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Engineco913

Male

Bradford

United States

Profile Information:

Type of Organization: Fire/Rescue Department - Volunteer
Job Function: Firefighter, First Responder, Hazardous Materials Team Member, Driver / Engineer
Years in Fire/EMS:: 15
Primary Fire/EMS Department:: Hope Valley Wyoming Fire Department
Years With Department/Agency: 3
My Training:: Firefighter 1 and 2 certified Pro Board
RIT training
First Responder (just below EMT-B)
Emergency Vehicle Operations
Vehicle Rescue Technician
SCBA Instructor
Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal (NFPA Inspector for fire code compliance)
Haz Mat Operations,
Haz Mat Technician,
Cameo/Aloha/Marplot,
ICS 100, 200 700, 800(NIMS)
Wildland operations 1 and 2
Jouvenile firesetters awareness
Evidence collection (haz mat)
Advanced Forestry operations,
Pump Operations,
Propane emergency Trained x 3(with live burn)
Tanker Shuttle operations
VFIS Highway Safety Program
VFIS drivers training Program
and many more I have taken
About Me:: Been on the job (yes even volunteer its my job, and my life) since 1993, loving every minute of it. I have rescued 2 people from burning houses, and more animals than I care to remember. (mental note, iguana's have a whip for a tail, and ferrets bite when freaked out) I am the go to guy when things need to get done, and My only reward is knowing I am making my community a safer place to be for all the residents and visitors who grace us with their presence.
Day Job:: Construction
Relationship Status:: In a Relationship
Why I Joined Fire/EMS: I am a fourth generation firefighter. Growing up around the firehouse gave me the desire to become like my family had, a member of the brotherhood.
Why I Love Fire/EMS: Knowing that I am part of the firefighter family, and ensuring the life safety and property preservation of any and all whom live or visit the town. Firefighters that crave recognition are in the wrong business
Top Issues Facing Responders:: The top issue for the fire service is the declining support for the fire departments as a whole since 9-11. 9-11 brought on an immense if not overwhelming amount of support for all fire companies nationwide. It exposed America to the real job, and the reality that at any given moment we can be gone as firefighters. We are taken advantage of by cities, towns and the citizens. Always the first for budget cuts, and we make due each time. I think they need to create a grant that would provide money to fire departments with true need, for lack of budget funding, or community support. This grant should be easy to apply for and should limit ALL paid departments whom get funded through big tax dollars. Too often with funds match grants the smaller departments get left behind because they cant match the grant requirements but a city with millions of dollars can afford to throw money to match.
Firefighter Safety is something else which is growing more lax. There are many great officers and firefighters who are great at spreading the word safety, and not just spreading the word, but practicing what they preach as well. We have way too many damn injuries and deaths a year that are completely avoidable due to safety issues. Even basic things like not wearing a seatbelt will kill enough firefighters a year to show that there isn't enough being done to make ourselves safer

Comment Wall:

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SPENCER DORSEY

You too,I added people then you would never hear from them again,so I deleted a lot,I know whay you mean,take care

Jun 1, 2008
LadyChaplain

My cousin was at the game where Manny hit #500. I'm pretty jealous.

Jun 1, 2008
LadyChaplain

M Cubed = McKenzie M____ M_______. My first name and my two middle names all begin with the letter M!

Jun 2, 2008
LadyChaplain

Yes, yes it does.

Jun 2, 2008
Kimberly A Bownas

Hey, Mike missed yo last night and then I remembered this morning that you had the game to go to. Hopefully it was a good game. Talk to you later. :o)

Jun 4, 2008
LadyChaplain

I'm depressed.
And I'm listening to Korn and Limp Bizkit... and it's not helping... and that's making me even more sad :-(

Jun 9, 2008
LadyChaplain

I'm not even dating Jon anymore and he still manages to upset me. It's not just him, but this whole lack of a social life thing... it's REALLY getting to me this summer already.

Jun 9, 2008
LadyChaplain

How can I have fun if I have no one to have fun with?

Jun 9, 2008
Shannon H. Pennington

Thanks for the comment on Chiefs discussion.....I always work with the attitude that "it's all small stuff". Montgomery Fire and Rescue has had 12 firefighter suicides in the last 10 years. Houston Fire has had similar ...... and the point of open and up front discussion with the chiefs who are on the front lines is was and will be....one of getting the message out that.....it is way overdue to pull up our hitch and begin to address the issues...in a fair frank open and honest dialogue...So....I have worn my Rangers in other peoples houses as a 26 year career firefighter with IAFF and know when and where the boots have taken me......suffice to say.....ppe is still required when dealing with provincialisim and o.b.c. attitudes in the emergent 21st Century. Web stats for NAFFVN went past 126 thousand hits over 20 months. 15 Hits from China 7 From S. Korea.....Russian Federation Italy, Spain and yes Argentina......Seems like that part of the Message is getting out there.....cake for everyone.....much work to do....off I go....ten and six ten and six.....mad as a hatter.....

Warmly Shannon NAFFVN Senior Chief.

Jun 9, 2008
Mary Ellen Shea

thanks Mike, it's good to know who your friends are, and I've got some amazing friends on here.
xo,
Mel

Jun 18, 2008
Kimberly A Bownas

Hey Mike,

Just read your post and left a comment for ya.. Really good..

Jun 18, 2008
Kimberly A Bownas

Hey mike, just wanted to say hi and hope everything is going good. talk to you soon there buddy..

Jun 25, 2008
Kimberly A Bownas

Thanks Mike I knew you would know what that was.. lol :o)

Jun 26, 2008
Medicine Man

I agree, I think she thought she would just throw that out there and no one would question it. I seldom get a ball down the middle and dont swing at it, and that was a big fat one. I think you have pretty much crushed her credibility on this point.
Stay safe!

Jun 29, 2008
Mary Ellen Shea

Hi Mike,
Just "wont" to say hi.
:)
I've been following your discrimination discussion. Nicely done.

Jun 29, 2008
Kimberly A Bownas

Hey Mike, hope softball practice went well..

Jun 29, 2008
LadyChaplain

Hey gimpy. I posted pics of my new kids on my page. Feel free to be jealous :-)

Jul 1, 2008
Mary Ellen Shea

thanks Mike, I made it with the FOGIES and Brianna in mind.

Jul 8, 2008
Mary Ellen Shea

"duuuuuude" you have too much time on your hands.
:-P
xo
Mel

Jul 8, 2008
Kurt Kamm

Engineco913 - please ignore my message. Some members have determined it is an "ad". Not intended that way, but just foreget it.
Kurt

Jul 12, 2008
Kimberly A Bownas

Hey there, hope your weekend was good and not as busy as mine...

Jul 14, 2008
Kimberly A Bownas

Hey Mike, hope you are staying cool today...

Jul 18, 2008
Mary Ellen Shea

I had to have Ted 'splain what a PAT is .....

Yikes....but you big strong firefighter-type person....I'm sure you'll be fine.
Just don't keel over and die or anything. That would probably lessen your chances of employment....

Jul 25, 2008
Mary Ellen Shea

Hey Mike
Got your text last night, but never had anything in my yahoo from you--

Jul 26, 2008
Nick Prom

Hey, was reading a comment you left about Jr Firefighters and I totaly agree with you, I was an Explorer for 4 years with my department and loved every minute of it because our department allows our Explorers to do lots of things. Our Explorers are not just Go-Fors, they are setting up hydrants, pulling supply lines, setting up our rual water supply and many other exterior scene operations. I know that from experience that the if I didn't have these great experiences I don't know if I would love the job as much as I do now.

Jul 27, 2008
Mary Ellen Shea

Hey Mike,
Got your text--no good...bad timing.
I'll yelp at ya in Yahoo later.

Aug 5, 2008
Mary Ellen Shea

saaaay.....notice we're BOTH legends in our mind?

Aug 5, 2008
Mary Ellen Shea

what Ted said....

THHHHBBBBBPPPPPPTTTTT

Aug 7, 2008
Ben Waller

Mick is the NFA, but the other two shifts have been running most of the fires. I just happed to be a lot closer to the working fire than the on-duty battalion chief the other day. We had the critique today, and no one was fired or executed, so we must have done OK.

We have an excellent departmnt here. I feel fortunate to be a part of it, and even more fortunate that I'm a chief officer in the organization.

Working with Mick is an honor. We see eye to eye on the important stuff and on most other things. We manage to have some fun, too.

Take care,
Ben

Aug 7, 2008
Chad King

Why can't you believe that you were commenting on my issue at my blog? Just kinda venting.

Aug 7, 2008
Ben Waller

Friend request accepted. Don't put me on too tall of a pedestal. I'm just an old firefighter that's learned how to banter at the kitchen table and is sick and tired of going to LODD funerals.
I also never get tired of learning, and of the effort to discovery better ways to do things through the creative application of devil's advocacy.

Aug 8, 2008
FETC

I posted on your Critical RIT post. Feel free to email or call me if youhave any questions. Bill

FETC
www.fetcservices.com

Aug 8, 2008
Big Jim

Dear Sir. I am sure this message will leave you skeptical. I cannot do anything about that. Please, just read it to the end.
I want to apologize to you for anything I wrote or did that you found offensive or upsetting. Last night, while at work, I was born again in Jesus Christ. I feel a strong need to make amends to anyone I have wronged or offended in any way, thus the purpose for this message. I am not asking for anything from you. God bless you. Jim

Aug 9, 2008
LadyChaplain

Just wont to say hi.

Aug 10, 2008
Joe Stoltz

Oh, my eyes.... my eyes...

Aug 10, 2008
Jim Brunelle Jr.

beauty!!!!!!

Aug 10, 2008
FF Schoen

Hey 913 I like your HazMat T design that you have up. Did you guys make that logo?

Aug 10, 2008
FF Schoen

We have a pretty much same design for our HazMat Tech cert class shirt. Ours reads 4 weeks of Hell on the back of it and has a pretty cool Technician logo on the front of it. Our t-shirt designer tripped it out some and it came out cool.

Aug 11, 2008
Mary Ellen Shea

We miss you too Miguel....

can't wait to see you guys in Rhode Island. I had a really rough day yesterday--had some pretty bad news on my end, but I'll tell you in person when I see you. Nothing I want to post here.
xo
Mel

Aug 17, 2008
Kimberly A Bownas

Hey Mike,
Friday can't come soon enough, can't wait to get to RI. The girls are so excited and so are we...

Aug 17, 2008
Firefighter Nation WebChief

Thanks...the more the Merrier!

Aug 18, 2008
LadyChaplain

An Eminem reference? Man, you are so not FOGIES material with that.

Aug 26, 2008
Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd

As a fellow hazmatter... does your state / department support toxmedics? I've been really enjoying reading your blogs and how you deal with things. You are good people. My personal goal with the FFN is to get this program on board for all of us. Not just a few states, hence me writing you. At this point, I don't know who has what but conducting basic research at this point, getting copies of SOG's, drug box lists, training curriculums and equipment seems to be the right place to start. I hope you can help me out. Fraternally, Mike Schlags from Santa Barbara

Aug 27, 2008
Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd

How come the fire medics have not received the AHLS training? One of my thoughts is that whoever the hazmat safety officer is, they need to be trained to recognize the subtleties of chemical exposure. They listen with headsets for voice patterns, breathing and anything else that pertains to evaluating one of their own for signs and symptoms of toxic material exposure. This is going past the basic SLUDGEM pneuonic. I have not taken the class but my wife, who's a trauma nurse will be doing so this year. One of the tricks I've heard about for example is to have the person touch their thumb to the tips of all four fingers... I'm sure you are doing it right now... : ) Now do it faster... no... faster... if someone has been compromised in any way, this CNS qualifier may indicate that things may go south on you. These are the pearls I am looking for to share and distribute while I'm still around to do so. I think it's cool that we are willing to take these risks, but as a company officer, I don't feel comfortable sending my guys in to accomplish tasks if things go bad, they get exposed and we have to rely on the status quo ems community to deal with it. The over 25 years that I have been traveling around the US (and Hawaii) teaching hazmat taught me that when a firefighter gets exposed, the hospital usually mismanages the guy, promising to do better next time... This is not acceptable. I am watching a fellow firefighter and personal friend die from brain cancer. We need to prevent people from having their lives cut short and from causing so much pain for family and friends. It all starts with discussions like this, networking and figuring out how to make the world a happier and better place... : ) Mike

Aug 27, 2008
Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd

Now... with the help of folks like you, we will see changes. Failure to prepare is preparing for failure... Thanks so much for your encouragement and immediately understanding the necessity for this. With all the concern and grant funding for 1st responders, not being able to protect our own should one of these events occur would be a tragic. Not everyone is big enough to support a MMRT (Metropolitan Medical Strike Team). If something is going to happen, don't we get reminded through the more advanced training that soft targets are the real concern. That's why there is Terror in Terrorism...
Protecting all of us, not a new concept but I am sure that you have the same concerns that I have.

Aug 27, 2008
Kimberly A Bownas

Hey Mike, Can't wait for next summer when we all can get together again and have fun... :o)

Aug 28, 2008
Nicholi69

Does it matter if they are not mine and i was never at the wreck scene sent to me via chain email its a out of state wreck

Aug 29, 2008
Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd

Ditto... looked at the turbodraft unit. and they make it for 5" hose! any idea how much it is?

Sep 3, 2008
Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd

There's nothing worse then getting stuck at a water source... ms

Sep 3, 2008
Tony P

I just saw your "Heinz - Spotted Dick" picture on someone else's page. That was one of my favourite deserts dishes when I was a kid! Home made of course! My parents called it 'Spotted Dog", they must have thought 'Dick' a little rude...

Sep 7, 2008