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Two-alarm fire in Beacon Hill apartment building
By adamg on Wed, 01/28/2009 - 9:54pm
John Ford posts a photo of a fire on Anderson Street this morning.
The Globe has some more details.
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Comments
What did the union have to say?
What? No union rep telling us how this could have been more tragic if they hadn't been *just barely* able to fit the need with current equipment and staffing?
I guess once it's out of the news cycle it's not "cool" any more to show up to these things and bitch to the media.
When has any union rep ever
When has any union rep ever shown up and said anything like that? Instead of mouthing off, just say thank you to the men and women who put the fire out. By the way, if they didn't, there wouldn't be an Anderson Street anymore.
Uh huh.
So, to answer your question: the last time there was a fire on Beacon Hill. Hey, but thanks for playing. Have a copy of the home game.
See, I can thank people. I made no comment about the firefighters who showed up today to put out the fire so you can stow that strawman back where you came from...before it catches fire and Edward Kelly has to make another grandstanding soapbox speech from the scene.
Unclear
Do you object to the content of what he said, to the medium/venue he chose for saying it, to his intentions in saying it, or something else?
All of the above
His content was hyperbole. Most trucks were out of service for about a day or two. Many trucks that were pulled were replaced by reserve trucks. Some of the trucks that were "pulled" were the reserve trucks and were replaced by trucks that were being repaired/tuned up in the first place. It's also clear that some of the trucks being taken out of service were perfunctorily functional, but could use work.
The medium/venue was absurd. Instead of calling a press conference to discuss the issues, he showed up at a fire that had gained a good amount of media attention due to Ladder 24 being the closest house, but being taken out of service the day prior (I can't determine if it had a replacement or if it even mattered that it wasn't available to be first on scene).
His intentions are his own, but I believe that due to his hyperbole and "concern trolling" that he was more than just interested in safety and more than willing to try and drum up further leverage for the union.
The whole thing was just over the top...and it's curious what makes this time any different. Is he no longer concerned for our safety due to the state of their equipment these days? If not, what changed? If so, then why was that other Beacon Hill fire so special that he needed to show up and talk to the media? I'm guessing that this fire didn't have enough limelights...or it was too wet and cold to bother...who knows. That's why I say where was he this time? The whole thing felt like a small-scale use of a "Shock Doctrine" (i.e., Quick! Grab as much attention, money, and political capital as fast as possible due to the public being in shock over the unfortunate disaster that just happened!). Now that it's further out of the news cycle and people won't be as knee-jerk reactionary, it's useless to cry wolf any more (even if the wolves are still there).
Kaz, It's not what Ed Kelly
Kaz,
It's not what Ed Kelly said, which I agree with, it's the fact that you stated (twice now) that he showed up at the incident and said those words.
Goes Without Saying
I think this is one of those things for which the appreciation is implied.
You'd have to look pretty hard to find someone who doesn't think the fire department is an absolutely crucial function, or who doesn't respect and appreciate the firefighters for doing it.
People are more likely to articulate things that are *not* already universally understood or agreed upon.
OK, but just look at the
OK, but just look at the vitriol in the Globe and Herald comment sections whenever there's an article about the BFD. Kaz's comment was the first one I saw on Universalhub that mirrors those comments so I felt compelled to write. One of the most shocking comments came from someone who questioned who was paying for the MBTA buses transporting people to the funeral of Lieutenant Kelly in Quincy from Boston's Florian Hall (2 miles). By the way, those drivers volunteered to do drive the buses along with the Quincy police officers directing traffic. I know that many of those people making nasty comments have some serious issues but when I stated that people should just say thank you to the firefighters, it's because the haters are filling these comment sections while those of us who universally understand what the firefighters do just sit back and let them spew.
Oh, I gave up on most news
Oh, I gave up on most news site comment sections a decade ago.
They're operated like public bathroom walls: decent, sane people find the entire 'forum' repellent, and generally don't participate.
The difference is that public bathrooms don't hand out free Sharpies.
Well said.
Well said.