Baltimore City Fire

Francis E. "Frank" Uhlhorn III, a retired Baltimore firefighter whose career spanned nearly four decades, died of cancer Oct. 10 at his Catonsville home. He was 65. Born in Baltimore and raised on Carrollton Avenue, Mr. Uhlhorn was a 1960 graduate of Edmondson High School. He followed his father and an uncle when he joined the Baltimore City Fire Department in 1970. He spent most of his career as a firefighter and lieutenant and was longtime captain of No. 8 Truck on Frederick Avenue.

The heat from the fireball was so intense, most in the crowd shielded their eyes, then backed away at the urging of a fire official. Not 9-year-old Danny Hare of Dundalk. He remained as close as allowed, intensely examining the flames as they engulfed the living room mock-up at the fire department's annual Thrill Show yesterday in East Baltimore. "Do you think they need backup?" Danny asked his mother. Maybe next time, kid. Two firefighters standing by with a hose quickly turned the blazing room into a cloud of black smoke.

Baltimore Firefighters Union endorses Mitchell for mayor City Councilman and mayoral candidate Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. was endorsed by the Baltimore Firefighters Union yesterday, giving him support from all three major public safety unions. Baltimore City Fire Fighters Local 734 and the Baltimore City Fire Officers Local 964 jointly endorsed Mitchell at a news conference yesterday morning in a room filled with men clad in "Fire Fighters for Mitchell" yellow T-shirts. The unions are also endorsing City Council President Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake in the City Council president race.

State and local officials are slated to gather at 11 a.m. today on the grounds of Fort McHenry with family members of the late John R. "Jack" Frazier, to christen the Baltimore City Fire Department's newest fireboat, named after the longtime bureau commander and legislative liaison who died this year. The 87-foot vessel, whose top speed is 16 knots, was built at a cost of $6.7 million at Hike Metal Products Ltd. in Wheatley, Ontario, which specializes in building fireboats, patrol boats, tugs and research vessels.

Ground-rent owners file suits Ground-rent owners rushed to beat the deadline for cases as a new state law ending ground rents takes effect. Baltimore residents still face the prospect of having their homes seized as cases wind through the courts. Two city museums to close The Maryland Historical Society will close two satellite museums -- the Maritime Museum in Fells Point and the Baltimore Civil War Museum -- to reduce costs. Death penalty lawyer dies Fred Warren Bennett, 65, a criminal defense attorney whose capital litigation changed the course of the death penalty in Maryland and the nation, died in a car crash in Pasadena.

The Baltimore City Fire Department has dismissed two more commanders for being "negligent" and "incompetent" in their roles at a live-burn training exercise in which instructors violated dozens of safety rules and a 29-year-old recruit died. This brings to three the number of fire officers fired in the wake of the Feb. 9 fatal exercise, a significant development for leaders at fire departments around the country who are monitoring what's happening with training in Baltimore as they decide how -- and even if -- they will conduct live burns.

The Baltimore Fire Department made more than $250,000 in unauthorized purchases through an off-the-books account maintained for years with a major supply company, according to detailed financial reports and invoices. City and federal funds intended for purchases from Draeger Safety Inc. were held in the account to help pay for unapproved equipment for the department, records obtained by The Sun show. City officials were unaware of the changes, which shifted money from transactions for air masks and related equipment.

On the morning of May 22, one of the worst fires in modern Baltimore history engulfed an east side rowhouse, killing six people and severely injuring seven others, mostly children. This tragic story riveted the region. It also displayed the strengths of a metropolitan newspaper that is built to respond quickly. The Sun's early news team, created to quickly feed breaking news to the paper's Web site, led an energetic effort that set the stage for a rich and comprehensive package of articles, photos and graphics that appeared in the Wednesday, May 23 edition.

Vernese Osborne Lieutenant Squad 40, Baltimore City Fire Department Salary --$80,000 Age: --41 Years on the job --18 How she got started --Osborne wanted to be a paramedic and started to receive her training from the Baltimore City Fire Department. But as she went through the program, she decided to switch and become a firefighter. "I just fell in love with it. I liked the excitement." She went on to become the first female pump operator. Responsibilities included driving the fire engine and its crew to emergencies and directing water distribution at a fire.

Previous articles about problems in the Baltimore City Fire Department at baltimoresun.com/recruit