Archive for February 21st, 2015

New fire chief in Gary

Feb 21

Posted by Admin in Fire Service News | 9 Comments

Excerpts from the NorthwestIndianaGazette.com

Controversial Fire Chief Theresa Everett will be replaced in a ceremony … sources tell the Gazette. Communications Director Chelsea Whittington informed the Gazette that the mayor’s office would not comment on upcoming personnel changes but sources close within the department say that long time Gary Firefighter Paul Bradley will be named to the top post.

Everett has been controversial since her appointment to the position in 2012. Firefighers stated privately that they believed Everett’s ties to Freeman-Wilson weighed more in her appointment than her qualifications. Freeman-Wilson and Everett are both members of the same sorority. Everett was a finalist for a position with the Fulton County, Georgia Fire Department in 2013. Everett’s future plans were not known at the time of this article.

thanks Dan

Tags: Fire Chief Theresa Everett, Gary Fire Department, Gary Firefighter Paul Bradley, new fire chief in Gary Indiana

House fire in Arlington Heights, 2/20/15 (more)

Feb 21

Posted by Admin in Fire Scene photos | 5 Comments

Excerpts from the Daily Herald:

[a] house was unoccupied when fire broke out before midnight on Thursday, authorities said. … the homeowner … returned to his house around 2 a.m. to see it up in flames.

Firefighters remained outside the house on the 800 block of North Kaspar Avenue throughout much of Friday, continually putting out hot spots as they flared up. By Friday night, firefighters said, fire operations ceased, and the building was torn down.

Without describing the contents, Arlington Heights Fire Department officials said a “high fire content load” inside the two-story, single-family home kept the fire burning long after the first firefighting crews arrived on scene about 11:45 p.m. Thursday.

Authorities said fire was coming through the roof and first- and second-floor windows when they arrived. But firefighters were unable to make entry into the house due to the excessive flames and heat.

The below-zero overnight temperatures also presented a challenge for [firefighters], who were unable to use the nearest hydrant because it was frozen. After accessing a working hydrant some 300 feet away, firefighters … were able to contain the blaze without it spreading to nearby houses, officials said.

thanks Dan

Tim Olk visited the scene this morning.