Boston Fire Department

Court: Cronyism in Boston Fire Department not a First Amendment issue

adamg — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:14:23 +0000

A federal appeals court today tossed the First Amendment claims of a group of Boston Fire Department clerical workers passed over for promotions, saying that while it's unfortunate they may have lost out because they weren't friends with the mayor's cronies in management, that doesn't rise to the level of a violation of their First Amendment rights.

The workers alleged they were passed over repeatedly for promotions in favor of friends or members of "the Hyde Park Group" affiliated with pals of the mayor and a similar "South Boston Group."

New fire chief will need some warmer clothes

adamg — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:33:41 +0000

Steve Abraira with Charlestown Engine 50. Photo by BFD.

The Boston Fire Department yesterday announced the appointment of Steve Abraira of Miami as its new fire chief, replacing the retiring Ronald Keating. Abraira will report to Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser.

Abraira, who started as a Miami firefighter at 19, was fire chief in Palm Bay, Fla., when Fraser selected him over several other candidates, including five from Boston.

Going into a burning building

adamg — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 13:58:54 +0000

BFD training video by McElroy Films, filmed at the department's training facility on Moon Island and featuring a simulated "Mayday" situation.

Firefighters will do whatever it takes to fight a fire

adamg — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:01:35 +0000

Hosed carThe other day, I ran a photo from Mt. Ida Road in Dorchester showing what can happen when you park in front of a hydrant. Turns out it was for a fire on the second floor of a three decker at 36 Mt. Ida that was declared out about a half hour after firefighters arrived around 1:36 a.m.

Steve MacDonald, spokesman for the Boston Fire Department, explains why firefighters might have run the hose right through the car. He emphasized he was not at the scene and had yet to talk to any firefighters who were, so he had no firsthand knowledge of the specific incident:

Could be days before everybody gets their power back

adamg — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:27:13 +0000

Fire Department alarm operations center. Photo by BFD.

UPDATE: City increased estimate of number of customers without power Sunday evening.

The mayor's office reports some ~~5,000~~ 11,000 NStar customers in Boston are without power and that it's "possible that some outages could last days."

Meanwhile, city crews received roughly 500 reports of downed trees and tree limbs across the city (including this one in Roslindale).

The Boston Fire Department reports firefighters responded to calls across the city, but especially in West Roxbury, Roslindale, Jamaica Plain and Allston-Brighton.

Firefighter acquitted of fraud

adamg — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:07:19 +0000

The Globe reports on bodybuilder Albert Arroyo's verdict in federal court.

Peter Gelzinis writes: Case strong, but dumbbells win.

The bodybuilding firefighter on trial

adamg — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:46:12 +0000

Peter Gelzinis spends the day in court watching the trial of Albert Arroyo, the bodybuilding firefighter with the bad back. He is not impressed.

While he testified he was spooked by stairs, he nevertheless kept climbing them, even when an elevator was nearby.

Engine 51's new home

adamg — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:40:28 +0000

The Boston Fire Department shows off the newly renovated Engine 51 in Oak Square.

Changing of the guard in West Roxbury

adamg — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 23:18:59 +0000

In October, 1921, the Boston Fire Department's Engine 30 in West Roxbury officially and finally switched from horses to a truck. Herald-Traveler photographer Leslie Jones was there to watch the horses leave the station for the last time. From the Boston Public Library's fire department collection.

Centre Street regulars will notice that one thing hasn't changed: The firehouse itself, still home to Engine 30 (and Ladder 25).

Posted under this Creative Commons license.

Massholes are forever

adamg — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:59:44 +0000

The Boston Public Library just posted a ton of photos of Boston firefighters and firefighting back in the good old days (like, when horses still pulled fire engines) from its Leslie Jones collection. Do not click on that link if you don't have some time to spare. I'll be posting some photos from the collection over the next few days, but had to start with this photo of a firetruck trying to get out of a fire house because it's just so Boston: Massholism is obviously not a new phenomenon.

Click to see the photo in all its glory; post if you know where that station was.

Posted under this Creative Commons license.

More than four dozen Boston firefighters suspended for role in EMT training scandal

adamg — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:52:26 +0000

The Globe reports.

Boston firefighters in western Massachusetts today

adamg — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:50:57 +0000

The Boston Fire Department reports a caravan of firefighters and trucks left Boston at 4 a.m. to help with rescue and recovery in Springfield:

Boston Fire dispatched Engine 14 & Engine 41 to Springfield as part of a Statewide mutual aid task force. ... Boston Fire also sent its Technical Rescue Team; Engine 10, Tower 10, Rescue 1 & District Chief 6 along with our box truck of tools to Brimfield at 4:30 am. They are staged there for deployment as needed. This team is made up of 15 firefighters

Cop, firefighter injured when SUV, fire truck collide

adamg — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 22:58:18 +0000

Boston Police are investigating a mid-afternoon crash that sent a police officer and a firefighter to the hospital - and a traffic signal to the ground - at Morton and Harvard streets.

According to the Boston Fire Department, Ladder 29 from the Blue Hill Avenue station was responding to a car accident on American Legion Highway around 3:40 p.m. when it collided with an SUV driven by the police officer.

The firefighter suffered head injuries, the cop leg and head injuries; none life-threatening.

BFD: Random drug testing turns up two firefighters with a problem

adamg — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 21:39:39 +0000

The Boston Fire Department reported today that random drug testing conducted since September has found two positives out of 1,053 tests done:

In one case, the person served a 30 day unpaid suspension and entered the Employee Assistance Program. In the other case, the person entered a treatment program and served a 30 day unpaid suspension when the program concluded. This person has also entered the Employee Assistance Program.

About half the department's firefighters have undergone random tests - because the test is random, some have had to undergo more than one test (and by random, the department includes tests done on holidays, nights and weekends).

Firefighters agreed to random drug and alcohol screening as part of their current contract.

Unlike sidewalks, nobody legally required to clear snow from Boston hydrants

lex.galloway — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:23:10 +0000

Boston has more than 13,000 fire hydrants, and this winter it's been a struggle to keep them clear for firefighters.

Although the Boston Water and Sewer Commission and the Boston Fire Department are responsible for making sure hydrants actually work, there's no law regulating who has to keep them clear after snowstorms, Boston Fire spokesman Steve MacDonald said.