SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

Source: @NYCFireWire via @evgrieve via the Village Voice

A fire broke out at Nathan’s Famous on Coney Island (1310 Surf Avenue) over the weekend, according to a report by the Village Voice.

The famous hot dog mecca  is still undergoing construction after the damage it took resulting from Superstorm Sandy. The fire broke out on the roof  this past Saturday due to that ongoing reconstruction effort.

The fire was put out by the FDNY in less than 20 minutes and no one was hurt. Nathan’s is still expected to reopen for summer business.

The Bay Improvement Group boogied down and gave props up last Thursday night at their annual Oscars gala, when it celebrated a pack of heroes who went above and beyond to help neighbors during Superstorm Sandy.

Learn about the honorees, and view photos from the event.

Power lines exploded in Manhattan Beach Friday night, drawing a battalion of first responders to the scene, leaving dozens without power, and providing a light show for those dining on the waterfront.

The fire broke out at approximately 9:00 p.m. Friday night on Oriental Boulevard and Norfolk Street, readers told Sheepshead Bites. According to witnesses, a power line burst, showering the street with sparks and eventually causing several other wires to burn.

There are no injuries reported at this time, but readers around the Bay sent in photos and video of the light show it created – visible in the foggy night sky from as far away as the Belt Parkway.

Tip o’ the hat to Alan R., who not only sent us one of the videos below, but was the first to tip us off to the incident. Readers like Alan are how we get our news – so be sure to e-mail our tip line (tips [at] sheepsheadbites [dot] com) or call or text (347) 985-0633 if you see anything newsworthy!

Also thanks to Max Sitnikov, Kathleen Higgins, E. Gilerman, and Inna M. for the photos and information.

View the photos and videos.

Source: NYC Fire Wire via Facebook

A construction barge floating off the coast of Coney Island partially sank over the weekend, according to a report by the New York Post.

The sinking barge was spotted by the U.S. Coast Guard at 1:00 a.m. this past Saturday. The barge was carrying a large Vergona crawler crane that was going to be used to fix damage Superstorm Sandy damage done to Steeplechase Pier.

The Post described how NYPD and FDNY responders were handling the situation:

Workers surrounded the crane with booms in case the 500 gallons of diesel fuel that power the crane leak into the water.

“They are encasing the area as a precaution,” explained Fire Department Battalion Chief Brian Duffy.

As for the barge itself, the owners, Triton Construction, are now responsible for salvaging it.

A photo from Smith’s drivers license.

ONLY ON SHEEPSHEAD BITES: Emergency responders left Shaun Smith to die because she is transgender, claims a lawsuit brought by the victim’s mother. The Sheepshead Bay attorney representing her says it’s part of a disturbing national trend of discrimination against transgender patients.

The allegations stem from a June 15, 2012, incident, when Smith’s mother, Jenette Cox called 911 after Smith – a transgender woman who was born a man – went into diabetic shock. When EMS responders arrived on the scene and found the victim to be transgender, they failed to render services, Cox alleges.

“This is somebody who needed urgent care and didn’t get it, and basically what stopped them were breasts on an originally male body,” said Ilya Novofastovsky, the Sheepshead Bay attorney representing Cox in the malpractice and discrimination case against the NYPD and the FDNY, which operates the EMS.

Novofastovsky said discrimination against transgender people by emergency responders and medical workers is a nationwide problem that causes a delay or absence of care, and leads to additional suffering and even death for the patient.

Court papers state Smith, who had no history of diabetes, died of diabetic ketoacidosis, which results from a shortage of insulin.

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Several sections of power lines exploded on East 29th Street and Emmons Avenue this morning, sparking a small garbage fire near Roll-N-Roaster restaurant, and leaving as many as 100 Con Edison customers without power.

“Four sections of overhead wire were involved. There’s 50 to 100 customers affected. It’s going to be six to 12 hours before we have this restored,” said Con Edison spokesperson Bob McGee. “We’re still investigating as to what the cause is … Sometimes it’s like a small animal caught in the wire or something, but we won’t know that yet.”

After being requested by the firefighters, the Con Ed crew arrived and cut the high tension lines. The lines first erupted at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Firefighters said when they arrived the wires were popping, and several small blasts occurred before one of the wires snapped, and landed on a pile of debris left curbside by a homeowner renovating after Superstorm Sandy.

Once the lines were cut, firefighters doused the smoldering debris. The incident was deemed under control by 1:00 p.m. An EMS responder on scene said there were no injuries.

A Con Edison spokesperson said the customers without power, which includes Roll-N-Roaster at 1901 Emmons Avenue, should have power restored between 8:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

View videos and photos.

UPDATE: THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED. YOU CAN READ THE UPDATE HERE.

Sheepshead Bites has received word via police and fire scanner that firefighters are responding a call for burning power lines near 2901 Emmons Avenue.

The wires are in the street, the call notes. It has been deemed an “all-hands” fire.

2901 Emmons Avenue is the street address for Roll-N-Roaster, though it’s unclear if the business is affected.

This is a breaking news story and may contain inaccuracies. We will update it as more information becomes available. If anyone has more information or additional photos, please send them to tips (at) sheepsheadbites (dot) com.

Photo by Karen D.

A fire broke out at approximately 11:30 a.m., and at least one person was carried out of the 1203 Avenue Y building by EMS, reports neighbor Karen D.

The call came over the police scanners shortly after 11:30. By 11:50 a.m., a second call came over explaining that the fire was on the second floor of a private dwelling. Karen reports to us that the smoke has stopped gushing from the building, but the scanner call indicated that the trucks on scene might need additional support to keep it under control.

Firefighters took one person out the building, Karen said. FDNY EMS began “working” on the person, but she couldn’t say if they were performing CPR.

This is a breaking news story and may contain inaccuracies. We will update it as more information becomes available. If anyone has more information or additional photos, please send them to tips (at) sheepsheadbites (dot) com.

The FDNY is sponsoring a blood drive for the New York Blood Center. It will be held at the firehouse of Engine 321 located at 2165 Gerritsen Avenue (at Avenue U) on Monday, February 4,  from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Please donate, and help save lives of fellow New Yorkers!

The FDNY’s Marine 3 headquarters in 2009. (Source: Vlad Iorsh/Flickr)

The fire eaters of the FDNY’s local marine unit will have to rebuild their summer headquarters – or find themselves homeless, thanks to Superstorm Sandy.

The Marine 3 summer vessel. (Source: FDNY)

The unit – FDNY Marine 3 – operates a summer base at the tip of Kingsborough Community College (2001 Oriental Boulevard) in Manhattan Beach. When the waters whipped through the campus, it ravaged the unit’s four-year-old quarters, rendering them useless.

“Marine 3′s quarters sustained damage from flood waters,” confirmed an FDNY spokesperson.

It wasn’t alone. Several firehouses were damaged and many have not reopened since the storm. All are in the process of being repaired, and trucks have been stationed throughout the affected communities to provide quick response.

Marine 3′s headquarters will also be rebuilt, the spokesperson said, although he was unable to provide a timetable or estimated cost for the repairs.

In the meantime, local mariners need not worry. Marine 3′s vessel – used only during the summer, when boating and other water sports are at their peak – was pulled out of the area ahead of the storm, and was unharmed. When summer rolls around, it will again be stationed at Kingsborough, whether the headquarters are rebuilt or not.

“There is no impact to fire protection or fire service in that area,” the spokesperson said.

The Marine 3 headquarters opened in September 2008, featuring 24-hour security, a new kitchen and bathroom, and a state-of-the-art floating concrete dock. The location also became a training center for members of the Fire Department’s Marine Division, which was given access to Kingsborough Community Colleges’ Maritime Technology Program, a high-tech sailing simulator that puts students at the helm of various vessels to prepare them for careers on the water. It helped grow the city’s small vessel program, which FDNY brass lauded as allowing them to provide faster, more efficient responses to water-related emergencies.