MEC&F Expert Engineers : 07/30/16

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Metropolitan Engineering, Consulting, Forensics, and Environmental Remediation Services. Construction, Investigation, Remediation and Forensic Expert Engineers


Construction Defects, Construction Claims, Engineering, Property & Casualty Investigations, Assessment, Site Investigation, Remediation, Litigation and Indoor-Air Expert Engineers

Bill Stephan, PhD, PE, CIH, CHMM, JD, MBA
Principal Engineer

P.O. Box 520
Tenafly, New Jersey 07670-0520
Phone: (973) 897-8162
Fax: (973) 810-0440



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Firm Overview


The engineering and forensic firm of Metropolitan Forensics and Consulting Engineering and Environmental Services was established for the purpose of providing a high value service to the insurance industry and to the insured companies or individuals. Our founding principal (Bill Stephan) is a licensed professional engineer in several states, including, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.



We specialize in the in-situ remediation of petroleum and chlorinated spills, the defense of liability claims, the investigation and defense of first or third party insurance claims and the handling of subrogation claims.  We are also experts on oil and gas energy sector issues (design, investigations, construction oversight), renewable energy sector (wind turbines, solar panels, biofuels, etc), vapor intrusion evaluation, vapor phase and transport and in design on vapor mitigation systems.  Additionally, we offer forensic engineering services, including age-dating of contaminant releases, construction defects, oversight, evaluation of remedial alternatives, sub-slab ventilation system design and installation.  The list of our core services is:



  • Cause and Origin Investigations
  • Construction Failure Analysis (Residential, Industrial and Commercial)
  • Structural Integrity Evaluation
  • Site Investigation
  • Tank removals and tank installations; licensed and insured to perform entire UST work
  • In-Situ Remediation of Soil and Groundwater
  • Vapor intrusion, indoor air evaluation and mitigation
  • Causation
  • Forensic Investigations (age-dating)
  • Oversight
  • Review of Remedial Action Work Plans
  • Reserve Estimation
  • Cost Allocation
  • RAWP Preparation
  • Site Remediation
  • Cleanup Level Development and Negotiation
  • Subrogation
  • Expert Witness/Litigation Support
  • Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) Services
  • Construction Claims (Delay, Differing Site Conditions, Loss of Productivity, Acceleration, and others)

 





















Additional Specialty Service Areas

Age Dating
Boilers & Burners
Bridges
Building Codes
Building Inspections


Construction Accident
   Reconstruction
Construction Defects
Construction Delay Claims

Construction Surety Claims
Construction Disputes
Construction Differing Condition Claims
Construction Oversight
Construction Management
Construction Acceleration Claims

Construction Failures
Construction Injuries
Contractor Performance Issues
Corrosion


Defective Designs
Defective Roadway Design
   Evaluations


Earthquake
Electrical Accidents/Injuries
Electrical Equipment Failures
Electrical Fires
Elevators, Escalators
   & Conveyors
Embedded Software Hazards
   & Analysis
Equipment Failures
Errors and Omissions
Explosions

Failure Analysis
Fire
Fire Codes
Fire Protection Systems
Fire Suppression Systems

Flood Damage Assessment

Foundation Systems

Gas Systems

Hailstorm damage

Heating & Ventilation Systems
Heavy Construction
Highway/Roadway Design
Human Factors


Indoor Air Quality
Laboratory Services
Ladders, Scaffolding Falls
   & Failures
Lightning

Mechanical Defect Evaluations
Metallurgical Age Dating
Mold Causation
Natural Disasters/Weather
   Related Issues
Nuclear Energy
Occupational Hazards
   & Illness

Piping
Playground Equipment Injuries
Plumbing
Product Failures
Roofing Problems & Failures
Safety Codes
Safety & Human Factors
   Engineering
Scalding
Scene Mapping and Photographs
Sick Building Syndrome
Sports Equipment Injuries
Standardized Codes
Steam Systems
Subrogation Issues


Transportation Issues
Trips, Slips & Falls
Underground Storage Tanks
Utilities Expertise
Vibration
Water Damage
Windstorm



Mission Statement


Our mission is to work as an extension of our clients to expeditiously achieve the most economically favorable resolution of claims on their behalf and on behalf of their insured. We have developed and will continue to create new solutions to the technical problems and issues which are facing the insurance industry and the insureds today.  

Metropolitan provides forensic engineering work (age-dating or fingerprinting), site remediation, auditing, cost control and litigation support services to insurance carriers, their insureds and to private or public companies.  In its risk management role, examines, manages and audits environmental claims to ensure that assessment and remediation services provided to both carriers and policy holders are reasonable and necessary, properly rendered and appropriately charged. 



In its litigation support role, Metropolitan assists carriers and their counsel to ensure that litigious disputes are resolved fairly and reimbursement benefits are provided when appropriate.  The corporations service area includes the entire United States, with our corporate office located in Northern New Jersey.  The Firm's professional staff also travels regularly throughout the United States on assignment.


Forensics at Metropolitan


There are many issues associated with disputes over responsibility for cleanup. Who, what, when, where, and how chemicals were released can be investigated. The tools of forensic investigation include mathematical models, statistical models, fate and transport calculations, chromatography, lead isotope analyses, time of travel assessments, library search site characterization, tracer additives, and recently developed software applications.



Effective forensic project management should include an evaluation of multiple forensic tools based on site specific circumstances. The process of evaluation and the ultimate selection of the forensic tool are critical to a successful outcome. When project budgets allow, combining forensic methods for corroborative evidence can substantially strengthen your client’s position in an effort to prevent or support litigation. The effective forensic consultant must be well acquainted with an ever expanding list of analytical methods, environmental regulations, assessment procedures and remedial technologies.



The forensic field is one that utilizes a wide range of scientific tools to identify and characterize complex adverse environmental events. Some of the scientific disciplines involved in forensics include engineering principles (biological, physical and chemical), hydrology, lithology, geology, site history, site practices, mathematics, and statistics. These areas may be combined with technologies such as respiratory analyses, chromatography/mass spectrometry and chemical fingerprinting methods to answer complex questions with the ultimate goal of establishing responsibility for a particular event. Accurate, defensible forensic analyses are an essential component of any strategy that attempts to resolve the extent of the insurer or insured client responsibilities in the cleanup of contaminants.


Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our forensic services.



Property Damage Services at Metropolitan

Metropolitan assists property owners, claims professionals, businesses, and attorneys in   the assessment of the cause & origin (C&O), extent of damage and required restoration after pipe bursts, settlements, manufacturing and construction failures, fire, flood, earthquake, or storm damage.  Our teams of engineers have extensive experience in the many systems that make up a building including structural, mechanical and electrical systems.   We also have the necessary background to evaluate property damage to items such as communications towers or solar panels. We can help determine alternative, appropriate, and cost effective solutions for repair or restoration of any damaged property, both commercial and residential. 

Providing Competent, Expert and Objective Investigative Engineering and Consulting Services.

Our experts are multi-skilled, competent, and objective professionals who apply their analytical and common sense skills to reconstruct, determine the root cause, and document the events that give rise to property, casualty, and liability claims.  Thorough investigations and detailed measurements/research help us distinguish between pre-existing conditions and sudden and accidental losses.



 






























Our investigations are:

·         Comprehensive & Accurate

·         Legible & Easy to Understand

·         Timely Performed

·         Delivered Quickly

·         Cost Effective

·         Clear & Concise

·         Developed by Professionals

·         Dependable

·         Our own uniform reporting system saves time and money.


Our Fast Track Investigation and Uniform Format Reporting systems allow us to conduct and deliver a comprehensive response to the assigned claim.  In most cases, we will obtain findings based on a site visit, visual observations, photographs, interviews, and field measurements.  Further investigations and testing will be provided upon request and approval by the client.



Forensic Investigation of Property Damage Claims

Metropolitan Consulting, Engineering & Forensics understands your need to complete a claim investigation accurately and efficiently as possible.  Whether it is accident reconstruction, damage due to environmental forces such as wind, water, hail, snow, tornado, etc.; fire origin & cause investigation or any other claim, the engineers at Metropolitan understand both you and your client want to resolve the claim.  The analysis you receive from Metropolitan will be accurate and complete, giving you the information needed in the claim adjustment and analysis.

Our services have extended beyond the forensic analysis phase into the remediation and repair phase of many large loss claims.  Upon the completion of the cause and origin (C&O) investigation, Metropolitan can provide our clients with complete working drawings and specifications needed to repair or rebuilt damaged buildings or other structures.  Metropolitan Consulting & Engineering’ staff possesses many-many years of experience in rehabilitation design, construction management, and project oversight to ensure the loss is restored in a timely and cost-effective manner without sacrificing quality.  Building code knowledge allows us to identify possible code upgrades as needed.  Metropolitan understands constructability and realizes making an insured whole goes beyond forensic investigation and design. We pride ourselves in providing practical solutions contractors can understand and follow.

At the forefront of available technology, we provide professionals and staff capable of handling a variety of engineering evaluations.  Our reports are clear, concise, complete and efficiently produced.  Our engineering objectives are achieved in an ethical manner consistent with the traditions and character of engineering professionals.

Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our property damage services.


Extensive Experience helping Sureties

Metropolitan also has extensive experience helping sureties fulfill their bond obligations resolve disputes after a contractor has defaulted.  This work includes the evaluation of contractor bid pricing, evaluation of the contractor’s ability to perform work, risk assessment, evaluation of termination, construction completion services, claim and litigation support services, loss recovery services, evaluation of payment bond claims, negotiation and settlement of payment bond claims, and construction defects investigation services.  Metropolitan has provided these services for commercial, development, educational, and assisted living projects.


Construction is a business fraught with risk.  Disputes over even the smallest of issues can quickly escalate, with crippling consequences to the project and the parties.  Over the years, the construction industry has developed various methods of contractually allocating the risk of project delay and disruption.  Some of these methods include liquidated damages provisions, "no damages for delay" clauses, mutual waivers of consequential damages, provisions that limit liability, claims notice provisions, and provisions addressing responsibility for the adequacy of the construction plans and specifications.  Parties frequently litigate the sufficiency of these risk-shifting efforts in conjunction with the underlying merits of delay and disruption disputes.
Construction Claims & Disputes
The most frequently encountered claims include:
1.            Construction Delay Claims
2.            Disruption and Loss of Labor Productivity Claims
3.            Design and Construction Defect Claims
4.            Force Majeure Claims
5.            Acceleration or Compression of the Schedule Claims
6.            Suspension, Termination and Default Claims
7.            Differing Site Conditions Claims
8.            Change Order and Extra Work Claims
9.            Cost Overrun Claims
10.         Unacceptable Workmanship or Substituted Material Claims
11.         Non-payment Claims (stop notice (or Notice to Withhold) claims, mechanics’ lien (only for private construction projects) and payment bond claims)



Forensic Engineering Experience Case Studies


Metropolitan staff has developed and utilized scientific methods to assist clients in a variety of ways related to their claim issues. The following is a partial list of such projects:

  • Provided expert witness services for plaintiff seeking remediation of contaminated groundwater that caused indoor air inhalation problems;
  • Testified that engineering and scientific evidence was improperly collected and analyzed and was inadequate to show the age of the release;
  • Origin and cause of retaining wall failures.  
  • Lightning damage to structures or electrical systems and equipment
  • Roof failure or collapse as a result of accumulated load, additional weight and snow drift at hundreds of commercial and residential properties.
  • Demonstrated that solvents in groundwater at client's property originated from off-site dry-cleaner and that client's site actually provided remediation for the off-site release of dry cleaning solvent;
  • Expert witness for property owner impacted by industrial waste disposal from industrial manufacturer;
  • Demonstrated that environmental analysis by a previous consultant for a manufacturing site was inadequate; as a result, the lender's concerns were alleviated and financing proceeded;
  • Chemical "age-dating" and contaminant transport analyses of petroleum in groundwater at a gas station showed that contaminants originated from other parties;
  • Age-dated petroleum release at a former gas station to show that the previous owner of the gas station caused groundwater contamination;
  • Age-dated petroleum releases at an industrial facility to show that the on-site plume was the result of an off-site source;
  • Prepared age-dating reports for over one-hundred residential fuel oil spills;
  • Assisted insurance companies attorneys in defending subrogation claims; was able to demonstrate that the forensic data collected by the first party consultant were collected and analyzed using invalid methods;
  • Demonstrated that structural damage to a residence was from a source other than the alleged high lake level
  • Collected evidence (for the primary responsible party) that identified other responsible parties to share in the cost of a Superfund cleanup;
  • Review of the site data at a bulk petroleum facility indicated that the site releases were not the result of regular oil transfer operations and that they were caused by the negligent actions of the insured’s agents; the case was settled in favor of the insurance company;
  • Was able to demonstrate that the majority of the removal actions at petroleum release sites were neither reasonable nor necessary; as a result of our opinion, the insurance client settled the claim in favorable terms;
  • At several drycleaner sites we were able to demonstrate that the age of the release was much earlier than the parties originally believed; as a result, the insurance client settled the claim at a fraction of the alleged liability;
  • We performed numerous flood and wind damage assessments at commercial and residential properties.
Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our forensic engineering services.




Site Remediation Services


 Characterizing and remediating contaminated sites involve some of the most complex and difficult issues for environmental lawyers and their clients. Problem areas include responding to regulators; negotiating enforcement settlements; negotiating or litigating cost allocation and recovery claims; working with the insured or insurer client, lawyers and regulators to develop efficient, cost-effective remediation approaches; and selling, buying, or developing contaminated properties.



Metropolitan staff has developed and applied an innovative approach to the use of sodium persulfate for the sequential in-situ treatment of subsurface contaminants through chemical oxidation followed by enhanced biological degradation through sulfate reduction. This approach has broad applicability to a wide range of contaminants, and shows strong cost-saving benefits through reducing the initial volume of chemical oxidant necessary and enhancing the in-situ biological degradation of contaminants.



Through proper subsurface geochemical characterization and chemical dosing design, the approach focuses on utilizing the oxidant for immediate mass reduction at the source area, followed by degradation or polishing of the residual contamination using sulfate reducing bacteria.  Depending upon the oxidant activation method, this approach is applicable to petroleum hydrocarbons including both volatiles and PAHs, chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) including chlorinated ethene, ethane and methane groups, as well as PCBs.


Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our Site Remediation Services.





Vapor Intrusion and Indoor-Air Studies


Vapor intrusion has received increased attention over the last few years near contaminated sites because some contaminants have the potential to migrate into nearby buildings and negatively affect indoor air quality. The accumulation of these volatile vapors in buildings can result in significant safety and health concerns.
To properly evaluate vapor intrusion a thorough evaluation of the building's ventilation system and subsurface conditions needs to be conducted by a knowledgeable professional in accordance with state and federal established procedures. 
The evaluation process typically includes a thorough building chemical inventory, the advancement of soil gas probes and the collection of soil gas samples. When indoor air quality problems are identified they can normally be resolved through the modification/installation of a properly designed ventilation system.
Metropolitan is well experienced with U.S. EPA and State vapor intrusion investigation techniques. We have completed numerous vapor intrusion and indoor air quality studies at commercial and residential properties. We have the experience to identify and resolve indoor vapor intrusion problems and the practical know-how to resolve indoor quality issues in an efficient and cost effective manner.
Contact us online or call 973-897-8162 to learn more about our Vapor Intrusion and Indoor Air Studies.




Metropolitan Engineering, Consulting, Forensics, and Environmental Remediation Services.


Construction, Investigation, Remediation and Forensic Expert  Engineers

P.O. Box 520

Tenafly, New Jersey 07670-0520

Ph.: (973) 897-8162

Fax: (973) 810-0440



Contact: Dr. Bill N. Stephan, PhD, PE, JD, CIH, MBA, CHMM






Insurance claim examiners, insureds, insurers, insurance adjusters and risk managers use Metropolitan for determining cause, evaluating the extent of damage, determining the age of the release, separating unrelated damage, analyzing loss scopes and managing restoration data, determining costs to repair, restore or replace, and preparing for insurance appraisals.



Attorneys call on Metropolitan for help when preparing for Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution such as arbitration and mediation


six-alarm fire at the old Macy's building Downtown Pittsburgh most likely caused by workers doing demolition and renovation



 






Pittsburgh firefighters gain control of blaze in old Macy's building Downtown July 30, 2016 4:56 PM
Lake Fong/Post-Gazette


City of Pittsburgh firefighters respond this afternoon to a six-alarm call at the old Macy’s building in the 400-block of Smithfield Street, Downtown.

By Joe Smydo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Dozens of Pittsburgh firefighters swarmed into the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh’s commercial district this afternoon to battle a fire at the old Macy's department store, which led to the closure of parts of Smithfield Street and surrounding streets.

Although the fire callout reached six alarms, smoke but no flames could be seen coming from the vacant building in the 400 block of Smithfield.

The blaze started in a basement electrical vault and spread through an elevator shaft, public safety spokeswoman Emily Schaffer said.

The fire was under control by 3:30 p.m. and fully extinguished by 4:30 p.m., she said.

At least seven workers, including four doing demolition and one doing HVAC work, were in the building when the fire started.

The fire, reported about 1:30 pm, was initially designated a 3-alarm blaze because of the building’s many floors. It was raised to a six-alarm fire because the first firefighters who arrived could not find the workers.

All got out safely and there were no injuries to civilians or firefighters.

Richard Kunesky said he was at a street-level loading dock when he saw flickering light, heard a crash, and then saw smoke in an elevator shaft.

Walter Chubeck, on the eighth floor, also heard a noise that shook the building. He went downstairs to look for Mr. Kunesky and saw an orange glow.

Mr. Chubeck said he later went back in to help firefighters find their way around the maze-like building.

Some of the workers said they had been working in the building for about four months, while other crew are putting in windows and doing other construction work.

"They're building while we're demo-ing," Mr Kunesky said.

Today, he said, was an "overtime day" when workers finish up work started during the week. The workers said they'd been using the elevators all day.

Attorney Timothy Uhrich, who has an office in the adjoining Allegheny Building, said this was the second fire in the old Macy’s building in recent months.

This time, he said, after the power went out, firefighters went through the building telling people to get out.

"I heard the pounding on the door and the yelling and they asked me why I was still here," he said.

A fire truck responding to a 911 call struck a person riding a dirt bike in Wilmington, Delaware





A fire truck responding to a 911 call struck a person riding a dirt bike in Wilmington, Delaware.


Saturday, July 30, 2016 06:44PM
WILMINGTON, Del. -- A fire truck responding to a 911 call struck a person riding a dirt bike in Wilmington, Delaware.

It happened around 1:30 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of 4th and Van Buren streets.

The victim was taken to Christiana Hospital.

No word on that person's condition at this time.

Almost 40 U.S. Postal Office employees at a River North facility in Chicago were treated for heat-related illnesses, after temperatures inside the building reached nearly 100 degrees


Dozens of postal employees sickened by heat at River North facility











Temperatures inside the post office facility in the River North neighborhood were near 100 degrees since mid-week, employees said. (WLS)

Laura Podesta
Updated 2 hrs 15 mins ago
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Almost 40 U.S. Postal Office employees at a River North facility were treated Saturday morning for heat-related illnesses, including dizziness and nausea, after temperatures inside the building reached nearly 100 degrees, a Chicago fire official said.

Thirteen employees were hospitalized and another 23 workers were treated at the scene of the facility at West Ohio and North Dearborn streets.

"It's hot in this building. Extremely hot. No air conditioning," said postal worker Kenneth Norman early Saturday.

An air conditioner had malfunctioned, a USPS spokesman said. Employees said temperatures were nearly 100 degrees since mid-week.

On Saturday, employees were working at the facility since 5 a.m. A supervisor who was throwing up was among those who were treated. A CTA cooling bus was also sent to the scene.

"You go through the door...you could feel like an oven on and you can't open windows up there so everybody just started getting dizzy and throwing up, getting sick," said postal worker Aileen Harris.

The facility was evacuated and closed on Saturday, and will remain closed on Sunday. The closure impacted three zip codes - 60610, 60611 and 60654 - where residents did not receive mail on Saturday.

The facility will resume normal service on Monday.

"We're not going to have the rest of our employees work in there, it's clearly unsafe," said USPS Chicago District spokesperson Mark Reynolds. "We value the safety of our employees."

Seven people were taken to the hospital after a fire at the Marinette Gardens Apartments in Sharpstown in southwest Houston








Seven people are taken to the hospital after an apartment fire. (KTRK)

By Marla Carter
Saturday, July 30, 2016 07:31AM

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Seven people were taken to the hospital after an apartment fire in southwest Houston early this morning.

It happened at the Marinette Gardens Apartments in Sharpstown, when firefighters say an apartment where three children and their grandmother lived caught fire.

Three other people saw the fire and ran inside the apartment to rescue the grandmother and her grandchildren.

Their mother was on her way home from work and was not home at the time.

All of the children, their grandmother and the three people who rescued them were taken to the hospital. At this point, we have no word on their condition.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire quickly. No one else was hurt.

One building was damaged by water and smoke.

Elaine Perkins lives below the apartment that caught fire.

"It was really scary because I had experienced a fire seven years ago so it was really scary for me and my daughter, so I had experienced it again but we live in a great community. We have really good neighbors. We all rallied together," said Perkins.

The fire is currently being investigated by Houston Arson Bureau.

Two separate fires at Gateway Park Apartments in Bellevue, NE in less than a week started by careless disposal of smoking materials; more than $1.25 million in damages







Fires at Bellevue apartment complex were caused by careless smokers, state fire marshal says

By Emily Nitcher / World-Herald staff writer


Apartment fire injures 3, including firefighter
Omaha World-Herald

Two separate fires at a Bellevue apartment complex in less than a week started the same way, officials said Friday.


The fires at the Gateway Park Apartments in the 300 block of Fort Crook Road South were both started by careless disposal of smoking materials, according to Ray Nance, a spokesman for the Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office.


A fire was reported about 4 p.m. Tuesday in the three-story complex with 24 apartments. Four people, including a Bellevue firefighter, were taken to the hospital as firefighters worked to control the blaze.


The fire caused $1 million in damage to the building and $250,000 in damage to its contents, according to the Bellevue Fire Department. The apartment building has been deemed unsafe for inhabitants.


On July 22, a fire started on the third-floor balcony of a different apartment in the same building, but it caused much less damage.


Nance said smoking materials should be discarded in a metal container and ashes should be thoroughly wet down.



Fires can also be started when people put cigarettes out in potted plants, Nance said. Potting soil has ingredients that are flammable and have been known to start fires.


“Things happen like that,” Nance said. “People do need to be cautious and careful out there.”

3 injured, Bellevue, NE apartment complex a 'total loss' after 2-alarm fire








NEBRASKA FIREFIGHTER CRITICAL AFTER ROOF COLLAPSE

July 27, 2016



Flames roared through a Bellevue apartment building Tuesday, collapsing its roof and leaving the residents of two dozen units homeless, either because of the blaze itself or water damage.


Three people were taken to the hospital, a Bellevue firefighter who wrenched his back and two people who suffered health problems, said Jack Syphers, spokesman for the Bellevue Fire Department. It was not clear how the firefighter’s injury occurred.


This was the second fire in less than a week at the Gateway Park Apartments, located in the 300 block of Fort Crook Road South. Authorities were working under the theory that this fire started on the second floor. On Friday, a fire ignited on a third-floor balcony, but caused much less damage. Both fires are under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.


Residents had last week’s fire in mind when they heard the alarms Tuesday.


Taysha Hubbard, 24, was in the shower when the fire alarm sounded. She said she thought the alarms were being tested due to Friday’s fire, and waited five minutes to leave her second-floor apartment.


When she looked out her door’s peephole, she said she saw a police officer in the hallway blocking access to the staircase on the north side of the building. Out of her balcony window, she said she saw “chunks of fire” fall toward the ground. She grabbed her dog and left the building, still wearing her robe. Hubbard said someone passing by gave her clothes.


Kimberly Frederick, 51, was in her third-floor apartment when the fire alarm sounded. She looked up and saw flames shooting outside her north-facing window.


Frederick said she screamed as she left her apartment with nothing and exited the south side of the complex.


She rounded the building to see the damage but moved away.


“I couldn’t watch it anymore,” she said. “It’s devastating to watch everything burn.”


Kathy Consbruck, 59, was at work in west Omaha when a friend called, saying the apartment where Consbruck lived was on fire.


When Consbruck arrived at the scene 30 minutes later, the road was blocked with emergency response vehicles. She did not see flames. She said her two small dogs were rescued from her first-floor apartment. Consbruck, who works for Bellevue University, said she planned to stay with her children in Lincoln Tuesday night.


“It’s just kind of numbing. Until I can get in there and actually see, I don’t want to think the worst,” she said of the damage.


Tuesday’s fire occurred in a different section of the same building as Friday’s fire. The two sections are separated by a fire wall and each section has 12 units.


The 12 apartments in the section that caught fire Tuesday were heavily damaged.


Only two units were damaged in Friday’s fire, but the rest were affected by water damage from Tuesday’s fire.


The number of displaced people was not available.


Tuesday’s fire began about 4 p.m. and was under control in about an hour, Syphers said.

Firefighter from Hoyt, Kansas was killed, another injured in the Line of Duty when the tanker truck he was driving crashed after a tire blew out





July 28, 2016


We regret to pass on to you that a Firefighter from Hoyt, Kansas (north of Topeka) was killed in the Line of Duty yesterday when the tanker he was driving crashed.

2 Firefighters were taking a tanker truck to the Jackson County Fair Parade around 1700 hours when a tire blew out for an unknown reason near 166th Road.

The truck crossed the median from the northbound to the southbound lanes and rolled a couple times, ending up in the west ditch. The tanker actually separated from the rest of the truck.

The driver of the fire truck, 47-year-old veteran Firefighter Michael Schultz of Hoyt, was killed. 36-year-old Firefighter Randy Smith of Mayetta, was taken to the hospital with injuries.

The death of diver Capt. Bradley Long, 28, during a rescue operation on Lake Norman in NC last month was a tragic accident



NC DIVE LODD INITIAL INVESTIGATION RESULTS

July 30, 2016


Iredell Sheriff Darren Campbell said the death of a diver during a rescue operation on Lake Norman last month was a tragic accident.


Campbell said Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue Capt. Bradley Long, 28, drowned during an attempt to recover the body of swimmer Isia Cruz, 29, of Charlotte.


On Friday, Campbell, Criminal Investigations Division Supervisors Maj. Andy Poteat and Errin Jenkins detailed the findings of the sheriff’s office’s seven-week investigation into Long’s death, which occurred near the Hager Creek Access area in Mooresville.


Campbell said a company recommended by the N.C. Chief Medical Examiner’s Office examined the equipment worn by Long, two other divers who went to the hospital after the incident on June 6 and a fourth set of gear that was on the boat being used by Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue.


The experts concluded there were no problems with any of the dive equipment but that Long’s primary air tank was empty. A secondary tank he was wearing, however, did have air, Campbell said.


Poteat said the incident unfolded on the afternoon of June 6 while Long and others from Sherrills Ford-Terrell were taking part in an operation to find the body of Cruz, who disappeared June 5.


Long and a second diver were working at a depth of 82 feet in an area pinpointed by sonar as a possible location of the body, Poteat said. A monitor aboard the boat indicated to the two divers that they needed to surface and Long and the second diver began an ascent, stopping at around 20 to 30 feet below the surface for a “rest stop” to avoid decompression sickness, commonly called the bends.


At that point, Poteat said, Long gave an indication that he was out of air. The second diver tried to help, and at some point, the masks of both divers came off, which caused the second diver to ascend too quickly, he said.


When he reached the surface, a rescue diver on the surface then descended to try to rescue Long, Campbell said.


Long descended to the bottom, back to a depth of about 82 feet, Poteat said.


When the third diver reached the bottom, he was in the process of maneuvering Long to get him to the surface when he experienced issues with his mask, Campbell said.


Jenkins explained the third diver’s mask began taking on water and he was unable to clear it. The pressure on his mask increased the further he dove, Jenkins said. That prompted the third diver to ascend quickly. Both he and the other diver were taken to the hospital for treatment.


Poteat said there was some indication that Long and the other diver attempted to use a regulator to access a secondary, smaller tank, called a pony tank. “It all happened so quickly,” he said, that they were unable to get a grip on the regulators.


Campbell said the investigation also revealed there is no electrical current that may have been involved in the deaths of either Long or Cruz. “There is absolutely no truth to that,” he said.


Poteat said the investigation included interviewing everyone involved as well as looking at the computer data from the dive equipment.


Campbell said the determination of procedure, training and other issues will be addressed by an investigation currently underway by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Poteat said findings from the sheriff’s office investigation were shared with OSHA representatives.


Poteat said the sheriff’s office largely focused on whether there was any criminal activity or malice that contributed to Long’s death.


“There was no foul play. It was a tragic accident of someone trying to recover a family member for some other family,” Campbell said. 


==============

Bradley S. Long

Captain Bradley Long and one other diver were searching for a missing 29-year-old man in Lake Norman when they encountered an emergency. A third diver entered the water after a Mayday was called. While the two other divers eventually surfaced, Captain Long never resurfaced and was later recovered and pronounced dead at the scene. Rescue crews had been searching Lake Norman for the missing man a day prior to the emergency involving Captain Long. Officials said the missing man jumped off a boat with two other people. 

The boat was not anchored and started to float away. The three tried to swim and catch up with the boat, but the missing man was not able to make it back to the boat. While the search for the man was suspended once Captain Long went missing, officials confirmed the body of the missing man was eventually recovered as well. The two other divers were responsive when taken to the hospital for treatment, one of which has been released.

Department Information

Sherrills Ford-Terrell Fire and Rescue
4011 Slanting Bridge Road
Sherrills Ford, North Carolina 28673

Chief: Rick E. Davis

Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.
Age: 28 
Rank: Captain 
Classification: Volunteer 
Incident Date: Jun 6, 2016 16:00
Date of Death: Jun 6, 2016 
Cause of Death: Unknown 
Nature of Death: Drowning 
Activity Type: Search and Rescue 
Emergency Duty: Yes
Duty Type: On-Scene Non-Fire 
Fixed Property Use: Outdoor Property