after a loooooooooooooooooong day with some interesting moments, i passed the practical portion of the nremt-i 99 exam, so I just have to pass the written and I will be certified as a medic.

my third station was pediatric IO and it took me 3 attempts instead of the 2 max to get the IO which was weird because I was certain I was doing it right, then when i got it the inner trocar wouldnt come out, i had to pry it and use all of my strength to pull it out, so I mae a formal…

Hey Everyone....

We will be starting our annual collection for St Baldricks. We are helping children with cancer in Case you are not sure. Last year we raised over $25,000 in month with Our Department alone (Edison Fire Fighters and Fire Officers) IAFF locals 1197 and 2883. Once our web page is up I will post a link. We need all and any help we can get!!!!

Becoming a firefighter means serving your time as a rookie.

Serving as the Captain of a fire department means training rookies to become firefighters. How do you know when they have gone from rookie to firefighter? Are they a fire fighter when they pass FFI, or is it when they come off "proby" or probationary status. When the time set by your department is up, say a year, are they no longer a rookie then? Is it when they put on their navy blue firefighter t-shirts or car plaque on…

Tell you what, I'll save all of you the trouble and say it myself....

I'm a jackass.

There. Everyone happy?

I spent the better part of the day yesterday semi-obsessing, stressing and second-guessing about my interview. I changed clothes twice after work (I didn't want to come across as too business-like, but I didn't want to be sloppy or look too girly) and spent ten minutes alternately putting my hair up and then taking it back down again (who does this??? Oh, only…

I'M NEW TO THIS AND CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON MYSPACE.

I'M A 26 YEAR OLD FIREMAN FOR EAST DUBUQUE. I HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRE SERVICE FOR 6 YEARS, 2 YEARS OF THAT WITH MENOMINEE-DUNLIETH FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT AND THE OTHER 4 YEARS WITH EDFD EAST DUBUQUE FIRE DEPT. I HAVE BEEN WITH GALENA AMBULANCE FOR 5 YEARS AND PARAMOUNT EMS FOR 6 YEARS. I WAS NOT SURE ABOUT THIS FIELD WHEN A PARAMOUNT FROM EAST DUBUQUE CONFRONTED ME ABOUT IT BUT THEN TRIED IT OUT WITH A FRIEND AND LOVED IT. I MOVED BACK…

In a departure from my normal blog where I make observations on leadership, the human condition (?), or just the things I find amusing, I wanted to share a news article about a group of which I am very proud, our regional US&R response team. Some members of the team are also loyal Nation participants and I wanted to publicly declare my congratualtions for a job well done.

In South Carolina we have one…

• Latest run; Multiple utility lines down and entangled in trees at 420 S Walnut St.
  

My name is Mary Ellen. Those that know me fairly well call me Mel. The short story behind my nickname is that I used to cook professionally at one point in my life (among other occupations) and had a nasty habit of burning the bacon I was charged with cooking off on a weekly basis. As this was becoming an expensive habit, the chef in charge of the kitchen decided he needed to shorten my name; the thought process was that he had at least a shot at saving a couple of trays of porcine fatback…

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

-I Corinthians

There are hundreds upon hundreds of charities out there competing for your time, attention, energy, and your cash. I know I get solicited by every imaginable cause out there; some I donate to, others I "back burner" because I'm committed elsewhere, some I just shake my head at ("Save the Donkeys in the Holy Land" is my newest source of fodder…