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Double LODD in Toledo, 1/26/14 (more)

Feb 1

Posted by Admin in Fire Service News | 2 Comments

The final alarm rang tonight for two of Toledo’s bravest killed in the line of duty four days ago.

“May God rest their souls. We’ll take it from here brothers,” a fire dispatcher announced during a service in honor of Pvts. James Dickman and Stephen Machcinski — the two firefighters killed Sunday while searching for potentially trapped residents in a devastating North Toledo building fire.

More than 5,000 people packed the SeaGate Centre tonight for a two-hour funeral service in honor of the firefighters.

Ret. Toledo Assistant Fire Chief Robert Schwantzl read both men’s records before a bell was rung three times for each — a tradition for funerals of firefighters.

Tears filled the eyes of veteran firefighters and civilians alike as the two Toledo firefighters were eulogized repeatedly and as their families were presented with medals in honor of their sacrifices.

The families of Privates Dickman and Machcinski — sitting before their flag-covered caskets — accepted the International Association of Firefighters medal of honor.

Family members of the two men clutched each others’ hands as they entered the service and throughout the program.

Toledo Fire Battalion Chief Sally Glombowski, who was selected as a representative of the Dickman family, said the young firefighter loved his family fiercely and cared about people most of all.

Toledo Fire Chief Luis Santiago said he was struck how the Dickman and Machcinski families were concerned about the fire department’s well-being despite their own overwhelming grief and suffering.

“Stephen and Jamie may be gone, they have left, but they will always be part of our family,” he said.

Chief Santiago acknowledged the scores of firefighters from across the nation and Canada who traveled to Toledo for the service.

The somber ceremony was marked with pictures of the two fallen firefighters displayed while the St. Francis choir sang “On Eagles Wings.”

“There are no words that can express the sadness in our hearts,” Toledo Battalion Chief John Kaminski said before the thousands gathered.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) — one of several public officials addressing the families and people attending — said he struggled with what to say to honor the two firefighters.

The senator lauded the two men — recalling how Private Dickman’s two dreams were to marry his wife Jamie and also to become a Toledo firefighter.

After his remarks, Senator Brown and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) presented American flags to the Machcinski and Dickman families. Both flags were flown above the U.S Capitol Sunday.

“This [service] confirms what we have known all along about the brotherhood of firefighters and what we have learned about the people of Toledo – that they support the firefighters of Local 92,” said Doug Stern, a spokesman for the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters.

Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Tracy Smith was among 60 from that department who came to Toledo today for the service.

“There is an outpouring of support for the department that’s affected when something like this happens,” Chief Smith said. “It hits close to home for us since it is Ohio and we are all a tight-knit group.”

Tom Ryan, president of the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, echoed the same sentiment as many of the scores of other firefighters gathered to pay tribute to Privates Dickman and Machcinski.

“We are all family and when we lose one it is felt deeply by all of us,” Mr. Ryan said. “This is outstanding. We lost five of our own in recent years and we are just repaying by being here.”

This from Tom Clifton:

I know it's not Chicago but I figured I would send this in. I attended the visitation for one of the fallen firefighters in Toledo. The 1st picture is Engine 13 parked in front of the funeral home. As I was about to start my way back home to Chicago I caught a fire at 1202 Idaho in Toledo. I took a few photos of the scene. I arrived to some active fire but trying to park a car on a snow covered side street in Toledo I think is actually worse than Chicago. Tom Clifton

Tom Clifton photo

Tom Clifton photo

Tom Clifton photo

Tom Clifton photo

Tags: Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, double firefighter line of duty death in Toledo, fallen Toledo firemen laid to rest, International Association of Firefighters, James Dickman, memorial service for Toledo firefighters, Stephen A. Machcinski, Toledo Battalion Chief John Kaminski, Toledo Fire Chief Luis Santiago, Toledo fire engine, Toledo fire engine at fire scene, Tom Clifton, two Toledo firemen die battling blaze

Double LODD in Toledo, 1/26/14

Jan 28

Posted by Admin in Fire Service News | 2 Comments

Tragic news from Toldedo on Sunday. Two firefighters died battling a fire in a small apartment building. This from The Blade:

Two Toledo firefighters were killed on Sunday while battling an apartment complex fire in North Toledo — the city’s first firefighter fatalities from an active blaze since 1981. Stephen A. Machcinski, 42, and James Dickman, 31, died of injuries sustained while fighting a fire at 528 Magnolia St.

Private Machcinski had more than 15 years of service. Private Dickman was appointed to the department in September. His fire class of 51 recruits, sworn in on Sept. 3, has not yet had its graduation ceremony. Privates Machcinski and Dickman were among the firefighters who went into a six-unit apartment building after a blaze was reported at 2:47 p.m.

A despondent Fire Chief Luis Santiago, at a news conference Sunday night at the downtown headquarters, said that inside the burning building the two — who were both assigned to Engine 3 — suffered fatal injuries.

Firefighters went into the building to look for Privates Machcinski and Dickman, who were lost in the fire for several minutes, according to radio traffic.

“After what could be described as valiant efforts” the two were pulled from the still-burning building and other firefighters “began immediate … life-saving’’ attempts, Chief Santiago said. The two were then taken to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center where they were pronounced dead.

Mayor D. Michael Collins, at the news conference, said firefighters and police officers are different in that “they run into harm’s way instead of running away” from it.

After the news conference, Mayor Collins said Mr. Dickman’s parents, who live in Mansfield, Ohio, were escorted to Toledo by the Ohio Highway Patrol on Sunday.

Firefighters could be seen removing the second firefighter from the back part of the building still engulfed in smoke around 3:30 p.m. The firefighter, laid on a stretcher, was taken away by Lucas County EMS.

Over the next two hours, firefighters doused the smoking structure with water. Flames occasionally erupted from the roof.

Lucas County records show the two-story, mixed residential and commercial building has been owned by Ray and Mariam Abouarab since 1992, when the sale price was $36,000. Its current value is $101,500. The primary structure was built in 1877, according to county records.

Several fires have been reported at the 137-year-old North Toledo building several times over the past two decades — including in December, 1996, December, 1998, and September, 2002.

Six residential units are located adjacent to and behind the Huron Market carryout. The owner, who watched firefighters work to put out the fire, said seven people lived in the units and none were injured. He said he recently spent about $2,500 to fix the plumbing on the residential side after this month’s deep freeze caused problems.

Another apartment building Mr. Abouarab owned caught fire twice within in a six-month period a decade ago. That five-unit complex at 809 North Huron St. — which Mr. Abouarab sold in 2007, according to county records — was on fire in August, 2002, and again in January, 2003.