City Fire

From the Batavia City Fire Department:

City of Batavia firefighters were kept very busy for hours with back-to-back house fires in the city, Saturday night beginning at 10:22 PM.

The first alarm came in for 12 Elm Street with report of a possible explosion and flames showing Within three minutes, city firefighters arrived on scene and quickly extinguished a fire that was found in the side stairwell of the three-story apartment house. Four residents were alerted by smoke detector and were safely outside the structure when the firefighters arrived. Firefighters performed a search and rescue for a fifth resident, thought to be on the third story. After searching the apartment, it was determined that the resident was gone for the evening. Damage was confined to the stairwell. The home was ventilated for smoke removal. The American Red Cross provided the residents with temporary accomodations. Total damage was estimated at $2,500. The cause is under investigation.

While still on scene at the Elm Street fire, a second fire alarm was called in for a house fire located at 45 Walnut Street. With a two-minute response time, the firefighters arrived to find flames coming from the windows of the two-apartment structure.

A general alarm of fire was made to all off duty city firefighters as well as a mutual aid request to the town of Batavia Fire Department. The town supplied an engine and a rescue truck to the scene and a second engine to stand by at City Fire Headquarters. The fire was declared under control in approximately 25 minutes.

The homeowner smelled smoke and discovered the fire in the ceiling above a wood stove. He alerted the other occupants and all escaped safely before firefighters arrived. The American Red Cross was also able to assist the occupants of this second fire of the night.

The home was completely gutted with a damage estimate of approximately $50,000.

Fortunately, there were no injuries to residents or firefighters in either fire with fire crews returning to quarters at 2:20 AM.

Rigs lined up over a dozen deep stretched along the side of East Main Street in Corfu this morning. Its riders, along with many more, crowded inside the Pembroke Community Center to pay their last respects to Norm Koch, former chief at the Corfu Fire Department and longtime firefighter who died in the line of duty assisting at the scene of a car accident in East Pembroke Tuesday. Koch served as commissioner and captain of the fire police in East Pembroke. He was 79.

Shortly before noon this morning, county dispatchers sounded the final alarm in honor of Captain Koch. This was that message:

This is the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center going on the air with a last alarm assignment for East Pembroke Fire Police Captain Norm Koch.

Captain Koch answered his last alarm December 30th at 12:34 hours at the age of 79. He served the East Pembroke Fire Department for 21 years.

The Alexander, Corfu and East Pembroke Fire Departments are thankful for the 58 years of service Past Chief, Commissioner and Fire Police Capt. Norm Koch has provided to the communities they serve.

His task completed, his duties well done. To our Comrade, his last alarm, he's going home.

Meanwhile, outside the Corfu Fire Department, the buckets from the Batavia and Le Roy ladder trucks joined some thirty feet from the ground to fly the flag in salute.

We received the following news from East Pembroke Fire Chief Robert Yungfleisch. It was dissemeniated by Timothy Yaeger, coordinator of the Genesee County Office of Emergency Management.

It is with deep sadness to inform you of the death of Firefighter Norman Koch. Firefighter Norm Koch was the Past Chief of the Corfu Fire District and a current Commissioner of the East Pembroke Fire District and Fire Police Captain. Norm passed away Dec. 30, 2008 while assisting at the scene of a MVA on Pearl St. in the East Pembroke Fire District.  Firefighter Norm Koch suffered an apparent heart attack and was transported to UMMC where he was pronounced dead.

Firefighter Koch had over 58 years in the fire service with Alexander, Corfu and East Pembroke Fire Departments.  He will be deeply missed.

Please extend your sympathy to Norm's family, friends and brother and sister firefighters.

Norman Koch leaves behind his wife, Joan Koch and three sons, Alan Koch, Randy Koch, David Koch and daughter, Debbie Stocking

Norman joined the Alexander Fire Department in 1950 and the Corfu Fire Department in 1955.  He was Chief of the Corfu Fire District from 1982 through 1986.  In 1987, he joined the East Pembroke Fire Department were he held the positions of Commissioner and Fire Police Captain.

Calling hours will be held on January 3rd and 4th from 4 pm to 8pm at the    
    Pembroke Community Center
    Corfu Fire Department
    116 East Main St
    Corfu, NY 14036

Funeral service will be at 11:00 am on January 5th 2009 at the
    Pembroke Community Center
    Corfu Fire Department
    116 East Main St
    Corfu, NY 14036

Departments sending apparatus to the funeral are asked to notify the Emergency Management Office.  Please limited apparatus to one per department. 

Two adults, whose names have not been released, were treated for smoke inhalation early this morning after a fire broke out inside their apartment at Walden Estates at 337 Bank Street in the city of Batavia.

City fire crews report that the fire was contained to the first-floor dining room of the two-story frame house around 3:36 am. Firefighters were on scene for just under two hours battling the fire which caused heavy smoke damage to the first and second floors.

No one else was reported injured. Details of the cause of the fire are under investigation.

City police and fire crews responded less than an hour ago to a two-car collision at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Bank Street. An SUV and a sedan collided, and the SUV was flipped up onto its side on Washington Avenue. We don't have all the details yet. Crews on the scene were still working them out when we left the scene. But it appeared that there were only minor injuries. We will get you the details as they become available. WBTA's Dan Fischer was also on the scene, so we'll check in later to see if he got any more information.

As you should be able to see in this photo, emergency crews had to cut out the windshield in order to extricate one of the vehicle's passengers. She appeared unharmed.

 As I was out checking out some polling spots in Batavia, I happened to notice some fire trucks on Union St.

I stopped to see what was going on and it wasn't anything too serious, but somebody lost their lawnmower.

Apparently some dry leaves got caught up in the mower and started the blaze.

Folks from Corfu and Pembroke showed up to last night's meeting of the City Council to complain about the subsidies the city is charging their municipalities to maintain ambulance service, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. Batavia runs the county-wide ambulance through the fire department. City taxpayers have been making up the money lost by the ambulance service for some years now. Councilman Frank Ferrando said that the city should "get out of the business" of running the ambulance.

Fire crews will be flushing hydrants today and tomorrow. Residents of South Main, West Main, Roosevelt and South Lyon streets and those in the vicinity of these should watch for discoloration in their water.

Here's what we've got from the Daily News for today... Batavia's city fire crews will be flushing fire hydrants most of the day Thursday on and around the following streets: Mill Street, Apollo Drive, Brooklyn Avenue, Franklin Street, Industrial Boulevard, Orleans Avenue, Treadeasy Avenue and Walnut Street. Folks may notice a bit of discoloration in their water in these areas during the flush. In case of rain Thursday, the flush will take place on Friday.

Two of the three stories on the front page were already reported on The Batavian. Ellicott Street's sidewalk project was featured on the site over a month ago. And a story about the school district's request for $2,750 from the city to look at possibly sharing recreation services has been featured in a pair of posts on the site Monday and Tuesday, and again this morning in a post picked up from WBTA.

In other news, Tom Rivers has another enormous article about picking apples featured on the front page... and he'll have another one in tomorrow! Well, New Yorkers do love their apples. Fortunately, Rivers peppers in some human interest throughout his apple saga to keep things interesting. There are only so many paragraphs we can read about apple picking. I especially enjoyed the story at the end of today's piece about a 54-year-old Jamaican laborer who has worked to put his kids through school.

We encourage you to pick up a copy of the Daily News at your local newsstand. Or, better yet, subscribe at BataviaNews.com.

WBTA's Dan Fischer broke the story: the city of Batavia has a new fire chief. Thomas Dillon was appointed to the position Tuesday morning. Dillon has been retired from the city of Rochester Fire Department for eight years. He was a deputy fire chief there.

City Manager Jason Molino told Fischer that Dillon was picked among a candidate pool of 15, and he will start work on September 17 at a salary of $75,192. Molino also spoke of Dillon's experience at a larger department.

Batavia's town fire crew is raffling off one mean, chrome chopper this Saturday, and tickets were only $20 a pop — they sold out this morning! For a couple of sawbucks some lucky duck will take home a 105th Anniversary Limited Edition Harley Davidson Fatboy — and for those who know, that's one sweet bike.

All proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit the town of Batavia Fire Department. This is their 9th annual Harley Davidson drawing, and the event Saturday marks their only fundraiser for the year.

But wait, that's not all!

The raffle is really only the icing on the cake for an event that kicks off at 7:00pm under the tent at the town fire department's Rec Hall at 8380 Lewiston Road (across from K-Mart and just down the road from Batavia Downs). They'll also be serving up hotdogs, burgers and grilled sausage (for a few bucks). Beer and pop will also be available, plus a 50/50 raffle, plus pull-tabs, plus... music: 7th Heaven will take the stage around 8:00pm and rock out the evening.

Admission to the event is free. You don't need to buy a raffle ticket to attend. But anyone under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

From the Daily News (Tuesday):

• Genesee County Emergency Management is hosting a firefighter boot camp at its office on State Street Road over the next few weeks. The camp that started Monday and continues through to graduation on July 11 is an intensive 90-hour course designed for students to get all the requirements they need for level one firefighter training. Emergency Management Coordinator Timothy Yaeger told reporter Scott DeSmit that the camp is the "first of its kind in New York state."
• Joanne Beck put together a pair of comprehensive articles about last night's City Council meeting. The Batavian featured a post last night on the debate over youth football. Beck has a good summary of Council's business on the front page. Check that out, if you're interested.

As a footnote here, I must admit I'm confused by Beck's lede in the article titled: "Some are hoping for a greener city." She writes: "City Council's review of tree removal companies turned into a desire to go green Monday evening."

That really isn't true.

Nobody on Council talked about going green. Rather, the discussion was about some on Council not wanting to see too many trees cut down in the city. Marianne Clattenburg put it pretty literally when she said that tree removal in the city seems to be decided by which streets have power lines underground and which have them above ground, the latter losing their trees because of it.

I've seen this often lately that when people talk about anything associated with plant life or anything that's pro-environment, other people slap on the rubric 'going green' when it really isn't correct. Not wanting to cut down trees is not the same as wanting to go green. A 'greener city' meant literally that last night: more green. 'Going green,' on the other hand, is more of a conservation movement that at its core means a push toward more natural living and the purging of harmful synthetics — you know, bringing your own reusable cloth bags to the supermarket instead of getting plastic bags every time and then throwing them out. It means reducing or eliminating pollution and being more waste conscious.

Unfortunately, what started as the slogan for a conservation movement has turned into a catch phrase. It's becoming more and more clichéd and senseless and is being used as exactly that, a phrase intended to catch people's attention. It's a marketing tool.

I wouldn't mind hearing Council talk about going green for real. But in the meantime, can't we just let the conversation about not cutting down trees be about the trees?

For the complete stories, the Daily News is available on local newsstands, or you can subscribe on BataviaNews.com.

Reports have come in this morning that county fire crews are containing a gas leak at a home near Genesee Community College. A representative at the Genesee County Sheriff's Office confirmed the reports.

Drivers should be aware that some stretches of the roads around the intersection of Assemblyman R. Stephen Hawley Drive and Batavia-Stafford Townline Road will be temporarily closed while crews resolve the situation.

No word yet on how long the road closures will last, but if you're heading that way this morning drive cautiously and expect detours.

Another day of sun and blue skies. Another day of running all over the city plugging in connections.

First stop: the Batavia Fire Department. Chief Larry Smith was kind enough to come out for a curt yet pleasant introduction. He passed me off to Sally Hilchey — officially the "senior typist" of the department, though it seems like she does a lot more than type. She'll be passing on any department updates to us, so expect instant communication from that side of the public safety duo. As for the other half...

Second stop: the Batavia Police Department (third time). Unfortunately, Lt. Eugene Jankowski was out on SWAT training this morning and couldn't yet green light my hopeful connection with the department. He should be back to me by late afternoon (I hope).

Third stop: back to City Hall. I'm still waiting to hear back from City Manager Jason Molino. In the meantime, I thought to stop by the Public Works department and see if we could get updates from them on construction and maintenance projects around the city. We'll have to get Jason's approval for that. So I tried to catch him in person, but he was tied up on a call.

Fourth stop: I couldn't drive by this sculpture another time without stopping by and getting the story. No one was home. Maybe we'll hear from the artist another time.

Fifth stop: Richmond Memorial Library. I met with Library Director Diana Wyrwa who was kind and helpful. Looks like we'll be getting regular updates from their corner. Plus, we will have the results of the library budget vote as soon as the ballots are counted. Look for that post tomorrow evening.

The title of the video says it's from 2007, but it was uploaded just yesterday. It looks like it's coverage of a training exercise.