More and more of my firemen friends are retiring, this is the result of hiring large recruit academies in the early 80’s. I have gone to a few retirement parties to wish my friends well in retirement land and to see other retirees.…

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I have been asked if Firefighters are good in bed and since I’ve only slept with one, my ex-wife, I have a very limited data base on the subject. I won’t discuss my ex-wife in this post as that is far too private for a blog. I will offer some stories about firefighters in bed that I do know all too well.…

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Becoming a firefighter is quite a process and always has been. The testing has taken many forms over the years. When I tested in the early 80s it was so grueling I vomited following the physical agility test and had to sit in my car for 10-15 minutes before I could drive.…

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I have had a lot of friends ask me how do firefighters feel about all the things that have happened this week in America, from the Boston Marathon to West, Texas and the many other tragic events less reported. I can’t speak for all firefighters and would never attempt something so arrogant as to try and express how it feels to lose a…

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If you aren’t watching the new show on NBC called Chicago Fire you should be. The show has a great pedigree it comes from Dick Wolf of Law and order fame and a friend Derek Hass. I don’t give it a strong recommend because I know some of the people involved, but rather because it is serving an educational roll in my opinion.

 

After the first episode my sister called me. She was nearly in tears after having watched the show. She told me that the show…

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The Fire Chief of my home town has had a YouTube video made about him. I’m sure most of you are familiar with the format; it has been used hundreds of times on YouTube. It is the famous Hitler rant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYJNoicuGeA&feature=player_embedded

 

Hitler sits at his desk surrounded by his staff of officers, all the…

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So Sauza Tequila wants you to “Make it with a Fireman” have you seen this ad heating up Youtube? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0hq4bBnYIM&feature=player_embedded#!

The internet is all a buzz over it. I’ll try and fit all of my complaints into a single post here, but that may be very hard.

 

First off SHAME ON SAUZA TEQUILA! You desperate soul…

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When the weakness of a firefighter is discovered, it is exploited by some for the entertainment of the rest. I was an exploiter. I worked with many unusual people myself counted in that statement.

 

Some had strange behaviors around the way they ate, slept, exercised, read, talked, you name it there was someone on the job with a different way of doing it, a way most would describe as not normal.

 

Here is another uniqueness…

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My experience with Billy-Bob left me even more apprehensive about my up-coming meeting with the “Big”. The Big Chief was an outsider, he hadn’t come up through the ranks of my department, he had been imported from of all places California.

 

Even though he had been on my job for at least ten years at this point, he was still an outsider, which had the possibility of being an advantage or disadvantage. He had formed his opinion of me all by himself…

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So the day came to meet the “Big” Chief. I figured this would be much like all the other meetings with all the other chiefs. In a conference room with a big table and at least half a dozen white shirts and gold badges. Meetings with me were always a team sport, TimO on one team and then a real team.

 

I don’t think the other team was assembled because they feared it would get violent or crazy in some way. I think they all knew I was a clever drunk, as…

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  This is an excerpt from my next book, love some feedback.

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I was asked by a reader if I was ever drunk at work. That is a difficult question to simply answer with a yes or no. In the early days before my alcoholism had fully bloomed, I did show up to work hung-over frequently.

 

By the standards now in place in the modern world, I’m sure I showed up under the influence. Nobody can drink all night long on a Friday, from 8-9 o’clock until 2:00 am and show up to work at 7:00 and be sober. It’s…

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How do you get a “reputation” in the fire service? Obviously there are two main types of reps a person can acquire. The good and the bad, but are either of those considered positive or negative?

 

I can only speak from my personal experience and based on direct feedback I received from mostly supervisors. I had a chance in the last week to sit down and have a cup of Joe with a fire chief I used to work for.

 

My book has caused a lot…

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On Friday, members of the Barbados Fire Service learned of the death of Chrisita Idalia Yarde a civilian employee of the department.

Ms. Yarde was employed as a maid and worked with the department for many years serving at all of the fire stations before being appointed to staff (full time) in 2004. She was last assigned to the Worthing Fire Station in Christ Church.



The sincerity with which Idalia approached everyone will certainly be… Continue