What State do you live in?

TN

Type of Organization

Paid Fire Department

Job Function

Captain

Years in Fire/EMS:

28+

Primary Fire/EMS Department:

GREENEVILLE FD

Years With Department/Agency

25+

Web Site:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=name&id=100000458179913...

Other Past or Current Departments and Organizations

Greeneville FD (June 1989-present)
Tusculum VFD (April 2009-present)
Mosheim VFD (1990-2000)
OreBank VFD (1986-1989)
Camp Creek VFD (2008-2009)
Greene County EMS (ex-part time)
Greeneville Rescue Squad (1992-2007)
1996 Olympic Water Rescue Team (team trials)

My Training:

NASAR SAR-TECH II
EMT-IV
VEHICLE RESCUE INSTRUCTOR (TARS)
TRAIN THE TRAINER /SCENE of the ACCIDENT/LAS VEGAS FD
ATV SEARCH and RESCUE
VISUAL TRACKING
WILDERNESS MEDICINE
WINGS AIR RESCUE SURVIVAL COURSE
WATER RESCUE / RECOVERY
ROPE TECH I, II, & III
CONFINED SPACE RESCUE
WATERCRAFT RESCUE
ADVANCED TRENCH RESCUE
STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE RESCUE
SCHOOL BUS / BIG RIG RESCUE
STANDARD LAND SEARCH OPERATIONS
DIVE RESCUE I (surface support)
FARM RESCUE
SWIFTWATER TECH I & II
NFA INCIDENT SAFETY OFFICER
NFA EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO TERRORISM
NFA LEADERSHIP I, II, & III
NFA FIRE SERVICE SUPERVISION
NFA COMMAND and CONTROL of INCIDENT OPs
NFA COMMAND and CONTROL AT MULTI-ALARM INCIDENTS
NFA ICS-300 INTERMEDIATE REVIEW
NFA ICS-400 FUNDAMENTAL REVIEW
NIMS 100/200/300/400/700/706/800
FIRE OFFICER I
FD INSTRUCTOR I & II
(RIT) RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM OPs
TANKER SHUTTLE OPERATIONS
ESTABLISHING LANDING ZONES
BASIC WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING
TEMA HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TEAM OPS I & II
HAZMAT TECH
W-M-D TRAINING
STATE COMMISSION FIREFIGHTER I, II, & III
STATE FIRE SCHOOL PUMPER OPERATIONS I, II, & III
STATE FIRE SCHOOL BASIC FIRE FIGHTING I, II, & III
SCBA---"USING IT"---CLASS
"GET OUT ALIVE" CLASS
VANESSA K. FREE (EVOC)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARNESS
HAM RADIO OPERATOR (KE4PTY)
etc. , etc.......

Day Job:

Admin-Captain at the Greeneville FD

Relationship Status:

Single

Why I Joined Fire/EMS

I grew up around the local VFD and had a few friends that worked for the Greeneville FD. This helped me get the boost I needed to start getting my interest in the fire service at a very young age. The show EMERGENCY had a large influence on me as well. My kindergarten lunch box had scenes from the show even.

The main driving force came for me at age 10 one day when my dad fell over beside me with a heart attack and passed away. It was the most helpless feeling by not knowing what to do and I guess I have made it a personal goal to strive to be the best of the best and never have a helpless feeling like that day.

I have taken every possible class (excluding law enforcement) I could to improve my skills and offer support to other members as they learn the trade. I will never allow myself to stop learning and I am always searching out new and up-dated ways to improve myself through articles in books, magazines, the internet, classes, or by any other means available.

I always look at something that I or others have done and ask myself if it could have been done any different. This is not to second guess any decisions but to only use it as a training tool to get better as I go.

Why I Love Fire/EMS

Assisting people in times of need that challenges you as a responder / department to meet their needs. It can be a simple good deed or gesture that you do for someone or providing an emergency action to make a difference in someone's life.

Top Issues Facing Responders:

The fact that we (the fire service) are having to do more with less and less on a daily basis with funding being taken away that would add more staffing and on-board equipment. This is only compounded by the fact that we are still supposed to provide our services at a certain level in the eyes of the public and the politicians.

Getting people to volunteer in these difficult economic times is also adding to the fire service's problems. The demands that departments are having to now require of its members for training and recertifications is difficult at best. The departments that are not enforcing this are only sending under trained or non-trained responders to situations.