I took my 3-year-old granddaughter to Station 16 in San Francisco. It is located in an area known as Cow Hollow. A nice station in a residential neighborhood. The guy I met on the apparatus floor was a good fella. He was there on a staffing readjustment so it was not his home station. He let her sit in the cab and when I noticed some strange gear he told me they did water rescue. It was part of their duty to respond to jumpers off the Golden Gate Bridge. It once again brought to mind the stuff… Continue

Doug S. is retiring in August. He was a captain when I came on the job in 1973. He is pushing 70 now and is captain of engine 1 in downtown San Jose. It is a running company, lots of calls at night and one of the busiest in the city. I don't know how he does it. When I was in my 30s and 40s I could be up all night and have a life the next day. I would get off duty and could work on my home projects. In my late 40s and 50s night calls would ruin me the next day, I would go home and nap , but I… Continue

I went to a retirement dinner for a good guy. He worked at our downtown station for 30 years. It was a multiple unit firehouse and he always made sure he was on the rig getting the most runs. Usually our union does large combined retirement dinners, but due to legal costs over the last year money is no longer available. This dinner was put on by people he worked with over the years. He was involved in some great rescues and when he realized he could not do the job the way he felt it needed to… Continue

We buried a good man today. Twelve rigs and over 200 firefighters, captains and chiefs from all the local departments showed up. Nine pipers and a mixed honor guard from various departments participated. The large church was filled with friends, family, retired firefighters, and police. It was a good service, like so many others I have attended over the past years. His son spoke, the local union president-who is the son of a firefighter I worked with-spoke. A film collage of his life and open… Continue

It is amazing that we have to fight for our rights and pensions we paid for. I am going to yet another funeral for a firefighter.  John was 61 and had battled Cancer for the past number of years. This was guy that competed successfully in the firefighter iron man contests. He was in top shape physically and mentally, yet cancer linked to the job took him. Although we worked for different departments, I got to know him when one of my guys wanted to compete. He was glad to mentor a brother… Continue