NH photographer arrested

From the way it was described in the article, the photographer drove a converted ambulance similar to this.

After reading the article below, I've come to the conclusion that the photographer was arrested not for taking pictures, but for what he represented himself as while doing it. Read through the article and see if you don't agree with me . . .

Link to related story - False representation in the press

NH photographer arrested on EMT impersonation chargesMan was arrested yesterday and charged with impersonating an emergency responder and obstructing the administration of government in the aftermath of a fatal car crash in August

By Matthew Spolar
Concord Monitor

Expert Analysis False representation in the press By Art Hsieh It will be interesting to see if anything comes out of this case. Photography at public emergency and crime scenes go back as far as the art form itself — people are fascinated with the macabre of actual mayhem and "real" scenes.  The last two decades has seen the technology become easy enough to be used by anyone, and can be used rightly — or wrongly — by any person walking by the situation, using their mobile phone. Even sometimes by fellow "professionals."  At times the first amendment right of the press can come into conflict with the patient's right to privacy, and overall policy in this area is not especially clear. Continue reading False representation in the press

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CONCORD, N.H. — A Concord photographer who shoots fire and accident scenes in the area was arrested yesterday and charged with impersonating an emergency responder and obstructing the administration of government in the aftermath of a fatal car crash in August.

Brian Blackden, 46, has been a regular at emergency scenes for about two years as a photographer for 1st Responder Newspaper, a monthly publication distributed to fire departments nationwide, and as a freelancer for local news outlets. Blackden, who also owns the Pepper Defense Supply store on North State Street, drives a converted ambulance with "1st Responder News" on the side and says he often dons protective gear for safety reasons.

On Aug. 25, Blackden was wearing a fire coat and helmet — with "Photographer" printed on the side — at the scene of a fatal single-vehicle accident along Interstate 93 in Canterbury. State police Trooper James Decker, unsure for whom Blackden worked, seized his camera as he was leaving.

Yesterday, following what the state police described as a "lengthy investigation," Blackden was arrested at his residence in Concord. Later in the day, he was arraigned in Concord District Court on two misdemeanor charges: impersonation of emergency medical/ rescue personnel and obstruction of government administration.

He also faces two violations: entering a controlled emergency scene without authorization and a "Red Light" restriction, which state police Lt. Scott Sweet described as "displaying emergency lighting when not authorized." Both of the misdemeanor charges carry a sentence of up to one year in jail, Sweet said. Each of the violations could result in a $1,000 fine.

Penny Dean, Blackden's attorney, indicated the police are infringing on her client's First Amendment rights. She said Blackden's bail conditions include a restriction from coming within 500 feet of an accident scene, which may be a problem for a man who sells photos of fires and crashes.

"I remember something about a First Amendment," said Dean, to whom Blackden referred comment yesterday. "It was written a long time ago; it's pretty old."

Dean indicated she suspects the charges are a "retaliation" for a lawsuit she filed in federal court against the state for seizing Blackden's camera and flash memory card. The police said they planned to review the photos Blackden shot at the crash scene as part of the investigation, though Sweet declined yesterday to say what role the images played in the decision to press charges.

"They seem to be finding a lot of charges — I'm not sure from where," Dean said, later asking, "Why should an innocent man ever go to jail?"

Sweet said the police spent the past three months "following up, conducting interviews, making sure that we had given Mr. Blackden every benefit of the doubt."

"Our issue is not with him being a member of the press, it was how he was attired and how he represented himself that day," Sweet said.

Blackden is set to stand trial in March on the charges, Sweet said.

Copyright © 2010 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.    Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy

Copyright 2010 Concord Monitor/Sunday Monitor

As if we didn't have enough problems already!

With alcoholic drinks by themselves, now there are companies marketing alcoholic drinks mixed with caffeine. On Wednesday, November 17, 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings letters to four companies that manufacture the drinks saying that caffeine is an "unsafe food additive" to alcoholic beverages. FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg described the combination of alcohol and caffeine as a public health concern and as having the possibility of making persons who drink it "wide-awake drunk."

Students most at risk

Described as a cross between an energy drink and malt liquor, the drinks contain anywhere from six percent (6%) alcohol to twelve percent (12%) alcohol (as much as six beers in some cases) as well as an amount of caffeine equivalent to three cups of coffee. Add to this, these drinks are sold in 16 - ounce and 24 - ounce cans and you can see the potential for a problem.


Currently four states - Michigan, Oklahoma, Utah, and Washington - have outlawed the drinks which also contain taurine, guarana, and/or ginseng which are herbal "mood enhancers". To date these "hybrids" have resulted in the deaths of several college students in Washington State  and caused several others to be hospitalized after basically over-dosing on them at parties. The Sacramento (CA) Examiner raised this question in an article following the decision by the FDA: "Can young people be expected to drink responsibly if presented with what looks like an alcoholic energy drink?" My response to that is that some can, but the vast majority cannot . . .especially when tempted by a beverage that contains so much sugar that it taste more like a regular energy drink or a cola.

What now?

As I mentioned above, the FDA has issued warning letters to: Charge Beverage Corp, New Century Brewing Company, Phusion Projects, LLC, and United Brands Company, Inc. Once these companies receive the letters, they have fifteen (15) days to inform the FDA - in writing - of the specific steps that will be taken to remedy the violation and prevent its recurrence. If, after the 15-days has elapsed, the violation still exists, the FDA can pursue an enforcement action which includes seizure of the product(s)  or an injunction to prevent the firm(s) from continuing to produce the product(s) in question. We can only hope no more lives are lost before that happens!

Until next time . .

Is this lady out of her mind?

I sat here absolutely dumbfounded earlier this morning as I read this article that was published in today's edition of EMS1 News (http://www.ems1.com/). My first thought was "Is this lady out of her mind?" Pictured above is a Seattle, Washington medic unit and, as you can see, it's not a big, property damaging monstrosity. At worse, it might have left tire tracks across the football field and that's really dependent on how wet the ground was. Nothing that a good grounds keeper couldn't fix the next morning. Read the article and let me know your thoughts . . .

Calif. principal under fire for blocking ambulance

She allegedly stopped an ambulance from driving onto the school's track to reach a 14-year-old who suffered a concussion during a football game

By Sharon Noguchi

Contra Costa Times

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Del Mar High School's principal is under fire after blocking an ambulance from driving onto the school's track to reach a 14-year-old running back who suffered a concussion during a football game.

Emergency workers had to haul a gurney 75 yards down field to where Keanu Gallardo lay after suffering a blow to his neck and helmet near the end of Del Mar's frosh-soph game on Oct. 29.

The boy's mother, Josephine Amaya, is livid and still waiting for a formal apology from the school and the Campbell Union High School District. She said her son has since suffered from headaches and neck pain and is being watched for potential brain damage.

It isn't clear whether the delay had any impact on Keanu's health, but medical experts say sometimes every second counts when a player, especially a teenager, is crumpled on the field with a head injury.

"I'm aghast at the decision that was made," said Matthew Dean, a Campbell Union High School board member. "The answer is real simple. A field is replaceable. A child's life is not."

Principal Liz Seabury said Monday she was only following orders.

"I was told not to let vehicles onto the field," she said.

When asked about the incident on Monday, Superintendent Rhonda Farber of the Campbell Union High School District first denied that the ambulance was blocked from entering the sunken field. Her spokesman, Terry Peluso, later blamed Seabury, a new principal. He said the district banned motorized vehicles when the field was remodeled four years ago, "but we never meant emergency vehicles."

The Del Mar Dons were trailing Prospect 20-6 with minutes to go. Keanu dashed 10 yards when another player's helmet slammed into his neck. As he went down, he was hit again, this time on his helmet, witnesses said.

"Last I remember, I was getting the ball then starting to run," the 5-foot-5 Keanu said. "I don't remember getting hit. I don't remember getting up."

He walked to the sidelines, where Coach Darnell Avery recognized a problem and took him out of the game. The Dons' athletic trainer stabilized his neck and called 9-1-1. When firefighter paramedics arrived, they parked at a gate and ran onto the field to treat Keanu. They reported him awake and able to move his body. Then they waited for an ambulance to take him to the hospital. And waited.

But Seabury had stopped the AMR ambulance, which arrived at the other side of the field from where Keanu was being treated. Seabury told them "heavy equipment" was not allowed on the track or field.

So ambulance paramedics unloaded a gurney and pushed it 75 yards to where Keanu lay, strapped him on and rolled it back to the waiting vehicle. It's unclear how long that delayed his trip to the hospital.

A report by the San Jose Fire Department confirmed that Seabury stopped the ambulance after an off-duty police officer directed the driver toward Keanu.

Amaya, accompanying her son to the ambulance, recalled hearing agitated firefighters yelling at the principal about her decision.

Once Amaya emerged from shock and panic over her son's injury, she said she felt incredulous. "How could you put a field above a human life?" she asked.

Seabury said Monday that her conversation with the firefighter was civil. She said there was a 20-minute delay in picking up Keanu, but said that was because the ambulance didn't arrive immediately.

When it did, parent Renee Figueira couldn't believe what happened. "I could see the ambulance," said Figueira, who had run to help and alerted security guards at the game to watch for the arrival of the ambulance. "I was thinking, are you kidding, what is taking so long?"

She said paramedics attending to Keanu were "clearly agitated and angry" about the delay.

Firefighters sometimes decide not to drive their trucks, which weigh as much as 32,000 pounds, where they can damage surfaces, said Capt. Chuck Rangel, though he said fire trucks were not denied access that night. AMR ambulance did not return phone calls seeking comment about their driver being blocked.

Last year, when San Jose High player Matt Blea suffered a skull fracture while playing rival Lincoln High, the responding fire engine was too big to drive onto the field. So paramedics transferred a 6-foot-long spinal board, defibrillator and other medical equipment to a waiting golf cart, and drove the cart to reach Matt.

Keanu returned to school briefly after the injury, but then pain and confusion forced him to stay home for several days, his mother said.

She e-mailed her concerns about the principal blocking the ambulance to the Campbell Union administration and board.

Farber responded that "all schools and appropriate staff will be reminded to allow emergency vehicles access to whatever area of campus they deem necessary. I sincerely regret any worry and upset that you were caused on that evening and hope your son is doing well."

Amaya said she's not complaining about the injury to her 132-pound son. "It's our responsibility. That's what happens in football." But she's upset about the district response, and wants the principal reprimanded and the district to ensure this doesn't happen again.

Figueira, whose freshman daughter plays field hockey, agreed. "I'm pretty sure all the parents who sign the waiver to play sports do not know that their child can be denied timely medical attention."

Copyright © 2010 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.    Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy

Copyright 2010 Contra Costa Newspapers 

All Rights Reserved

Watch out for those firefighters!

Link to story:

http://www.firerescue1.com/vehicle-safety/articles/909617-Firefighter-killed-in-crash-at-SC-fireground/

It is getting to be a too frequent occurrence . . . a firefighter (or EMT) severely injured - or killed - by a careless driver. Speaking from personal experience, I can recall at least one situation where, if I hadn't been able to pull myself up on the top-mount pump panel, I would have been struck by a car speeding down a residential street. Having said that I'd like to present some tips for my readers on driving near a roadside fire or EMS call.

1. If you see that you're approaching a fire or EMS call (or a police call, for that matter), and if the configuration of the road will allow it, move over at least one lane to the left or right (depending on which side the incident is on) to allow you to safely pass by and not place the Firefighters / EMT / Police at risk.

2. In most situations, there will be a police officer or officers on-scene controlling traffic around the incident -- FOLLOW THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. In other situations, where the fire department arrives at the scene first, they will use their apparatus to block the lane(s) affected by the incident. Use caution passing by the apparatus and, as mentioned above, move over one lane to decrease the risk of hitting emergency personnel or bystanders.

3. When driving near a road-side emergency, be aware that emergency personnel, bystanders, and - possibly - victims might be in the roadway. Slow down and use EXTREME CAUTION!

Until next time . .

Turkey fryer safety tips

Make it thankful . . . not tragic

One of the latest culinary trends in preparing a turkey is to deep fry it however, all too often, this results in tragedy. Research has shown that the number of structure fires occurring on Thanksgiving day nearly doubles and most of those originate as kitchen or cooking-related fires. Deep fryers have shown to be dangerous for the following reasons:

1. Many deep fryers have a tendency to tip over easily. The result is spillage of the five (5) gallons of hot oil within the cooking pot.

2. If the cooking pot is overfilled with oil, the oil may spill out of the unit when the turkey is placed into the cooking pot. This can result in oil hitting the burner/flame causing a fire that engulfs the entire unit.

3.  A partially frozen turkey placed into the fryer can cause a spillover effect. This too can result in a fire.

4. With no thermostat control, the units have the potential to overheat the oil to the point of ignition.

5. In addition to the inherent fire hazard, the high cooking temperature causes the side of the pot, the lid, and pot handles to become dangerously hot and cause a very real risk of a serious burn injury.

Other than the obvious, of following your fryer's instruction manual, what do fire safety experts recommend to keep your Thanksgiving cooking safe? They recommend deep frying only small turkeys -- 12 pounds or less. In addition, they recommend using oils with a high smoke point such as peanut, canola, or safflower. They also recommend slowly lowering the turkey into the hot oil and then maintaining an oil temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It should take around 35 - 40 minutes to cook a 10 to 12 pound turkey.

Some additional safety tips -

1. ALWAYS use the turkey fryer outside. Make sure you are a safe distance from structures or any other material which can burn.

2. NEVER use the turkey fryer on a wooden deck or inside a garage.

3. Use the fryer on a flat surface to reduce the possibility of accidental tipping.

4. NEVER leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostat controls, therefore, the oil will continue to heat until reaching its flash point and catch on fire.

5. NEVER allow children (or pets) near the fryer when it's in use. Even after cooking is complete, the oil inside of the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot for several hours.

6. Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching either pot or lid handles. In addition, if possible, wear goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatters.

7. Make sure that your turkey is completely thawed and use caution with marinades. Oil and water don't mix, and water can cause oil to spill over resulting in a fire or even an explosion.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Africanized honeybees kill Georgia man

African "killer" bee

Officials with the Georgia Department of Agriculture reported in their bi-weekly newsletter that it was so-called African "Killer" bees that caused the death of a Dougherty county, Georgia man who accidentally disturbed their colony. The man - who was working with a bulldozer when the accident happened - was stung more than 100 times by the bees which are actually a hybrid of aggressive African bees and more docile European honey bees.

According to officials from the Department of Agriculture, the so-called "killer" bee and its European counter-part (which is Georgia's state insect) are much alike in many ways except one -- the African bees are less predictable as well as being more defensive. The Africanized bees are actually the product of an experiment that went awry in Brazil back in the 1950's as researchers were attempting to create a honeybee better suited to tropical conditions. The "Africanized" bee escaped and began breeding with the European bee and began colonizing first in South and Central America, then Mexico, and finally in the US.

Agriculture officials offer these tips to prevent being stung by the "killer" bees:

1. Be careful in areas where bees may be found. (This is a good rule of thumb for any type of bee.)

2. Listen for buzzing. (This is an indicator of a nest or swarm of bees.)

3. Use care when entering a shed or outbuilding where bees may nest.

4. Examine work area(s) before using lawn mowers and other power equipment.

5. Examine areas before using them as a pen for pets or livestock.

6. Don't disturb a nest or swarm; contact a pest control company or your Cooperative Extension office.

7. Remove possible nest sites around your home and seal openings larger than 1/8 inch in walls, around chmineys, and plumbing.

Experts says as a general rule, stay away from all honeybee swarms and colonies. If bees are encountered, GET AWAY QUICKLY. Do not stand and swat as this will only invite more stings. If you are stung, try to protect your face and eyes as much as possible and run away from the area. Take shelter in a car or building, and don't worry if a few bees follow you inside. It's better to have a few in the car - or building - with you than thousands waiting outside.

Until next time . .