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Police and Fire Radios Are Talking to Each Other
NY Times 7/31/2008
Emergency
medical workers can now contact the police
directly via radio. Fire officials use
information beamed down from police
helicopters. Law enforcement officers and
emergency service agencies hold joint drills
at high-rise buildings, jails and the city’s
tunnels.
Seven years
after the harsh lessons of the Sept. 11
attacks, New York City has improved the
ability of its Police and Fire Departments
to operate together. On Wednesday, these and
other advances were enumerated before the
Federal Communications Commission at a
public hearing in Brooklyn on improving
public safety through better communications
among government and emergency agencies.
Speakers at the hearing focused on the lack
of a national broadband public safety
network, noting that some cities, including
New York, Washington and Philadelphia, had
improved agencies’ ability to talk to one
another on their local networks, while
others had lagged behind. “It is well past
time for us to try to remedy this,” Kevin J.
Martin, the commission chairman, said at the
start of the hearing.
“We have a
significant amount of work left to do,” he
said in a brief interview during a break.
“Some cities and regions have been on the
forefront of trying to solve this problem
themselves. But the problem is, it has not
been solved nationwide. I think New York
City is actually on the forefront of having
its Police and Fire Departments fully
interoperable,” Mr. Martin said. But he
added, “even if New York is fully
interoperable, other cities and other states
in the region that provide support in an
emergency aren’t.”...more>
related...
First Responders to FCC: Give Up National D
Block Pipe Dream
Ars Technica 7/31/2008
Nesconset Widow Tells True Story of
Firefighter's Tahoe Drowning
Times Beacon Record 7/31/2008
 Nesconset
this week mourned the loss of a man of
service and bravery.
New York City firefighter Martin Simmons,
whose family lives in Nesconset, drowned
July 21 in Lake Tahoe, Nevada after diving
in to aid his 10-year-old son, Kevin, who
had developed a leg cramp while swimming.
While many news reports have indicated that
Simmons drowned during a failed attempt to
rescue his drowning son, these reports have
been "written largely from hearsay and
conjecture," said Simmons' wife, Judi
Simmons, who offered her first-hand account
of the tragedy in a written statement.
At noon last Monday, the Simmons family set
sail on a 28-foot boat with Beth and Bill
King, Judi's sister and brother-in-law, and
their children. At approximately 4:30 pm,
Kevin and his 8-year-old cousins swam out to
a large marking buoy. His cousins returned
quickly, but Kevin developed a leg cramp and
stayed behind. Being concerned, Simmons dove
in to accompany his son.
Upon arriving at the buoy, Simmons told
Kevin that he was having trouble breathing
and that he would be unable to help him back
to the boat, Judi wrote in her statement.
Her husband managed to start swimming to
shore and noticed that Kevin was right
behind him. He then "raised himself to a
position with full shoulders out of the
water and yelled to the boat the he could
not breathe," his wife said. "Immediately a
flotation device was thrown to the pair."
Leaving the boat in his 15-year-old son's
hands, Bill King swam to the pair while his
wife called 911, and the boat horn was
sounded for the lifeguards on the beach.
Upon reaching Simmons and Kevin, King
realized that Kevin was "capably treading
water" and Simmons, who appeared lifeless,
was "on the bottom in approximately 10 feet
of water," Judi noted. "His eyes were
closed, his arms folded on his chest, and
his lips pursed in a comfortably peaceful
pose."...more>
Katie Holmes Creates FDNY Frenzy
Just Jared 7/31/2008
Accompanied by a
bodyguard,
Katie Holmes stops to chat with some
firemen (3 Truck) outside an FDNY fire house in New
York City on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old
actress made some people’s days by taking pictures
with some of New York’s Bravest!
Back in November,
Katie wore her support for the New York
City Fire Department by wearing one of FDNY’s
baseball caps during the New York City Marathon.
Gas Blast - Hunt Cause in Flushing Building Explosion
Queens Courier 7/30/2008
 Five
days later, Fire Marshals are still investigating the cause of the
gas explosion that left a Flushing man clinging to life in a
hospital burn unit, his 23-month-old daughter severely burned - and
37 families unable to return to their homes.
Edgar Zaldumbide remains in an induced coma in the Weill Cornell
burn unit at New York Presbyterian Hospital, with severe burns over
75 percent of his body, as his wife Yvonne keeps vigil. Their
daughter Melissa is in stable condition at the same hospital.
Zaldumbide and the infant were the most serious casualties of the
blast, which turned a summer Friday afternoon into chaos for the
residents of Fairmont Hall, a 90-unit apartment building at 147th
Street and Sanford Avenue.
“We heard the explosion and the baby crying,” said Janet Figueroa,
who was visiting a cousin, Leslie Portillo, in apartment 2F.
Portillo and the Zaldumbides regularly attended services at a nearby
church.
“We were leaving, but Leslie went back
for her papers. Edgar was screaming ‘Leslie help the baby!’ ”
Figueroa continued. “She gave her to me and we all went down the
stairs.”
A police source confirmed that a Hispanic woman brought the burned
child to a police officer, who drove them to the New York Hospital
Queens Emergency Room.
Robert Browne, a division commander for the Fire Department of New
York (FDNY) at the scene on July 25 confirmed that of the other 15
people injured, six firefighters suffered only minor injuries...more>
9/11 Aid May $ick It To Us
NY Post 7/31/2008
Federal legislation to help those
suffering health problems from the World Trade Center terrorist
attacks could cost taxpayers up to $13 billion, The Post has
learned.
The bill, which will go before a House
hearing today and is strongly backed by Mayor Bloomberg, would
reopen the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and would provide funding
for medical care for downtown residents and for firefighters, cops,
EMTs and construction workers who worked at Ground Zero.
The preliminary estimate of the cost of
the measure by the Congressional Budget Office ranged from $8
billion to $13 billion, congressional sources said.
The staggering cost figure hasn't been
publicly disclosed yet but was revealed to The Post by sources.
Under the bill, roughly 35,000 people
living within 1.5 miles of Ground Zero would be eligible for medical
benefits at a projected cost of $3.1 billion. Thousands of
first-responders would also receive medical aid at a cost of $2
billion.
As many as 85,000 first-responders
could be eligible for medical aid. But the overall cost for their
care is less than for residents because most of the first-responders
have health insurance that covers a large share of their medical
bills, sources said. ..more>
Blaze Destroys Stapleton House
Staten Island Advance 7/30/2008
A ferocious fire consumed a two-story
Stapleton building last night, home to a family of
seven. No one was seriously hurt; 14 firefighters
suffered minor injuries in the blaze.
Staten Island Advance/Hilton Flores.
This two-story Stapleton home was destroyed during a
blaze on Gordon Street last night.
The Red Cross placed the family in an
Island motel. The fire at 246 Gordon St. began at
7:06 p.m. and quickly went to two alarms. It was
declared under control at 8:20 p.m. The blaze was so
intense, the first firefighters who responded to the
scene had to retreat from the first floor and pour
water on the house from outside, said Deputy Chief
Rocco Rinaldi of Division 8.
Gray smoke billowed above Gordon
Street and through the neighborhood, bringing
residents of Warren Street and Laurel Avenue on the
run. "I thought the kids were in there. I was coming
to help but then the fire trucks showed up," said
Lisa Mercado, 37, of Laurel Avenue...more>
MVFD Receives Three Thermal Imaging Cameras
Mid Hudson News 7/30/2008
Mount Vernon city officials Tuesday
had expected to receive two $11,000 a piece thermal
imaging cameras from the Terry Farrell Firefighters
Fund, but were surprised when they were given three
units. The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund was
established in memory of Terry Farrell, a decorated
member of Rescue 4/FDNY and chief of the Dix Hills
Volunteer Fire Department. Terry, along with 342 of
his brothers, perished on September 11, 2001 in the
World Trade Center attack. The Fund is set up to
assist firefighters and their families with
educational, medical and equipment needs. We support
the firefighters who serve our communities. “Today
isn’t just about receiving equipment,” Mayor Clinton
Young told the 30 firefighters present during a
presentation ceremony. “We celebrate the heroism,
patriotism, and courage of Terry Farrell and the
great work that continues to be done in his honor
through the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund. These
cameras will make your work environment much safer,
and possibly one day, save one of your lives.” “The
Fund exists for you guys, the firefighters…that is
why we’re here,” said Brian Farrell, Terry’s
brother. “Whatever firefighters need, we are going
to try to help, and Mount Vernon is no exception.”
Fire Chief Al Everett said that the cameras “would
be put to work immediately,” and that personnel had
already been trained in their use.
Parisi Pleads Guilty to Charges in 9/11 Scam
South Bergenite 7/30/2008
A Former Lyndhurst resident pleaded guilty to
Federal, state and local charges for his role in
multiple scams that include him posing as a U.S.
Secret Service agent and as a disabled Sept. 11,
2001 rescue worker to donors of a "9/11 Rescue
Workers Foundation" he founded. In March, Fredrick
Parisi was arrested during a benefit at the
Waterfront Café in Carlstadt. On June 25, Parisi,
40, now a Jefferson resident pleaded guilty in U.S.
District Court in Newark to impersonating a U.S.
Secret Service agent and to using counterfeit U.S.
Secret Service letterhead paper to deceive employers
and others into believing that U.S. Auto Task Force,
a vehicle recovery company he owned, was endorsed by
the Secret Services. Parisi faces sentencing on
Sept. 30 on the federal charges, according to the
U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark. Parisi also faces
charges for stealing $235,000 from his employer, Roy
Jensen, of Berkshire Valley Custom Wood Design,
where he worked as a salesman and bookkeeper. A
Jefferson police report said that bank records for
the business showed that Parisi was making cash
withdrawals for personal expenditures from the
business accounts. On March 29, 2008 Parisi’s welter
of lies and deception caught up with him at the
Waterfront Café in Carlstadt when a cordon of police
from Jefferson Township, Carlstadt, Lyndhurst, and
the Port Authority converged upon him and arrested
him on outstanding warrants, a Jefferson Township
police report said. On May 30, 2007, Jefferson
police also had arrested Parisi for stealing $81,500
from one of Berkshire Valley Wood Design’s customers
by billing for work he never delivered. Jefferson
Police Spokesman Lt. Eric Wilsusen said that the
arrest was the result of a 15-month investigation by
Jefferson Detective Joseph Kratzel, assisted by
Detective Thomas McHale of the Port Authority NJ/NY
Police. New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram has
ordered the State Division of Consumer Affairs to
revoke the registration of the 9/11 Rescue Workers
Foundation, which Parisi founded supposedly to raise
money to help rescue workers who suffered health
problems after working at Ground Zero.
The foundation must be shut down within 30 days... more>
Freedom Tower Construction Soars Skyward
The Arizona Daily Star 7/30/2008
Below: A steel column rises at
the Freedom Tower construction site at the World
Trade Center in lower Manhattan.
Below: Workers discuss the
installation of prefabricated arches next to the
Freedom Tower site. The arches will form an
underground pedestrian corridor connecting Battery
Park City and the World Financial Center with the
World Trade Center's transportation hub. The
corridor and transportation hub were designed by
architect Santiago Calatrava.
Port Authority to Intensify Its Ground Zero Role
NY Times 7/29/2008
Under
renewed criticism and
pressure to advance the
redevelopment of the
World Trade Center site,
the chairman of the Port
Authority of New York
and New Jersey told his
fellow commissioners on
Monday that special
monthly board meetings
will begin in September
to consider nothing but
the issues posed at
ground zero. “I believe
a project with this
singular importance for
the agency and region
warrants even stronger
and more regular
engagement at the board
level,” the chairman,
Anthony R. Coscia, said
in an e-mail message to
the other commissioners.
He continued: The
special meetings will
create an opportunity
for the board to give
staff more policy
direction regarding the
rebuilding effort,
provide an additional
layer of board
oversight, and ensure
that the board is able
to take action on W.T.C.-related
items at a pace
consistent with the
desire for an
accelerated construction
schedule. The World
Trade Center board
meetings will be held
closer to the site than
regular monthly
meetings, which are
conducted at the
authority’s headquarters
on Park Avenue South.
Stephen Sigmund, a
spokesman for the
authority, said the
meetings would be open
to the public and that
information on time and
whereabouts would be
posted on the Port
Authority Web site...more>
September 11 Memorial Grows
NJ.com 7/30/2008
Gordon M. Aamoth Jr. Edelmiro Abad. Maria Rose Abad.
Andrew Anthony Abate. Heinrich Bernhard Ackermann. They didn't live
in Morris County. It's unknown if they ever passed through. But
their names, along with more than 2,968 others, are etched in the
bricks of a special walkway being created in Parsippany, at the
county's 9/11 memorial. The memorial, dedicated in 2003, has a
railing embedded with 64 plaques to commemorate each county resident
who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But some of those
residents' survivors wanted to incorporate a remembrance of all who
were killed on 9/11. They said many county residents lost friends,
family and co-workers from elsewhere that Tuesday in New York and
wanted to see them honored. The bricks were delivered from an
engraver in Denver Monday night and brought to the county memorial,
near the county public safety academy on West Hanover Avenue. In
alphabetical order of the deceased, from Aamoth to Igor Zukelman,
the bricks will encircle the site. "I was fortunate. My husband's
body was recovered. Others got nothing," said Elizabeth Mattson of
Rockaway Township, whose husband, Robert, died at the World Trade
Center. "More than half the people who lost someone were not able to
recover a body. "Now at least they have this, a place to go and hold
onto. They have a place to come and remember," she said yesterday as
she looked over the pile of engraved bricks waiting to be installed
by workers creating the new walk. The walkway is due to be completed
before the county's next 9/11 anniversary remembrance, scheduled for
Sunday, Sept. 7. The land containing the county's memorial was
donated by the county government to the private foundation that
manages the site. The plot includes 5 tons of twisted, rusted steel
from the World Trade Center, soil from the Pentagon, and pieces of
the plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pa. It also features a
circular aspect that represents the continuity of life, a ring of
water for rebirth and flowers planted amid the steel. Mattson and
county officials credited Loretta Viglione of Parsippany as the
prime mover of the effort to expand the memorial. Viglione's
brother, Thomas Sabella, was a fireman from Staten Island who died
at the World Trade Center. "I take this issue very personally,"
Viglione said last year in an interview. "The county took the steel
from the World Trade Center for this memorial. It represents all of
the people who died, like my brother. They should all be
honored."...more>
Firemen Save Obese Man From Queens Fire
NY1 News 7/29/2008
 A
quick-thinking firefighter helped rescue an obese man from a fire in
Queens earlier this week. Firefighters responded to the call Sunday
night on 97th Street in Rego Park. The first three on the scene say
they realized a chain was on one of the apartment doors, meaning
that someone was likely trapped. The firefighters then broke into
the smoked-out apartment without a hose and found a 400-plus pound
man lying in the hallway. One of the firefighters chose to strap a
web-like harness around the victim’s chest to pull him out -- a task
complicated by the man's weight. "Finagled the webbing underneath
his chest, the three of us,” said Ron Soltysick of the FDNY. “Then
the three of us on the count of three kept pulling him to the front
door. We used the webbing and were pulling him by his feet." The
victim was taken to the hospital and later regained consciousness.
NY1 News Video
Firefighters Save Man's Life
Heart Attack Victim Recovering
Times Herald Record 7/29/2008
Lt. Col. Sean Giery, a New York City
firefighter and nurse with the Army Air National Guard, was
wearing a cowboy hat and trying to dance. He scanned the
crowd and saw someone on the ground by the food table. When
he hurried over, Lt. John Nokland, a City of Newburgh
firefighter, was already putting Horst Schaffner, 63, of
Hyde Park, on his side. Schaffner couldn't have hand-picked
a better place to suffer a heart attack. Four firefighters
from three agencies were within 50 feet of him, enjoying the
annual pig roast hosted by Chambers Tractor Sales, about 200
feet from the Montgomery Firehouse. Past Montgomery fire
Chief Greg Kaufmann ran to the firehouse to bring down the
rescue truck, with its life-saving equipment inside.
Meanwhile, volunteer Charlie Wallace helped clear a path in
the field of cars so Kaufmann could drive down to the
victim. Schaffner had no pulse and wasn't breathing. He had
seemed fine during the celebration, eating and dancing, then
suddenly collapsed, friend Angelo Belmonte said. Schaffner's
neck swelled — a bad sign, according to Giery. But the team
managed to revive him before the ambulance came. "He was in
the right place at the right time — that's what saved his
life," Kaufmann said...more>
Firemen Salute Comrade Who Drowned Trying to Save His Son
Newsday 7/29/2008
 Hundreds
of uniformed city firefighters saluted in formation as the coffin of
fellow fireman Martin Simmons entered Holy Cross Roman Catholic
Church in Nesconset Monday. They joined hundreds of other mourners
who came to say goodbye to the man known as a brave firefighter, a
loving husband and father, and a well-respected youth coach. As the
procession arrived, the Emerald Society's drums-and-bagpipes
ensemble mournfully played "Amazing Grace." American flags hung from
ladder trucks of local Long Island volunteer departments. Inside the
church, his wife, Judi, sat in the front pew dabbing her eyes as her
middle son, Kevin, 10, leaned against her. Their other two sons,
Joseph, 13, and Ryan, 8, also were by her side. A large photo of
Simmons, and his FDNY helmet, were placed in front of the altar. The
helmet was later given to his wife and sons.Among the mourners were
dozen of boys in sports jerseys -- the children "Coach Marty"
compassionately shepherded through the past few years. "He
encouraged us to keep going," said Marc Laurenti, 10, who was on
Simmons' Smithtown youth football team. "He would say, 'Don't stop
now Marc, keep going.'" Simmons also coached baseball, basketball
and lacrosse...more>
related...
Remarks by FDNY Captain Steven Berube
Remembering the Lessons of 9/11 By Helping Communities in Need
Actually, he said, “what we do is not about 9/11 —
it’s about 9/12.”
NY Times 7/29/2008
Jeff Parness describes
himself as addicted to the Weather Channel.
But he doesn’t watch it to see if he should
take his umbrella when he leaves his
apartment on the Upper West Side. He’s
looking for disasters. That’s how he learned
about Groesbeck, Tex. Groesbeck is a pencil
point on the map, about 35 miles east of
Waco. In late December 2006, a tornado
ripped through the town, killing a man and
injuring dozens of people. A mention of the
storm on the Weather Channel got Mr. Parness
to Google Groesbeck. He came across a news
story. One line caught his eye. It said that
an assisted-living center for disabled
veterans, run by James and Eva Vincent out
of their house, had been destroyed. “I was,
like, bingo!” Mr. Parness said. He wound up
last September leading a few hundred
volunteers from across the country,
including scores of firefighters and others
from New York, to Groesbeck to construct a
new home for the Vincents. “In two days we
built a 2,400-square-foot house from the
ground up,” he said. “They were this classic
prideful Texas family,” he said. “They’d
never ask anybody for help.”..more>
Firefighter Admired By Colleagues, Little Leagues
Newsday 7/28/2008
 His
colleagues admired him, and his players looked up to him. That's
the picture painted by people who attended a wake yesterday for
Martin Simmons, the New York City firefighter and Nesconset
Little League coach who drowned earlier this week attempting to
rescue his 10-year-old son who was swimming in Lake Tahoe.
Firefighters in dress uniforms ushered visitors who came to say
goodbye to the man they knew as Marty at Branch Funeral Home in
Smithtown. "He was one of the coaches that kids gravitated to,"
said Mark Behrje, 41, of Nesconset. Behrje said his son,
Nicholas, played for Simmons.
"It didn't matter if they were winning or
losing," Behrje said. "They all would just have a great time."
Behrje said he was shocked to hear about the death of Simmons,
41, an ex-police officer who became a firefighter, stationed at
Ladder 111 in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. "The
whole community - everybody - is in disbelief," he said...more
related...
Funeral Held for Drowned Firefighter
7onlline 7/28/2008
Judge Alvin Hellerstein Does Right By 9/11 Families and Rescue
Workers
NY Daily News 7/27/2008
Isn't it nice when a
judge strikes a blow for justice?
Congratulations go to Judge Alvin
Hellerstein of Manhattan Federal Court,
who is shielding 9/11 victims' families
from lawyers with dollar signs in their
eyes. Bonus: Hellerstein's act could
likewise shield thousands of sick rescue
and recovery workers now seeking fair
compensation for their suffering.
The judge, who is
overseeing all the 9/11-related
litigation, rejected a settlement for
the families of four Pentagon victims
who chose to sue the airlines rather
than join the September 11th Victim
Compensation Fund. While he had
previously approved payments to the
plaintiffs of $5.5 million, $7 million
and two for $8 million, he stopped the
clock when told the Maryland law firm of
Azrael, Gann & Franz was going to
collect 25%, or $7.125 million.
While a 25% fee for legal
work is typical, the judge ruled that
this is "not an ordinary case." The
obvious obviously needed to be stated.
Hellerstein
believes that 15% is enough and should
be the limit in any 9/11 case. Repeat:
Any 9/11 case...more>
Cause Sought in Blast at Queens Building That Followed Gas Work
NY Times 7/28/2008
A day after an explosion
rocked a Queens apartment building,
leaving two people critically injured,
15 others hurt and dozens of families
without a home, investigators were
trying to determine the cause but
focused on work that had been completed
on the building’s gas lines moments
before the blast. Con Edison employees
had signed off on the safety of the gas
lines a mere 11 minutes before the
explosion, and an employee of a plumbing
company had finished inspecting the line
believed to be the source of the blast
only five minutes before it occurred. As
officials from the Fire Department,
Department of Environmental Protection
and Con Edison pored over the scene,
many residents milled around outside the
building, at 147-25 Sanford Avenue in
Flushing, hoping to collect some of
their belongings and find out when it
would be safe to return. Debris littered
the street, and blown-out windows and
charred red brick testified to the
strength of the blast.Residents on the
second floor, which suffered the most
damage, were not allowed into the
building at all. Others could go in,
with a police escort, to retrieve
belongings. Two men struggled not to
spill the water from an aquarium filled
with fish as they left the building on
Saturday morning. Others walked out with
laundry bags slung over their shoulders.
One woman complained that items were
missing from her jewelry box.
Residents whose
apartments had been gutted by
contractors hired to clean out debris
were told by the building’s managers
that they could scour the Dumpster for
their belongings.The devastation came
after a bitter dispute between the
building’s owners and the tenants, who
were upset that they had been without
gas or hot water for more than a month.
The problems began on June 11, when a
small fire broke out on a fifth-floor
apartment, which led to a decision to
cut off all gas to the building,
according to Con Edison officials...more>
War Court Told Bin Laden Happy with 9/11 Toll
Reuters UK 7/23/2008
Osama bin Laden's driver overheard the al
Qaeda leader saying he was happy about the
death toll in the September 11 attacks and
thought the hijacked plane that crashed in
Pennsylvania was shot down, according to one
of the driver's interrogators.
The evidence by Ali Soufan, a former FBI
agent, was meant to support the case by
prosecutors at the Guantanamo Bay war crimes
tribunal that the driver, Salim Hamdan, was
close to al Qaeda's leadership.
Hamdan, a Yemeni father of two with a
fourth-grade education, is the first
Guantanamo prisoner to face trial before the
controversial tribunal at the remote base on
Cuba. He faces life in prison if
convicted...more>
City, U.N. Navigate Fire Safety Issues
NY Sun 7/28/2008
Part of the trip that had made the United Nations
building one of New York City's most visited tourist attractions
will be taken off the itinerary at the end of this week. So if you
always wanted to see where international bureaucrats confer — or if
you are a diplomacy fan eager to take a final lap around the
building, just as Yankees loyalists do at the Stadium this year — do
it by Thursday. Then again, if you are concerned about your safety
but still want to see The House That Dag Built before it is gutted
to the core and rebuilt to fit 21st-century standards, perhaps you
best wait until August 1. The shortening of U.N. tours — as well as
ugly, costly, and seemingly redundant construction work at Turtle
Bay — emanates from a titanic fight between City Hall and the United
Nations. Both sides have good arguments, but the end result is work
that, at an approximate cost of $3 million, is akin to dusting your
room just before a professional cleaner comes to thoroughly polish
the whole house.Come Friday, tourists will be shortchanged of some
exhibits the United Nations has erected to glorify itself, skipping
also conference areas where tour guides have for decades ushered
visitors from all over the world. The U.N. decided that after
bringing some parts of its second and third floors to par with city
fire regulations, applying a similar treatment to other areas — on
the eve of its ambitious reconstruction project — would be too
expensive. Instead, the untreated areas will simply be closed to
outsiders after Friday...more>
Suit: Hospital a Firetrap
NY Post 7/28/2008
Brooklyn's Maimonides Medical Center regularly
flaunts fire-safety regulations and permits revolting accumulations
of sewage and mold, according to a lawsuit filed by a former
executive. Patricia Abrams, the one-time assistant vice president
for human resources at Maimonides, says she was fired after she blew
the whistle on illegal, dangerous and nauseating conditions at the
hospital, according to the suit filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court.
"They're very complacent," Abrams, 40, told The Post.
"I got the sense that they didn't want anything to upset the apple
cart. 'Don't rock the boat' kind of a message." According to the
suit, Abrams, a registered nurse, spearheaded an effort in 2006 to
improve sanitary conditions at the hospital, but encountered fierce
resistance when she tried to improve practices and procedures. She
alleges she e-mailed hospital bosses, expressing concerns that fire
extinguishers weren't being inspected, workers had no idea how to
evacuate in the event of a fire, and fire doors were kept locked -
with no keys available. Worse, she said mandatory fire-watch patrols
were not being performed, but hospital workers were writing up
official records as if they were...more>
Mourners Throng Church to Laud Bravest Who Drowned While Saving His
Son
"He was an absolute model firefighter," said
Captain Berube. "Everything Marty did was top notch."
NY Daily News 7/27/2008
The sad farewell began
Saturday for New York Bravest Martin
Simmons, who gave his life to save his son
from drowning.
Mourners filled The Branch
Funeral Home in Smithtown, L.I., for the
wake of a man described as a model father
and valiant firefighter. "This was a man who
defined what fatherhood was all about," said
Lt. Fred Saporito, who worked with Simmons
for 12 years at Ladder 111 in
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
"He was always focused on his
family and, of course, he was an excellent
firefighter." Simmons, 41, of Nesconset, L.I.,
gave his life to save his son from drowning
in Lake Tahoe on Monday while on a family
vacation. He dived into the water after his
10-year-old started struggling to stay
afloat; his own leg cramped up and he
drowned. Firefighters arrived in dress blue
to pay their respects to their colleague,
his widow and the couple's three young
children. "This is going to be a very
difficult weekend; this is a young family,"
said Saporito, who said Simmons also would
help coach his son's baseball team and
started his career as a police officer
before switching to the FDNY...more>
related...
Wake Continues for Firefighter Who Died Saving Son
NY1 News 7/27/2008
Firefighter's Family Struggles With Tragic Loss
Newsday 7/22/2008
4 Dead, 3 Missing Off LI, Brooklyn Beaches
Firefighters were able to rescue her son's
23-year-old pal, Brandon Brian, about 9:30 p.m...
NY Daily News 7/27/2008
A 10-year-old girl was lost
in the choppy waters off Coney Island
Saturday even as her young cousin narrowly
escaped the same tragic fate, authorities
said. The girl was one of seven presumed
drownings in rough surf at beaches across
the city and Long Island in the past two
days. Akira Johnson and her cousin Tyriek,
also 10, were swimming about 5:30 p.m.
Saturday when they were pulled under by the
currents. Lifeguards responded, but were
able to rescue only the boy, who did not
suffer any serious injuries. "She's 10 years
old. She's a bright child," teary-eyed
Charles German said of his granddaughter, a
student at Public School 188 in Bayside,
Queens. "I can hardly think of anything to
say. I'm praying." Relatives of the children
held a beachside vigil off W. 23rd St. as
NYPD, FDNY and Coast Guard units combed the
Atlantic Ocean with boats and helicopters
for the little girl...more>
related...
Little Girl is 7th Person Feared Drowned
7online.com 7/27/2008
7 Drown In Deadly Summer For Beachgoers
WNBC4 7/27/2008
4 Dead, 3 Missing Off LI, Brooklyn Beaches
1010 WINS 7/27/2008
New Beach Victims - The Vigils Continue...
NY Post 7/27/2008
9/11 Rescue Workers Bike To Benefit Families
NY1 News 7/26/2008
More than 400 World Trade Center rescue and recovery
workers revved up their motorcycles Saturday morning to help
families of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The
seventh annual Independence Ride kicked off at the corner of Church
and Vesey Streets in Lower Manhattan after a blessing of the bikes.
The ride wrapped up with a barbecue in Rockland County. The event
benefits Tuesday's Children, an organization providing services and
programs to the families of 9/11 victims. The group's president says
he expects about $10,000 to be raised. "But, it's more than the
money. It's the camaraderie that exists here," said Tuesday's
Children President Carmine Calzonetti. "It's a good feeling. It's a
great time and it's a way for these people here to give back to us
and it's a way for us to demonstrate we really appreciate it." ...more>
Residents Want Answers After Building Explosion
"We had fire on two floors," said FDNY Chief
Steven Kubler. "We had fire involving five apartments on the second
floor and two apartments on the third floor."
WCBSTV.com 7/26/2008
 A
massive building explosion in Flushing, Queens has left dozens of
people homeless. While inspectors and clean-up crews arrive
residents try to find out when they'll be allowed back home. "It's
depressing," Pauline Durden told CBS 2 HD. Rei Kim's grandparents
live in building. She said they had no gas or hot water for over a
month and just when it was restored the explosion happened in the
apartment below them. Glass was blown out of windows and brick walls
crumbled while flames traveled from one apartment to another - the
result of a blast that destroyed apartment 2P and seriously burned
the two people inside. The explosion on Sanford Avenue was so
intense it toppled walls, buckled floors and ceilings. Residents
inside the large apartment building were forced to run for their
lives. "We heard a big bang, like a bomb," said Mahedura Bajachara
of the explosion. "It felt like a wind, like a strong tsunami like
hitting us in my face," added another resident. The most seriously
injured were inside apartment 2P. Mir Sarbriy saw the man and
two-year-old girl who were horribly burned. "One guy's all fire on
his body, his skin out and a little kid inside screamed," he told
CBS 2 HD. Most of the building's residents got out without serious
injury although the sheer terror of all was simply too much for
some. "The ceiling collapsed the windows exploded. It was horrible,"
said Margarita Bayro. The blast did most of the damage but it also
sparked fires in seven apartments which left 17 people injured. "We
had fire on two floors," said FDNY Chief Steven Kubler. "We had fire
involving five apartments on the second floor and two apartments on
the third floor."..more>
related...
Victims Of Queens Explosion Left Homeless in 'Storm of Glass'
NY Daily News 7/27/2008
Bravest Saves Brooklyn Man From Burning Apartment
"I feel like I did my job, that's all," said the
five-year veteran...
NY Daily News 7/25/2008
One of New York's bravest
heroically saved a Brooklyn man's life after
a blaze engulfed his sub-basement apartment
early Friday morning. Dominic Brando, who
lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, was face down
in his studio apartment, semi-conscious and
gasping for air when Ladder 109's Vincent
Trotter ran into his smoke-filled home and
pulled him to safety. "As we pulled up, we
saw fire blowing out from about three
windows," said Trotter who had to blindly
feel his way through a dark maze of
sub-basement apartments to find Brando. "He
was gasping for air. ... I had to get him
out of there as quickly as possible," added
Trotter who dragged Brando to the courtyard
with the help of other firefighters where
EMS administered CPR. Trotter, 31, took his
heroics in stride. "I feel like I did my
job, that's all." Trotter, a fireman for
five years who lives on Staten Island, said
he was inspired to join the FDNY by his
uncles who are also members of New York's
bravest...more>
Profile In Courage
"We do that for strangers. Of course he'd do that
for his own son."
NY Daily News 7/25/2008
Like all members of the FDNY,
like all firefighters everywhere, Martin
Simmons knew that when he went off to the
job, there was no guarantee he'd return. The
possibility of death was part of his
everyday working life.
And now, Martin Simmons has
died a hero. But it wasn't on the job. It
was on holiday. With his family. During an
escape to Nevada, where they could bask in
the sun and gaze at blue skies and put all
the workaday travails on hold for awhile.
And simply enjoy life. Life unthreatened. Or
so it should have been. The family was
boating on Lake Tahoe on Monday. Simmons'
10-year-old son Kevin dove in for a swim -
and then developed leg cramps. The boy was
in serious trouble, and the father did what
fathers do - instantly went to his child's
rescue. As Joe Honan, Simmons' fellow
firefighter at Ladder 111 in Bed-Stuy, put
it: "We do that for strangers. Of course
he'd do that for his own son." And then
Simmons got into trouble, too. The waters of
Lake Tahoe, even in late July, are frigid.
Unexpectedly so for many visitors. Drownings,
said Nevada officials, are not uncommon. As
one explained: "The lake is made of snow.
It's very cold. People who jump in can
succumb to the water very quickly." Simmons'
brother-in-law, William King of Nevada,
managed to get to Kevin. And both of them
were helped by lifeguards from a nearby park
and other swimmers. Simmons' lifeless body
was found beneath the waves. Despite 30
minutes of CPR, he could not be revived.
Simmons - 41, a 17-year veteran of the Fire
Department and also a former NYPD officer
who lived in Nesconset, L.I. - came home in
a flag-draped coffin. He leaves his widow,
Judi, and their three boys - Kevin, and
13-year-old Joseph and 8-year-old Ryan. The
funeral will be Monday. When you hear the
pipes play "Amazing Grace," think of grace
and courage in the face of flames. And in
the waters of a lake made of snow.
related...
A Delay Doomed Bravest
NY Post 7/26/2008
Lake Tahoe Drowning Victim Gets Police, Fire Escort
NY Newsday 7/25/2008
New York's Bravest Mourn Lost Brooklyn Firefighter
NY1 News 7/26/2008
Parent's of Martin Simmons Struggle To Accept His Death
NY Newsday 7/26/2008
Dead Firefighter Mourned in Brooklyn
MyFoxNY 7/25/2008
Days After Firefighter Pays Ultimate Price, Bravest Makes Daring
Rescue
NY Daily News 7/26/2008
It didn't matter if it was a
roiling, freezing lake or a furnace of
blinding, choking smoke. Two New York City
firefighters reacted this week to deadly
danger with the kind of selfless courage
that surprised no one who knew them. FDNY
vet Martin Simmons, 41, gave his life to
save his son from drowning in Lake Tahoe on
a family vacation. Four days later and
closer to home, Firefighter Vincent Trotter,
31, charged into a fiery Brooklyn basement
and pulled a man from certain death. With
humility that would be a cliché if it
weren't so genuine, Trotter shrugged off any
attempt to pin the label "hero" on him after
Friday's rescue. "I feel like I did my job,
that's all," said the five-year veteran, who
had followed his uncles into the Fire
Department. His commanding officer at Ladder
109 in Bay Ridge, Lt. Mike Mulligan, said
Trotter and his comrades were at "extreme
risk" because there were no water lines on
the fire...more>
Gas Explosion Injures 17 in a Queens Building
NY Times 7/25/2008
A gas explosion roared
through an apartment in a Queens building on
Friday, sending flames shooting into
surrounding apartments, leaving 17 people
injured — two of them critically — and
prompting the authorities to evacuate scores
of residents. The explosion, at 147-25
Sanford Avenue, a seven-story building in
Flushing, came amid a dispute between the
building’s landlord and occupants that had
been playing out for weeks. Residents had
complained since last month that they lacked
gas and hot water and had pressured the
landlord to act. According to Fire
Department officials, the gas was restored
to some apartments on Thursday, which they
said might have helped set off the
accidental blast on Friday in a second-floor
apartment. The specific cause of the
explosion on a warm, sunny afternoon was
unclear, but fire officials said it might
have been sparked when a resident in
Apartment 2P tried to turn on a stove. The
explosion, at 4:24 p.m., and ensuing fire
turned the 90-unit building into a scene of
panic, devastated apartments, wailing sirens
and frenzied searches on several charred
floors. “It felt like the whole building was
coming down,” said Arabely Carcamo, 55, a
resident on the ground floor. “It was all
coming down inside. I feel like I lived
through a nightmare.”..more>
related...
17 Hurt in Queens Apartment Explosion
7online.com 7/25/2008
More Than A Dozen Hurt in Queens Fire, Blast
MyFoxNY 7/25/2008
Queens Explosion Leaves Dozens Homeless
WNBC 7/25/2008
Dozens Homeless After Queens Building Explosion
WCBS 7/25/2008
Two Clinging To Life Following Queens Building Explosion
NY1 News 7/26/2008
Focus Of Queens Building Explosion on Con Ed
WCBS 7/25/2008
Dad Dies A Hero
He Saves Son In Bravest Last Act - Firefighter
Dies in Icy Lake Tahoe
NY Daily News 7/25/2008
One of New York's Bravest
gave his life to save his young son from
drowning in the frigid waters of Lake Tahoe,
officials said Thursday. Martin Simmons, 41,
described by a colleague as a "premier
firefighter," dove from a boat into the
choppy 50-degree lake Monday evening and
rescued his 10-year-old boy, Kevin, who had
developed a leg cramp while swimming, Nevada
officials said. "We do that for strangers.
Of course he'd do that for his own son,"
said Joe Honan, Simmons' shaken partner at
Ladder 111 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
Simmons, a 17-year FDNY veteran from
Nesconset, L.I., reached his struggling son,
but had a hard time staying above water. As
Simmons' frantic wife, Judi, watched
helplessly from the boat, his brother-in-law
jumped into the lake to help, officials
said. Two lifeguards at nearby Sand Harbor
State Park and two recreational swimmers,
brothers ages 18 and 13, on a personal
watercraft also rushed to the family's aid.
Lifeguard Jex Lawrence reached the
unconscious boy and his barely conscious
uncle first. "By the time I got there, he
[the uncle] looked about done," Lawrence
told the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza newspaper.
"I think he had about 30 seconds left before
he went under, too. He had a bloody nose and
was just holding the kid." They then found
Simmons, who was just below the surface in
9-foot-deep water. He did not have a pulse,
and 30 minutes of cardiopulmonary
resuscitation failed to revive him. Kevin
was flown to a hospital, where he was
treated and released. His uncle was treated
at the scene. Simmons' family, who had been
vacationing at the 191-square-mile lake,
accompanied his body from Nevada to Kennedy
Airport last night, where his flag-draped
coffin was met by an FDNY honor guard and
several Port Authority Police officers who
saluted as it passed...more>
related...
Man with 22 Suspensions Arrested for Driving Past
Procession NY Newsday
7/25/2008
Chico Brothers Help in Rescue of Near-Drowning Victims
ChicoER.com 7/25/2008
Colleagues, Friends Recall Drowned FDNY Firefighter
NY Newsday 7/25/2008
Tragic FDNY Dad
NY Post 7/25/2008
FDNY Firefighters and EMS Members Save Woman in Cardiac Arrest
FDNY Insider 7/23/2008
FDNY firefighters, paramedics and EMTs worked
together on July 18 to save the life of a 31-year old woman
in cardiac arrest. “It’s great for all of us to have the
chance to save someone so young,” said Fire Lt. Andrew Serra
of Engine 231. A call was received at 1:44 p.m. for a woman
in cardiac arrest at 1709 East New York Ave. Firefighters
from Engine 231 were the first to arrive on the scene and
were met by nervous neighbors who said the victim was
diabetic and had suffered a seizure in their second-floor
apartment. They quickly rushed to her aid and found her face
down on the living room floor, without a pulse. Firefighter
Chris Corbett, a former paramedic, immediately started
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Firefighters Ryan
McNamara and James Denn (detailed from Engine 332) assisted
with chest compressions and rescue breathing as Firefighter
Brendan Mooney hooked up the automated external
defibrillator (AED). The firefighters gave her two shocks
with the AED to restore her heart rhythm and continued
administering CPR...more>
Two Firefighters Accompany Visually-Impaired Athletes During the NYC
Triathlon
FDNY Insider 7/24/2008
It may have been 93 degrees with 60 percent
humidity on July 20, but Firefighters Kevin White and Jeff
Pellis never noticed … they were more concerned with
jellyfish, potholes and tandem bicycles. The firefighters
each led a visually-impaired athlete in the 2008 New York
City Triathlon. “It was one of the most rewarding things
I’ve ever done,” said Firefighter White, who works at the
Fitness Unit at the Fire Academy. Firefighter White led
Charles Plaskon, 65, from Moriches, Long Island, and
Firefighter Pellis accompanied 15-year-old Jacob Goldberg
from Boca Raton, Fl., in the challenging competition. Each
found their partner through the C Different Foundation,
which creates opportunities for visually-impaired athletes
to participate in sporting events. “I wasn’t sure to expect,
but it worked out really well,” said Firefighter Pellis from
Ladder 25. “[Jacob] was a great kid.” The race began at W.
98th St. in Manhattan at the Hudson River, with the 1,500
meter swim...more>
Seven Community Emergency Response Teams Graduate
FDNY Insider 7/24/2008
Seven Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs),
including 159 volunteers hailing from all five boroughs,
graduated during a ceremony at FDNY Headquarters on July 24.
The federal program trains community members to prepare for,
respond to and recover from emergencies in their
neighborhoods. “I know the excellent work you do, because I
have seen you out there responding to real emergencies,”
said Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler, who noted he has seen CERTs
assisting at the Upper East Side crane collapse and the
blackout in Queens. Numerous fire and EMS officers serve as
instructors for the 11-week program, which teaches
volunteers about disaster preparedness for hazards that may
impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response
skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team
organization and disaster medical operations...more>
FDNY Members Volunteer to Teach Emergency Safety Day
FDNY Insider 7/23/2008
Twenty paramedics, EMTs and firefighters
descended upon PS 177 on July 23, but they were not there to
tend to an injured student or extinguish a dangerous fire.
In fact, there was no emergency at all. The FDNY members
were there as volunteers for Emergency Safety Day, a
fun-filled educational event designed to teach blind,
visually-impaired, deaf or hearing-impaired children what to
do in case of a medical or fire emergency. “This was
something we needed to do,” said EMS Lt. Maria Garcia of
Station 20, the event organizer who also serves as President
of Parents of Blind Children of New York. “This population
of children was being overlooked.” More than 150 children
visited five educational stations during the all-day event
in Fresh Meadows, Queens. They learned about the work of
paramedics, EMTs and firefighters and the equipment they
use; toured an ambulance, fire truck and an EMS Major
Emergency Response Vehicle; practiced fire evacuation
techniques in the FDNY’s Fire Safety House; and learned what
to do when there was any emergency in their home - including
how to call 9-1-1. The event was the brainchild of Lt.
Garcia, a 17-year veteran of the EMS Command, who said she
realized her 12-year-old, legally-blind daughter, Elora, had
never been taught what to do in an emergency...more>
Photo Gallery
Church Surrenders Lot Near Ground Zero for $20M
AP 7/24/2008
The World Trade Center site's owner has
offered $20 million to acquire the 1,200-square-foot lot
of a church destroyed on Sept. 11, freeing one more
piece of land needed to rebuild every inch of ground
zero. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's
board was to consider a complicated land deal with the
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at a board meeting
Thursday. The leaders of the 300-member congregation
have been negotiating with the Port Authority for years
over a price for the site where the church stood before
the trade center's south tower collapsed onto it on
Sept. 11, 2001. The church agreed to rebuild on a
smaller lot a few blocks east. The stalled negotiations
for the church land were listed among more than a dozen
obstacles to rebuilding the trade center site in a June
30 report written by the Port Authority's executive
director, Christopher Ward...more>
Sneak Peak: FDNY Beefcake Calendar
AM New York 7/24/2008
The official
autograph signing session for
the FDNY's annual calendar of
firefighting hunks doesn't
happen until Sept. 18, but it
looks like one of the
bikini-clad gals at the Hawaiian
Tropic Zone lounge may have
sweet-talked the city's bravest
into a sneak peak of the
beefcake photos.
The firefighters
will be on hand to autograph
their 2009 calendar tonight from
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Times
Square Hawaiian Tropic Zone (729
Seventh Ave., at 49th St.)
Commack Road Being Renamed for 9/11 Firefighter
NY Newsday 7/22/2008
The Town of Huntington has announced
plans to rename Ramita Lane in Commack after Dennis Scauso, a
firefighter who grew up on the quarter-mile-long road in the 1960s
and died during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on
Sept. 11, 2001. Scauso, 46, graduated from Commack South High School
and became a pilot for Ozark Airlines and TWA before returning to
Long Island to become a firefighter in 1989. He was a 12-year
veteran of the New York Fire Department and served with Engine 319
in Forest Hills before joining the Maspeth-based Hazardous Materials
Unit #1 in 1991. He also earned three citations for valor before
perishing with 342 other firefighters. "Renaming a street after one
of our fallen heroes is a somber and proud town event," said
Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone. "It is one small way that we,
as elected town officials, can offer something of solace to the
families who have lost a loved one. It is also a way to pay tribute
to the courage and ultimate sacrifice demonstrated by heroes like
Dennis Scauso." Scauso was killed when the response crew of Haz Mat
1 rushed into the north tower to evacuate people and try to fight
the fires after the first plane struck. He never came out. He was
survived by his wife Janlyn and children Darcie, Donny, Gabrielle
and Juliette...more>
Lt. Christopher DiBiase Honored for His Charity Work
FDNY Insider 7/22/2008
Who says good guys always finish
last? One big-hearted FDNY hero was honored for his charity
work on July 22 by Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain and
representatives from Dunkin Donuts. Lt. Christopher DiBiase
of Battalion 19 was awarded two tickets to the final game at
Yankee Stadium and free Dunkin Donuts iced coffee for a year
for his dedicated service to the Leary Firefighters
Foundation.For several years he has helped the organization
raise millions of dollars through various fundraising
events. “This is a little surprising and a real honor,” said
a smiling Lt. DiBiase during the event at Engine 16/Ladder
7, noting that he once worked at Ladder 55, located 10
blocks from Yankee Stadium...more>
related...
Yankees' Chamberlain Honors Firefighter
NJ.com 7/22/2008
Unions Decry a New Rush To Fight Fires
Oppose New Dispatch System That
Improves Citywide Response Times
NY Sun 7/23/2008
 The
fire department's citywide response time has improved significantly
since it implemented a new dispatch system a month ago, but union
officials are opposing the change, saying the rush to fires is
actually jeopardizing public safety. The new program has exposed a
sharp division between the fire commissioner and local leaders, who
exchanged barbs yesterday following an announcement that average
response times have plummeted to their lowest level in years. In the
first indication of the program's effectiveness since it was
launched across the city, fire officials told The New York Sun that
the department responded to structural fires 18 seconds faster
between June 16 and July 15 versus the same period last year.
Emergency dispatchers now send out trucks as soon as they determine
the address and nature of the fire, rather than waiting to gather
more information first, as they did in the past. Commissioner
Nicholas Scoppetta said this relatively simple change has led to the
department's sharpest improvement in response time since he took
office in 2002. It currently takes firefighters an average of four
minutes and nine seconds to arrive at structural fires after
dispatchers receive a call. "Every second counts, and fires can
develop and double in size in a matter of seconds depending on the
circumstances," Mr. Scoppetta said. "These are remarkable reductions
in response times. They are lifesaving."...more>
City To See Increased Terror Funds
NY Sun 7/23/2008
New York City is slated for an increase
in federal antiterrorism grant money when the Department of Homeland
Security announces its annual allocations later this week, sources
who have been briefed on the decision told the New York Sun. The
city and Long Island will receive more than $144 million through a
program aimed at pro |
