All Blog Posts (7,007)

'Tis the Season - Bah Humbug!! OR a Week in the Life of . . .

Thanksgiving came and went. This was the first year I remember since my mother made me go to Indianna with my husband to his Mother's for the holdiay the year my Dad died, (1982) that my family wasn't together. Parts of us were. I guess it is time I realize that family isn't as important to others as it is to me.

Four days off tends to make me sluggish on Monday but it was off to work. It wasn't one of my better days. This is the beginning of the end . . . of the semester on Dec… Continue

Added by Jenny Holderby on December 8, 2008 at 2:26am — 2 Comments

Help out a volunteer organization.

Lyons Volunteer Fire department is selling 2009 calendars (semi-risque, funny) featuring members in order to raise funds to purchase new Airpacks. Cost of the calendars is $15 plus shipping. If interested please contact me at jtcside@earthlink.net.

Added by Jason Thompson on December 8, 2008 at 2:19am — No Comments

Parade problems...

ok so on saturday we had two christmas parades in the area. one in the city (shelbyville) and one in our little town (Bagdad). it was about 15 degrees all day and snowing hard. the junior firefighters had a float and the firefighters had a float both of which looked amazing (hope to put pictures up soon.) Well the first parade went off perfectly other than our head adviser having the flu and everyone getting mild frostbite. Basically we froze our tails off.

Well then after cleaning… Continue

Added by Jessica Travis on December 7, 2008 at 8:13pm — 6 Comments

Police,fire,ems an dispatchers

I wish you could comprehend a wife's horror at 6 in the morning as I check her husband of 40 years for a pulse and find none. I start CPR anyway, hoping to bring him back, knowing intuitively it is too late. But wanting his wife and family to know everything possible

was done to try and save his life.

I wish you knew the unique smell of burning insulation, the taste of soot-filled mucus, the feeling of intense heat through your turnout gear, the sound of flames crackling, the… Continue

Added by jeff on December 7, 2008 at 6:47pm — 2 Comments

Let this MOFO come to Jersey

Let this MOFO come to Jersey and try this sh*t... he'd get a halligan up his ass!.. plywood held over the student would have sufficed..

I've been fighting fire for 22 yrs now and never (well once) got in a wrestling match in a fire building..

be safe all.

Bullshit… Continue

Added by Big Al on December 7, 2008 at 12:58pm — 7 Comments

I must VENT!!!!!

Well today marks the true start (for this season) of the silly crap that people do. Today in Dry Ridge we had our first round of bad roads. For some reason everyone forgets how to drive in the snow. It started to stick to the roads about 0600 and by 0900 we were on the first of many runs for the day. This happens every year, for what ever reason no one drives with caution. And tose tat do drive, especially those going to shop could care less why you are out running red lights and do not care as… Continue

Added by Ron Maddox on December 7, 2008 at 2:35am — 6 Comments

slashing nighttime staff

ERIK SHILLING, PETER HOLLEY and TOM LIDDY

Courtesy of The New York Post

Training Webcasts

Register Now Nov. 13 - 3 pm (ET)

Rope Essentials for Rapid Intervention and Survival

Presenter: Jeffrey Pindelski

This webcast will enable you to learn essential rapid intervention rope rescue concepts that can also be applied daily fireground survival.

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Recent Training Webcasts

• Exotic… Continue

Added by Big Al on December 6, 2008 at 9:27pm — 1 Comment

You may think.....

You may yell and cuss at me because it took me too long to get to your loved one’s side, but remember, I was running those lights and sirens behind you one day and you wouldn’t move over for me so I could get to another families loved one in a timely manner.

You may threaten my life, but remember, I’ve been threatened before and still had the calm demeanor about me that I do with you now. Believe me, I understand you are upset, but your threats don’t scare me.

You may say… Continue

Added by jeff on December 6, 2008 at 9:03pm — 4 Comments

Optimism and bike riding.

( I took a nearly 7 mi bike ride today and the following is an expanded ed. of my part of an IM conversation I had with a friend about it.)

I miss the regular bike riding I use to do...lol. I lived in town for 4+ years going to school and at the least the sidewalks were ok to ride on yearround if not the street. At least I thought so even when there was frost on everything. Because even when I couldn't walk to class I could ride. Now I live back home and I'm 10 miles from anything on… Continue

Added by Patience Ryan on December 6, 2008 at 9:03pm — 1 Comment

PORTABLE RADIOS THAT ARE USED IN ACTION - PLEASE HELP!!!!

Im a college student from THE ART INSTITUE OF PITTSBURGH with a design challenege to improve ergonomically the portable radios that you as a firefighter use while in action. Your feedback would be greatly apprciatated for my following design. Thank you

Here are a few questions that you might have a solution to....

What current issues do you have with your current walki talkies?

When gloves are being worn what are the problems controlling your radio?

Where do you… Continue

Added by TOMMYBLAZE on December 6, 2008 at 7:15pm — 3 Comments

12/6/2008

Today was a quiet day mostly sold Christmas trees.

Added by Eric Harjula on December 6, 2008 at 3:59pm — No Comments

The MAYDAY

Lately my vollie department has begun placing a lot of emphasis on RIT teams and calling, and responding to the MAYDAY. At my career dept. we've been training on this for years. My question to everyone is this: Why is it that we're now spending so much time on teaching each other how to get out of this situations AFTER the fact? Why is it that we don't spend more time as a family and service teaching each other how to avoid, or recognize the factors and warning signs that can put us in these… Continue

Added by Nic on December 6, 2008 at 12:18pm — 3 Comments

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter...December 6, 2008

Last night we had a class on Bloodborne Pathogens. The instructor gave me a bit of germophobic awareness! I didn't know that soaps that claim to be 'anti-bacterial' are just as effective for washing hands as Ivory soap. If you want to read up more on the topic, go to this link http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/index.html.

Today I'm going to… Continue

Added by Denise Imperiale on December 6, 2008 at 12:14pm — No Comments

Fighting

Why is it that we fight as volunteers and paid ,we all do the same job but one is blessed with a pay check ,i have done both and i have enjoyed both ,if you stick a paid fireman and a volunteer fireman next to one another in full turnout gear you cant tell them apart, we are all brothers and sisters with the same goal in mind we just have to quit fighting because one person is more trained than the other, well help that person who is under trained to become a better firefighter it will only… Continue

Added by Tim Dickerson on December 6, 2008 at 6:28am — 5 Comments

Hi Everyone!!

Wow.......it's been such a long time since i got here at Firefighter Nation. I just been very busy working. There has been some struggles there and there but everything is ok. That's what all matters right now. I have been feeling very bad because i stoppped going to my club organization ELAC(Association of Future Firefighters) because there has been some financial problems. I had to make a sacrifice to take a break from school so i can work again and help out my family. I guess later on it… Continue

Added by Valerie on December 5, 2008 at 7:43pm — No Comments

Blogging As A Tool

I’ve said it from the beginning- this blogging project is a work in progress for me, but I'm enjoying it and it's apparently pretty contagious. As far as my writing skills, however, I’m quickly learning about how to catch your interest in sound bites rather than in paragraph form, which is a big transition from technical writing. Of course, I know that to put “Buy Cialis” as a title to a firehouse blog will get people to look, even though it has… Continue

Added by Mick Mayers on December 5, 2008 at 12:30pm — 4 Comments

One Reason People Get Frustrated at the Police

Taken from KCMQ.com.

Today’s award goes to a state trooper in Massachusetts for unfairly ticketing a married couple. Jennifer Davis was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic while she was in labor, with contractions just 3 minutes apart. Her husband was trying to stay calm, but was driving in the breakdown lane of the highway. They pulled up behind a state trooper to ask for his assistance, and instead of helping them get to the hospital, he gave them a $100 citation for driving in the… Continue

Added by Bruce C Ziebarth on December 5, 2008 at 10:19am — 8 Comments

Notes from a Rookie Firefighter

I was driving in Bernardsville NJ today, trying to think of a special gift for a fellow firefighter who recently lost his dad. I stumbled upon a store called Cigars and Firetrucks in Bernardsville, NJ. It was the coolest store I've seen in such a long time. The people that worked there were so patient with me. And guess what! I ordered my boots. Now just have to hope Google makes me some money. Here's their online site http://www.candfsupply.com and the… Continue

Added by Denise Imperiale on December 4, 2008 at 8:30pm — 2 Comments

New Dad to be...

Well it's been nine months since my wife told me she was pregnant. This will be our first. She actually sent me a text message, Saying "congrtulations dad!" I just happened to be pumping at a structure fire when I found out. So anyway, this weekend she is due to deliver our first baby.

I'm extremely excited, but also very nervous, i've never really spent much time around babies, so I will be learning as I go.we've spent countless hours, prepping the nursurey, shopping for stuff we need ,… Continue

Added by Michael Bates on December 4, 2008 at 7:45pm — 11 Comments

Better Lost

A girl is confronted in the bathroom by a friend of 6 years, whom appears quite troubled....The girl asks her friend what is wrong.....her friend doesn't answer her until the girl touches her shoulder....then she breaks down and tells the girl what is wrong ......giving her quite a list of things. Then the friend (in confidence) pulls out a razor blade and tells the girl that she is thinking about using it.....The girl knows her friend quite well and knows that she is distressed and that the… Continue

Added by Jenelle on December 4, 2008 at 1:00pm — 21 Comments