Firefighters

On a perfect spring day in Baltimore County, surrounded by hundreds of his brother and sister firefighters and mourned in prayers thousands of years old, a hero was laid to rest Sunday. Gene M. Kirchner, the 25-year-old Reisterstown volunteer firefighter who died Thursday at Maryland Shock Trauma Center of injuries suffered when he tried in vain to rescue a man trapped in a burning home, was buried in front of the Fallen Heroes Memorial at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens after funeral services at Har Sinai Congregation in Owings Mills.

A former volunteer firefighter who worked with youth at the Lansdowne fire department pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to producing and possessing child pornography. Anthony Maurice Cottle, 23, of Owings Mills, faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison after engaging in sexually activity with two boys and filming the encounters. Authorities recovered more than 600 images of child pornography from Cottle's computer and cell phone, which included images of additional victims, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office.

No one was injured Monday afternoon as firefighters battled a blaze at a Fallston home, officials said. Dave Williams of the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association said the fire was reported at about 3:25 p.m. on Franklins Chance Court. The occupant of the house was home but was able to self-evacuate, he said. Text BUSINESS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun Business text alerts

I initially loved The Sun's story about the baby fox rescue, although it's ironic the firefighters were the ones who ended up helping, being unable to get hold of people and agencies who are supposed to be there. But I was horrified by how it all ended ("Rescued fox pup put down for fear of rabies," May 5). What on earth is a health agency doing taking over an animal matter? Worse yet, the Harford County agency decided to put the animal to sleep, claiming they needed to test for rabies - even while admitting the fox hadn't bitten or scratched anybody.

The mayor gave firefighter Jeffrey Novack the medal of valor Thursday, and for a brief moment all was good in the city. Baltimore's chief executive joked about Novack's boyish appearance, his being just 23 years old and all, and already a hero. It was a perfect stage: the opening ceremony of the Firehouse Expo, which attracts thousands of firefighters from all over the country to Baltimore to learn better training and safety. Participants gave Novack a standing ovation as the shy young man stood in front of colleagues from departments in New York, Boston, Chicago and beyond.

It's a sad day when the politicians turn their backs on the people who risk their lives each and every day for people ("Police union urges agency overhaul," July 11). Police officers and firefighters injured in the line of duty no longer get a cost-of-living raise of any kind until they are 55 years old, and even then it's a paltry 1 percent. While the politicians enhance their own pension packages and give themselves raises, the people who put their lives on the line each and every day are told to make do with what they have.

In reference to your article on firefighter behavior on July 23 ("Visiting firefighters warned about behaving themselves"), Id like to comment on Capt. Stephen G. Fugate, who does not seem to have a clue about the volunteer system in the state of Maryland. I for one have volunteered in Baltimore County for the past 30 years and have never heard a high ranking officer such as Captain Fugate degrade dedicated personnel who give their lives, time and commitment to their communities in and around the city that Captain Fugate works in. In regard to his attempt to blame volunteers for vandalism in a Baltimore hotel at last year's safety and training expo, I have seen many career personnel get out of hand on many occasions.

When are people going to learn that using Facebook and other social media is just another way to get yourself into trouble ("Bel Air firefighters suspended over postings on Facebook," June 6)? Anything you say can be held against you, even if your intentions were mistaken. I don't know why we are so surprised by the consequences of posting on social media when in example after example it seems to get people into trouble. I hope this does not make citizens lose faith in our wonderful fire company because they are still there for us and are still great.

All the politicians in this city get wonderful pensions, but the people who risk their lives and health to protect their fellow citizens get nothing. I have been retired from the Baltimore City Fire Department for 14 years. I have a medical disability pension because of being hurt on the job. Because of the condition of my knees, I have been unable to work a full-time job. In the 14 years I have been pensioned, my health insurance contribution has gone from $450 a year to $7,300 a year.

Baltimore City firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at a Northwest Baltimore church Saturday morning, fire officials said. Firefighters were called around 9 a.m. to 4014 West Belvedere Avenue where the one story brick Holy Tabernacle of God church was showing "heavy smoke and fire conditions," said Chief Kevin Cartwright, spokesman with the department. Houses in the area were evacuated due to heavy smoke conditions, according to an advisory from Baltimore Firefighters Union Local 734. The fire was placed under control around 10:30 a.m., Cartwright said.

Two two-alarm fires that damaged homes in the Brooklyn and Shady Side areas of Anne Arundel County were under investigation on Tuesday, according to county fire officials. The first blaze, reported around 5:15 p.m. Monday in the 4800 block of Woods Wharf Road, displaced two residents and a dog - all escaping unharmed, officials said. Officials said it took firefighters about three hours to bring the fire under control. Damage was estimated at about $100,000. The home had no working smoke detectors, according to fire officials.

I was absolutely appalled at reading that the dear baby fox who was rescued by concerned firefighters was euthanized for fear of rabies ("Rescued fox pup put down for fear of rabies," May 5). This baby fox was given a second chance at life when it was rescued and was even newsworthy enough to appear on local TV stations. When the public saw this, I know in my heart that all they could feel was happiness for this dear creature. What is the purpose of wildlife rescue sanctuaries? I donate money each year to these organizations who are run by volunteers and veterinarians who donate their time.

On a perfect spring day in Baltimore County, surrounded by hundreds of his brother and sister firefighters and mourned in prayers thousands of years old, a hero was laid to rest Sunday. Gene M. Kirchner, the 25-year-old Reisterstown volunteer firefighter who died Thursday at Maryland Shock Trauma Center of injuries suffered when he tried in vain to rescue a man trapped in a burning home, was buried in front of the Fallen Heroes Memorial at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens after funeral services at Har Sinai Congregation in Owings Mills.

A Baltimore City police officer was taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation after he attempted to alert residents about a two-alarm fire in the Bolton Hill neighborhood Saturday afternoon. Fire department spokesman Capt. Roman Clark said the officer suffered minor injuries. He was treated at the scene and transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure. The blaze in the 1800 block of Eutaw Place began around 2:30 p.m. and was placed under control about two hours later, he said.

A baby fox rescued Tuesday night from a storm drain in Edgewood by a well-meaning group of Harford County firefighters was later euthanized so it could be tested for rabies — though the disease was not ultimately found. The decision — which was met with disappointment from the volunteer firefighters — was made out of fear that handling the abandoned pup during and after the rescue may have exposed the men to the deadly viral disease, even though none of them were bitten or scratched, the Harford County Health Department said.

A two-alarm fire in Remington Wednesday night did not damage any of the artwork in the Open Space gallery, tenant Max Guy said on Thursday afternoon. Organizers, with community help, were moving the artwork into storage Thursday. Guy is the curator of "Solitary Stones on a Rocky Shore," which was scheduled to debut at Open Space on Friday. The Open Space website describes "Solitary Stones" as "large-scale graphite drawings and monumental concrete sculpture by Miranda Pfeiffer and Ledelle Moe. " Guy says the exhibition has been postponed until further notice.

A fire broke out on a third-story balcony of an apartment building on Sunday morning, Baltimore City fire officials said. Firefighters were dispatched at 10:03 a.m., to a working fire on a rear exterior balcony at 1010 W. Baltimore St., which is listed online as the Hollins House. The fire was cleared at 11:13 a.m. There were no known injuries, and no one was evacuated during the incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation, fire officials said. Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

An early morning dwelling fire in the 1400 block of Bonsal Street in East Baltimore injured two firefighters. Captain Roman Clarke said that one firefighter was being treated at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and that other had been released. He said the home was occupied and that its residents were uninjured. He said the call came in at 1:40 a.m. Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

A volunteer firefighter who joined the Reisterstown Volunteer Fire Company as a teenager more than a decade ago died Thursday of injuries sustained in a fire last week that also killed another man. Gene Kirchner, 25, died at Maryland Shock Trauma Center, officials said. "Everybody is extremely shocked by this," said Craig Hewitt, assistant chief of the fire company. "They're missing Gene right now. He was a very key part of our fire company, and he will be greatly missed. " Kirchner was one of the first firefighters to respond to the house fire on Hanover Road early on the morning of April 24. He tried to save a man trapped inside, officials said.

The Board of Public Works gave the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene the green light Wednesday to move forward with the emergency demolition of 18 vacant buildings at the Henryton State Hospital Center in Carroll County. The center, which opened in 1922 to serve African-Americans with tuberculosis, has been closed since 1985, and there have been reports of vandalism and fires at the site. The state fire marshal had expressed concern that the vacant buildings pose a safety hazard — especially to firefighters.