[Scan-DC] Unit 5 Enroute Rt 301 PG

[Brooks, Kurt]

I will try to keep up a running commentary for a few days so everyone can see how atypical last night was. Normally life does not revolve around spot news.

Last night at the first event I was fortunate enough to park fairly close to the scene. I still opted not to take my tripod because I broke my foot last May and it still hurts, so I went light. The fire was out so I was able to get the video I needed pretty quick and then sweet talked the Batallion Chief into giving me some sound. Then I got into a long talk with the shooter from 7 who used to work with me but was bought out a couple years ago, and I ended up giving him a ride back to his truck because he was parked much further away.

Then I went back to the station and was hoping to go home (my shift had ended at 8 but they were holding me in case of breaking news.) I was back in an edit bay watching the Ravens game on the server (I'm from Baltimore - sue me!) when I saw the PGFDPIO Twitter feed then heard the footsteps of the assignment editor.

They sent me and a reporter Matt Jablow, who lives in Baltimore and wanted to drive his own car. Before I left I took a look at the ADC map of the scene at Rt 3 and Rt 450 and informed the desk I could not get live out of there. Bowie is bad to begin with, and this area had a lot of streams nearby which indicates low ground. A microwave shot needs high ground.

Well no-one saidanything so off I went in my Suburban short mast live truck. We made good time, jumped off 50 at 197 then up to 450. About 2 miles from the accident we hit a roadblock, but the PG cops were ready for us and we got an escort in, which was a first for me! Nice guy!

Of course a halfmile before the intersection we crested a hill and took a long ride down to the scene. Once there I called the station to announce our arrival (10:45pm) and they started screaming for a live shot. Grr.

I said no. I have been doing this 23 years. I have a clue.

Well much gnashing of teeth later I am ordered to try. Twenty minutes effort goes by, still no. Now it's 11:15 and it doesn't matter anyway.

So we shoot an interview with Mark Brady, PIO and Matt Jablow takes off for home. I stick around another 10 minutes and fire off 4 minutes of scene video then depaert for home.

Once I get home I ingest my tape into this laptop, squeeze it down and feed it to the server at the station for the morning shows. I get to sleepat 2am.

I expect to get chewed out when I go to work today. Not that I am worried about it.

This morning I will finish waking up then I will run in to DC where my good friend is having an angioplasty today at Washington Hospital Center. I will hang with his wife until my shift at 2.

I will try to give the list updates as to what my day is like, if it amuses y'all. I enjoy telling stories (I am in tv news) so if you want to be my audience, great!

Finally I will leave you with a link to a youtube which shows me in action back during the blizzards, and another fun story.

Unit 5 10-7

http://youtu.be/A-arZyp-x7M

http://youtu.be/hRSCStseNfI




________________________________
From: JOHN ANTONELLI [johnantonelli at verizon.net]
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 8:12 AM
To: Matt Stevens; Brooks, Kurt
Cc: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Unit 5 Enroute Rt 301 PG

It is very cool to watch the news and see the work of Unit 5

From: Matt Stevens <fivealarmphotography at gmail.com>
To: "Brooks, Kurt" <knbrooks at wusa9.com>
Cc: "scan-dc at mailman.qth.net" <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, December 5, 2011 10:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Unit 5 Enroute Rt 301 PG

2 Engines, 1 Tanker, 1 Paramedic and Battalion Chief 2 from Anne Arundel
County are enroute.

Crash Rigs from BWI Airport are also enroute. They do not have any radio
contact with PG. BWI dispatch told the BWI FD units that people on scene
would give them radios.
On Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 10:01 PM, Brooks, Kurt <knbrooks at wusa9.com<mailto:knbrooks at wusa9.com>> wrote:

> Overturned fuel tanker sb 301 @ 450.
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--
Matt Stevens
Photographer
www.FiveAlarmPhotography.com<http://www.fivealarmphotography.com/>
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