how fit is your force?

cynergy training is hosting the second annual "how fit is your force" fitness challenge. jan 5 - mar 27, 2009. anyone departments interested check http://www.cynergytraining.com. count me in... i need to get in shape!

the 6 in 1 rescue tool: review

I bought the 6 in 1 "Rescue Tool" on www.thefirestore.com last week for $49.99. Here is the description of the tool:

"26 Ounces of Window-Punching, Valve-Twisting, Wire-Cutting, Life-Saving Power In Your Hand. Carry the one rescue tool that's small enough to slip into your pocket. Lightweight so it won't slow you down. Aggressive cross-hatch teeth twist and pull anything that gets in your way."

Well let me tell you first off, it does NOT fit in any pocket I have on my turnout coat. In Whitman we use Morning Pride gear. I'm not sure what gear they tested this tool in, but like I said, it dosen't fit in any pocket. The closest pocket it came to fitting in was my pants side pocket. It only fit at an angle, and the window punch spike caused it to get really wedged in there. It dosent even fit into the radio pocket because of the hook on the spanner wrench.

It's only 26 ounces, but a little heavy (I think) for something that you're supposed to be able to carry in your pocket.It's about 10 or so inches in length. If they could shorten it up even 2" it would be much more firefighter friendly.Its a great idea, but this one is just too impractical for firefighting use.

second alarm at harlem firehouse.

here is the link to the video:

http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/89769/manhattan-firehouse-catches-on-fire/Default.aspx?ap=1&Flash

photos have been added.

i have added photos from last nights acw in the town of walpole ma. i caught this job on the way to providence for the night. companies had a fire in the closet of an occupied apartment building. not too much to see, but i have never shot anything in that area, so i stopped by.

also added are submitted photos from eric hoffman and stephen walsh. eric sent in some shots from stoughton's second alarm+ that occured early friday morning. steve sent in two boston jobs from the past week. a second alarm and a all companies working.

stay safe k.

site updated.

i have updated the site with photos from the 11/22 car vs building in rockland ma. also added where a bunch of submitted photos courtesy of dave stewart and stephen walsh.

submitted photos include yesterdays 2nd alarm in canton, a 3rd alarm in newton and the dedication of worcester ma's new firehouse. that firehouse is on the grounds of the w6 tragedy.

5-5-5-5

The FDNY regrets to announce the Line of Duty Death of Lieutenant Robert J. Ryan Jr., 46, Engine 156. Lt Ryan died after sustaining injures from a ceiling collapse while he was working in the attic of a two-story dwelling on Van Buren Street in Staten Island on November 23, 2008.
An FDNY spokesman said that the collapse knocked off his SCBA face piece and he became unconscious. He was quickly removed from the building, but succum to his injuries.

Lt. Ryan had recently returned to work after recovering from a serious burn injury.He had been with the FDNY for 17 years. Lt. Ryan is survived by his wife and four children. Arrangement information forthcoming.

site will be updated tomorrow.

i have a bunch of photos to add to the site. of my own photos, i have an suv that drove into a house around 0030 this morning on beech street in rockland ma. rockland's ambulance was out so hanson and hanover ambulances came in to transport the three patients. the rockland engine company were tied up for a while awaiting a board-up company.

i have also been bombarded with photos from dave stewart and stephen walsh, who both have had the horseshoe up their asses the past week or so. from dave (who is currently at a serious mva in newton w/ ejection), the new worcester fire memorial from eariler this week and third alarm in newton from last night. from steve, the second alarm on-arrival in canton this afternoon.

i was at home with my sister playing call of duty when the newton job came in, and at work this afternoon for the canton job. the south shore needs to liven up pretty soon... i'm getting tired of just updating the submitted gallery. i wouldn't mind a slight temperature warm up before that happens!

ok, i'm going to bed. work the fd until 8am... stay safe k

whale wars.

could possibly be my new favorite tv show. they throw huge stink bombs at japaneese whalers. hillarious. my guess is that the crew smells horrible.

last push for fill the boot.

this is my final push for this years fill-the-boot drive. i'm still in the process of adding up all the donations, but i think we're still shy of our goal for this year. if you can, please click the link below and donate to the muscular dystrophy association.

international fire photographers association.

i have recently been made the massachusetts coordinator for the international fire photographers association (ifpa). the ifpa has just elected a new president, stephen walsh, who is a regular contributor to nefirephoto.com. stephen is looking to do major updating to the orginization and to the website.

if anyone is interested in joining the ifpa, please e-mail me. the ifpa is a great organization, that is only going to get better under the new leadership of stephen walsh and with the joining of new applicants.

a few new incidents added.

well, finally some new incidents added. of my own photos, i grabbed some shots at an mva in rockland last night where a car drove into the side of a garage, causing it to collapse.

in the submitted gallery, dave stewart has sent in photos from the line of duty death funeral of hull, ma firefighter john clasby. ff clasby was paralyzed in a 1999 fire after he was shot while fighting the fire. dave has also sent in shots from a second alarm in newton, ma. in this fire, a newton firefighter fell through the floor and landed in the basement. he suffered minor injuries.

eric hoffman has sent in a couple shots from a car fire he worked earlier this week.

hopefully we'll have more photos to be added soon!

pembroke's second alarm.

on friday evening, pembroke had a second alarm house fire. police reported it to be fully involved. i was unfortunately (or fortunately) at a fire watch detail at a wrestling show at the whitman k of c. it was pretty funny. maybe some pics/video to come soon... but anyways, rob reardon got some shots of the fire with the duxbury companies who responded in to the fire. they are available on their website, duxbury firefighters. while you're there check out more photos from rob's trip to fdny with battalion 18 k.

fdny and working fire waltham pictures added.

i have added photos from rob reardon's recent trip to battalion 18 in da bronx that he took earlier this month. he had a great trip and rode with battalion 18, battalion chief john salka. i have also added photos from a working fire in waltham ma thanks to dave stewart. the photos from both are in the submitted gallery.

car vs train in abington.

i was late on arrival, but the vehicle that got struck and the train were still on the scene while abington police and mbta transit police conducted their investigation. the accident occured around 1400 hours at the north avenue rail crossing. it appears that the car was struck by a north bound train.

2009 fire photography calendar now available!

i have finished my first fire photography calendar. this 2009, 12-month calendar features fires and motor vehicle accidents from brockton, east bridgewater, hanson, lynn, quincy, rockland and whitman, massachusetts. it also features two "out of area" fires in las vegas, nv and buffalo, ny.

the calendar is available through lulu.com and gets shipped directly from them. to order your copy please click this link. the calendar makes a great gift! when you click the link you can see a preview of the photos in the calendar.

any questions, please email me at: strikethebox@gmail.com.

brothers roast beef.

on washington street in abington. awesome!

photos added.

i have added photos from today's dedication of the norfolk county fire resource dispatch center in holbrook ma. they held a very nice ceremony and open house at holbrook fire's headquarters on south franklin street.

check the submitted gallery for a photo from an mva this morning in newton ma courtesy of stephen walsh, who was named the new president of the international fire photographers association. congratulations steve!

also, please visit http://www.providencefirevideos.com/ and buy matt's new dvd "detriot devil's week". i received mine today and its awesome! 16 incidents from the four days they visited motor city a few weeks ago. during devils week, detroit firefighters battle around 60 fire a day. seriously... wow.

take care.

a few t-shirts left. free shipping!

i have found a few nefirephoto.com t-shirts and i need to get rid of them! the first photo is the front logo and the second is the back print. here is what i have left...

navy - (3) xl

gray - (1) med, (3) large, (3) 2xl

if you're interested please email me at: strikethebox@gmail.com. the shirts are $10 and i'll ship them for free, in the united states.

first come, first served.

faber finally gets beat.

faber lost his belt last night in a first round tko by mike brown. pretty cool.

its been slow lately.

brockton had an all companies working earlier tonight, but i was at the firehouse covering the station. other than that it seems like its been pretty quiet on the south shore this week.

obama/biden projected as winner.

congratulations!

get out and vote.

you can text "president" or "questions" to 88709 to get text message results of the massachusetts ballot questions and the national presidential election, thanks to whdh.

make sure you vote tomorrow.

vote for change... or more of the same. but vote regardless.

halloween 2008.

peg and al. good party.

calendar almost done.

i have finished my first ever calendar! the nefirephoto.com 2009 calendar will be available shortly. i am awaiting to receive the calendar so i can make sure its how i want it to look, then it will be up for sale. when they're ready, i'll post the address that they are available from online. i'll also have some copies to sell.

firehouse night tonight. apparatus and site news.

barecove fire museum firehouse night 2008.
saturday, november 1st.
plymouth river school, 220 high street in hingham, ma.
doors at 1800 hours, showtime at 1900 hours.
$20 including a buffet meal.

presentations by paul f. cook, featuring photos by bill noonan, and bob stella's video presentation "all companies working v".

also in apparatus news - pierce is getting ready to deliver pierce velocity 105' rear-mount quint for pembroke, ma due for delivery shortly. that will be followed by new bedford, ma's tiller, followed by revere, ma's tiller, followed by framingham ma's pump in december. whitman, ma is also in the process of putting out a new engine out to bid.

i'll be adding some submitted photos today by joe cumming jr from dedham's second alarm a couple of weeks ago, as well as some photos from his trip to cancun, mexico.

have a good weekend.