The Oak Ridge Police Department is asking for tips about an arson on Waddell Circle on Sunday, July 11.
The Oak Ridge Fire Department had responded to a residential fire in a quadplex that evening. (That was the same evening widespread power outages and partial power outages were reported in Oak Ridge.)
The fire on Waddell Circle was later determined to be set intentionally, and ORPD investigators responded to the fire.
[Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Fire Department has a new truck designed to fight brush fires.
The new vehicle, Brush 1, was purchased by the city, and the equipment was purchased with a grant received from Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, for off-site emergency planning and response in the amount of $16,000.
It has a 300-gallon per minute Hale pump with a 300-gallon capacity water tank and a five-gallon foam storage tank, a press release said.
It can pump water through a bumper-mounted nozzle, which is operated via joystick inside the cab, while the vehicle is being driven so fire along the roadside can be contained and extinguished. This prevents having to deploy a hose line for a small area and helps to cover a larger area in less time, the press release said.
[Read more…]
Three people who had been asleep are safe after being evacuated from a fire at an apartment complex on Glassboro Drive on Wednesday morning.
At around 8:57 a.m. June 23, Oak Ridge Fire Department crews were dispatched to 114 Glassboro Drive. Firefighters arrived on scene within six minutes of the dispatch, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.
“The first arriving crew found smoke showing from the top of the apartment building,” Oak Ridge Fire Marshal Eric Rackard said. “During a search of the apartments, three residents were found asleep in the apartment that was on fire. Crews were able to safely evacuate all residents and they were not injured.”
[Read more…]
Oak Ridge will have its fireworks show to celebrate Independence Day this year.
The annual display was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fireworks show will be in Alvin K. Bissell Park on Sunday, July 4, and it is scheduled to begin at dark, around 9:45 p.m.
The Oak Ridge Community Band, now in its 77th year, will perform prior to the fireworks. the press release said. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m.
[Read more…]The Oak Ridge City Council in a special meeting on Tuesday approved the purchase of three drones that will help police officers and firefighters battle blazes, find lost people, and respond to calls about people barricaded with weapons.
The seven-member Council had deferred a vote on the drones during its May 10 meeting after members raised questions about privacy, civil liberties, and requests for images or videos inadvertently captured by the drones.
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The Oak Ridge City Council in a special meeting on Tuesday approved the purchase of three drones that will help police officers and firefighters battle blazes, find lost people, and respond to calls about people barricaded with weapons.
The seven-member Council had deferred a vote on the drones during its May 10 meeting after members raised questions about privacy, civil liberties, and requests for images or videos inadvertently captured by the drones.
The rest of this story is available if you are a member: a subscriber, advertiser, or contributor to Oak Ridge Today.
Already a member? Great! Thank you! Sign in here.
Not a member? No problem! Subscribe here:
Basic
Pro
Temporary
If you prefer to send a check, you may do so by mailing one to:
Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.
We also accept donations. You can donate here. A donation of $50 or more will make you eligible for a subscription.
Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support!
The City of Oak Ridge wants to buy three drones for the Oak Ridge Police Department and Oak Ridge Fire Department.
The drones could minimize risks to emergency responders, according to a city memo. Drones could help officers and firefighters perform dangerous tasks such as responding to reports of armed people and other imminent threats, and evaluating fires and hazardous material incidents, the city said. Drones could also help with searches for lost people, which are often impeded by dense vegetation or delayed while waiting for all-terrain vehicles or boats.
“A drone can perform these tasks without delay and without placing responders at risk,” the memo said.
The drones could be used for aerial observation and intelligence collection, the memo said.
[Read more…]Three adults were displaced, but no one was injured in a house fire on Jonathan Place this past weekend, firefighters said.
The Oak Ridge Fire Department was called to a structure fire on the 200 block of Jonathan Place around 9:22 p.m. Friday. Crews arrived at 9:26 p.m. and found smoke coming from the residence. The fire was under control by 9:32 p.m., a press release said.
An initial investigation showed that cause of the fire was determined to be an improperly extinguished cigarette, the press release said.
ORFD, Oak Ridge Police Department, Anderson County EMS, and American Red Cross responded to the scene.
[Read more…]
Oak Ridge Firefighter Shay West has been promoted to Station 1 B Shift captain.
West began his career with the Oak Ridge Fire Department as a firefighter/engineer in January 2014, a press release said.
He takes over for Ray Burney, who was promoted to battalion chief earlier this year.
“I’d like to thank my former battalion chief, now fire marshal, Eric Rackard for all of his guidance over the past few years,” West said in the press release.
[Read more…]
The Tennessee Division of Forestry and the U.S. Department of Energy will have controlled burns beginning at noon and ending at 7 p.m. Monday, April 5.
The controlled burns will continue Tuesday if necessary, the City of Oak Ridge said.
The controlled burn will be in the area of Wisconsin and Whippoorwill Drive in west Oak Ridge.
[Read more…]
Ray Burney has been promoted to battalion chief in the Oak Ridge Fire Department.
Burney, who has recently served as an Oak Ridge Fire Department captain, takes on the new role following Eric Rackard’s promotion to fire marshal last month, the city said in a press release.
Burney will be battalion chief of the ORFD’s A Shift.
“I truly do appreciate Chief (Travis) Solomon for giving me this opportunity in my career, and I look forward to working with everyone,” Burney said.
[Read more…]
The City of Oak Ridge has named Eric Rackard as its new fire marshal.
Rackard, who has recently served as an Oak Ridge Fire Department battalion chief, takes on the new role following Travis Solomon’s promotion to fire chief last month. Rackard joined the department in November 2007, a press release said.
“I am honored by this promotion and greater opportunity to serve the citizens of Oak Ridge,” Rackard said in the press release.
In the role of battalion chief, Rackard managed daily operation requirements for the Fire Department’s A Shift, including staffing, overtime, training, and logistics.
“I was also responsible for command and control on all major incidents on A Shift,” Rackard said. “I also lead a lot of trainings, including coordinating state commission training and serving as the hazardous materials team leader.”
[Read more…]
Tom Scott—photographer for the Oak Ridge Fire Department who kept historic fire trucks, equipment, and literature at his home—died Saturday. He was 88.
Scott was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, but he spent the last three decades in Oak Ridge serving as the fire department’s official photographer, the City of Oak Ridge said Thursday. Scott also took photos at other fires and crashes in the area, including in Blair, Marlow, and Oliver Springs.
Scott had moved to Oak Ridge in the 1970s to work on the development of the gas centrifuge process for enriching uranium.
In 1974, he joined the Oliver Springs Volunteer Fire Department, and in 1990, he joined the Oak Ridge Fire Department as their official photographer, the city said. That happened after ORFD responded to a large structure fire where Scott was taking pictures. When the fire chief at the time, William “Bo” Harris, saw the pictures, he decided the ORFD needed to have an on-site photographer at all incidents to document the fires for training, media, and historical preservation, the city said. Harris asked Scott to lead the effort.
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