For two years running, the Baltimore Fire Chief fails to identify and prosecute firefighters at the National Firefighting convention.
It seems a warning more appropriately aimed at fifth-graders than firefighters attending a national conference in Baltimore: If there's no fire, don't pull the fire alarms. Don't activate the sprinklers and don't empty the water pipes.
The warning was given Thursday morning by Baltimore Fire Chief James S. Clack, who said that last year visiting firefighters pulled numerous false alarms and flooded the top floors of the city-owned Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel, causing "hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage" and earning him a scolding from the mayor.
"I got in trouble," Clack told hundreds of attendees who are visiting from across the country. More than 16,000 firefighters are expected to pass through the 27th annual safety and training expo, which began Wednesday and ends Saturday with a parade of fire trucks.
Clack reminded the visitors what he doesn't need to tell city residents — the 757-room, $301 million hotel was built with taxpayer money, and the city is self-insured. But taxpayers won't be footing the bill; the money to cover the damages comes from the hotel's revenue.
And so as Clack welcomed his guests to Baltimore, he urged participants to have a good time while touring the Inner Harbor and other attractions. But, he told them: "Leave the sprinklers alone. Leave the fire alarms alone."
His admonishment, which took up most of his three-minute welcome address, came a day too late.
On Wednesday night, a firefighter pulled the fire alarm, the chief said, prompting four engines, two trucks and a battalion chief to speed to the hotel across from Camden Yards for what amounted to a prank call.
The cost to taxpayers: roughly $1,000.
Tom Noonan, president of Visit Baltimore, the sales and marketing arm of the convention center, described it as one of the city's largest conventions, bringing in $12 million to $15 million each year. He said the problems in 2009 were discussed at length with its promoters, whom he described as "horrified that this kind of activity took place."
Noonan said the hotel investigated but never found the fire alarm culprits.
Link:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-fire-hotel-damage-20100722,0,6659402.story