Friendship, OK Fire Department Assistant Chief Madison “Maddy” Lee Clinton Jr. was killed when during the operation, the home collapsed on him, pinning him under the roof of the structure

Friendship, OK Fire Department Assistant Chief Madison “Maddy” Lee Clinton Jr. was killed when during the operation, the home collapsed on him, pinning him under the roof of the structure

FRIENDSHIP, Okla. –



A firefighter with the Friendship, Oklahoma, Volunteer Fire Department died in the line of duty earlier this week.

According to the Altus Fire Department, Friendship fire crews responded to a house fire near Altus Friday.

Officials say 54-year-old Friendship Fire Department Assistant Chief Madison “Maddy” Lee Clinton Jr. was tragically killed.

Clinton was “performing suppression operations on a structure fire” when during the operation, “the structure collapsed on Assistant Chief Clinton pinning him under the roof of the structure.”

His funeral will be held Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Altus First Baptist Church.

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




JACKSON COUNTY, OK (KSWO) -



The Jackson County community is mourning the loss of a volunteer firefighter last week. Preparations are now underway for his funeral on Wednesday. Madison Lee Clinton Junior, known as Maddy, died while fighting a house fire north of Altus Friday night. The home collapsed and pinned him underneath. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Clinton was the assistant chief and a 33 year veteran of the Friendship Volunteer Fire Department. Fire fighting also runs in his family. His father was a firefighter and his brother is the Friendship VFD Chief.

Altus Fire Chief Kyle Davis, acting a spokesman for the family, says he worked with Clinton on many fires in the past.

"I know what dedication it is to give that ultimate sacrifice and to give your life," Davis said. "Not only your life, but your livelihood to the volunteer cause. And like I said, Maddy, he's done it for 33 years. He was one of the best at it. Highly trained."

The U.S. Fire Administration ordered all departments to fly their flags half staff on Monday in honor of Clinton.

His funeral will be at Wednesday afternoon at four at the Altus Fire Baptist Church. Following the funeral, the procession to the grave site will be accompanied by fire trucks lining the streets. The family asks instead of flowers, that donations be made to the Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, the Friendship Fire Department or the Friendship Baptist Church.

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




FRIENDSHIP, OK (KSWO) -



New details are being released following the tragic death of a Friendship firefighter earlier this week. Friday evening, a house near Altus was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on scene. 

Authorities say 54-year-old Madison Lee Clinton Junior was attempting to extinguish the flames when part of the structure collapsed, pinning him underneath. Clinton was the assistant chief of the Friendship Volunteer Fire Department.

His funeral will be held Wednesday afternoon at 4 at Altus First Baptist Church.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined but officials say the structure was destroyed.

An unidentified firefighter from Utah was killed on Monday while battling the Ranch Fire, one of two blazes that make up the Mendocino Complex fire in California

Firefighter killed battling largest blaze in California history
Dan Whitcomb





LOS ANGELES, CA (Reuters) - 

A firefighter has been killed battling the largest wildfire in Californian history that has been stoked by prime fire weather conditions as it has destroyed dozens of homes.

The unidentified firefighter was killed on Monday while battling the Ranch Fire, one of two blazes that make up the Mendocino Complex, which has already charred about 349,000 acres (141,200 hectares), the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said.


The Utah firefighter was airlifted to a hospital where he died, fire officials said during a news conference late on Monday.

FILE PHOTO: A firefighter fights fire near torching trees as a wildfire burns near Yosemite National Park in this U.S. Forest Service photo released on social media from California, U.S., August 6, 2018. Courtesy USFS/Yosemite National Park/Handout via REUTERS

“We are extremely heartbroken for this loss,” Mendocino Complex incident commander Sean Kavanaugh said, adding that officials will release more information as it becomes available.

The firefighter was the sixth person killed battling California’s intense wildfires this year, which have been some of the most destructive in more than a decade as they have forced tens of thousands to evacuate.

The Mendocino Complex, which has destroyed 146 homes since it began on July 27, has been stoked by persistent hot, dry and windy conditions. Crews have been able to cut containment lines around 68 percent of the northern California fire, Cal Fire said.

The complex is one of about 110 major wildfires burning across the western United States which have burned more than 8,900 sq miles (23,000 sq km), an area larger than the state of New Jersey, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

A general view of the aftermath from the Holy fire, in McVicker Canyon, California, U.S., August 11, 2018 in this still image from social media obtained on August 12, 2018. CARLA HARPER/via REUTERS

Though temperatures had dropped from their triple-digit highs in recent days, they were expected to stay above 90 degrees F (32 C) through Friday. The cooler temperatures gave firefighters on Monday a chance to attack the string of major wildfires across California, fire officials said.

Another massive blaze, the Carr Fire, has blackened about 207,000 acres and killed eight people in and around Shasta County, north of Sacramento near the Oregon state line. It was 63 percent contained as of Monday afternoon, Cal Fire said.

In Southern California the Holy Fire, which authorities say was set on Aug. 6 by a disgruntled homeowner in an Orange County canyon, was 59 percent contained after torching more than 22,000 acres and destroying a dozen cabins.



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




The largest fire in California history turned deadly on Monday as a firefighter tending the blaze was killed.
 
There were few details on how the firefighter died in the Mendocino Complex Fire, northeast of Ukiah, California. The fire is burning near the Mendocino National Forest, about 140 miles northwest of Sacramento.

"The Mendocino Complex Unified Incident Commanders from CAL FIRE, and the United States Forest Service are deeply saddened to report the death of a firefighter on the Mendocino Complex," CAL FIRE sad in a statement. "Fact finding on the accident is ongoing and notification of the next of kin is in progress. More information will be released as it becomes available."

Officials said the firefighter was from Utah and was injured while working an active part of the fire. He was airlifted to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.



The fire became the largest in state history last week, passing the Thomas Fire from December 2017 as it grew to over 283,000 acres. The fire has now grown to over 349,000 acres, but the Ranch Fire -- one half of the Mendocino Complex Fire -- is up to 59 percent contained.

The fire season has already been a hard one for firefighters working dozens of fires, especially in California.


Two firefighters were killed in the Ferguson Fire, which began on July 13 in Mariposa County, east of San Jose and burning in part of Yosemite National Park. Brian Hughes was killed on July 29 when he was struck by a falling tree. Hughes was the second firefighter to die in the blaze after Braden Varney was killed July 13.



The Carr Fire has been the deadliest of the wildfires to hit the West this season. Three firefighters have died in the blaze, which started on July 23 and has burned through 206,000 acres and destroyed 1,077 homes near Redding in the far northern Shasta County in California.

CAL FIRE officially lists two firefighter deaths in the blaze, though San Francisco ABC station KGO reported a third firefighter, Andrew Brake, was killed in a car accident traveling to the fire.  

Five civilians were killed in the Carr Fire as well, including a worker for Pacific Gas & Electric.

Progress has been made, as the Carr Fire is now up to 63 percent contained, according to CAL FIRE.

This year has been the deadliest for firefighters since 2008, according to SF Gate.

The governors of New York and New Jersey have declared states of emergency in multiple areas following significant property damage from fmassive lash flooding over the past few days.

LITTLE FALLS, New Jersey (WABC) -- 

The governors of New York and New Jersey have declared states of emergency in multiple areas following damage from flash flooding over the past few days.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has declared a state of emergency in Bergen, Essex, Monmouth, Ocean and Passaic counties and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for potions of Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Central New York.

The declaration allows for the extension of state resources, as necessary and as requested, into communities most directly impacted by flooding as a result of the torrential rains.


HIT LIKE A BRICK

Nearly 8 inches of rain fell in Brick Township, New Jersey on Monday - almost two months of rain in a matter of hours as rescuers evacuated dozens of people from their homes and vehicles.

Brick residents who were displaced are being assisted by the Red Cross at a clubhouse in the Green Briar community.

Drone footage released by police shows why there was no choice but to issue a State of Emergency after about 100 homes had to be evacuated.



AccuWeather called for more showers and thunderstorms, but those would be scattered with fewer heavy downpours.

Little Falls, New Jersey might have been hardest hit after flooding wreaked havoc on Saturday when 5 inches of rain fell in less than an hour.

Officials said the flooding damaged hundreds of homes, dozens of businesses and hundreds of vehicles causing millions in losses. Forty-five people and dozens of pets were rescued during the flooding, officials said.

The township says at least 32 homes were left uninhabitable after the devastating storm.

Murphy met with township officials and toured the area late Monday afternoon.

"I promise you we're going to work together and find every available resource we can," said Murphy.

Families were trying to clean up as the rain continued to fall. Many have lost parts of their lives: appliances, photo albums, kids' toys and winter items stored in the basement that are now destroyed and coated in mud. 

Grounded commercial fishing vessel Pacific Quest near Santa Cruz breaks up spilling estimated 200 gallons of diesel fuel

SAN FRANCISCO, CA —



Responders operating in a unified command completed the removal of diesel fuel Monday evening from the commercial fishing vessel Pacific Quest near Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz.

Approximately 720 gallons of diesel fuel were pumped from the vessel’s fuel tanks with none remaining aboard.

The Pacific Quest, began breaking apart on the rocks Sunday evening, causing a fuel line to rupture and discharge an estimated 200 gallons of diesel fuel, however this estimation will remain dynamic until offloading operations are completed.

The fuel release was unrecoverable and there is no visible sheening. The source of the leak has been secured.

The fuel tanks remained in the stern of the vessel, which washed ashore as the vessel broke apart, allowing responders to begin defueling operations Monday morning.

The response focus has now shifted from pollution recovery to marine debris removal. Monterey Bay Diving has been hired to conduct debris removal operations.

The Coast Guard asks boaters and surfers transiting the area to be alert for debris from the Pacific Quest.

There have been no reports of impacted wildlife.

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

SAN FRANCISCO, CA —



The Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), Monterey County, Santa Cruz Fire Department and a representative of the vessel owners have established a unified command in response to a 56-foot commercial fishing vessel that ran aground with a maximum potential capacity of 1,200 gallons of diesel aboard near Natural Bridges State Park, Sunday morning.

The captain of the fishing vessel, Pacific Quest, contacted Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders at approximately 2 a.m. Sunday, reporting that his vessel ran aground with only himself and his dog aboard.

The captain and his dog were able to walk ashore at low tide with no reported injuries.

The mariner contracted Tow Boat US to try to refloat the vessel and transport it to Santa Cruz Harbor, but when personnel arrived on scene at approximately 11:20 a.m., they determined the vessel salvage operation to be unsafe due to multiple compartments being filled with seawater.

Since the vessel is only accessible at low tide, Tow Boat US responders returned to the Pacific Quest at approximately 5:30 p.m. and secured the fuel vents to prevent fuel from being discharged.
Parker Diving and Salvage has been contracted to salvage the vessel. The company is scheduled to begin fuel removal and salvage efforts Monday.

“The Coast Guard and other federal, state and local agencies have established a unified command to ensure a safe and rapid response to the Pacific Quest grounding,” said Coast Guard Ensign Kelly Hodges, the federal on-scene coordinator representative for the unified command. “We are working diligently with our partners to minimize impacts to the public and the environment.”

The vessel is located near Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

There have been no reports of impacted wildlife.

-USCG-



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

SAN FRANCISCO, CA —


The Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), Monterey County and Santa Cruz Fire Department continued a unified response Monday with cooperation of the vessel owner to respond to a 56-foot commercial fishing vessel that ran aground Sunday morning with a maximum potential capacity of 1,200 gallons of diesel aboard near Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz.

The vessel, Pacific Quest, began breaking apart on the rocks Sunday evening, causing a fuel line to rupture and discharge an estimated 200 gallons of diesel fuel, however this estimation will remain dynamic until offloading operations are completed.

The fuel release was unrecoverable and there is no visible sheening. The source of the leak has been secured.

The fuel tanks remained in the stern of the vessel, which washed ashore as the vessel broke apart, allowing responders to begin defueling operations Monday morning. An estimated 620 gallons were pumped into fuel totes before a tidal shift occurred and operations were suspended for safety. The removed fuel will be pumped into vacuum trucks for transit.

Operations are scheduled to resume at the next low tide, approximately 5 p.m., Monday. There are currently an estimated 180 gallons of diesel fuel left aboard, 20 gallons of lube oil and multiple batteries.

There have been no reports of impacted wildlife.

Following the pollution removal efforts, the vessel owner will continue to work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and other involved parties to remove the vessel and any remaining debris.

-USCG-

Truck of Insituform Technologies LLC out of Chesterfield, Montana was cited for improperly transporting over 15,000 pounds of a highly flammable styrene resin solution causing the closing of I-75 in Florida

A 15-mile stretch of Interstate 75 in Lee and Charlotte counties was reopened Monday night after being shut down for nearly 12 hours due to a truck leaking a poisonous chemical.

Florida Highway Patrol closed the southbound lanes at Tuckers Grade (Mile Marker 158) and the northbound lanes at Bayshore Road (Mile Marker 143) at around 10 a.m. Southbound lanes of I-75 at Tuckers Grade reopened shortly before 2 p.m.

The northbound lanes of I-75 remained closed until 9:55 p.m., due to containers having to be inspected and offloaded onto a second refrigeration truck, the FHP said.

During a traffic stop, troopers smelled an odor coming from the truck and saw
something leaking from the right rear door.

It was determined that the truck was transporting over 15,000 pounds of a highly flammable resin solution.

The FHP said the carrier involved was Insituform Technologies LLC out of Chesterfield, Montana. The company was cited for a violation of 49 Hazmat regulations covering securing packages in a motor vehicle.

The carrier was issued a $500 fine for the violation.

The resin was identified as the synthetic chemical styrene in multiple 250-gallon, 3-foot-by-3 foot totes, said Todd Dunn, Charlotte County spokesman.

Units from Charlotte County Fire/EMS Hazmat, Fort Myers Fire Department Hazmat, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Charlotte County Emergency Management and Community Emergency Response Team Hazmat crews worked the scene.



According to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration, styrene is used extensively in the manufacture of plastics, rubber, and resins.

The resins are used to make plastic packaging, disposable cups and containers, insulation, and other products. styrene is also produced naturally in some plants.

About 90,000 workers, including those who make boats, tubs, and showers, are potentially exposed to styrene.

Health effects from exposure to styrene may involve the central nervous system and include complaints of headache, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, malaise, difficulty in concentrating, and a feeling of intoxication.
 


Insituform® CIPP has been used for more than 45 years to protect pipelines from corrosion, restore structural integrity, reduce infiltration, eliminate leaking joints, improve water quality and increase pipeline flow capacity. We offer a variety of solutions for renewing wastewater and stormwater pipelines as well as pressurized force mains and water distribution and transmission mains.

We can quickly install our trenchless CIPP solutions in areas not accessible to dig and replace methods. We have renewed pipelines beneath interstates, bridges, busy roadways, airports and military installations without disrupting traffic. Our CIPP tube is designed to meet individual project specifications, and our manufacturing capabilities are ISO-certified, with each tube tracked from start to finish. Additionally, our regional distribution system helps keep transportation costs to a minimum.

Genova's Morandi (Viadotto Polcevera) suspension bridge partially collapses in stormy weather in Italy killing at least 20, injuring a dozen more

GENOVA, ITALY--

A bridge on a main highway linking Italy with France collapsed Tuesday in the Italian port city of Genoa during a sudden, violent storm, sending vehicles plunging 45 meters (nearly 150 feet) into a heap of rubble below. Italian officials said at least 20 people were killed and others injured.

A huge section of the Morandi Bridge collapsed at mid-day over an industrial zone, sending tons of twisted steel and concrete debris onto warehouses below. Photos published by the Italian news agency ANSA showed a massive, empty gulf between two sections of the bridge.
There was initial confusion over the exact death toll and officials were still searching for people in the rubble. Firefighters said two people were pulled alive from vehicles in the rubble and transported by helicopter to a hospital.

The head of Italy's civil protection agency, Angelo Borrelli, told reporters at a news conference in Rome that the collapse left 20 people dead and 13 injured. He said all the victims appeared to all have been in vehicles that plunged from the bridge.

Earlier, an Italian transport official, Edoardo Rixi, had said that 22 people were killed and 13 injured in the collapse.

Borrelli said 30-35 cars and three heavy trucks were caught up as an 80-meter (260-foot) stretch of the bridge collapsed.

Borrelli said highway engineers were checking the safety of the bridge at other points and that some areas were being evacuated as a precaution. He said they were still trying to figure out the reason for the collapse.
"You can see there are very portions big of the bridge (that collapsed). We need to remove all of the rubble to ascertain that all of the people have been reached," Borrelli said, adding that more than 280 rescue workers and sniffer dogs units are at work. "Operations are ongoing to extract people imprisoned below parts of the bridge and twisted metal."

Video of the collapse captured the sound of a man screaming: "Oh God! Oh, God!" Other images showed a green truck that had stopped just short of the gaping hole in the bridge and the tires of a tractor trailer in the rubble.

Firefighters told The Associated Press they were worried about gas lines exploding in the area from the collapse.

Italy's transport minister, Danilo Toninelli, called the collapse "an enormous tragedy."

News agency ANSA said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will travel to Genoa later Tuesday. "We are following minute by minute the situation," Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Twitter.

The disaster occurred on a highway that connects Italy to France, and northern cities like Milan to the beaches of Liguria.

It came on the eve of a major Italian summer holiday on Wednesday called Ferragosto, which marks the religious feast of the Assumption of Mary. It's the high point of the Italian summer holiday season when most cities and business are closed and Italians head to the beaches or the mountains. That means traffic could have been heavier than usual on the Genoa highway.

The Morandi Bridge is a main thoroughfare connecting the A10 highway that goes toward France and the A7 highway that continues north toward Milan. Inaugurated in 1967, it is 45 meters (148 feet) high, just over a kilometer (.6 miles) long.

The collapse of the bridge comes eight days after another major accident on an Italian highway, one near the northern city of Bologna.

In that case, a tanker truck carrying a highly flammable gas exploded after rear-ending a stopped truck on the road and getting hit from behind itself. The accident killed one person, injured dozens and blew apart a section of a raised eight-lane highway.

=====================================
A major motorway bridge has collapsed near the Italian city of Genoa, leading to vehicles falling some 100m (328ft).

Italian Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said it was likely to be "an immense tragedy", while police sources said at least 11 people had died.

The head of the local ambulance service was quoted by one source as saying there were "dozens of dead".

Video footage appears to show one of the towers holding up the suspension bridge collapsing in stormy weather.

The police linked it to what they called a violent cloudburst.

The collapsed section had mostly fallen on rail tracks below, officials told the AFP news agency, adding that cars and trucks had also fallen.

One image posted by the regional emergency services shows a truck perched at the end of the surviving bridge section immediately before the drop, and says rescue workers are operating en masse at the scene.


The bridge, built in the 1960s, is known as the Morandi bridge (Viadotto Polcevera or Polcevera Viaduct). The missing section was dozens of meters in length, and ran across the span of the Polcevera stream.

Italian newspaper La Repubblica described that part of the city as "densely inhabited".

The structure collapsed shortly before noon local time (10:00 GMT) during heavy rain. Video shared by the police of the incident suggests a major vertical support, as well as the road itself, was part of the collapse.
Source:BBC.com

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

Dozens of people are reported to be dead after a large section of a road bridge collapsed in the northern Italian city of Genoa.

Rescue workers say about 10 vehicles were involved when a 200m (650ft) section of the Morandi Bridge collapsed during a sudden and violent storm.


The Italian Ambulance Service says there are "dozens of dead", local news agency Adnkronos reported.

Image: The collapse is reported to have been caused by a structural defect

One person has been rescued alive from the rubble and flown to hospital by helicopter, ANSA news agency reported.

Pictures of the aftermath showed two large white lorries overturned and smashed into pieces, lying upturned with their wheels in the air, while rescue workers searched the area, which is covered with huge chunks of concrete and metal.




Another picture showed a white car flattened as if it had been in a crusher, its doors squeezed outwards and its windscreen shattered.

Image: A car lies wrecked after the bridge collapsed

Video showing parts of the structure falling into the water has been posted to Twitter by local police and what appears to be flashes of electricity are visible as concrete columns shatter and drop.

Around 200 firefighters are responding to the accident and have told the Associated Press they are concerned about gas lines.

Image: The motorway bridge which collapsed in Genoa

A witness told Sky Italia television he saw "eight or nine" vehicles on the bridge when it collapsed in what he called an "apocalyptic scene".

Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said in a tweet that he was "following with great apprehension what seems like an immense tragedy".

Image: Genoa bridge collapse

Maria Luisa Catalano of the Genoa highway police said work was ongoing, adding, "we don't know numbers of victims or injured yet".


Image: A lorry teeters near the edge after the bridge collapsed

Other pictures included one of a green truck that had stopped on the bridge just yards short of the gaping hole in the road surface.

The bridge is part of the A10 toll road which runs into the port city.

Restructuring work on the bridge, which was constructed in the 1960s, was carried out in 2016.

The collapse is believed to have been caused by a structural weakness, the ANSA news agency said.

A Dallas, Garland and Northeastern Railroad Inc. conductor died after he was pinned underneath a train’s rail car wheel in South Dallas, Texas as they were moving trains in and out of their yard

Railroad employee dies after being pinned under rail car's wheel in 'tragic accident'


Written by Dana Branham, Breaking news reporter


DALLAS, TEXAS

 Updated at 10:40 a.m.: Revised to include a statement from the railroad company.

A railroad employee died after being pinned under a rail car's wheel early Monday in South Dallas, officials said.

Dallas police and Union Pacific Railroad police responded to the 600 block of Corinth Street about 1 a.m. after another railroad worker found the victim pinned and called 911.

The coworker told police he had been in contact with the victim all night by radio, but the victim suddenly stopped responding. The coworker then went looking for the victim.

Dallas Fire-Rescue officials pronounced the employee, whose name has not been released, dead at the scene.

A spokesman for Dallas, Garland and Northeastern Railroad Inc. said in a statement that a conductor for the company died in a "tragic accident."

"Our hearts are with the employee's family, loved ones and colleagues, as well as emergency responders at the scene," the company said.

The railroad company said it is cooperating with authorities as the incident is "fully investigated."

Union Pacific spokesman Jeff DeGraff said railroad police responded because the incident happened near the company's tracks.

"It was not our train or our crew," DeGraff said. "A very unfortunate incident. It happened as they were moving trains in and out of their yard."

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

DALLAS, TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – 

A railroad worker died after he was pinned underneath a train’s rail car wheel in South Dallas.

It happened as the train was maneuvering into a rail yard near Cockrell and Corinth streets. During the movement, one of the crew members sustained fatal injuries.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of this fellow railroader,” said Union Pacific Railroad spokesperson, Jeff DeGraff.

The rail yard is operated by the Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad (DGNO), and the crew members were also from DGNO.

Police and National Transportation Safety Board officers responded to the call early Monday morning to the 600 block of Corinth Street.

The NTSB tweeted that they sent a team of three investigators to Dallas for a Northeast Railroad accident in which an employee died.


A witness told them he was in contact with the victim by radio all night while they worked.

When the victim stopped responding, the witness went to his work station and found the man pinned underneath the rail car wheel.

The witness immediately called 911 for help.

Dallas-Fire Rescue pronounced the employee dead at the scene.

The victim’s cause of death is unexplained at this time.

Patrick Ricketts, a 51-year-old signal technician, employed by Oakland-based Shimmick Construction, dies after he was hit and pinned underneath a steel beam at the Twin Peaks Tunnel Project in San Francisco, CA

Patrick Ricketts, a signal technician working on the Twin Peaks Tunnel project, was killed Friday when a steel beam fell. (Courtesy photo)

Technician killed by beam in Twin Peaks Tunnel was working with stepson



By Michael Barba on August 13, 2018 2:04 pm

The worker killed Friday during construction on the Twin Peaks Tunnel was on the same job site as his stepson when a steel beam fell and hit him, according to a longtime friend.

Patrick Ricketts, a signal technician for Shimmick Construction, died after the beam pinned him at around 4:30 p.m., transit officials said. His stepson, Matt Ropers, was at the other end of the tunnel, said Tony Owens, his friend of three decades.

“He’s having a tough time,” Owens said of Ropers in a phone call on Monday. “Everybody is in shock. It’s just really devastating. It was just so unexpected.”

The incident halted the seismic retrofit of the 100-year-old Twin Peaks Tunnel until Saturday as California Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the San Francisco Police Department investigated the death.  

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency deemed the incident an accident in a statement Saturday night. Cal/OSHA said it would take four-six months to conclude its investigation.

Ricketts, a 51-year-old resident of Williams in Colusa County, is survived by his wife Bonnie Ricketts and two adult stepchildren. Owens said Ricketts had worked in construction for the last 15 years.

The Great Recession forced him to work jobs around the country, including Alaska. As a result, Ricketts would only see his family every six weeks until he landed a position with Shimmick Construction less than a year ago. The Twin Peaks Tunnel construction meant he could be even closer to his family.

“He was happy to be back in town and working with his son and being able to see his wife on the weekends,” Owens said. “It was a sacrifice for a long time.”

Owens said Ricketts and his wife are hard-working people. When Bonnie Ricketts learned of her husband’s death, Owens said she told him, “Well, I know this job is really on a crunch time.”

“She was worried about them getting back to work,” Owens said.

The SFMTA is expected to finish construction on the tunnel by Aug. 25. It is not immediately known if the incident will push back the completion date.  

Shimmick Construction has offered to cover the costs of the funeral and related airfare, according to Owens. The company is expected to meet with the family in Williams on Tuesday.

Shimmick Construction has not responded to requests for comment.

The family is expected to hold a service for Ricketts next Monday in Colusa.

Owens said Ricketts enjoyed camping, restoring classic cars and barbecuing.

“He’s a good father and a great friend,” Owens said. “I planned on building some more cars with him when we retired.”




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


Worker Dies After Twin Peaks Tunnel Project Construction Accident

San Francisco, CA

A construction worker who was hit by a steel beam at the Twin Peaks Tunnel Project died on Friday.

Patrick Ricketts, a 51-year-old signal technician, was pinned underneath the beam at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday. According to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, nearby workers rushed to help Ricketts, who was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where he died later that evening. Ricketts lived in the Colusa County town of Williams, 100 miles north of San Francisco.

MTA spokeswoman Erica Kato says Ricketts was employed by Oakland-based Shimmick Construction. Shimmick did not respond to a request for comment.

Work on the tunnel was suspended pending an investigation by San Francisco police and Cal/OSHA. The SFMTA said late Saturday that crews were cleared to resume work.

“We have taken extra precaution to ensure the tunnel is safe before returning workers to the project,” said SFMTA director Ed Reiskin in a statement. “We feel confident that the contractor, under the SFMTA’s oversight, has done everything possible to ensure construction can proceed safely.”

Mayor London Breed released a statement Friday with condolences to the worker's family, friends and colleagues.

"This is a tragic incident and I want to commend the Twin Peaks Tunnel laborers who quickly sprang into action to help their colleague," Breed said.

The retrofitting project is replacing tracks and drainage systems in the tunnel, which connects the city's West Portal neighborhood to downtown San Francisco.

Shimmick Construction

Shimmick Construction Company, Inc. (SCCI) was founded in 1990 by John Shimmick and his long time friend and colleague Mike Strandberg.  Through the 1990’s SCCI became one of the most active contractors engaged in the seismic retrofit of highways and bridges in Southern California.  During the same decade SCCI constructed a series of utility and sewer projects in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In 1992, SCCI partnered with Obayashi Corporation to create a joint venture that began with the building of a $46 million cut-and-cover box culvert for the City of San Francisco. This project was very successful and was the catalyst that brought Shimmick into the business of building big complex projects and Joint Venturing with National and International Contractors.
In the following decade SCCI went on to build a number of large railroad and highway projects in the Los Angeles area.  During this time SCCI also constructed a variety of underground utility projects and bridges in and around the San Francisco bay area.  Concurrently, SCCI extended its project capabilities to water resources projects, including dams, water and wastewater treatment plants; and expanded its geographical range throughout California.

In the last few years, Shimmick started a foundation group that is performing work throughout the western United States, Colorado and Hawaii. This work includes some of the most technical and challenging large diameter drilled shaft foundation projects in the US.

During the summer of 2017, Shimmick announced that it is now part of AECOM, a premier, fully integrated global infrastructure firm serving governments, businesses and organizations in more than 150 countries. Shimmick’s heavy civil expertise, combined with AECOM’s leading project management and design market presence, allows for enhanced delivery offerings, especially as clients increasingly procure services on an integrated basis.

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

Twin Peaks Tunnel Construction and Reopening Update

Thursday, August 9, 2018 - 5:14pm

Neighborhoods affected 

West of Twin Peaks

Lakeshore

Parkside

Ocean View

Outer Sunset

Route(s) Affected 

Forest Hill Shuttle

KJ: Ingleside/Church

L Bus Substitution

M Bus Substitution

The End is in Sight!

Construction on the 2.2 mile long Twin Peaks Tunnel is nearing completion and crews are still on schedule to finish within the 2-month project window. Current projections show the tunnel being operational on or before the targeted August 25th date. Once reopened, the 80,000 daily riders of the K, L and M lines will get enjoy riding on new rails in the upgraded tunnel.

As we learn more and finish the vital safety and infrastructure upgrades, it will be possible to share a more exact date and time when rail service will resume. Before trains begin running, crews expect a few days of testing and cleaning to be sure all the new equipment is ready to go.

Tunnel Work Progress Report:

• The new rails in outbound direction are complete and the tracks in the inbound direction are nearly finished.
• About 90% of the seismic retrofit work is complete.
• The 100-year old drainage system is 99% upgraded.
• All four of new track crossovers are installed -- These crossovers help the train switch from one track to the other during breakdowns and can assist improving overall train operations by adding flexibility.
• Important fire safety enhancements are being implemented.
• Signal improvements for the trains are approximately 75% complete.

For more pictures, updates and a video about construction in the tunnel, check out our recent blog post.

Later this summer/fall after the tunnel is operational again, there will be two more planned weekend overnight closures to West Portal, Forest Hill, Castro and Church stations. These closures will be at night only -- when ridership is low -- and are scheduled from approximately 11:59 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on two Saturday and Sunday nights still to be determined. Bus shuttles will be provided while these additional electrical upgrades are done.