The Hook – HOTSEAT- Fired up: Chief Werner’s career of a lifetime

The Hook – HOTSEAT- Fired up: Chief Werner’s career of a lifetime
Charlottesville Fire Chief Charles Werner doesn’t flinch as two sirens zoom by his office on Ridge Street. “I hear a fire engine and then an ambulance,” he explains calmly, “so I guess it’s an EMS call.”

Werner says that when he first volunteered as a firefighter in Harrisonburg at age 14, “We didn’t do EMS calls.” Today, 50 percent of all calls that come into the fire station are for emergency medical services.

Werner became an emergency medical technician at 15– the youngest in the state, he says, adding, “Now they don’t let you be an EMT at 15.”

9-1-1: The Phone Makes the Difference

NBC 29: Count on Us – 9-1-1: The Phone Makes the Difference
9-1-1: The Phone Makes the Difference
9-1-1: The Phone Makes the Difference

Reported by Annie Scholz
October 18, 2007
Last updated @ 5:24 p.m.

When you dial 9-1-1, help is on its way. But depending on the phone you use, the response could be different.

We caught up with Tom Hanson, the executive director of the Emergency Communications Center for Charlottesville, Albemarle and UVA. He says if your call for help comes from your standard land line then, “We should be able to pinpoint exactly where you’re at based on that information.”

Changes for Ambulance Service?

NBC 29: Count on Us – Changes for Ambulance Service?
Changes for Ambulance Service?

Reported by Henry Graff
August 29, 2007

A Charlottesville ambulance might be the one taking you to the hospital in the future and you may get a bill for it.

The Charlottesville and Albemarle County have formed two committees to tackle two issues.

One issue is billing for ambulance service. If passed, the fee would apply to both city and county residents who use the service.

Hazmat Crews Prepare for Bio-Terror

NBC 29: Count on Us – Hazmat Crews Prepare for Bio-Terror
Hazmat Crews Prepare for Bio-Terror
Hazmat Crews Prepare for Bio-Terror Threat

Reported by Tamara Hinton
August 29, 2007

Hazmat crews from Harrisonburg to Charlottesville practiced for a bio-terror threat Wednesday.

A mock drill played out where Harrisonburg police discovered a rogue lab that was being used to create mass quantities for poison. Hazmat crews dismantled the lab while members of the FBI, National Guard and state police tested their response.

Cameron Road House Fire

NBC 29: Count on Us – Cameron Road House Fire
Cameron Road House Fire

Reported by Henry Graff
August 28, 2007

A faulty light fixture is to blame for a house fire overnight. The fire started about 10:30 Monday night at a house on Cameron Lane just off Ivy Road in Charlottesville.

The battalion chief on scene said a rear exterior light fixture on the house caught fire. Crews had to cut through the roof to make sure the fire did not spread.

There was minor damage to the house and everyone is okay.

Firefighters Take to the Streets to Raise Money for MD

NBC 29: Count on Us – Firefighters Take to the Streets to Raise Money for MD
Firefighters Take to the Streets to Raise Money for MD
Firefighters Take to the Streets to Raise Money for MD

Reported by Liz Nagy
August 23, 2007

Firefighters in Charlottesville are taking off their boots and collecting cash at the crosswalks.

Bring some spare change with you when you leave the house Friday–the Charlottesville firefighters won’t say no to your generosity!

The annual “Fill the Boot” drive to raise money for Muscular Distrophy will run Friday and Saturday.

UVA Heat Plant Smoke Causes Alarm

NBC 29: Count on Us – UVA Heat Plant Smoke Causes Alarm
UVA Heat Plant Smoke Causes Alarm

Police Investigate Possible Arson

NBC 29: Count on Us – Police Investigate Possible Arson
Police Investigate Possible Arson

False alarm at post office

DailyProgress.com | False alarm at post office
False alarm at post office
Frightening white power only sugar

Rescue Training Prepares EMT’s

NBC 29: Count on Us – Rescue Training Prepares EMT’s
Rescue Training Prepares EMT’s

Firefighter stabbing suit to resume

DailyProgress.com | Firefighter stabbing suit to resume
Firefighter stabbing suit to resume

UVA To Test Text-Messaging During Emergencies

WTKR YOUR NEWSCHANNEL 3: Covering Norfolk, Virginia Beach And All Of Hampton Roads – UVA To Test Text-Messaging During Emergencies
UVA To Test Text-Messaging During Emergencies

Fire Department Recommended for Re-Accreditation

NBC 29: Count on Us – Fire Department Recommended for Re-Accreditation

NETS: UVA Children Hospital’s Vehicle Helps Save Lives

NBC 29: Count on Us – NETS: UVA Children Hospital’s Vehicle Helps Save Lives
NETS: UVA Children Hospital’s Vehicle Helps Save Lives

Forest Fire on Afton Mountain

WHSV – HomePage
Forest Fire on Afton Mountain

NEWS- Why the smiles? Fire departments to stay separate

Albemarle Fire and Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston (left) and Charlottesville Fire Chief Charles Werner will both keep their jobs after a joint city/county study determined that it’s not advisable to consolidate fire and rescue services. Read More

Is Fire Consolidation Too Expensive?

Merging city and county fire departments seemed like a logical idea. The thinking was: combine services, reduce duplication, make everyone safer and save money. The latter, saving money, is where the idea fell apart. Read More

Landscapers save a life

Two landscapers plunged into a lake and pulled a woman out of a sinking vehicle Tuesday afternoon, likely saving her life. James McWilliams Jr. and James Harlow, with McWilliams Lawn and Tree Service, spent most of Tuesday working along Emerson Drive in the West Leigh neighborhood near Ivy. Read More

Man guilty in oil dumping

…The reimbursement will cover the costs incurred in the response by the Albemarle County Fire Marshal’s Office and Charlottesville’s HAZMAT team, along with the cost of having the substance inside the barrels analyzed by a Richmond laboratory… Read More

Fiery Car Accident Closes Route 20

A fiery accident closed part of Route 20 early Thursday morning near Scottsville. Read More

EMS Council Formed

The city of Charlottesville and Charlottesville – Albemarle Rescue volunteers will work together rather than squabble about where emergency services will go in the future. Read More