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Democratic National Convention
Listen to Police and Fire radio communications from Denver, Colorado, home of this year's DNC, by going here. |
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 | Lost generations |
 My job usually takes me to the worst ghetto neighborhoods of my town. When I am there I can't help but be amazed at how some people live and act. We execute raids on houses and within minutes there are dozens of folks standing out in the street rubbernecking. These are grown ass men and women who should be at work at 10AM on a Tuesday but seem to have nothing better to do that hang out at my crime scene.
You would think that these crowds would be happy that we are actively clearing out drug houses. Nope. Instead they like to stand around and yell out helpful comments like:
(warning, this blog entry contains profanity -- Gordon)
Read the Johnny Law Chronicles article...
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Posted on Thursday, August 28
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| Firefighter arrested on theft charges |
 BARTOW, Fla. (AP) -- Polk County authorities say they have arrested a Division of Forestry firefighter on theft charges.
Michael Lamar Adams II, 26, is facing charges of grand theft, dealing in stolen property and defrauding a second-hand metal dealer.
He has been booked into the Polk County Jail. According to a news release, Adams admitted he stole 15 aluminum pipes from a Division of Forestry office in Dundee.
He told deputies he stole the pipes during an interview about another scrap metal theft investigation. The 4-inch pipes were worth about $1500 and are usually used to fight forest fires.
Read the Bay News 9 article...
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Posted on Wednesday, August 27
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| Fire Destroys Home Near Lake Wales |
LAKE WALES | Fire has destroyed a home located at 8260 Dog Yard Road in Golfview.
Polk County firefighters were called to the scene at 11:18 a.m. today and found the wood-fame home fully involved.
No one was home and officials have not yet learned the name of the owner and are uncertain if the home was occupied.
The fire was brought under control by 1 p.m.
Officials do not know the cause of the fire. The investigation has been turned over to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The Lake Wales Fire Department and the Frostproof Fire Department provided mutual aid tanker trucks. There were a total of 16 combined personnel on scene, officials said.
Read the The Ledger article...
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Posted on Wednesday, August 27
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| CopCAST Episode 85 - Excessive Sound Effects |
 In the words of Mick Jagger, "Too much is never enough." OK, so we went a little overboard with the sound effects but therein lies the danger of giving little boys fancy toys. However our legion of listeners really came through for us by sending in some great local stories and our CopCAST correspondents searched the web to find some great news reports.
CNN never covers the really interesting stories like the robber who locked his keys in his get away car so we do. Most of us like to go on a department sponsored road trip every now and then. However, one Kentucky sheriff may have carried it a little far on a recent extradition. I apologize in advance but you know we were going to have to talk about the recent Big Foot finding. Like they say,"There is a sucker born every minute." We also tell you about a new program that provides e-mail for inmate. It actually is not as bad as it sounds. These are just a few of the stories we discuss this week.
Read more and listen to the CopCast podcast...
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Posted on Monday, August 25
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| RESIDENTS URGED TO USE WEATHER RADIOS |
BARTOW – August 24, 2008 – The Polk County Emergency Management Division urges residents to purchase and use a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Weather Radio. Much like a smoke alarm, this inexpensive device emits an audible alarm warning (may also contain strobe light) to wake you when a warning is issued. They also contain battery powered backups in the event of a power outage.
These all weather radios provide you with specific information from the National Weather Service or emergency management officials about the impending threat. These may be programmed to receive only those warnings that apply to Polk County. In addition, the NOAA Weather Radio is an All Hazards public alert device that can relay non-weather related emergency messages, such as hazardous material warnings and other types of civil emergencies.
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is provided as a public service by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service. Radios may be purchased from many retail outlets, catalogs and direct from the manufacturer via the internet. Costs range from $20-$200.
For more information on weather radios, visit www.nws.noaa.gov
For preparations tips for you and your family, visit, www.polk-county.net
Read the Polk County Fire Department article...
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Posted on Sunday, August 24
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| Fire fee exemption idea irks commission |
The possibility of a proposed fire fee exemption that would cost the city some $57,000 in revenue was met very coolly by Lake Wales City Commissioners Wednesday night.
City Manager Tony Otte revealed that agricultural interests have asked to not be included in the controversial fire fee program which Lake Wales is considering implementing this fall.
“Citrus grove owners have approached city staff and presented a case for exempting them,” Otte said. “Since we can’t find any evidence where a working orange grove caught on fire, I’m looking at a proposal to exempt them.”
He said that would make the potential millage rate of 5.7157 rise by a small but as yet still undetermined amount.
“There are parking lots we’re charging a fire assessment on also,” Commissioner Jack Van Sickle said in response. “Concrete, asphalt, doesn’t burn.”
He said grove owners should be required to pay “their fair share,” and that the matter was not only a questions of dollars but credibility as well.
“We told the citizens that the fire assessment would reduce the millage rate down. I think we have to push for that 5.7 (rate),” he said. “The citrus folks are the ones that can afford it better than most people. Keeping the groves paying is one way to make the citizens start to believe us, that we’re doing what we told them we were going to do.”
City leaders have proposed separating the cost of fire protection from the general fund, a move that this year at least will significantly reduce the Lake Wales’ millage rate. And, officials maintain that most homeowners will pay less overall with the fire fee in place than if that cost was kept as part of the general fund.
Read the Lake Wales News article...
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Posted on Sunday, August 24
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| Detectives investigating murder-suicide in Lakeland |
LAKELAND — Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that occurred this morning in Lakeland.
Sheriff’s spokesman Scott Wilder said the agency ireceived a 911 call at approximately 7:50 a.m. regarding shots being fired at a residence at 5802 Highridge Loop.
After deputies arrived, detectives determined that 40-year-old Larry C. Rimmer apparently shot and killed his wife, 37-year-old Heather L. Rimmer, and then shot and killed himself.
Both were dead when deputies arrived.
Larry Rimmer operated his own landscaping business and Heather Rimmer was a teacher at South McKeel Elementary Academy in Lakeland.
Read the The Ledger article...
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Posted on Sunday, August 24
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| Historic home falls in blaze |
WINTER HAVEN - A local historical house once owned by the late William and Thelma Raley was destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
Polk County Fire Services and the Winter Haven Fire Department responded to a call about 21 minutes after midnight about the fire, located at 1017 Lake Eloise Terrace W. The fire was contained at 2:04 a.m., according to Heather Smith, a spokeswoman for Polk County.
"We had nine units on scene and Winter Haven Fire Department had two," she said.
No one was living in the two-story wood-frame house, Smith said. There was no fire hydrant near the house to assist firefighters, she said.
Jane Waters, executive director of the Arts Ensemble and CitraSource, was a witness to the fire and said she thought the fire was at her office, located a couple of orange groves away at 1000 American Superior Blvd.
Waters said that when she went to the burning house, she quickly called 911. She said she was aware that the house belonged to the Raleys years ago.
William and Thelma Raley were some of the first people who saw potential in downtown buildings and restored them, according to Bob Gernert, executive director of the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce. Thelma was involved with Girls Inc. William was a citrus grower and owned Raley Groves Service Inc., located at 505 Ave. A, N.W. William Raley became a well-respected citrus grower and was involved in Winter Haven and Dundee citrus, Gernert said.
George Kirtley, half-brother of Lindsay Raley, who owns Raley Groves, said that William and Thelma Raley owned the house many years ago but they no longer own it.
"We used to own the property in that area and sold some of the property when I was a kid," Kirtley said. He said he lived in the house until 1955.
"It was a nice house for Florida living," Kirtley said. "It's a very old house."
The state Fire Marshal's Office is currently investigating the total cost of the damage and how the fire started, said Sam Venzeio, spokesman for the Fire Marshal's Office.
Read the News Chief article...
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Posted on Saturday, August 23
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| Tornado Damages 4 Homes in Lake Wales |
LAKE WALES | A Lake Wales man awoke from
slumber Friday evening to find his mobile home in the throes of a tornado, said Red Cross spokesman Phil Attinger.
The tornado, which started as a waterspout over a nearby lake, touched down in a mobile home community at 3000 Camp Rosalie Road.
Three homes received minor damage such as torn siding and bent roofs, but
no one is occupying those homes at this time of year, said Polk Fire and EMS spokeswoman Heather Smith. Only the fourth home, where the man was sleeping, was severely damaged.
Some in the mobile home community had seen the tornado coming and
ran for cover, but the man was unaware of the storm because he was sleeping, Attinger said.
The storm sucked out the air conditioner, shattered some windows and lifted the home off its foundation.
The man tried to escape through the door, but it was blocked. Eventually, he escaped without injuries, but his house was destroyed. He is now staying with family, Attinger said.
“Fortunately, this was not a big one. It could have been really bad,” Attinger said, adding that mobile homes are particularly susceptible to damage in tornadoes and that there could be more on the way.
“This severe weather season is not over yet by any stretch of the imagination. ... I hate to sound like a broken record, but please, people, prepare for disaster.”
The Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund provides the funding for Red Cross volunteers to respond to scenes of natural disasters. To make a donation and read more about disaster preparation, go to www.redcross.org, disastersafe.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS
Read the The Ledger article...
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Posted on Saturday, August 23
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| Save A Fort Meade Hero |
Fort Meade City Hall Correspondent
Flames engulfed the mobile home like a bad episode from the movie “Backdraft.”
As the flames grew, dad and sister were able to get out safely (mom was working the night shift, so she wasn't home at the time).
However, a 9-year-old boy struggled to get out of the burning building.
The little boy suffered burns over his entire body, but he managed to make it to the safety of his family.
His sister heroically saved the little boy by pulling him from the window of their burning home.
Our very own Fort Meade Fire Department was able to manage the tenacious flames that totally destroyed the structure, and the little boy was transported to Tampa.
The family was indeed thankful. His sister became his heroine; the firefighters became his inspiration.
From that day on, a desire grew in his heart. He wanted to save lives.
He decided that in order to show his appreciation for everyone's hard work, he would have to do something special, something that would make a difference.
He decided that when he grew up, he would become a firefighter. And that's exactly what he did.
Firefighter Dorrell Nelson has been with the Fort Meade Fire Department for eight years now. He has done something special: he has made a difference.
His passion in life was to become a firefighter, and he has taken great joy in living his dream.
However, tragedy has struck again. After years of serving and saving lives, Nelson once again is turning to his fellow firefighters and the community for help.
No, it doesn't involve burning buildings or roaring fire engines. Nelson needs a kidney transplant.
In order to be placed on the list for a kidney, he has to secure money upfront for a year supply of medication.
Just as a small boy, Nelson found it difficult to find the words to say “thank you.”
He also has found it difficult to ask for help. He has suffered in silence.
He didn't tell anyone about his need for a kidney. It was hidden from all of us, including his immediate family.
It may seem silly that he kept this a secret, but look at what he had to lose - his dream.
He wanted to hold on to that dream as long as he could, but his hospital stays started taking more and more of his time. Sometimes it is difficult to ask for help.
Nelson has a family of his own now, a wife and a 4-year-old son. His son looks up to him in admiration just as he looked to the firefighters who saved his life, but he feels helpless.
It is time for us as a community to do something special for Nelson, something that can make a difference in his life.
We are asking for monetary donations to help secure a one-year supply of medication, so that he can be placed on the waiting list. Any amount would be appreciated.
He has risked his life to save others, so the least we could do is to help save his life. Son. Husband. Father. Friend. Firefighter.
Those are just a few words to describe Dorrell Nelson, but around here we just call him Dorrell.
The little boy grew up to make a big impact on the lives he touched as a Fort Meade firefighter.
If you are able to make a monetary donation to help the Nelson family secure funds for a one-year supply of medication, contact Chief Bill Gunter at 285-1100.
Read the Fort Meade Leader article...
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Posted on Wednesday, August 20
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| Radio Traffic | |
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