West Fertilizer Co., West, TX Explosion-15 Dead, Over 200 Wounded

[MuffyBee]

I really hope Bryce Reed had nothing to do with the West Fertilizer explosion.

http://m.star-telegram.com/star/db_108360/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=mUsJHo8a&full=true#display
Fired West paramedic faces federal charges of possessing bomb components
billhanna@star-telegram.com (Bill Hanna)
May 10, 2013

 
Technical experience

On his LinkedIn profile, Reed said he spent time at the U.S. Biological and Chemical Weapon Depot at Fort McClellan, Ala.

Reed also lists one year from 2010-11 as a technician/regional safety officer for Allied International Emergency LLC., where he said response teams were trained to deal with “Weapons of Mass Destruction Response, Nuclear Event Management, Chemical or Biological Weapons Containment, Large Scale Environmental Loss Mitigation, to DOT/EPA small scale spill cleanup ... .” The company has three offices, including one in Haltom City, but officials didn’t immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

Other experience listed on his profile included president/CEO of “The Silentium Group Inc.” from 2008-2010. The firm is described as “a turnkey solutions provider for many aspects of complex problems” that prided itself on being discreet. “We do not provide a list of services rendered, nor do we provide a client list.”

Before that, he was a “operator/medic” for Total Tactical Operations, 2004-2006.

In his Myspace bio, Reed is described as “one of the few remaining ‘nice guys’ left” in the modern world. It also states he is an only child, a committed Christian, a singer-songwriter of country and Southern rock music who recorded a CD in 2008.

In the bio he wrote: “I don’t do the whole dress up and rhinestones thing. I am a tee shirt and jeans guy and I am just a normal person. I have fought to keep my identity. I have had ‘image consultants’ tell me how to look, dress, and act ... yeah they got fired.”
 
In his last Facebook post on Wednesday, Reed wrote: “I just wanted to tell everyone thank you for all the prayers and support. I’m going to take a break from Facebook to reflect. I assure you that I’m ok. God bless you all, and please if you heed nothing else I have said, love one another. God bless. Bryce.”

Crystal LeDane, who lives down the street from Reed, said he was a good neighbor who had changed her flat tire and would sometimes give medical advice about her children’s minor injuries.

“I’ve been thinking it’s an accident, and I still believe that until there’s more information,” said LeDane, as neighbors stood outside Reed’s red brick duplex.

[MuffyBee]

May 10, 2013 Tweets
https://twitter.com/carrtami

Tami Carr ‏@CarrTami 13h
Sources tell @CBSDFW Bryce Reed was planning to check into a mental health clinic in Austin.

 Tami Carr ‏@CarrTami 13h
The paramedic from West charged w/having bomb-making materials was dismissed from his position 2 days after the fertilizer plant explosion.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/11/justice/texas-explosion-probe/?hpt=hp_t2
Texas first responder to plead not guilty to pipe bomb charge
May 11, 2013

(CNN) -- An emergency responder to last month's deadly Texas fertilizer plant explosion will plead not guilty to the charge of having possessed materials for a pipe bomb, his lawyer told CNN Saturday.
Bryce Reed will enter that plea on Wednesday at a federal court hearing, lawyer Jonathan Sibley said.
Authorities said Friday they were launching a criminal investigation into last month's blast in the town of West, but have not said whether Reed's arrest is connected.
Local sheriff's deputies were called on Tuesday to a residence where they found components for a pipe bomb, according to a criminal complaint affidavit.
The officers determined that Reed had given the materials to the resident of that home last month, the complaint says.
Among the materials found were a galvanized metal pipe, a fuse, coils of metal ribbon and several bags of chemical powders, it adds.
Reed, who was arrested early Friday, is charged with possession of a destructive device.
"At this time authorities will not speculate whether the possession of the unregistered destructive device has any connection to the West fertilizer plant explosion," the U.S. attorney's office for the Western District of Texas said in a release.
If convicted, Reed would face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
 

Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/west_explosion/former-ems-volunteer-denies-involvement-in-west-blast/article_79c0d721-6429-5c0e-98f7-24bd5171f1c1.html
Former EMS volunteer denies involvement in West blast
May 11, 2013

An attorney for the former West EMS volunteer arrested Friday on charges he possessed bomb-making materials says his client had nothing to do with the April 17 explosion in West and will plead not guilty next week to the pending federal charge.
Federal and local authorities have said there is no evidence currently linking Bryce Ashley Reed, 31, to the fire and deadly blast at West Fertilizer Co.
But after Reed’s arrest, the Texas Rangers and McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara announced Friday they have launched a criminal investigation into the fire and powerful explosion that killed 15, including 12 first responders, injured 200 and damaged more than 300 homes.
Reed’s attorney, Jonathan Sibley, said in a release Saturday that Reed was among the first responders after the explosion and lost friends, family and neighbors in the tragedy.

“Additionally, Mr. Reed wishes to address any speculation that these allegations are related to the explosion at the West, Texas fertilizer plant on April 17, 2013. Let me be very clear, Mr. Reed had no involvement whatsoever in the explosion at the West, Texas fertilizer plant ... Mr. Reed is heartbroken for the friends he lost and remains resolute in his desire to assist in the rebuilding of his community.
“We ask that Mr. Reed’s family, friends, and community not rush to judgment. Mr. Reed has been through significant hardship in the wake of the disaster in West and he has responded and served his community with honor and strength,” Sibley said.
Sibley said Saturday he has met only briefly with Reed, who will remain in custody at least until a detention hearing Wednesday.
Sibley said he does not know where Reed was when the fire broke out, but said he believes Reed was among the first responders to the emergency.
Sibley said Reed “vigorously denies” the possession of an unregistered destructive device charge for which he was arrested and “anxiously awaits his day in court and his opportunity to address these allegations.”
Court documents supporting Reed’s arrest, however, say Reed has admitted to federal agents possession of the materials to make a pipe bomb.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
ATF agents arrested Reed Thursday night after McLennan County sheriff’s deputies went to a residence in Abbott, where they found what court documents call the components for a pipe bomb.
A bomb squad disabled what officials said was suspected to be a pipe bomb and found other materials, including a pipe, fuses, lighters, scales and at least eight varieties of potentially explosive chemicals.
Federal officials said in court documents that the Abbott resident, who was not identified, “unwittingly” took possession of the components from Reed on April 26, nine days after the massive explosion that rocked West.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-west-explosion-paramedic-statement-20130511,0,7277626.story
West, Texas, paramedic 'vigorously denies' link to explosion
May 11, 2013

HOUSTON -- A paramedic arrested for possessing bomb-making materials after he responded to the massive fertilizer plant fire in West, Texas, has denied any connection between the fire and the charges he faces.

Bryce Reed, 31, released a statement through his attorney Saturday saying he "vigorously denies" charges filed against him Friday. He is accused of passing bomb-making materials to a resident in nearby Abbott, Texas, where they were discovered by the West bomb squad on Tuesday, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials who arrested him.
 
According to the complaint, Reed "admitted to possessing the components of the pipe bomb." But his attorney told the Los Angeles Times they were still investigating the information detailed in the complaint and that Reed "disputes the allegations."

Reed did not enter a plea when he appeared in Waco federal court on Friday via video conference, and said Saturday he planned to plead not guilty.

"At this point in time, we have not been able to obtain specific information about the extent of the allegations, but Mr. Reed anxiously awaits his day in court and his opportunity to address these allegations," said the statement released to The Times by Reed's Waco-based attorney, Jonathan Sibley.
 
In his Saturday statement, Reed denied causing the explosion.

"Mr. Reed had no involvement whatsoever in the explosion at the West, Texas, fertilizer plant. Mr. Reed was one of the first responders and lost friends, family, and neighbors in that disaster. Mr. Reed is heartbroken for the friends he lost and remains resolute in his desire to assist in the rebuilding of his community," the statement said.
 
"We ask that Mr. Reed's family, friends, and community not rush to judgment," the Saturday statement said. "Mr. Reed has been through significant hardship in the wake of the disaster in West and he has responded and served his community with honor and strength."

Reed remained at McLennan County Jail without bond Saturday pending a hearing at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Waco, Sibley said. If convicted, Reed could face up to a decade in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/paramedic-a-steady-presence-after-west-explosion
Paramedic a steady presence after West explosion
Called 'heartbroken' after being charged
May 12, 2013

[MuffyBee]

Arrest Warrant Affidavit for Bryce Ashley Reed:

http://media.graytvinc.com/documents/Reed+complaint+W13mj127.pdf

[MuffyBee]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Media/Content/2013/0511/5-11-13-Bryce-Reed
West Texas blast investigation turns to Bryce Reed
May 10, 2013

Video  2 min. 14 sec.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2013/0511/Bryce-Reed-enigma-of-the-Texas-blast-tragedy-video
Bryce Reed, enigma of the Texas blast tragedy (+video)
First responder Bryce Reed became a major media figure in the aftermath of the explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. Now he’s been arrested for having bomb-making supplies.
May 11, 2013

 
A Los Angeles Times story dated April 18 describes Reed, an “incident commander,” bracing himself for “[having to tell] his best friend’s family that he had died after both of them responded to a fertilizer plant fire that preceded the blast.”

But on Friday, Cyrus Reed’s family had a different response to questions from the Dallas Morning News. “He convinced us that he and Cyrus were very close, like brothers,” Sarah Reed, Cyrus Reed’s sister, said. “But I want people to know they are not brothers, and he is not part of our family.”

In a profile, the Dallas Morning News found other inconsistencies in Reed’s self-portrayal, including degrees listed on his resume that it appears he never actually completed.

Residents began to have more serious questions about Reed after it appeared he had woven different stories to different people about what had happened, and alternately telling people he was a police officer and a government representative. The Morning News also reported that Reed is listed as the contact person for a t-shirt fundraiser that’s brought in $33,177 in sales.

“Integrity is so hard, especially when it is attacked,” Reed wrote early Monday morning in a Facebook post. “I am so sick of being strong. I am so sick of crying. You try to do the right thing, and get kicked for it. I’m so done. I seek no accolades or commendations, I simply wanted to honor the fallen.”

“t’s not exactly known what is believable about Reed,” Dallas Morning News reporters Christina Rosales, Brooks Egerton and Reese Dunklin surmised on Saturday.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Questions-swirl-around-Reeds-arrest-207296561.html
Questions swirl around paramedic's bomb-making arrest
May 13, 2103

WEST, Texas -- Questions and speculation continue to mount in West over the arrest of former EMS worker Bryce Reed, 31.

According to a federal affidavit, Reed was arrested in connection with bomb making materials. Authorities haven't publicly linked him to the fire or explosion at the fertilizer plant on April 17 that killed 15 people.

His wife, Brittany, in a series of Facebook messages said she is cooperating fully with law enforcement and that she has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

She wouldn't go into specifics about her husband's case, or what she knew ahead of his arrest.
 
Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/Nelson-raises-120000-for-West--Abbott-207274381.html
Willie Nelson raises $120,000 for towns hit by plant explosion
May 13, 2013


WEST, Texas -- Town leaders from West, Texas, and neighboring Abbott were all smiles on Monday afternoon as a representative for country music star Willie Nelson gave donated checks totaling more than $120,000.

Most of the money was raised at a benefit birthday concert Nelson hosted a few weeks ago in Austin.

More than $80,000 was donated to the West Volunteer Fire Department.

Abbott got more than $40,000, some of which will be used to help buy a new truck they lost in the explosion of the April 17 fertilizer plant fire. Abbott is known as the birthplace of Willie Nelson.

West Volunteer Fire Chief George Nors Sr. was also on hand after finally being released from the hospital.
 
According to a News 8 tally of different relief funds set up after the explosion, more than $3.5 million has been raised.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kvue.com/news/Texas-plant-explosion-findings-to-be-released-207454941.html
Texas plant explosion findings to be released
May 14, 2013

WEST, Texas (AP) -- State and federal agents will release this week the findings of an investigation into a deadly explosion at a Central Texas fertilizer plant.

The State Fire Marshal's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will announce their findings on Thursday afternoon.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Federal-Grand-Jury-Indicts-Ex-West-EMS-Volunteer-207455791.html
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Ex-West EMS Volunteer
May 14, 2013

WACO (May 14, 2013)--Former West EMS volunteer Bryce Ashley Reed, 31, who admitted to possessing components to make a pipe bomb, was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Waco for possession of a destructive device.

A redacted version of the indictment was released late Tuesday afternoon on Pacer, the online government court information system.
Reed’s attorney, Jonathan Sibley of Waco, learned of the indictment late Tuesday afternoon.

He questions the charge.

“I think they haven’t done a full investigation,” Sibley said.

“I think these charges are premature.”
 

(Read The Redacted Version Of The Indictment)
http://media.graytvinc.com/documents/reed.pdf

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/West-Explosion-Investigation-Results-Will-Be-Announced-Thursday-207429561.html
West Investigation Results Will Be Announced Thursday
May 14, 2013

WEST (May 14, 2013)--The State Fire Marshal's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will announce the results Thursday of their weeks-long investigation of the deadly April 17 explosion at West Fertilizer Co.

A news conference is scheduled for late Thursday afternoon in West.

The announcement comes about a week later than originally expected.

Last week State Fire Marshal's Office spokeswoman Rachel Moreno said investigators had determined that ammonium nitrate stored at the plant is what exploded, but not what touched off the ammonium nitrate.

Moreno said a spot that is now a 90-foot-wide crater was where the ammonium nitrate was stored.

Investigators ruled out several possible causes of the initial fire at the plant that led to the explosion that killed 15, injured about 200, damaged or destroyed scores of homes and buildings including three of West's four schools and a nursing home.

"Weather, natural, anhydrous ammonium, the rail car containing ammonium nitrate, and a fire within the ammonium nitrate bin" all have been eliminated as possible causes, the Texas Department of Insurance said in a statement last week.

"Additionally, water used during firefighting activities did not contribute to the cause of the explosion," the department said.

"The investigation has revealed, to date, that the origin of the fire was in the fertilizer and seed building," the insurance department said.

Investigators are trying to pinpoint the exact location, the department said.
 

[MuffyBee]

There will be reports forthcoming and there will be lessons learned from this tragedy.     It's very sad it takes events like this to make change.  Bless the folks in the West area. 

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/texas/article/Texas-firefighters-focused-concern-on-toxic-gases-4516850.php#page-1
Texas firefighters focused concern on toxic gases
May 15, 2013


(2 pgs)
WEST, Texas (AP) — When they saw 30-foot flames licking the sky inside a massive fertilizer plant, firefighters in this tiny Texas town rushed to evacuate nearby buildings and raced to spray water on tanks of chemicals, hoping to prevent a catastrophe.

They didn't know, and probably could not imagine, that the plant would soon explode into a deadly fireball and lay waste to much of the community. Instead, they were more concerned with preventing toxic gas from leaking out of the facility and drifting into nearby homes.
 
Associated Press interviews with first-responders suggest that firefighters' foremost fear was a poisonous cloud of anhydrous ammonia. But the greater threat turned out to be the plant's vast stockpile of a common fertilizer, ammonium nitrate, which can also serve as a cheap alternative to dynamite.

State and federal agents plan to release some of their findings Thursday after spending the last month investigating whether the blast was an industrial accident or a criminal act.

Last week, the Texas Rangers and county sheriff's office launched their own criminal investigation, the same day a paramedic who helped evacuate residents was arrested on a charge of possessing a destructive device. The paramedic has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection to the April 17 blast.

West Mayor Tommy Muska said he did not know how much the firefighters knew about the chemicals on the property, but the fire crew included a manager from the fertilizer plant.

Cody Dragoo "would have known exactly what was in there and the dangers that were there," the mayor said, explaining why he believes firefighters were backing away from the flames at the West Fertilizer Co.

They did not get away fast enough. The plant blew up within 20 minutes of the first call for help. Dragoo was among 10 firefighters and paramedics killed in the blast. Two residents helping to fight the fire were also killed, along with two other people.

The confusion only got worse. When the McLennan County emergency director arrived on the scene, he was unfamiliar with the hazardous materials on the premises. The primary map used by first-responders was from a Google Earth app on an iPad. They had no public address system, and, at least initially, no clear command structure.

But it's unclear whether simply knowing about the ammonium nitrate would have been enough. The National Fire Protection Association has codes on handling ammonium nitrate, but it does not advise how to fight such fires because circumstances vary, said Guy Colonna, the division manager of the industrial and chemical engineering group.

Federal and state governments aren't much help either. Most of the rules governing the fertilizer are designed to ensure it doesn't end up in criminals' hands, especially after Timothy McVeigh used it in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
 
Texas farm country is dotted with fertilizer plants in towns served by volunteer firefighters. But a 2009 blaze at the El Dorado Chemical Co. in Bryan, Texas, unfolded much differently than the disaster in West. Bryan firefighters knew a welder had accidentally heated up an ammonium nitrate bin and that the chemical was smoldering. They evacuated the area and let the facility burn to the ground. Nothing exploded.

It's too early to say whether that approach would have worked in West because no one knows for sure what caused the fire or what other substances were present. But the key to fighting the Bryan blaze was knowing the chemical involved and its risks, said Bryan Fire Marshal Marc McFeron.
 
Texas farm country is dotted with fertilizer plants in towns served by volunteer firefighters. But a 2009 blaze at the El Dorado Chemical Co. in Bryan, Texas, unfolded much differently than the disaster in West. Bryan firefighters knew a welder had accidentally heated up an ammonium nitrate bin and that the chemical was smoldering. They evacuated the area and let the facility burn to the ground. Nothing exploded.

It's too early to say whether that approach would have worked in West because no one knows for sure what caused the fire or what other substances were present. But the key to fighting the Bryan blaze was knowing the chemical involved and its risks, said Bryan Fire Marshal Marc McFeron.

Volunteer fire companies operate on shoestring budgets and many rely on local emergency planning committees to keep them informed about potential chemical threats. In McLennan County, the committee had not held a full meeting since 2011, said Frank Patterson, the county's emergency operations coordinator.

And he had not read a report from the fertilizer company that outlined its chemical supply.

Texas does not require any training for volunteer fire companies, though most do so independently, said Chris Barron, executive director of the State Firemen's and Fire Marshal's Association. Often volunteer firefighters receive first-level certification that provides an overview of fire-suppression and rescue techniques.

At least 20 of West's 29 firefighters had such training, Barron said. It teaches that oxidizers such as ammonium nitrate "will accelerate burning when involved in a fire" and "may explode from heat or contamination."

In West, however, firefighters appeared to focus largely on the chemical with which they were most familiar — the anhydrous ammonia, a liquid fertilizer that has a risk of producing a toxic chemical cloud in an accident.

Doreen Strickland, president of the volunteer firefighters from nearby Abbott, pulled up to the plant as it exploded. One of her fire trucks was lifted in the air and slammed back down. Some of her men were inside, and she knew they had to be dead. At least three were killed. But she heard no one discuss ammonium nitrate ahead of the massive blast.

"Our main reason for evacuating at that time was because of the heat and intensity of the fire, and it was so close," Strickland said. The anhydrous ammonia "was a major concern."
More...

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/investigates/News-8-Investigation-Few-in-Texas-follow-federal-chemical-preparedness-law-207443781.html
Few Texas counties follow federal chemical preparedness law
May 14, 2013

A statewide survey by News 8 has found a dramatic lack of compliance with a federal mandate that orders counties to operate a planning committee that helps anticipate and respond to emergencies at plants storing hazardous chemicals.   
Every county in Texas is required by the by the Environmental Protection Agency to have a Local Emergency Planning Committee, or LEPC, in place. These "serve as a focal point in the community for information and discussions about hazardous substance emergency planning,” according to the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act.
 
A News 8 investigation analyzed what is billed as an active list of county LEPC coordinators, which is  published by the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
Of the 254 counties in Texas, spokespeople for 35 of them said their counties have active LEPC meetings at least once a year. Meanwhile, 41 emergency management coordinators either admit to not having or could not provide proof of an existing LEPC.

The vast majority — 190 counties — either had outdated contact information or chose not to respond to News 8. This includes McLennan County, the location where the West Fertilizer Company plant exploded on April 17, killing 15 people.
Again, the LEPC's role is "local planning for hazardous materials.” Residents in West who spoke to News 8 spoke said they had no idea explosive chemicals were located in their neighborhood.
"I've never known what was stored there, and I've lived here all my life,” said Willie Zahirniak, whose home in West was damaged by the blast.
Jim Moore, Director of Progress Texas PAC, said the lack of compliance with the law in Texas comes as no surprise.
"So for the EPA to mandate something, the state legislature, the governor’s office, even at the local level, they are just going to push back on it and maybe ignore it, which seems to be the case of what happened,” Moore said.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management is charged with keeping track of the state's LEPCs and their membership. 
 
State Rep. Joe Pickett (D-El Paso), who chairs the Public Safety Committee, said the discovery of so many inactive LEPCs statewide is disturbing. 
"But there's no reason why we, the State of Texas, through the Division of Emergency Management, can't just ask of each LEPC, 'Did you meet this year? Is your plan up-to-date?’”
Pickett said he wants to return focus to LEPCs throughout Texas, and believes the Division of Emergency Management should play a more assertive role.
 

INTERACTIVE: Locations of ammonium nitrate storage facilities in Texas

Locations of ammonium nitrate storage facilities in Texas
(Source: Texas Department of State Health Services)

Map by Matt Goodman / WFAA.com This interactive map shows the 122 locations statewide that Texas lists as storing more than 10,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate. The West Fertilizer Co. reportedly had more than 500,000 pounds of the chemical. This map by no means indicates that these plants are likely to explode –– it's simply a tool showing locations of storage and retail facilities. The Texas Tribune also has a similar map that shows the amount of chemicals each plant has and their proximity to schools, hospitals and other locations of interest.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/interactive/INTERACTIVE-locations-of-ammonium-nitrate-storage-facilities-in-texas-207449321.html

[MuffyBee]

(Warning:  Gigantic photo of Bryce Reed if you open the link. )
http://m.wacotrib.com/mobile/news/courts_and_trials/grand-jury-indicts-former-west-paramedic-reed/article_4e22bdcd-3a99-5c78-bf8f-b10163ef8015.html
Grand jury indicts former West paramedic Reed
May 14,2013

A federal grand jury indicted a former West paramedic on a charge of possession of an unregistered firearm Tuesday, on the eve of a hearing that will determine whether he is released on bond or ordered to remain detained until his trial.
A criminal complaint against 31-year-old Bryce Ashley Reed, unsealed Friday and signed by a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, alleges Reed was in possession of materials that could be made into a pipe bomb.
Reed “vigorously denies” the possession of an unregistered destructive device charge for which he was arrested and will plead not guilty, according to his court-appointed attorney, Jonathan Sibley.
It was unclear Tuesday why Reed’s charge was changed to refer to a firearm, but the language in both the original complaint for which Reed was arrested and Tuesday’s indictment was 
identical.
 
Sibley said he thinks Reed poses no danger and should be released on a reasonable bond because no evidence has linked Reed to the April 17 explosion at the West fertilizer plant.
Sibley also said he intends to call Reed’s parents as witnesses at Wednesday’s hearing.

 

At least one education claim on the online resume — listing a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y. — has been disputed. A spokesman for the school, William Stewart, said Reed at one time started the application process for an associate’s degree but never enrolled at the school.
According to state health records, Reed became a certified paramedic in 2005.
His certification is intact, with no history of complaints or disciplinary action, according to Carrie Williams, spokeswoman for the Department of State Health Services.
It appeared that Reed most recently worked as a paramedic at the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.
Hospital spokeswoman Kay Jackson said Reed joined the staff Jan. 7 but has been on leave since April 3. She could not provide further information about his employment, citing hospital policy.
And although Reed was previously a volunteer paramedic for West EMS, an email obtained by the Associated Press shows he was “let go” April 19, two days after the explosion.
Williams, the State Health Services spokeswoman, told the Associated Press last week that the agency had opened a regulatory investigation into Reed’s 
license.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/05/14/west-medical-director-awaits-cause-of-fertilizer-plant-explosion/
West Medical Director Awaits Cause Of Fertilizer Plant Explosion
May 14, 2013

WEST (CBS 11 NEWS) - Dr. George Smith credits God that he was able to get out from under the debris at the West nursing home minutes after the West Company fertilizer plant exploded.

Dr. Smith says, “That’s the way I look at it.  He said I had more work to do.”

Now, nearly one month later, state and federal investigators are set to announce Thursday what sparked the fire and subsequent explosion at the plant.

Dr. Smith has been the city’s medical director since he founded the EMS here 38 years ago.

“It’s going to be a relief to know what happened. There are people who blamed our firefighters who gave their life.”

Initially, some people thought the firefighters caused the blast by putting water on ammonium nitrate that was stored in the facility and blew up — but the state said nothing could be further from the truth.

Dr. Smith recalls the fiery blast.  “It happened just in a millisecond.  It’s hard to describe the force in that explosion.”

At the time, Dr. Smith was in the nursing home trying to move patients away from the side of the building that faces the plant.  “I was worried about the toxic smoke.”

He says he never realized there would be an explosion.  “I’m very proud to say 127 residents left the nursing home alive.”

None died there.
 
Initially, Dr. Smith said they feared as many as 60-70 people may have died because they would be trapped in their homes.

But he says at the time of the explosion, many people were watching the fire from the street and were  slightly injured when they were knocked down, and not hit with falling debris.
 

Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

Bryce Reed was formally indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday.  The charge in the indictment was possession of an unregistered firearm.  Reed's attorney Jonathon Sibley, said the charge is an umbrella term that can include explosives and that Reed will plead not guilty to the charge today at 2:00 p.m., at the federal courthouse in Waco.  There's no trial date set.

http://www.kcentv.com/story/22257653/bryce-reed-formally-charged-by-federal-grand-jury
Bryce Reed formally indicted by federal grand jury
May 15, 2013

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/west_explosion/detention-hearing-for-former-west-paramedic-postponed/article_526d71ea-c415-5f15-aff4-19950e95affe.html
Detention hearing for former West paramedic postponed
May 15, 2013

A detention hearing set for former West paramedic Bryce Ashley Reed has been postponed, his attorney said.
Reed was supposed to be in U.S. Magistrate Court at 2 p.m. Wednesday for formal arraignment and a detention hearing.
His attorney, Jonathan Sibley, said his client will waive arraignment and enter a not guilty plea with the court. The detention hearing is postponed indefinitely, he said.
Sibley declined additional comment Wednesday morning.
Reed, 31, was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury on a charge of possession of an unregistered firearm after his arrest last week for alleged possession of what authorities are calling materials to make a pipe bomb.
Reed will remain in custody until a detention hearing can be rescheduled.