9 Philly Firefighters Hurt as Apparatus Collide

One firefighter remains in serious condition: (Still image courtesy Chopper 6)

PHILADLEPHIA, PA (March 19, 2009) -- Nine Philadelphia firefighters and a civilian were rushed to downtown hospitals following a crash involving 2 fire apparatus. The accident took place at 11:20am at 8th and Lombard Streets in Old Town.

The crash took place as Squrt 43 and Ladder 9, companies which are housed together at 23rd and Market Streets, arrived simultaneously at the intersection. The companies were responding from a previous alarm at 7th and Market, far from their local alarm district.

Witnesses say that Squrt 43, traveling south on 8th street -- and Ladder 9, traveling west on Lombard -- collided with tremendous force at the intersection. Squrt 43 plowed into the cab of Ladder 9, a tractor drawn aerial, changing the engine's path from south to west in seconds. The impact drove the aerial truck into nearby row homes, with the engine coming to rest after knocking down a utility pole.

6ABC Video of the Crash Scene

According to 6ABC's John Rawlins, 5 firefighters from the Ladder Company and 4 from the Squrt were taken to three downtown hospitals. Medics stationed just 2 blocks away were on the scene in a matter of seconds, radioing that the officer of Ladder 9 was unconcious and trapped.

Firefighters involved:

Engine Company 43:
Lt Steve Kessler, FF Shawn Conway, FF Keith Davis, FF David Keller

Ladder Company 9:
Lt Richard Prather, FF Anthony Russell, FF Charles Green, FF James Hegarty

Other companies quickly arrived and the Lieutenant was extricated from the mangled interior of the American LaFrance cab. Fire Commisioner Lloyd Ayers said that the Lieutenant was concious and asking about his men as he was being loaded into a medic unit.

Right now, it's unknown which apparatus had the green light, but Ayers promised that a full investigation would be launched.

Experts compare this wreck to a similar accident which occured in St. Louis this past summer, when a traffic camera recorded two Quints colliding at an intersection. In that incident, the apparatus collided at a high rate of speed, causing one of the rigs to spin 180 degrees, the roll over.

Video of St. Louis Crash

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Inaugural Pumper 2009

Inaugural Pumper 2009
Originally uploaded by LouAngeli2008

This pumper from Elsmere, Delaware was one of three fire engines featured in January 20's Inaugural Parade's Line-of-March in Washington, DC. With 300 television million viewers, that's a lot of name recognition. Congratulations to the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association and Pierce Manufacturing for being chosen to represent the nation's firefighters. (photo by Lou Angeli)

Mayor Strikes a Deep Blow to Philly's Firefighters

Mayor Michael Nutter

by: Lou Angeli

PHILADELPHIA, PA (December 18, 2008) -- Back in early November, Philly Mayor Michael Nutter announced plans to cut 7 companies from the Philadelphia Fire Department roster. The closings were part of a larger budget cut package that will eventually cost 800 city employees their jobs. Nutter’s reason? He says that the city faces "an economic storm" that could result in a $1 billion shortfall.

The proposed cuts to the Philadelphia Fire Department would be the most drastic in the agency’s 300-year history. Companies, which are being eliminated include:

Engine-1, Engine-6, Engine-8, Engine-14, Engine-39, Ladder-1, Ladder-11

Nutter has defended the company closings as being crucial to the city’s fiscal health, but critics want proof that proposed cuts won't increase risks. They cite increased response times and workload, as neighboring companies pick up the slack.

The cuts will reduce the department’s operating strength by 147, which essentially cancels the department’s new rookie class. A sad state of affairs as many of those young men and women have waited as long a 4 years for the class – and their careers – to begin. No active firefighters will lose their jobs as the city plans to reassign them to other stations in the city.

Engine-8, a popular spot for tourists and firebuffs, is already missing from this picture.

Whenever any fire station is closed, one can expect the community to be up at arms. But Philadelphians have been especially vocal in regard to this issue, launching impromptu street protests and supporting firefighters during their scheduled demonstrations.

Additionally, many of the closings make no tactical sense. For example, in the Roxborough section of the city, the loss of Engine 39 means that the first-due company in much of the area will be its station partner, Ladder 30, a tractor drawn aerial. Should a working fire occur, the ladder crew will be forced to wait for one of three surrounding Engine Companies to arrive before the fire attack to begin. Imagine the chaos as 5 firefighters pace back and forth in front of the burning building, waiting for water to arrive.

During presentation of his budget cut package, Mayor Nutter indicated that Emergency Medical Services would not be affected. If you read between the lines you’ll find that the comment is misleading. Each of the 7 companies, which are scheduled to be closed, are dispatched as a first responders on life-threatening emergencies. At least one member of each company is certified to the EMT-B level and nearly all members have been trained in the use of AED’s. It’s not unusual for an Engine or Ladder crew to have stabilized a critically ill or injured patient before the arrival of firemedic units.

The last of a dozen or so town meetings with Mayor Nutter was held last night but it doesn’t appear that he’ll be changing his mind soon. In the meantime, IAFF Local 22, the Philadelphia Fire Fighters’ Union, yesterday sued the city in both Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Common Pleas Court. Both complaints cite that firefighter safety and health will be compromised if the city proceeds with the closings.

“We have taken this step because we have no other choice,” said IAFF Local 22 President Brian McBride, a 33 year veteran of the Fire Department. “Lives are at stake', McBride added, 'Unless we do something to slow this thing down, I am convinced that people will die.”

There is no specific date set for the closings, but the Mayor has indicated they will take place just after the New Year. Many expect the shutdowns to take place without any warning, with on-coming crews being sent home to await reassignment.

For additional information, or to support Philly’s firefighters, visit this special website SavePFD.com.

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Resources:

-Philadelphia Inquirer

-IAFF Local 22

-WPVI-TV

It's Chapter 11 for American LaFrance

ALF Owners Call For A Time-Out

by: Lou Angeli

Wilmington, DE (January 30, 2008) -- Here in Wilmington, DE it’s the biggest news regarding fire apparatus since Chief Jim Wilmore ran out of working engines. What’s the big news bulletin? On Monday of this week, the venerable American LaFrance Corporation filed for bankruptcy in US District Court in Wilmington.

American LaFrance filed here under "Chapter 11" of the bankruptcy code, which typically is used by businesses that need to buy time to reorganize their finances and secure new capital. In many cases, Chapter 11 filers continue to operate. According to Bloomberg Financial some of the largest creditors listed in the filing include American LaFrance's owner, New York-based investment firm Patriarch Partners, and trucking giant Freightliner, which sold the business to Patriarch about two years ago. Various employees are owed $1.4 million for accrued vacation. It’s not clear but some say that ALF could be as much as $250 million in the hole.

This is a HUGE story for the fire service nationwide, because now 2 of the Big-3 fire apparatus manufacturers are in trouble. Ocala (FL) based E-One showed a substantial drop in earnings last quarter and some say that sale of the firm is inevitable. The remaining large capacity apparatus builder, Pierce Manufacturing, seems to be doing well, albeit the firm’s profit margin remains mighty slim.

“American LaFrance (ALF) has claimed that a bungled implementation of IBM software contributed to the demise of its business,” says IT reporter Kelly Fiveash in The Register. ALF said that when it switched to its new ERP software last June, "serious deficiencies" threw its operations into chaos.

"These problems have resulted in slowed production, a large unfulfilled backlog, and a lack of sufficient funds to continue operating." as reported by ALF to The Register.

With ALF under Chapter 11 protection, and unable to make good on current deliveries, it is unlikely that fire department administrators will consider the firm during the bidding process. With that in mind, ALF's frontline sales team, the independent distributors, are moving quickly to represent other firms. In a few days time, German-owned Rosenbauer has already signed many of ALF's key distributors, including Delaware-based DPC Emergency Equipment.

View photos of American LaFrance Fire Apparatus

My bet is that Italian-based Iveco-Magirus will make a run for American LaFrance. They already own much of the international market and, like Rosenbauer and other European manufacturers, Magirus and its partners are eager to expand into the states.

By the way, the fire apparatus situation here in Wilmington has been resolved in big fashion. The WFD, under the command of former Chief Jim Ford -- and the current boss Chief Willie Patrick -- boasts the second-fastest response time in the country (according to a Boston Globe study) And the department recently took delivery of eight new frontline Pierce machines.

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featured photo: An American LaFrance Rescue-Pumper operated by the Belvedere (DE) Fire Company. (photo by Lou Angeli)

resources:
(1) Bloomberg.com
(2) The Register
(3) TruckingInfo.com