After obtaining an interest in the fire service, thanks to FDNY's Engine 75 & Tower Ladder 33, a newly appointed fire chief in Southern Fla. has proven his worth. Former Bronx & Rockland County resident, Tom O'Connell just retired after 32 years of service to the Sunrise Fire Rescue Service to accept a job with the Broward County Sherriff Dept which operates the countywide fire-rescue service in Southern Fla. Tom after leaving The Bronx served as a volunteer firefighter in Pearl River before heading south. O'Connell has been known for years as a leading expert in Haz-Mat & has served as an instructor teaching Haz-Mat operations to various department throughout the states. He recently spent several days teaching a class at 'The Rock' for FDNY members.
This goes to show us in the fire service - you make never know the impression that you leave with a young child or even a teen when they visit quarters. On the other side of the thin blue line, his father was an NYPD Detective, so you can see what a visit can do!
LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA (CBSMiami) ? It looks like a giant Tiki torch, but the flare stack in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is serving a big purpose after residents had to be evacuated Friday morning due to a gas leak.
The flare stack is now burning off gas after residents at the Ocean Bay Club, located at 5555 N. Ocean Drive, smelled propane coming from the pool area of the building on Thursday afternoon.
?My wife actually smelled it,? said resident Ken Maglio. ?My wife actually smelled it the night before. We had our window open, but didn?t think anything of it.?
It turned out the odor was the result of a gas leak from an old propane tank once used to heat the pool. The 500-gallon propane tank was covered in concrete, making it difficult for crews to reach.
?Our firefighters had to chip away at the concrete to gain access to the valves,? said Broward Sheriff?s Office Fire Rescue Chief Thomas O?Connell. ?They plugged the leak several hours ago. We are flaring it safe and evacuating the remaining gas out of the tank.?
About 30 residents of a Lauderdale-by-the-Sea condo complex were initially evacuated Thursday afternoon and had to spend the night elsewhere.
The residents have since been allowed to return home.
?A little bit of an inconvenience is not bad,? said Maglio. ?I just don?t understand why it wasn?t taken care of sooner like empty it with sand or something. I hope it doesn?t happen again.
Hazmat crews along with BSO and Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Fire Rescue will spend the night keeping a close eye on the flare stack and monitor the situation. Officials and residents said the entire thing could have ended in catastrophe.
?It could have been a disaster,? said resident Gil Arenella. ?It could have actually been a tremendous explosion.?
Vehicle traffic through the area on North Ocean Boulevard remains restricted. Northbound traffic is being permitted through the scene but southbound vehicles are being detoured at Southeast 19th Street.
Officials at the scene were unsure how long it would take for all the propane gas to burn off.
This goes to show us in the fire service - you make never know the impression that you leave with a young child or even a teen when they visit quarters. On the other side of the thin blue line, his father was an NYPD Detective, so you can see what a visit can do!
LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA (CBSMiami) ? It looks like a giant Tiki torch, but the flare stack in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is serving a big purpose after residents had to be evacuated Friday morning due to a gas leak.
The flare stack is now burning off gas after residents at the Ocean Bay Club, located at 5555 N. Ocean Drive, smelled propane coming from the pool area of the building on Thursday afternoon.
?My wife actually smelled it,? said resident Ken Maglio. ?My wife actually smelled it the night before. We had our window open, but didn?t think anything of it.?
It turned out the odor was the result of a gas leak from an old propane tank once used to heat the pool. The 500-gallon propane tank was covered in concrete, making it difficult for crews to reach.
?Our firefighters had to chip away at the concrete to gain access to the valves,? said Broward Sheriff?s Office Fire Rescue Chief Thomas O?Connell. ?They plugged the leak several hours ago. We are flaring it safe and evacuating the remaining gas out of the tank.?
About 30 residents of a Lauderdale-by-the-Sea condo complex were initially evacuated Thursday afternoon and had to spend the night elsewhere.
The residents have since been allowed to return home.
?A little bit of an inconvenience is not bad,? said Maglio. ?I just don?t understand why it wasn?t taken care of sooner like empty it with sand or something. I hope it doesn?t happen again.
Hazmat crews along with BSO and Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Fire Rescue will spend the night keeping a close eye on the flare stack and monitor the situation. Officials and residents said the entire thing could have ended in catastrophe.
?It could have been a disaster,? said resident Gil Arenella. ?It could have actually been a tremendous explosion.?
Vehicle traffic through the area on North Ocean Boulevard remains restricted. Northbound traffic is being permitted through the scene but southbound vehicles are being detoured at Southeast 19th Street.
Officials at the scene were unsure how long it would take for all the propane gas to burn off.