Latest news with #rope
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Firefighter in daring Harlem rope rescue given FDNY's most prestigious award
An FDNY firefighter who risked it all to rappel down the side of a burning Harlem building and save a man trying to escape the flames will be honored with the department's most prestigious award, officials said Tuesday. During the FDNY's Medal Day celebration Wednesday at City Hall, Firefighter Michael Kotzo will be given the Chief of Department Peter J. Ganci Medal for being 'instrumental in two of the three life-saving rope rescues' at the dramatic Feb. 23, 2024, fire at St. Nicholas Place and 'acting in the highest traditions of the Fire Department of the City of New York,' FDNY officials said. Several other firefighters who combated the flames and conducted rope rescues during the same fire will also receive Medal Day awards, department officials said. Kotzo, 49, didn't think twice when he saw the stranded building resident crawling out of the top-floor window of the six-story building, gasping for air. 'It really wasn't much of a thought as it was just reaction,' Kotzo told the Daily News. 'It just happened. We train quite a lot, and rope rescues — that's one of those drills we do every week. 'It's nothing out of the ordinary to go to the roof of our firehouse and, one after the other, go down the side. We're doing it all the time,' he said. But there was nothing ordinary at the St. Nicholas Place fire, which officials said was sparked by an exploding e-bike battery. The blaze broke out on the apartment building's third floor, trapping residents on the three floors above. Firefighters arrived within three minutes, but one tenant had already fallen from a window he was trying to climb down from. Kotzo, of Ladder Company 28 on W. 143rd St., nicknamed the 'Harlem Hilton,' drove the ladder truck to the scene and set the aerial ladders to the upper floors, but saw multiple people in the upper windows trying to climb down on their own. The FDNY conducts roughly one rope rescue a year, sometimes none at all. On that frosty day in February, Kotzo and his team conducted three within a matter of minutes, FDNY officials said. In rope rescues, one firefighter is attached to a rope secured from above by another firefighter who lowers them down from the roof. After each rescue, a new line is thrown down, so there's no strain on the ropes and harnesses. Kotzo had just lowered one firefighter down to save someone hanging from a window when he saw another resident poke his head out of the next window over. 'With no other rope yet on the roof, Firefighter Kotzo determined that the victim's only chance of survival was to reuse the rope a second time,' the FDNY said in acknowledging the smoke eater's heroics. 'While attempting to calm the victim at the window, he retracted the rope and transmitted to Battalion 16 that a second rope rescue was being conducted.' Understanding 'the inherent risk of using the same rope a second time,' Kotzo snapped on his personal harness, handed the rope to Firefighter Thomas Morrison to secure and 'bravely dismounted the parapet,' the FDNY said. Lowering himself down to the window, Kotzo realized there was a language barrier between himself and the building tenant, he recalled. 'I tried to make eye contact to give him a sense of security,' he remembered. 'Once I saw my opportunity to make my move, I grabbed [him] in a way that was safe. He had his arms around my neck, but during the descent, he let go of my neck, so I was pretty much carrying all of his weight, so I was like, 'Let's hurry up and let's get down.'' Kotzo handed off the patient to EMS. A moment later, he was back inside the building. 'We still had a fire to extinguish and a lot of work to do,' he said. 'I'm just glad everything ran smoothly. We were really fortunate that everything just clicked.' One resident was killed and 17 others were injured in the blaze, officials said. Fazil Khan, a 27-year-old Columbia Journalism School graduate, died at a hospital after he succumbed to the smoke inside the building, officials said. Kotzo's efforts made it easy to decide who should win this year's Ganci Medal, FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said. 'These stories are incredible, dangerous and technical, the medal recipients put their own lives at risk in service of others,' Tucker said. 'The efforts of Firefighter Michael Kotzo of Ladder Company 28, conducting multiple roof rope rescues, are exemplary, and he is deserving of our highest honor. His success depended on the training, teamwork and bravery that is the trademark of the FDNY.' Kotzo grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to New York just so he could become an FDNY firefighter. 'It was something I've always wanted to do,' he said. 'I'm proud that I'm able to represent the Fire Department and serve the people of this city.' When he receives his award Wednesday, Kotzo will be joined by his wife Wendy, children Kamryn and Gavin and his parents, who still worry about the 21-year FDNY veteran when he goes out on calls. 'I don't think they want to ask too many questions,' he joked.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ocean City council moves to ban some tents, canopies from beaches
As Memorial Day approaches, Ocean City is moving forward with efforts to limit the number and size of tents on its beaches. The Ocean City Town Council on Monday approved an ordinance on first reading to ban beach tents and put restrictions on canopies after complaints from beachgoers. A first reading of an ordinance means the item is introduced to the council. The council will now refer the item to subcommittees and boards for review and recommendations. The proposed ban arose from an increasing number of tents on the beach during peak times during the summer, according to city officials. Some visitors and residents are upset about people setting up large 'front row' areas early in the morning and leaving tents unattended for hours. Officials said there are also concerns that the tents could obscure the visibility of life guards, which could create a safety issue. As a result, the council initially approved banning tents on the beach at all times. The ban allows an exception for 3-by-3-by-3-foot-maximum 'baby' tents. Canopies would also be prohibited from being set up and left unattended before lifeguards go on duty at 10 a.m. Beachgoers could set up canopies before that time, but they would have to be occupied. There is also a requirement that all canopy-anchoring systems be under the canopy roof. There would be no restrictions on the sizes of canopies. However, the council requested two amendments for second reading – canopies can be no larger than 10-by-10 feet and canopies must have at least 3-feet of separation on all sides to allow people to walk between them. 'The city has received [an] increasing number of complaints related to tents and canopies on the beach,' Ocean City manager Terry McGean wrote in an email to The Baltimore Sun. 'There are also issues with extended rope anchoring systems that further restrict where folks can sit on the beach and lots of folks trip over.' Ocean City officials reported that about 750 tents abandoned on the beach were collected by maintenance crews last year. Some visitors, such as Phoenix resident Nicole Ripken, whose family owns a condominium at The Atlantis on Coastal Highway, said the proposed ban was a bit excessive. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@ or on X as @ToddKarpovich.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Greens sound alarm on illegal blasting by Karjat quarry operators; min orders probe
Navi Mumbai: State forest minister Ganesh Naik has ordered an inquiry into the alleged illegal use of explosives, including crude bombs and gelatin sticks, continuing unabated in Karjat taluka's rural areas for extracting earth and rocks from riverbanks and hillsides. Naik told TOI: "No such activity has been reported yet from the forest land. However, forest officials have been directed to conduct a thorough probe. Strict action will be initiated if any violations are found."Locals said a resident's complaint against illegal quarrying in Bhaktawadi and Shingdol-Ambevali areas led to retaliatory action. Quarry operators, they alleged, detonated two bombs near the complainant's residence, causing windows to shake. Environmentalists warned such illegal activities will also damage biodiversity."It is sad that while our country was in a state of emergency last week, some people are casually exploding crude bombs in rural areas of Karjat, while also destroying our rivers, forests, and nature to steal earth and rocks. The forested Karjat will be destroyed in the next few years if authorities do not stop this now. High land prices in Karjat have led to this destruction," said S Dash, an contacted, deputy superintendent of police D Tele said they will look into the complaint. According to a local activist, members of two local communities are primarily responsible for using explosives and heavy machinery to extract stones and rocks from these areas. Illegal activities resulted in the felling of mature trees to create access paths for JCBs to reach river banks for soil excavation illegally."We demand that there should be an immediate inquiry. Damage caused to the riverbank and forest hills is also a violation of the Environment Protection Act. State authorities must take this seriously and rope in the Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organization," said an RTI activist. Community activists are calling for deterrent action by increasing surveillance of these vulnerable areas by forest department and Karjat police to prevent further illegal blasting and confiscation of explosives.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Arizona has some weird laws on the books. Here are 8 of the strangest you should know
Arizona has some unusual and strangely specific laws still on the books. While Arizona drivers might know about some of the weird rules regulating traffic, there are a lot of other goofy laws on the books. Did you know the Grand Canyon State has placed restrictions on when hotel staff may restock a minibar and whether certain arcade games are allowed to be rigged? We didn't either. Here are eight unusual Arizona laws that you should know about, though most actually do make sense when you think them through. (We're not sure about the minibar and lemonade statutes, though). Arizonans can't feed garbage to pigs without first obtaining a permit, according to ARS 3-2664. ARS stands for Arizona Revised Statutes. There's an exception, however, for anyone who feeds only their own household garbage to pigs that are raised "for his own use." (We're assuming that women can be pig owners, too, but the statute just refers to "his.") Arizona has unique driving laws: Here are 8 traffic rules you must know to avoid a ticket A person operating a motor vehicle on a public highway and approaching a horse-drawn vehicle or a horse and rider "shall exercise reasonable precaution to prevent frightening and to safeguard the animals and to ensure the safety of persons riding or driving the animals," ARS 28-858 says. If the animals appear frightened, the person in control of the vehicle needs to reduce their speed and "if requested by signal or otherwise shall not proceed further toward the animals unless necessary to avoid accident or injury until the animals appear to be under control." A person who knowingly or intentionally trips an equine for entertainment or sport is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor, according to ARS 13-2910.09, must serve no less than 48 hours in jail and pay a fine of $1,000. The punishments get more severe with repeat offenses. Equine, per the law, is defined as a horse, pony, mule, donkey or hinny. A hinny is the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey. By "trips," the law means knowingly or intentionally causing an equine to lose its balance or fall by use of a wire, pole, stick, or rope or any other object or by any other means. The law doesn't apply to jumping or steeplechase events, racing, training, branding, show events, calf or steer roping events, or any traditional western rodeo events. Those arcade games that pick up stuffed animals and other prizes with a robotic claw, known as crane games, can't be knowingly rigged, an Arizona law says. Anyone found guilty of rigging a crane game is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Rigging a crane game, per the law, can include: Altering or maintaining a crane game so that the claw is physically unable to grasp exposed prizes. Displaying prizes in a crane game in a manner so that the claw is physically incapable of grasping exposed prizes. Misrepresenting the value of prizes. Using cash or currency as prizes in crane games or awarding prizes in crane games that are redeemable for cash or currency. The saguaro cactus is protected under the state's Arizona native plant law. Anyone who moves or salvages a saguaro cactus (cereus giganteus) that is more than four feet tall, from other than its original growing location, must purchase a permit, Arizona law says. Destruction or theft of a saguaro, which are exclusive to the Sonoran Desert, is illegal under state law and can result in fines and a class 4 felony. Landowners have the right to destroy or remove plants on their land, but only if the land is privately owned, the protected plants are not taken off the land or offered for sale, and the state was notified of the intended destruction before the plants were destroyed, according to Arizona law. Alcohol in Arizona generally can't be sold between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., which is likely the reasoning behind ARS 4-206.05, which says that hotel and motel minibars in Arizona may not be "replenished or restocked with spirituous liquor between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m." Writer Andrea Coleman questioned the usefulness of the law in a 2019 article published in Medium. "Hotel rooms seem to be pretty safe places to drink. There's a bed, a carpeted floor, even a toilet to vomit in," Coleman wrote. "It's like drinking at home. You're not behind a motor vehicle, less chance of putting someone's life in danger." Speaking of minibars and drinks, Arizona has a state drink, and it's lemonade. The official state drink is documented in the Arizona Revised Statutes with a simple sentence: "Lemonade is the official state drink." It was signed into law by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in 2019. The idea came from Gilbert teenager Garrett Glover. Glover said lemonade seemed most fitting because of Arizona's five C's: copper, cattle, climate, cotton and citrus. Social media users at the time suggested everything from horchata to margaritas as other contenders for Arizona's state drink, but lemonade won. AriZona Iced Tea was not a contender − turns out that drink originates in New York. Arizona's "stupid motorist law" has received attention on lists of unusual driving laws for sounding silly, yet it actually makes sense. State law penalizes drivers who ignore warning signs about flooded roadways, leaving the drivers financially responsible for a potential rescue if they deliberately drive around warning signs. Frequently referred to as Arizona's stupid motorist law, ARS 28-910, the law mandates that the expense of rescuing a driver, along with towing a vehicle stranded by floodwaters, would be billed to the driver up to $2,000. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona has some strange laws still on the books. Here are 8 of them
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tyler Bate Returns To WWE
Image Credit: WWE The former NXT UK star Tyler Bate made his return to WWE RAW today, where he appeared alongside Pete Dunne to take on the New Day as the New Catch Republic. Bate had been away from the ring since July 2024, when he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in a match on WWE NXT. On Monday's episode of RAW, in front of a hometown crowd in England, Bate got a rousing ovation as he got back into the ring. Advertisement Unfortunately for Bate, New Catch Republic was unable to come away with the win, and lost after Xavier Woods hit a massive top rope stomp onto Dunne. The post Tyler Bate Returns To WWE appeared first on Wrestlezone.
