Well I found out that this year as part of the annual Pittsburgh Fire Expo the Scott Fire fighter Combat Challenge will be on site for the expo Oct 2-3. I hope that it will be accessible to everyone and not just the people attending the expo. With that said I have decided that I will be attempting the toughest 2 minutes in sports. So starting next week I will be beginning a training regimen that I can work around my FFI class and normal life. And maybe I can get a group of guys from my station… Continue

Of course. The day we are doing practicals at the academy for hittin hydrants we are supposed to get heavy snow with 1 to 3 inches poss. Oh well train like you play. Not every fire scene is going to be ideal, I don't mind the snow It makes you more aware I think, But it will be fun watching some of the juniors in the class fumble and learn. I find it funny I am almost 30 and there are kids in my class that are not even able to drive yet. Don't get me wrong I'm not dissing the juniors They are… Continue

OK here in the greater Pittsburgh area we got approx 3-4 inches of snow maybe more in some areas. My gripe is this. Why does such a small amount of snow shut down the schools, court houses, govt offices, large corp, and just about everything that is not related to selling things to the direct consumer. I woke my butt up at 0345 for a smoking wire call in a residence this morning and guess what there were already 3 inches of snow on the ground. What did i do? I cleaned my car off and went to the… Continue

I start my classes at the Allegheny County Fire Academy this Saturday. Im enrolled in the first 3 module classes to meet the requirements for an exterior FF. So I don't get a Saturday till 5/17. Then some time after that the Wife and I are going to take a vacation somewhere. Then is back to the academy for module 4 for Interior FF. I am looking forward to going to class. being the NFG in the department I have a lot more to learn, even though every day i'm at the station I try to learn something… Continue

Well its official Im now married.

I got married just before Christmas. It's a good thing, my now wife and i have been through alot and it has been nothing but a good thing for us. WE were trying to have a big wedding but with trying to pay for the whole thing our selves it just is going to take so much longer than planned. So we just did something small and can take more time for the big show.

Well I got my first working fire as a probie on sat. It was the end unit of a series row houses. As I was going to the station I got to the back side of my block and there it was. At this point the tones finish dropping and the address comes over. I pass the location and pd is just arriving on scene about halfway there, pd reports a working fire, and my first out engine is already out the door with 5. I arrive at the station at the same time our second Captain arrived. He decides to jump the… Continue

Well we finished all but the floor and ceiling of the bay. it def looks brighter than it did. now we can resume drill on Tuesday nights.



Ive noticed now that the temp is starting to drop out here in pa that the calls for smoke and or smell of gas in a house have jumped. Do people check their furnace before turning it on the first time of the season anymore? I thought it would be common sense just to make sure all is ok before you turn up the thermostat and walk away for a few hours.… Continue

Well the engine bay is about 90% done now. Thank god. All that is left is 20ft of wall to paint fully. then the Tuesday's can stop being painting day, and back to drills. But the good thing is tonight is a haz mat awareness class at my station. this way I can be ahead of the curve a bit once I get to start my essentials classes. But that wont be until the county fire academy starts the next set in the spring semester. so until then I'm getting all my training in house.

Well yesterday I finally got to see the doctor to get cleared for fire duty. So no big deal I'm in over all good health and what not, and the doc gave me a clean bill for fire service. I was off to the station for the weekly drill and the monthly meeting. We have been really pushing to get our engine bay repainted before it gets cold out so our drill was to continue the painting project. NBD it needs to get done BAD. Well we get into the meeting and half way through it we get dispatched to a… Continue

Well I have a week until i get my physical to clear me for active duty. Really no big deal there, except I missed out on a 3 alarm over the weekend. I know ill have more chances later on but i hate sitting on the sidelines not able to respond. from what i saw in the pics afterwards it was rollin' good. well ill keep up on the drill and have to sit tight another week to see the doc.

I just found out that on Sept 11th at the monthly meeting My application was approved by the members and I was accepted as a Probie for Swissvale VFD. I feel greatly honored that I was not only accepted but the day I got accepted was 6 years to the day that the towers collapsed taking so many lives firefighters, police, and civilian alike in NYC.

I am currently waiting for the call from the VFD that i applied to to get my background check back. They had just recently changed services for this check and next week should be the vote. Now if this doesn't get back in time Ill have to wait another month for the next meeting. So Ill sit and wait, Not that im to worried there is nothing on my background to worry about. If there is I wish I could of been there to witness it. unless someone out there knows of a good service on line that isn't to… Continue