Body Found After Escambia County RV Fire
December 17, 2021
A body was found an RV following a fire Thursday morning in Escambia County.
Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the RV fire in the 1400 block of “P” Street about 12:50 a.m. Thursday and found the vehicle fully engulfed in flames. A deceased individual was located inside the vehicle, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was notified.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The fire is the eighth red bulb in the “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign in Escambia County.
During the month-long Keep the Wreath Green campaign, five-foot wreaths are on display at county fire stations and other locations. Each time firefighters respond to a residential fire with damage, a green light bulb is replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by fires in residential homes.
International Paper Emergency Alert System Unintentionally Activated Late Wednesday Night
December 16, 2021
An emergency alert system at International Paper was unintentionally activated in test mode just before 11 p.m. Wednesday, causing concern among many Cantonment area residents.
A spokesperson for International Paper said it was not immediately clear why the test was done that late, but there was no emergency. The system is normally tested at 1 p.m. Wednesdays and as needed for employee training, but not late at night.
Additional tests for employee evacuation drills are planned for Thursday and Friday at 9 a.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
In September, IP began using a new, louder alert system that has both a warning siren and voice capability.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Man Rescued After Becoming Trapped In Trailer Load Of Corn
December 16, 2021
A man was rescued after becoming trapped for about an hour in a semi-trailer loaded with corn late Wednesday afternoon at Eicher Farm in Walnut Hill.
The adult male became trapped from the waist down in the corn about 4:15 p.m. and was unable to free himself.
“Corn is like quicksand,” Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore said after the rescue on Eicher Road off South Highway 29. “Movement can cause a person to sink deeper and deeper.”
For more photos, click or tap here.
The trailer was divided into two giant hoppers — one nearly fully and containing the trapped man, and one empty. Firefighters were able to access the man and avoid sinking in the corn by using backboards and ladders placed across the surface of the corn. A large grain vacuum powered by a tractor and five gallon buckets were used to remove the grain and free the man.
The individual was evaluated by Escambia County EMS but not transported to the hospital.
The Walnut Hill and McDavid fire stations and the Escambia County Fire Rescue Special Operations Team were among those that responded.
For more photos, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Deploys Teams To Support Tornado Response In Kentucky
December 16, 2021
Florida has deployed a nine-person State All-Hazards Incident Management Team to support the tornado response in Kentucky.
“Earlier this week, we made it clear that Florida would not hesitate to support states impacted by the devastating tornado outbreak,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This team is made up of dedicated public servants who are willing to work through the holidays and provide aid to a state in need. I’m proud that we’re able to deploy this team quickly and help impacted areas begin their recovery efforts.”
All-Hazards Incident Management Teams are regional, multi-agency teams comprised of local law enforcement, fire and EMS, public health, emergency management, public works, and other public safety partners with standardized training and field experience in incident command system positions. Teams are trained to support incidents that extend beyond one operational period and are credentialed to serve in different positions.
Recent All-Hazards Incident Management Team deployments include Louisiana in response to Hurricane Ida, Mississippi in response to Hurricanes Marco and Laura, Hawaii in response to a volcanic eruption, and South Carolina in response to flooding.
Pictured: Tornado damage in Mayfield, Kentucky,.
USDA Disaster Assistance For Seven Alabama Counties; Escambia And Santa Rosa In Florida Eligible Too
December 16, 2021
The USDA has designated seven Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas, opening assistance to those counties and adjacent counties in Florida.
The disaster designation is due to excessive rainfall and flooding caused by Tropical Storm Ida that occurred beginning August 29, 2021.
Primary eligible counties in Alabama include Escambia and Baldwin, and contiguous county eligibility extends to counties in Florida including Escambia and Santa Rosa.
Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your a local USDA Service Center, including the Molino Service Center, the Jay Service Center, or the Brewton Service Center.
Cantonment Woman Gets Over 20 Years In Prison For Stabbing Death Of Her Boyfriend
December 16, 2021
A Cantonment woman has been sentenced to over 20 years on state prison for the 2019 murder of her boyfriend.
Jaquoia Xiaxiana Collins was sentenced to 20.5 years for second degree murder with a weapon. She previously entered a plea of no contest to the charge.
She stabbed her boyfriend in the chest outside the Wild Oak Farms Apartments in the 800 block of North Highway 29 shortly before midnight on July 6, 2019. Deputies responded to the apartments at 11:39 p.m. where they found victim Quartez McShane unresponsive on the ground near the driver’s side door of a blue Mitsubishi Gallant parked in the entrance of the apartment complex. He had been stabbed in the center of his chest with a knife. McShane was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital where he was pronounced deceased less than an hour later.
Collins faced a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Former Detectives Will Work To Solve Escambia County Cold Case Homicides
December 16, 2021
Former detectives will work to solve cold cases in Escambia County.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has launched a “Cold Case Symposium” that will concentrate on cold case homicide investigations while enlisting the expertise of retired certified law enforcement detectives in the area.
“We have a number of retired deputies and law enforcement professionals who have offered their expertise in the past,” said Sheriff Chip Simmons. “We look to take advantage the years of experience these veteran law enforcement professionals bring. Just because someone is retired, doesn’t mean they have lost their experience and intuition. We hope that our current cold case investigators combined with volunteer experienced retirees, we can help close these cases and bring closure to the families.”
The symposium will begin in February of 2022 and will focus on six ECSO cold case homicides at a time. A cold case is one where all available leads have been exhausted and probable cause has not been established to make an arrest.
The ECSO is looking for any retired certified law enforcement investigators interested in joining the symposium that have certified law enforcement experience as a former homicide investigator. Qualified investigators interested in joining the two-day symposium should email Colonel David Ingram at doingram@escambiaso.com.
Reminder: Friday Is An Escambia Schools Early Release Day
December 16, 2021
The Escambia County School District has added Friday, December 17 as an early release day.
It’s also the last day of class before the long Christmas break.
All schools will serve breakfast and lunch to students on the early release day. Regular modes of student transportation will be provided.
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Bond Revoked For Man That Allegedly Man ‘Beat’ Wife, Bit Her Ear, Shot At Her
December 15, 2021
After another arrest in Alabama, bond has been revoked for a Walnut Hill man charged with assaulting his wife, “beating” her, biting her ear and shooting at her as she ran away.
Last August, 49-year old William Scott Taylor Janes was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery and battery domestic violence in Escambia County, Florida.
According to the Florida pretrial release agreement Janes signed, he agreed not to consume alcohol, but an Atmore Police Department report stated he was heavily intoxicated at the time of his recent arrest for assault third degree.
The Atmore Police Department responded to Tatum Avenue in Atmore after MedStar EMS responded to a medical call. They reported that a verbal disturbance broke out between Janes and a relative while the ambulance crew was on scene.
Janes was heavily intoxicated in his car in front of the residence and complaining of chest pains, according to an arrest report. He agreed that he would go to bed and sleep, and police left. About five minutes later, they were called back after the disturbance allegedly escalated.
Atmore officers arrived to find Janes passed out on the porch. He had allegedly attacked his relative and choked her husband.
Janes was transported to Atmore Community Hospital and then booked into the Atmore City Jail. He is now in the Escambia County (Florida) Jail without bond as he awaits trial.
During the August incident in Florida, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Enon community southwest of Walnut Hill where the victim told deputies that her husband assaulted her, bit her ear and shot at her. Janes was taken into custody at the scene, with deputies noting in their report that he appeared to be heavily intoxicated and had blood on his pants.
The victim told deputies that Janes had been drinking heavily for days and became angry because she wanted to go to church without him. He then “beat her” and bit her ear causing a permanent injury, according to an arrest report. She refused to elaborate further on the specifics of “beat her”.
She ran toward a neighbor’s house and heard at least two gunshots as he stated that he was going to kill her, the report continues.
According to the ECSO, Janes stated that he had been drinking, went to sleep, and did not remember anything else.
State Conducts Random Inspection of Escambia County EMS. Here’s What They Found.
December 15, 2021
The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) conducted a random inspection of Escambia County EMS on Monday, reviewing the department on multiple compliance topics.
According to Escambia County, Escambia passed the inspection.
In a FDOH inspection report, the inspector wrote, “Escambia County should be very proud of its very professional and well-organized EMS system.”
“Our success with this inspection was the measure of a group effort from all areas of our organization,” said Escambia County EMS Chief David Torsell III. “I’m proud to see the hard work of our employees rewarded with such an outstanding review from the state.”
During the past six months, Escambia County Public Safety has seen a variety of growth throughout the department, including the addition of Torsell, Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore, EMS Deputy Chief Christopher Stephens, and Escambia County Medical Director Dr. Josh Gordon and Assistant Medical Director Dr. Peter Alexandrov.
“I’m so proud of our EMS team,” Gilmore said. “We have come a long way to build a better service for the citizens of Escambia County. This positive report from FDOH is a direct reflection of the professionalism of our staff and the new standard we’ve set for Escambia County EMS.”
Key areas inspected by FDOH were:
- Employee training records and certifications
- Compliance with controlled substance medication storage, how medications are distributed for use by EMS and tracking of medication administration by EMS
- How EMS orders, stocks, distributes, and replaces medical equipment and supplies
- Random ambulances were selected for complete inventory inspection in compliance with state requirements
- Patient care records and storage of records
- Quality assurance and quality improvement measures with patient care and patient care reports
- Training and in-service records for all EMS employees
- Compliance with state requirements for medical direction, including participation by medical director, Dr. Josh Gordon, and assistant medical director, Dr. Peter Alexandrov.