The axe falls

The New York Times reported today that John Peruggia, the EMS chief for New York City's fire department, has been demoted due to his agency's performance during the Christmas weekend blizzard. He will be replaced by Abdo Nahmood, who was previously in charge of overseeing emergency medical dispatch for the department. An unnamed source added that Chief Peruggia has also received scrutiny from the city Conflicts of Interest board, which may have contributed to his reassignment.

If Chief Peruggia has indeed violated conflict of interest regulations, then that's a completely different matter that needs to be dealt with, but I disagree with demoting him because of the disruption in service during the blizzard. As the president of the union pointed out in the article, Chief Peruggia is being punished for things he couldn't control. It seems the city felt it needed a scapegoat, and perhaps the risk of being put on the chopping block like this comes with the territory when you are in a leadership position like Chief Peruggia's. Still, the whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

On a more positive note, the following article appeared on NewCastleNow.org, a community-interest news site covering my hometown. In addition to serving as an adjunct to the volunteer ambulance corps's fund-raising drive, it also highlights the numerous members who have used their experience as a jumping-off point for further medical endeavors. I must point out that I never served in the Youth Corps there--I joined as an adult member following high school--but otherwise it's a nicely done piece.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

In our living room, anyway. Ellen and I cut down, named and decorated our Christmas tree on Saturday, to go along with our holiday window dressings. We found a cut-your-own tree farm a mile or so outside town, whereupon we trudged off into the dense copse of Christmas trees armed only with a hand saw and a hazy idea of the relevant dimensions of our apartment (doorway width, ceiling height, etc.). As it turned out, not only did we find a tree that fit perfectly, but a package arrived this morning from Ellen's mother containing a handful of ornaments. Talk about good timing!

We had a taste of the dark side of New Hampshire winters yesterday--literally--as there was a power outage in Enfield and some neighboring towns. No word on what caused the outage, but at least power was restored relatively quickly. Between flashlights, headlamps and candles, we were able to carry about our business with minimal disruption. Unfortunately, while our apartment is heated by propane, the heater itself runs on electricity. By the time the power was restored some two and a half hours later, the temperature inside had dropped six degrees. Dinner by candlelight was a definite silver lining to the whole episode, though.

Updating a previous item, I'm told that Lebanon, N.H. has restructured its budget so that the second fire station can remain open year-round. I haven't been able to confirm this information, but if it's accurate, I'll be pleased. Fire and EMS coverage are not things you want to opt not to pay for (or accept severe delays in delivery of service, as would likely have been the case here). Just ask Glenn Ordick.

In other news, tomorrow marks the winter solstice, which marks the official end of autumn and start of winter. That, in turn, means summer is only two seasons away. It's about time.

Sad news from the fire service

The Buffalo Fire Department suffered two line-of-duty deaths last week. Lt. Charles McCarthy and Firefighter Jonathan Croom were killed last Monday when the first floor of a burning building collapsed, trapping them in the basement. Investigators have not determined what caused the fire.

Lt. McCarthy entered the building after bystanders reported hearing voices from inside calling for help. When the floor collapsed, Lt. McCarthy radioed for help and Firefighter Croom went in to rescue him. Unfortunately he too fell through the floor and additional efforts to reach the men were unsuccessful. After the fire was extinguished, investigators concluded that there was no one in the building besides the deceased firefighters. It was not immediately clear if there had been someone trapped inside who had managed to escape, but authorities later determined that the voices the bystanders reported hearing came from an unrelated argument taking place on the street in front of the store.

Emergency services personnel are above all public servants, and Lt. McCarthy and Firefighter Croom served with distinction and honor. These men exhibited a depth of commitment and steel of resolve to the public welfare that sets the bar for every emergency services worker. The next time you meet a firefighter, thank him in memory of these two fallen heroes.