Saturday, April 13, 2013
Audio from Wednesday's SWAT standoff with Gwinnett Police reveals dialogue from within the residence in Suwanee.
Audio that has been posted online from Wednesday's SWAT standoff in Suwanee includes early communications from a Gwinnett firefighter who was among those held hostage. "We are in a situation ... where we have an armed person," a firefighter's voice is heard in a YouTube video posting from radioreference.com. This audio was the only communication from inside the house at 2440 Walnut Grove Way until the hostage-taker's cell phone was restored -- which was among his early demands. "He is armed ... and we are in the room with him," the Gwinnett firefighter is heard telling dispatch, at about 4:50 p.m. Wednesday. Lauren Brown, 55, was the hostage-taker who later was shot to death by a Gwinnett Police SWAT officer. The ordeal ended about 7:30 p.…
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
A police officer was shot, but his injuries appear to be non life-threatening.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Wednesday, April 10
Updated - 12:30 p.m. April 11: WSB-TV reports that police have identified the gunman as Lauren Holman Brown. For the latest updates, see: Live Coverage of SWAT Standoff Press Conference Updated - 7:30 a.m April 11: The four firefighters were treated at Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville and released on Wednesday night, according to a statement from hospital spokeswoman Beth Okun. The police officer shot during the confrontation was listed in good condition. See also: Suwanee SWAT Standoff: It Was a 'Typical Call' (includes link to dispatch audio) Original post: A SWAT Team moved into a home on Walnut Grove Way in Suwanee about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, ending a standoff that began with five firefighters being held hostage, Gwinnett County…
One firefighter has been released, officials said.
UPDATE, 8 p.m.: A SWAT team moved into the house about 7:30 p.m. The suspect is dead; the four firefighters suffered superficial wounds from the distraction device, and a police officer was shot but suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police told the media. UPDATE, 7:35 p.m: Police have just told people to clear the Road on Walnut Grove Way. A loud bang was heard in the neighborhood. WSB reports that it might have been a flash-bang device, sometimes used to distract hostage-takers to allow for police activity. An ambulance just left the neighborhood with its siren going. Original post: One of five Gwinnett County firefighters has been released from a hostage situation at 2440 Walnut Grove Way in unincorporated Suwanee, according to …
Friday, April 5, 2013
The homeowner was reportedly using the chemical to clean the floor when vapors were ignited by the furnace pilot light early Friday, according to the Gwinnett Fire Department.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Friday, April 5
Acetone may be the cause of a house fire in unincorporated Norcross early Friday. According to a news release from Gwinnett County Fire spokesman Capt. Tommy Rutledge, the homeowner was doing renovation work on the basement floor when the fire erupted around 12:46 a.m. at his Creeldale Drive home. The man was reportedly using acetone to clean the floor when vapors were ignited by the furnace pilot light. He tried to douse the flames with a garden hose before the fire department arrived but was unsuccessful, continued Rutledge. On arrival, crews found heavy smoke showing from a two-story wood frame house over a full basement. Firefighters immediately entered the burning home to conduct a search and battle the blaze. Fire crews operating …
Friday, March 29, 2013
The woman had to jump from the back deck of her home.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Friday, March 29
A woman and her two dogs were rescued from an early morning fire Friday in the Norcross area. The woman, who lives off the 1600 block of Black Hickory Place near Beaver Ruin Road, had to jump from the back deck of her burning home, according to Gwinnett County Fire spokesman Lt. Colin Rhoden. She had to jump because "the initial information was that there was heavy fire and smoke and that the resident was not accounted for," continued Rhoden. She sustained a minor injury to her wrist. Her two dogs were rescued from the garage, and the three have been displaced with the assistance from the Red Cross. Several calls were recieved about the fire around 4:57 a.m. Because of the heavy fire, crews were not able to control the fire at the two-…
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The fire department is constructing a new state-of-the-art maintenance building in Lawrenceville that will consolidate and improve repair and testing of firefighting equipment.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Thursday, March 21
The Gwinnett County Fire Department is constructing a new state-of-the-art maintenance building in Lawrenceville that will consolidate and improve repair and testing of firefighting equipment. The building will provide climate-controlled, indoor space for testing hoses and ladders, repairing small engines and tools, and maintaining self-contained breathing apparatus, according to a news release from Gwinnett Fire spokesman Capt. Tommy Rutledge. “We don’t need any additional personnel because we’re consolidating existing repair and maintenance operations in a single location,” said Fire Chief Bill Myers in the release. “This building provides a safe, efficient facility that will help extend the useful life of the vital equipment we use …
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The blaze caused extensive damage and left three residents without a home.
A residential fire in Peachtree Corners on Monday afternoon caused heavy damage to a condominium on Appletree Way displacing the three residents. Gwinnett firefighters responded to a report called in by a passerby shortly before 4 p.m. Monday said Tommy Rutledge, spokesman for the fire department. "Crews found heavy smoke showing from the roof of a two-story wood frame condo building on arrival," said Rutledge. He said firefighters located the blaze in an upstairs bathroom of one unit and that the fire caused "extensive damage to the bathroom and sent smoke and heat throughout the second floor." No one was in the condo when the fire broke out and no injuries were reported. There was no damage to the adjoining condo units. The cause of the…
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Gwinnett County Fire responded to the residential fire off Lancelot Drive near North Norcross Tucker Road on Wednesday afternoon.
A family of six has been displaced due to a residential fire Wednesday in Norcross. According to Gwinnett County Fire spokesman Colin Rhoden, firefighters responded to the single-story home on the 900 block of Lancelot Drive at 4:22 p.m. after a neighbor reported the incident. Firefighters were able to contain the flames to the one bedroom that the fire started in, said Rhoden. No one was home at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported, but three adults and three children were displaced due to the substantial smoke damage throughout the rest of the home. Firefighters also were able to save the family dog from the fire. One of the residents told police that the family has renters insurance, and that the smoke detectors may not …
Friday, February 15, 2013
Brian Altus, the director of sales for Multivista in Peachtree Corners, wanted to publicly thank all the people who saved him when he collapsed at work last year.
An Atlanta man recognized Gwinnett County firefighters and his colleagues Thursday for saving his life last year. During Gwinnett Fire's monthly FireStat meeting, Brian Altus, the director of sales for Multivista in Peachtree Corners, recognized 12 people for coming to his rescue last October. Watch the video of the full ceremony on the right. While working in his office that day, Altus told a co-worker that he wasn't feeling well. Shortly after, he collapsed, and his co-workers found him unresponsive on the floor. Someone quickly called 911 and three other co-workers began CPR, rescue breathing and chest compressions. Gwinnett firefighters quickly came to Altus' aid and used a defibrillator to shock him four times. He was sent to the …
Monday, January 28, 2013
No one was reported injured in the Sunday fire on Dana Drive, between Williams Road and Rockbridge Road.
A house in the Norcross area was heavily damaged in a fire Sunday, according to authorities. No one was reported injured. According to Gwinnett County Fire's spokesperson Capt. Tommy Rutledge, firefighters were dispatched around 10 p.m. to a split-level home off the 5800 block of Dana Drive, between Williams Road and Rockbridge Road in unincorporated Norcross. Flames were coming from the right side of the residence. Firefighters made an aggressive interior attack, which quickly brought the fire under control. One occupant was in the home and was able to escape unharmed. Rutledge reported that the fire caused heavy damage to the area of origin, which appears to be the fireplace, and it sent smoke throughout the home. The occupant told …
Steve Burns
8:29 am on Thursday, April 11, 2013
Thanks, Diana. Note our latest story on the incident. http://patch.com/A-361N more ›