighters battled smoke and flames in Southall Landings.

HAMPTON– Eight people were displaced when fire swept through a firefighters home Tuesday night.Crews arrived on Southall Landings around 8:00 p.m. and saw lots of smoke and flames shooting from the roof.

Continue reading… Fire breaks out at firefighters Hampton home | WVEC.com Norfolk – Hampton Roads.

This video includes a Multi-car accident in Ridgeway, Virginia, and single vehicle fire in Bassett, Virginia.

Pictures from an accident Wednesday in the Thaxton area of Bedford County on Route 460. Darrell Howell sent us these photos. ( Darrell Howell/Provided / May 16, 2012 )

Bedford County Department of Fire & Rescue responded to motor vehicle accident with reported entrapment at 2:23 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of 460E and Little Apple in Thaxton.

Upon arrival medics found two vehicles, (one passenger vehicle and one utility contractor’s pickup) with significant damage from a head-on collision.

Crews worked to extricate victims from the vehicle.

More photos here

Continue reading… A two-vehicle accident has shut down part of Route 460 East in the Thaxton area of Bedford County. – wdbj7.com.

From STATter911.com:

Leesburg Today reports that at a press conference this evening in Middleburg, Virginia it was disclosed that a criminal investigation, still ongoing, has determined that close to $500,000 in funds are missing from the Middleburg Volunteer Fire Department. According to the paper’s website, a statement from attorney Ed MacMahon Jr. indicates the money was embezzled over the last three years by Paul Draisey the department’s treasurer. MacMahon is representing the fire department. Draisey committed suicide on April 16. Draisey was also a long time radio personality in Loudoun County.

Continue Reading… Virginia’s Middleburg VFD says treasurer & radio personality who committed suicide embezzled a half million dollars from department. Criminal investigation ongoing. | STATter911.com.

Credit: Matt Bookwalter These Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services personnel, standing left to right front row: Ernest Desantis and Sean Kerrigan. Back row: Roger Kennedy, Shawn Shade, Jeffrey Cox, Daniel Oliver and Michael O’Neill, were honored at the Installation Management Command’s Heroes of the Day for their roles in the rescue. FES personnel who were honored but not pictured are Valoree Brown and Luis Gomez.

The Installation Management Command honored several Fort Belvoir Fire and Emergency Services personnel as IMCOM Heroes of the Day, April 23.

Eight indiviuals received praise from Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter, IMCOM commander and Installation Management assistant chief of staff, during a video teleconference.

Continue reading… Belvoir firefighters honored for emergency rescue response | Belvoir Eagle.

Lynchburg, VA – Lynchburg Police have filed a reckless driving charge against the driver of the ambulance involved in Thursday’s deadly crash.

Investigators say Justin Kidd, 25, ran a red light and hit 69-year-old Dean Anders’ pickup truck. They say there was a patient in the back of the ambulance at the time of the crash at Campbell and Florida Avenues. But it was not responding code three, so the lights and siren were not on.

Continue reading… WSET.com – ABC13 – Charge Filed in Deadly Ambulance Crash.

Stuarts Draft Volunteer Fire Company in Stuarts Draft, Virginia, recently took delivery of this 4×4 Rescue Pumper built by Custom Fire Apparatus, Inc. of Osceola, Wisconsin (www.customfire.com).

The pumper is built on an International 7400 4×4 chassis with a booster reel under step and a bumper mounted winch.  It features a Waterous PTO midship 1000-gpm pump, 500-gallon capacity, pump-and-roll capability, FoamPro 2001 foam system.  The body includes full-height / full-depth compartments, top access hatch compartments and a 6 Kw diesel generator.

The department plans to use this new pumper as a structural engine and wildland attack vehicle.

The unit was sold by Jim Featherstone of RedStorm Fire & Rescue Apparatus, Inc. in Gainesville, VA (www.redstormfire.com).

Highlights from the Virginia Beach Fire Academy – Class 136.

I must say, this is probably one of the best recruit class videos I have ever watched!

Virginia Beach Fire Department online

City of Alexandria Fire Department, VA, Orders Four CustomFIRE Pumpers

RedStorm is pleased to announce that we have received an order from the City of Alexandria Fire Department, Va., for four CustomFIRE pumpers.  The order is the first under a multi-year agreement for 2,000-gpm CustomFIRE pumpers.  The contract is considered a Washington Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (COG) purchasing contract and can be utilized by other departments and jurisdictions.  The City of Alexandria F.D. is a new customer for RedStorm and CustomFIRE, and the four units are scheduled to be delivered in Fall 2012.

“The City of Alexandria conducted a competitive Invitation To Bid (ITB) process to ensure the best value for the department in determining the successful bidder.  The combination of exceptional quality, customized design and affordability provided by the CustomFIRE pumpers and RedStorm proved to be the winning combination,” said Jim Featherstone, RedStorm president.  “Moreover, the longevity of these stainless steel bodies and the easy repairability characteristics unique to Custom Fire’s concealed fastener construction method are attractive benefits in Alexandria’s demanding operational environment.”

The four pumpers are customized to meet the unique requirements of this high-run, urban department.  Each is built on a Spartan chassis with a raised roof, a cab extension, ruggedized interior and a best-in-class, front axle cramp angle for exceptional maneuverability.

“Spartan chassis offer exceptional interior room for the officer and crew, expansive visibility and industry-leading maneuverability, which is extremely important for responding safely, especially in many of Alexandria’s historic areas,” explained Featherstone.

The pumpers feature a 2,000-gpm Hale Q-Max pump, FoamPro 2002 foam system with Class A and B capability, 750-gallon poly water tank and 100-gallon foam capacity.  The design incorporates a compact body length, low hosebed height for easy access, preconnects on the bumper and at the rear, and a large-diameter suction at the rear.  The apparatus bodies, pump module, water tank cradle and underbody supports are all stainless steel for enhanced corrosion resistance.  In addition, the pumpers are designed so that they are able to fit the unique space constraints associated with several historic Alexandria fire stations.

City of Alexandria Fire Department
Located just outside Washington D.C., the City of Alexandria Fire Department provides comprehensive fire and emergency medical services in a 15-square-mile metropolitan area.  Founded in 1774, this historic department counts George Washington among its early members. Today, the department employs more than 250 professional personnel, which include firefighters, paramedics, fire prevention staff and administrative support, responding from nine stations to more than 18,000 calls annually.

The Spotsylvania County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management held graduation for Recruit Academy 8 at Freedom Middle School on Friday evening March 9^th.  The graduation ceremony was well attended by family, friends, Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors members, County Administration as well as  fire and rescue personnel from both volunteer and career organizations.

Recruit Academy started on October 31^st and the academy lasted for 19 weeks.  During this time; the recruits trained in both fire and emergency medical services, hazardous materials, vehicle rescue, incident command,  mayday firefighter down and rural water supply.  The classroom portion was held at Fire/Rescue Station 1 with most of the practical portion being held at the Rappahannock Regional Fire and Rescue Training Center.

The new firefighters and firefighter medics began work on Monday throughout the County.

Front Row – Left to Right     FF/Medic Trey Chouinard, FF Aaron Montana, FF/Medic Julie Belcher

Back Row – Left to Right   Recruit Academy Coordinator Lt. Chris Lonzo, FF Norman Brooks, Jr., FF Thomas Brown, FF/Medic Nancy Chance, FF Brian Robertson, Medic Janis Holcombe, Recruit Academy Coordinator FF Brian Smith

Fredericksburg Firefighter Donald Wedding won a National contest to design the new MN8 FoxFire t-shirt. His winning design was on display at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis this past week.

Read the entire announcement on MN8 FoxFire’s blog.

You can purchase the shirt and other MN8 FoxFire Products here

The design was created by Donald Wedding, a career firefighter for the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia; currently assigned to Ladder 1. He is also a technician with the Falmouth Volunteer Fireman’s Association located in South Stafford, Va.

Following in the footsteps of his older brother, dad and grandfather, Donald (Donnie) is a third generation firefighter with 17 years of experience. He is also a certified Instructor 3 for the Virginia Dept. of Fire Programs, teaching locally and throughout the state.

Art is another one of Donald’s passions. At an early age, Donnie was enrolled in special arts programs. After he became a volunteer firefigher, his artistic abilities were quickly noticed. He helps create patches and logos for fire departments throughout the country. To contact Donnie about artwork, email him at dlw78@boxalarmgraphics.com.

About MN8 Foxfire:

MN8® Products — A leading developer of illuminating products

MN8-Foxfire is a firefighter owned company that develops, markets and sells revolutionary photoluminescent coatings and products that provide illumination for several hours and stay visible in complete darkness for up to 17 hours. Our products will charge in just a few minutes from any light source and can be recharged indefinitely. As a result, there is no need for any external battery, electrical, or energy source other than light.

By VAFireNews.com Editor Rhett Fleitz

The video is below

Today at work, my crew had the fortune of heading out to Family Day at the Roanoke Regional Training Center. Recruit Class #15 is two weeks into their recruit school and invited their families out to learn about what they will be going through during their recruit process.

The recruits are from Roanoke (City) Fire-EMS, Roanoke County Fire-EMS, and Salem Fire-EMS.

The interesting thing for me is that myself and Lt. Travis Simmons (Roanoke City training lead) were in the same recruit class just over 13 years ago. Our recruit class was also #15 (they began renumbering after the joint fire school with the County and Salem). However, we did have one recruit from Salem in our class.

Another interesting thing to note is that we were the first and only fast-track recruit school. However, instead of cutting corners and us missing out on training, we attended recruit school 6 days a week and often had 12 hour days. I am not making this up.

Tonight, the Chiefs from the respective departments spoke to the recruits and their families. I only wish I had a moment to speak to the entire class!

From the video: Around 3:00pm on 4/16/12 Chesapeake Fire & EMS were called to a house fire on Helensburgh Drive. engine 12 arrived and reported smoke and flames coming from the roof. the fire was knocked down with no injury’s.

Dave Statter also covered this fire here

This day in 2007 started out as any other, yet early in the day it would change and then quickly change again. I was working that day and remember hearing of a LODD in Northern Virginia. Just as I began looking for news on the Line of Duty Death, we heard of a shooting at Virginia Tech. VT is 45 minutes from Roanoke, we ended up sending an ambulance and our Rescue Supervisor to the scene. In the end, it would be the deadliest shooting on US soil, and the LODD would be unfortunately kept from the main stream media.

Kyle Wilson was his name. His name resonates across Virginia and beyond. He has not been forgotten. Even though the main stream media missed the story due to the shootings at Virginia Tech, the fire service did not miss it. As a matter of fact, the news of Kyle Wilson’s death was one of the most read stories on VAFireNews.com at the time.

Unfortunately, the original pages for both Kyle Wilson’s death and the VT shootings were lost when we updated the site several years ago.

I have dug out some of the photos of the day and shared them here.

STATter911.com also has a story on Kyle Wilson here.

Other links:

Read Prince William County report into the death of Firefighter Wilson

Mike Ward at Firegeezer on the fire service impact of Kyle Wilson’s death

Fifth Annual Kyle Wilson 10K Walk for Fitness

NIOSH LODD report

Kyle Wilson’s death led to many changes how we fight fire, identify hazards, and understand building construction and fire spread.

Virginia Tech Massacre

We also remember the 32 victims of the Virginia Tech Massacre not including the gunman who also killed himself.

More information on the shootings are here

The Virginia Tech Rescue Squad, Blacksburg FD, Christiansburg Rescue Squad and Fire Departments responded as well as many other departments. They rose above the incident of the day and were able to handle it successfully. Lest we forget about all of the law enforcement there that day who also responded to this heinous act!

The VT massacre led to massive changes in the way campus’ are alerted to incidents.

We Remember

I realize I am a little late with this huge story out of Virginia Beach. I was on Vacation and out of the Country when it occurred.

Dave Statter had it covered on STATter911.com, posting many updates, video, and images.

No one was killed in the incident…simply amazing!

Here are some links and video coverage:

• STATter911.com - citizen videos
• STATter911.com - early video and fireground audio

A poodle named Trouble is being credited with saving a Montgomery County couple from the Sunday morning fire that destroyed their home.”If the dog hadnt alerted them, I think they might not have made it out of the house,” Elliston Volunteer Fire Department Chief Joe Rakes said of the fire victims, who were identified by relatives as Tommy and Judy Deweese.

via Couple, dog escape Montgomery Co. house fire – Roanoke.com.