All Blog Posts (7,007)

My Day Yesterday

I went to an appointment yesterday morning. The appointment was at 9am. Well I was six minutes late to the appointment, so in a big rush left the keys in my car. BIG mistake. I came out and my car was gone. Yup someone stole my car!!! Had to do the police report, DMV, and insurance stuff all day. Drove all over the city, side streets, back roads, parking lots, everywhere. My car is nowhere to be found. So almost 24 hours later and still nothing!!! Yea that was my day

Added by Jean Relyea on August 7, 2009 at 7:41am — 4 Comments

The Firefighter Within

Never give up.
Never give in.
Fight 'til you lose or fight 'til you win.
Never let up.
Never let down.
Never let the frighten see you frown.
Wield your weapons.
Conquer your fears.
Work 'til your sweat replaces their tears.
Learn from your losses.
Savor your wins.
Prepare for the next one.
And battle again.

That is the firefighter within.

Added by Tony Ramirez on August 7, 2009 at 1:30am — 2 Comments

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

Firefighters as Violent Offenders?

In the past couple weeks, one firefighter shot his family pets--two dogs that I'm sure his kids are now heartbroken over--so he didn't have to board them while going on a cruise with his girlfriend.

In another story, a firefighter shot a bicyclist because he thought the cyclist was riding with his child too close to a busy roadway. Luckily, the cyclist and his child are still alive, although I'm sure the 3-year-old won't want to take any more bike rides with daddy for a… Continue

Added by Cindy Devone-Pacheco, FireRescue on July 31, 2009 at 12:25pm — 5 Comments

Any Words of wisdom

I have been on a Vol. Fire Dept. For four years now and I know I want to make it a career. I have been looking in to the Air Force. Some friends that have been in the army and the navy, past their thoughts of what branch is better they tell me I can get in as a E-2 with the little exp. and certs. That I have. Is their any Air Force people that can help?

Added by Robert Keck on July 30, 2009 at 8:08pm — 2 Comments

And just when you thought it couldn't get worse

Stories abound from all around the nation concerning, cutbacks in staffing, rolling "brownouts" and stations being closed, all due to budget concerns and shortfalls.

One Texas town, Nolanville, has gone the extra step and severed it's ties... with it's own fire department. You read it right. They cut off ALL funding for their own volunteer fire department. In addition, they cut 5 police officer's positions.

This little town of approximately 2150 residents will now have to… Continue

Added by Oldman on July 30, 2009 at 6:49pm — 4 Comments

Alert tones to phone

Any one know another site besides Moses.bz that allows your pager calls to your cell phone. Not havin the greatest luck with moses.bz if you contact him you will wait and wait for response and for him to activate your phone.

Please let me know if any one knows thanks

Added by Michael on July 30, 2009 at 4:20pm — 11 Comments

Rebuttal to comments) RE:"How much is enough"?

Thanks for your comments on my Blog. I guess in some ways, i am a bit more sensitive to his side of it, in that, i lost my dad this past November who died at 82 while in prison. And i have a young nephew currently in prison. Both clearly deserved to be there for the things they did and the bad choices they made. But while my dad did come to recognize his mistakes and was trying to make amends,my nephew will likely spend more time than he was sentenced to due to his bucking the system in there.… Continue

Added by Brent A. Ellis on July 30, 2009 at 2:00pm — 2 Comments

Let's Talk About Fear...

About a month ago, I got really scared.

We were in a smoky first floor above a basement fire. We didn't know it had burned itself out. We had just entered and had the line at the top of the stairs. I had plenty of air in my SCBA. We really hadn't gone to work yet.

It wasn't even that hot.

All of the sudden, my mind felt like it was 2003 and I was in a bunker with those same missiles being shot at me again. I guess that's what they call a… Continue

Added by Jason on July 30, 2009 at 1:36pm — 3 Comments

How much is enough?

I have a friend who was recently dismissed from his fire dept for being on parole. His Chief knew from the start, of his past trouble, a felony conviction from over twenty years ago. This man did do time, over 20 years. and had completely turned his life around for the good. but was still on parole. that was the reason his Chief gave for letting him go, saying "it did not look good..." This man served with honor, courage, and distinction as a firefighter, and was never late, never a problem,… Continue

Added by Brent A. Ellis on July 29, 2009 at 8:17am — 6 Comments

Blowin’ in the Wind, Part 3

Working the interior of a fire building during a wind-driven high-rise fire

By Fred LaFemina

On the fireground, our No. 1 priority is life safety—including the lives of firefighters, which is why clear, concise and acknowledged communication is so important for safe and effective operations. At wind-driven high-rise fires, information gathered and relayed directly affects operations, both offensive and defensive.

Relaying pertinent information… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 29, 2009 at 6:00am — 1 Comment

No Butts about It: Pennsylvania picks up a powerful anti-smoking program for firefighters

By Jane Jerrard

Photo iStock.com

Firefighters across America—and especially in Pennsylvania—are getting some hardcore help kicking the tobacco habit. Thanks to a smoking cessation program introduced by the International Association of Fire Firefighters (IAFF), and picked up in June by the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association (PPFFA), any firefighter who smokes can get help with quitting—help that’s professionally designed and proven to… Continue

Added by Fire Rescue Magazine on July 29, 2009 at 6:00am — 1 Comment

The Fire Service Trifecta

Departmental excellence comes from a proven action plan, not a high-stakes bet

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a site visit of a department applying for re-accreditation. As a long-term student of the fire service, I’ve always found value in visiting other departments and learning how they operate and seeing what tools and techniques they’ve tried and/or rejected. I’m always amazed by the creative minds and innovative methodologies that make our… Continue

Added by Timothy Sendelbach on July 28, 2009 at 9:48pm — 4 Comments