August 2009 Blog Posts (88)

OWWWWW!!!Part2

Again thanks to all the emails, notes and comments of encoragement I have gotten from all you out there. It is good to feel the family of fire love when the chips are leaning. I say leaning because Now they are falling to down. The MRI came back with a a tear in my ACL and a still possible tear in my miniscus. I have been referred to a Othro Surgery center for more treatment including most likely ACL surgery. From what I am told even being back on the line for late season So-Cal fires is… Continue

Added by Jason Myer on August 5, 2009 at 8:48pm — 1 Comment

Hero Breaks Open Door; Saves Old Woman From Fire

Kadooment Hero! That's what residents are calling a young man who yesterday, Kadooment Day, lifted a 94-year-old woman from a burning house and took her to safety.

Shawn Howell broke down a door and brought Enid Sandiford to safety after a room in her Seclusion Road, Black Rock, St Michael home caught on fire.

He then returned to fight the blaze with the help of others who were on their way to watch the bands parade.

"I broke off the door and already the place… Continue

Added by Glyne Alleyne on August 5, 2009 at 8:30am — No Comments

And just when you thought it couldn't get worse.... Part 2

As I referred to in my initial post about Nolanville, TX, it seems this was an understatement. A follow up story from Austin, probably had to be tamed down.

Angered residents sparked the special meeting to reinstate the department after Mayor Emma McCullough told the department that the city couldn't afford to keep them on the payroll.

"[It's] a little un-nerving, just because of the simple fact that if they don't have the gas to get to my house to put out a fire then,… Continue

Added by Oldman on August 4, 2009 at 6:30pm — 8 Comments

First Fire

At 3:20 am August 4th of 2009 a firealarm was sounded over the Nikiski Fire Department radio frequency. It was what we call and Auto Aid from the Kenai Fire Department (when there is a fire in the City of Kenai our department sends our Ladder 1 either to scene or to cover their station, the same deal is contracted with their Engine 3). I hopped on board thinking, "Here's another few hours of rehab," because I have not completed the Fire Fighter 1 Academy and am still technically a medical only… Continue

Added by Will Manuel on August 4, 2009 at 5:26pm — 4 Comments

Thanks to All the Men and Women who helped with the BVJ Disaster

Thank you to all the brave Emergency Service men and women who helped save many trapped people at the BVJ disaster if it wasnt for all the Brave Men and Women it could have been much worse. We thank you!

Added by Tyler.C on August 4, 2009 at 1:03am — No Comments

2009 LODD 6-Month Summary – Final

In 2009, from January to June, 53 persons died in the line of duty. The cause and nature of their deaths varies and is representative of the many different fire department personnel across the country. The nature of their work at time of death ranges from removing an occupant from a window of the fire building to a surgical complication following a work related injury. Their ages, 18 to 77, also represent the wide spectrum of men and women in firehouses across the country. In some ways, their… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on August 3, 2009 at 1:10am — 1 Comment

Idiot Replacement Theory

We were about 2/3rds through our career when Eddie described his Idiot Replacement Theory (IRT). For every old-school idiot, jerk or loser who retired, our generation would provide an equally inept replacement. I was shocked when he originally made that statement and wondered if it still was true.

CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES

We were part of the hundreds hired thirty years ago as a collection of rural VFDs grew into an urban county fire department. Our first line… Continue

Added by Mike Ward on August 2, 2009 at 5:55am — 5 Comments

2009 LODD; Medical, Response

From January to June 2009 the following line of duty deaths are categorized by medical cause, nature and response. When comparing this data with the earlier articles, readers will see an overlap in the listing of fatalities related to apparatus response. For the purpose of viewing both fireground specific fatalities and those of traumatic nature, these deaths are in each article. The purpose is not necessarily to recalculate the number of line of duty deaths specifically, but to look at them in… Continue

Added by Bill Carey on August 1, 2009 at 8:09pm — 4 Comments