press release from Tucson Fire Department:

Barrett Baker Date: 11/03/2012
Public Information Officer TDD: 837-7016
410-1901 pager
Barrett.baker@tucsonaz.gov

FIRE BREAKS OUT IN MCKALE CENTER CAPTAIN EQUIPMENT ROOM
TWO ALARM RESPONSE FROM TFD TO CONTROL

Dispatch Time –9:26 P.M.
On-Scene Time –9:29 P.M.

A fire broke out in an equipment room this evening at the University of Arizona’s McKale Center. University of Arizona Police responded to a smoke alarm generated from McKale Center per their standard operating procedures and confirmed the smoke alarm once they arrived on scene. The first unit from Tucson Fire arrived on scene three minutes after being dispatched and noticed smoke coming from the roof area of McKale. They immediately called for more resources and began the process of charging the sprinkler system and standpipe system, both things that support firefighting operations.

An attack team, consisting of 10 firefighters, entered McKale to determine the location of the fire, along with help from UAPD. The alarm panel specified a certain room and the firefighters confirmed they had heavy smoke and water coming out of the room from under the door. Firefighters made entry into the room and had flames showing along with heavy smoke. They quickly extinguished the fire but visibility was minimal due to the amount of residual smoke. A sprinkler head had activated in the room, assisting in the extinguishment of the fire. Actions were immediately taken to evacuate as much smoke as possible to improve visibility and get secondary confirmation the entire fire was controlled. Firefighters from two ladder trucks had also made their way to the roof of McKale to ensure the fire had not spread to the roof. Two alarms were dispatched to the scene, consisting of twenty-one units and forty-eight firefighters. There were no injuries to firefighters. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation and no estimation of damages had been made.

Thankfully no one was present in the equipment room when the fire broke out, or injured.

Let us remember Martin Luther King Junior‘s birthday in the wake of the violence of January 8, 2011 here in Tucson, Arizona.

Martin Luther King, Jr. from wikipedia

January 15 was slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. This year the MLK holiday is celebrated on January 17, but I think this year our minds are mostly remembering the recent mass murders here in Tucson exactly a week ago on January 8, 2011 of six innocent persons, along with the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords of CD 8 and 12 other civilian bystanders.

King preached non-violence and marched for civil rights and peace. Yet he was struck down at age 39 by an assassin’s rifle bullet in Memphis, Tennessee.

Our nation was shocked even more when two months later former New York U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy was also assassinated by a man with a hand gun, while Kennedy was campaigning for U.S. President. He was 42 years old.

I would like to think that King’s message of non-violence and peace resonated with generations of people after these two horrible assassinations, both in 1968. I had hoped that his death had not been in vain. Now I’m not so sure based on the recent mass attack by an 22 year old armed man in Tucson of an innocent crowd of constituents waiting to talk to their U.S. Congresswoman. 6 brave Americans gave up their lives that Saturday morning.

As U.S. President Barack Obama said at the memorial service at the University of Arizona’s McKale Center on January 12, 2011:

They were fulfilling a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders – representatives of the people answering to their constituents, so as to carry their concerns to our nation’s capital. Gabby called it “Congress on Your Corner” – just an updated version of government of and by and for the people.

Such senseless tragedies, for people just “practicing democracy.”

Let us continue to work towards mutual cooperation, tolerance, acceptance, and civil discourse. On Friday local politicians in Tucson pledged at a press conference to “commit to promote a civil discussion of the issues we face.” Let’s hope they fulfill their pledge.

Please join in the MLK March starting at the U of A Mall (8:30 a.m.) and Festival Celebration at Reid Park (10:30 a.m.) on Monday January 17. Let us together pray, march, and celebrate in Dr. King’s name for all that he stood for.

Violence has no place in our society.

1/17/11 Update: speaking today at the MLK opening ceremony at U of A mall:
Clarence Boykins (organizer of this event for 26 years from Tucson-Southern AZ Black Chamber of Commerce), Congressman Raul Grijalva (CD 7), Mayor Bob Walkup, Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias, former City Councilman Chuck Ford, Councilman Richard Fimbres, Eva Dong Carrillo from Sunnyside School Board. Also attending: City Councilman Paul Cunningham and City Manager Mike Letcher, and thousands of Tucsonans.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to Visit UA Campus Wednesday

General News January 10, 2011
from UANews | “President Obama will speak at a memorial event at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12 to support and remember victims of the mass shooting in Tucson, and to lift the spirits of those who have been personally affected by this tragedy.”

The event, “Together We Thrive: Tucson and America” starts at 6 p.m. at McKale Center (just west of Campbell Avenue, north of E. 6th Street) and is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 4 p.m.

University of Arizona President Robert Shelton, as well as state and federal officials will also speak at the event– Governor Jan Brewer, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and Justice Anthony Kennedy, Circuit Justice for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit are expected to attend.

“The event will include a Native American blessing, a moment of silence, a poetry reading, and a presentation of a chain featuring messages from the public.”

Attendees should arrive early because a capacity crowd is expected, and there will be increased security due to the President’s presence.

Six people were shot & killed and 13 others injured on Saturday January 8, 2011 at a Safeway store in NW Tucson, by 22 year old suspect Jared Lee Loughner. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of CD 8 was apparently his target, and 3 of her Congressional district aides were also shot — one (Gabe Zimmerman) died at the scene. Federal district court Chief Judge John Roll was also killed, and 9 year old Christina Taylor Green.

UPDATE: video of event online (click here).

Photo of event tshirt from photographer Jon Scanlon (who attended the event);