Ken R. died last week. His family immigrated from Ireland when he was 10. He worked in a small department prior to coming to SJFD. He was 70. That may sound old to someone 30 but to us in our 60s it seems real close. Ken was a quiet guy, not one to engage in horseplay or trash-talk around the kitchen table: a very dependable fireman at fires and emergencies and that is how we are judged. A wise chief once told me the ideal is to be retired for longer than you work. That means I have to make it… Continue

San Jose Fire was very fortunate, in that during my time on the job we had only one on-duty death. As I previously mentioned, we had numerous job-related deaths and injuries. We came close a number of times; in my days firefighting used very aggressive tactics, which some now view to be too aggressive.



The education about Haz Mat and the changes it brought went against our desire to get in and get the job done. When dealing with chemicals that can kill or debilitate with a drop on… Continue

As with most firefighters, I have had my share of ceilings fall on me and floors give way below my boots. Hot tar has run down my helmet and steam and heat has burned my ears (before Nomex hoods). In the movies, fire is sometimes depicted as a beast that talks to you. I have only had that experience once.



Engine 7 was second in on a large pool supply warehouse fire. When we arrived, it had already gone to multiple alarm and we knew we were going to be there all night. My regular… Continue

During 25 years of fighting fires and responding to calls, there are times when you know that was as close as you want to come to the edge. When you sense death tapping you on the shoulder and know that day you earned your pay.



My first was an ammonia leak at a rail yard. I was on the tailboard of Engine 7 when we were dispatched at 2100 hrs. When we got close, the smell almost knocked me and Tom off. S.J.F.D. had just set up a Haz Mat unit, and when we pulled up, I saw them… Continue

Firefighters in this country have not always had the goodwill we enjoy today. In some places the saying, "they break what they do not steal," was common. The trust we have is sacred and anything done by any of us to lessen it affects all of us.



I do volunteer work overseas. It is no biggie, just payback for the good life I have enjoyed. When I was sent to Russia a number of years ago, I took some language lessons to prepare. The Russian word for firefighter sounds like, "Pajarnick."… Continue

There are numerous good books about our life. The classic Engine 82 written around when I started in the early 1970s still stands out. Dennis Smith went on to start Firehouse magazine and was a tailboard fireman of the first order. B-shifter by Nick Brunacini on Phoenix Fire tells it like it is. His Dad was Chief there and did much to modernize our profession. Medal of Valor by Michael Middleton tells the stories of the best of the best. It makes me humble to know I wore… Continue

Thanks for your comments on past posts.



We all have repeat calls to people. Some of mine stand out over the years and have stayed with me for various reasons.



Roy L. was a drunk. We got called out to lots of drunks at all times of the day or night. Classic conversation, "How long have you been drinking," slurred answer, "All my life." Roy would call us at 2 or 3 in the morning. Difficulty breathing. The first time I responded I put the O2 mask on with no result and… Continue

Promotions on the San Jose Fire Department are based on a written test and an oral board consisting of chief officers from other departments. The orals have several stations covering tactics, personnel issues, and whatever else is dreamed up as relevant by whatever branch of the city is in charge of the process at that time. In my 25 years, the tests varied greatly.



In the beginning, the written tests were formulated by senior staff of the fire department. Questions came from our… Continue

New Year's Eve in San Francisco. The year 2010 came really fast. Got up the nerve to call my friend who rode the tailboard with me on Engine 7 many years ago. He is dying of cancer now: a slow death and he is in pain and knows the end is near. He was always a man of courage who took things on head first. He is dealing with this the same way. What do you talk about with someone who is so near to death? He is not the first of my fire department buddies to die of cancer.



There is a long… Continue

Fire departments are para-military organizations. As with most things in life this leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Some departments are run with strict military disipline, while others are lax at the firehouse. But as we know, there is no room for discussion on the fire ground.



In San Jose, we lived by the OAG (Official Action Guide). This very thick 3-ring binder had rules covering everything from when you got up in the morning to how long your hair or mustache could be (a… Continue

Food at the firehouse brought some good comments. Seagulls are birds that inhabit coastal areas and dumps. They are also firefighters who swoop other people's food. We have all done it at some level, but some make it an everyday event. Most firehouses have three cabinets designated for the three shifts to keep their supplies in. Staples that are not covered by house dues are fair game to all. The private shift stash is sometimes locked to prevent "gulling." Big houses may have three… Continue

Most people on the street know firefighters eat at work and do other stuff as shown on TV or in movies. They have no idea of the complex social system that exits behind those roll-up doors.

While traveling in Italy years ago I visited a firehouse in Florence. While being given a tour, I noticed the cabinets in the kitchen had padlocks on them. When I asked, I was informed it was to protect against, "The other shifts stealing our food." Same problem the world over. Food and all that implies… Continue

LESSONS



In 1974, just off my year probation, Light Unit 10 was dispatched to a difficulty breathing call. I was higher classed as the driver and had a probie fireman with me. This was before EMT training, and the ambulances did not carry paramedics yet. When we arrived at the low-rent apartment complex we found a 60-year-old man down. Liquor was evident and two women were standing in the room. The guy was not breathing. He looked like he had been down for a while so I asked how long… Continue

In a good movie, in the first 15 minutes or so, there must be an inciting incident. This sets the theme.



In my career I had three in the first few months.



The first was an EMS call. The light unit was sent with me and a more experienced fireman: Code 3 to a nice house. A middle-of-the-night call to a difficulty breathing. At that time, we had not become EMTs yet and carried all our equipment in a small tackle box and a thing called a Flynn ventilator.

We were shown to… Continue

THE BOYS CLUB



In 1973 the citizens in San Jose, CA, rightly voted to add a forth fireman to its 28 engines and a fifth to its 7 trucks. At that time, before the computer boom, San Jose was a city going from a small agricultural town with wonderful orchards and flower growers to a major population expansion and industrial boom. I had taken tests all over the Bay Area and had only been to San Jose once before I put in my application. By adding the extra people, I was placed in the… Continue

Over the last 150 years or so or job has had 5 major changes. The first was when we went from hand pumpers to steam. This required horse power to pull the rigs. The next was when we lost the horses and about the same time lost the steamers and went to gas powered rigs and mechanical pumps. When I came on the job in 1973 in San Jose California we still had WW11 surplus rigs, open cabs, and 10 foot long engine compartments that required you to start your turns 20 feet before the corners. This was… Continue