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Fully Engulfed Meteor: You Make the Call

Last night, while I was working on finalizing plans for our Firefighter Netcasts at FDIC next week, a strange even occurred.  The evening sky lit up from what is claimed to have been a meteor about the size of a soccer ball headed straight for the area of Lone Rock (oh, the irony) in southwest Wisconsin.

Here is a police cruiser’s dashcam video

From Pat Curry at WGN News:

Over in Avoca, 55 miles due west of Madison, where rumors of treetop fires spread, volunteer Adam Lins said he didn’t hear of any such fires. But he did see the blazing fiery object overhead while his wife and he drove home from a meeting.

“It started out small, then got bigger and bigger,” Lins said. “It was going from northwest to southeast and looked like it was headed somewhere around Highland or Lone Rock, about 8 miles away. It was going very fast. My wife saw it better than I though.”

And then something happened, Lins said.

“We stopped to talk to people in the street. About a minute afterward we heard what sounded like a sonic boom. You could feel it.”

My thoughts turned to those of the poor company officer, who, when dispatched to a call of a fully-engulfed meteor fire, would begin pre-planning his attack.

Does your department have a SOP/SOG on mitigating this event?  Go ahead, look.

If none exists, then you are in luck.  If you are a firefighter looking for a bugle, or a bugle looking for a band, here’s  golden opportunity to prove you are a self-starter, a problem solver, a go-getter.

Prepare a draft SOP/SOG for meteor fires (you may also want to include asteroids, depending on what they made you for dinner that night).  Specifically, you may wish to address the following points:

What level of response should be assigned?

What size line should be used?

Is this a HazMat incident?

Are there any government agencies that should be notified?

Should we wake up the Chief?

Submit your suggestions in the comments section below.

Today is the beginning of the rest of your career!

Or not.

Posted in Chicagoland, Close Calls, Firefighting Operations, Just For Fun, NetCast, News

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Posted by on April 15, 2010 • 4 comments

Stay Stoked!

Here is my first First Due Blog Carnival submission.  Many thanks to friend and partner Fire Critic for organizing and hosting the first of many blog carnivals concerning the fire service.  This month’s topic is :I am a firefighter because….  I’ll start out by answering the question: why did I become a firefighter? 

Because I never grew out of the childhood dream to be one.  I guess it’s still possible that I might grow up and reach my potential, but there’s only so many years available, so I doubt it.  This firefighting thing has stuck in my blood for a long time.

Not a great story here of interest to anyone- but me.  I guess I could tell you that I like to help people, and enjoy the excitement of the job.  It’s all been said by hundreds of thousands before me.  Although its an overused cliché, it still accurately describes why I’m in the fire service.

Unlike many of the fine men and women in the fire service, there is no family member that led the way.  I am not the fourth generation firefighter, and I didn’t grow up around firefighters or in a firehouse.

But, as I grew up in the 70’s, the fire service was evolving as well.  The decade brought us “Dazed and Confused” and the rise and fall of disco also brought the birth of paramedicine, and much was being done in the public eye that was inconceivable just ten years earlier.

Ambulances equipped with only the most basic of medical supplies and oxygen served only as taxis to the hospitals (so that hasn’t changed much in some places, has it Happy?).  Very little life-saving was accomplished in the glorified station wagons with lights and sirens.  In fact, ambuli used to be owned and driven by funeral directors.

Talk about repeat customers!

The fire department in my home town ran the ambulance when I was old enough to notice.  They graduated their first class of paramedics, and a couple of those original guys are still doing their thing on suburban Chicago fire departments.

Then came the TV show Emergency! For an impressionable young lad who already “ran to the curb” (as so aptly described by my good friend Tiger Schmittendorf) whenever the screaming sound of fire apparatus approached, the show tipped it in for me.

I was hooked.  I wanted to be a paramedic/firefighter.

As soon as I could, I enrolled in an EMT-basic course straight out of high school.  I secured a job in a business within running distance of the volunteer fire station owned by a firefighter who, at times, would allow his employees respond to calls from work.  So, with EMT certification in hand, I applied for and quickly secured a spot on the fire department.

While the paramedic side of the fire service was the initial lure for me, that quickly changed.  I had the incredible fortune of joining right before my first drill night- an actual burn down of several buildings.  They strapped on this air pack thing and sent me crawling in behind a young lieutenant into an interior fire.  No hose line, no water can.  Just to experience the heat.

If I remember correctly it was only a burn barrel, but my instructor, Tom,  made sure we felt the effects. With extremely limited visibility and very hot temperatures, I made sure Tom felt a little more heat by pulling his 3/4 boot right off his foot as we scrambled out.  To this day, he hasn’t forgotten the young rookie who did that to him.

I’m sure we’ll see a comment from him on that….

Next up, they wanted to make sure this new guy could climb an extension ladder and a roof ladder, then cut a ventilation hole directly over the fire room.  As the third cut was completed, the flap fell in and the fire came exploding out of the hole sending me reeling backward with a revving K-12 almost causing a fall.

Back then, we learned literally in our “trials by fire”. No NFPA 1403 yet in place.  Although not nearly as safe, it sure was cool, and definitely served its purpose in a way we don’t see anymore. I had discovered the pure thrill of battling the red devil and this boy was hooked!

~     ~     ~     ~     ~

That’s the story, and I’m sticking to it- with pride.  I urge all of you to remember how you got your start and what it was that motivated you down the path you took to get you where you are today.  Remember the feeling of excitement and invigoration you felt when you first found out you were to become a firefighter.  It’s what I call feeling stoked, and it’s how I like to end most of my posts.

Stay stoked!

Posted in Change, Chicagoland, Firefighters, Just For Fun, Never Forget, Tradition

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Posted by on March 23, 2010 • 2 comments

A St. Patrick’s Day Salute to CFD Chief Eddie Enright

When I think of St. Patrick’s Day and the fire service, many things come to mind.  One of those thoughts bubbling up to the surface brings a smile to my face every time. Indulge me with a re-post recognizing the value an experienced veteran with the right approach can bring to all of us, young and old.

With that perspective, I offer up a special note to third-generation firefighter retired Chicago Fire Department Deputy District Chief Eddie Enright who has over 38 years of duty having been assigned to engine, truck, and squad companies after serving his country in Vietnam.  As he would say:

“Only 0 more days til St. Patrick’s Day”

* * * * *

Over the years, I’ve attended a boatload of fire training classes which emphasized leadership, training, and safety. Most were team-taught. A primary instructor would be there periodically, accompanied by a great group of “assisting instructors” who would each bring a certain level of expertise to the specific topic at hand.

There were lesson plans to be followed, objectives to be addressed and met, and the test to prove that learning had occurred. It’s a method of learning quite familiar with firefighters worldwide.

But sometimes, the Fire Gods might truly smile down upon you and bless you.

As you’re sitting in the classroom waiting for the course to begin, you wonder where all the instructors went. Just then, you hear guffaws of laughter just out of sight (probably damn near the coffee and doughnuts). What’s going on?

“Da Chief” is in the building.old fire helmet

Not necessarily the current department chief, but certainly a chief nonetheless.

He’s been around for decades and he’s seen it all. He rose up through the ranks and gained the respect from his peers the old-fashioned way. “Da Chief” earned it.

He knows how to handle the pick-head ax just as well as how to handle the politicians. He knows BS when he sees it and he doesn’t hesitate to call it out.

Just like Underdog, he is humble and loveable. He listens to everyone’s views and becomes E.F. Hutton: When “Da Chief” begins to speak- everyone listens.

Down to earth. Real.

When you are blessed with the presence of this special guy, drop everything you are doing and be near him. Hear what he has to say. Drink it all in.

Not only do you learn from his experience and wisdom, but, more importantly, from the way he relates to those around him. He does not condescend to the rookies; he gives no guff to those with whom he may disagree. He is compassionate and concerned. His smile is contagious and his love of the fire service is completely evident. He fills you with motivation and oozes tradition.

buy him a beer While reading this, do I have you thinking about someone you know that could be like “Da Chief”? If so, make it a point to get him to engage with you and your group. Buy him a beer after class.

It will be the best time you can spend in any fire service training session.

WordPress Tags: IFSI,Enright,leadership,wisdom,motivation,tradition,Chicago,Eddie

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Chicagoland, In Da House, Just For Fun, Leadership

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Posted by on March 17, 2010 • No comments

“I do not proposition women. I don’t have to. Women usually proposition me. God has blessed me like that.”- Chicago Fire Commissioner John Brooks.


Well, then.

I guess this is the type of egotistical and flippant response that is in order when accused with the rather serious charge of sexual harassment.  Apparently, this is why we are supposed to believe that the allegations must be unfounded.

Just change the focus.

Then get out of Dodge for an “extended 30-day vacation.”

According to a report by the Chicago Sun Times, mayoral chief of staff Ray Orozco, a former fire commissioner himself, was described as livid about Brooks’ remarks. That leaves me wondering how the normally animated Mayor Richard Daley must have reacted.

When the mayor was repeatedly asked last week if Brooks still enjoys his confidence, Daley refused each time to say “yes”.

Oops.

Again, methinks Brooks is bestowed with enough confidence already.

From the exclusive report by staff reporters Fran Spielman and Frank Main, a payroll auditor for the Fire Department, Deidre Green, claims Brooks told her he “desired her in a sexual manner” and wanted to see her breasts, Green said. She claims that Brooks called her repeatedly and moved to lay her off when she refused his advances.

“He told me he liked me and to call him back, which I did,” she said.

But she said she didn’t like his attitude in later calls.

“He would say, ‘I am a breast man. I want a wild woman,’ ” Green claimed. “I said, ‘I don’t like this picture.’ He felt I was subordinate to him.”

If Brooks intended to help her professionally, he didn’t need to do it in late-night calls on his personal phone, Green said.

“Why would we talk at 11 o’clock at night? Why would I have his personal number? When things didn’t go his way, he got upset with me,” she said.

Green said they spoke a few more times on the phone before she confronted Brooks in the office, saying she heard he had a girlfriend.

“He said, ‘I saved your job.’ He said, ‘They want to get rid of you. I can hire you, and I can fire you, and you can sue to get your job back.’ “

The calls ended in October 2008, Green said, but she claims Brooks continued walking past her desk and making harassing comments.

As if that weren’t enough, also in hot water is the Commissioner of the Office of Compliance, Anthony Boswell, who is already serving a 30-day suspension for allegedly mishandling an intern’s sexual harassment claim against a 911 Center deputy. Boswell denies his guilt and is appealing the suspension.

Boswell, a friend of Brooks, is also accused by an unidentified source of trying to spike the investigation of Green’s claims, according to the Sun Times.

Methinks the self-professed well-endowed and God-blessed Brooks will have plenty of opportunity to fend off the women once the investigation by the city’s Office of Compliance has been completed and he finds his calendar wide open, unencumbered by the suffocation of the time constraints of any continued duties as fire commissioner.

giant black cock

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Chicagoland, News, WTF?

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Posted by on March 9, 2010 • 5 comments

“Haunted” Suburban Chicago Fire Station to be Featured on A&E This Week

According to a news article in today’s Chicago Southtown Star, Frankfort (IL) fire station 3 on LaGrange Road will be featured on the new A&E program “Paranormal Cops” Tuesday night at 9:30 CT and again at 1:30am.

Read the full story here, including these claims by firefighters:

Shadowy things going in and out of the ambulance…a darkened figure walking in front of a firefighter watching TV one night after the rest had gone to bed…..a tall blue shadow in the hallway….several silhouettes and shadowy figures going by doors or windows and standing over their beds at night.

“I’ve heard they are friendly spirits. I just wish they would do some work around here,” Lt. Kevin Linhart said.

Fire Lt. Kevin Linhart stands in a hallway Friday near where a ghost reportedly was seen at Frankfort Fire Protection District Station 3 in Green Garden Township.
(Matt Marton/SouthtownStar)

Posted in Chicagoland, In Da House, Just For Fun, WTF?

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Posted by on February 8, 2010 • No comments

Sleight of Hand in Franklin Park, IL?

When performed by a well-practiced magician, a sleight-of-hand trick serves as an amazing piece of entertainment, wowing young and old alike.  The foundation, of course, is pure deception- tricking your eyes and ears and brain into believing something which truly isn’t.

You may recall last week a post from FireDaily called “Didn’t See This Coming…” in which we focused the light of day on the amazing turn of events in Milwaukee, WI.

In an effort to close a budget deficit, the City scrambled to slice and dice their public safety budgets by eliminating truck companies and instituting a daily plan of rolling brown-out closure of fire stations.

Amazingly within weeks, reports of the City scrambling once again- this time to hire new firefighters and paramedics as quickly as possible addressing the –wait for it- SURPRISING need for manpower required to fulfill their mission.

While there at least two or three sides to every story, we seem to have graduated into a culture of spin- in which an audience (the public, the taxpayer, you, me) is ripe for entertainment and easily fooled by anything said.  After all, if you heard it on the news, it must be true, right?

We have progressed into a society that no longer calls the truth the truth, or a lie a lie.  We are a people who have grown accustomed to “grey areas” in which one plus one can actually equal a submarine- if it can be expertly explained away before the next episode of Jersey Shore is on.

Remember when then-President Bill Clinton explained to us that what really mattered was what “the definition of the word is… is?”

Huh?

How about when Alaska’s investigation of “Trooper Gate” found that Sarah Palin had abused her powers as their Governor?  Out came the cape and wand, then the abracadabra: “”Well, I’m very very pleased to be cleared of any legal wrongdoing … any hint of any kind of unethical activity there. Very pleased to be cleared of any of that.”

Huh?

Are we so numbed to the bull that we have come to accept whatever we hear?

Or worse- are we too lazy to demand accountability of those who tell us mistruths, misspeaks, ahem… lies?

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain!

Last night, a report on my local TV news station aired regarding the potential layoff of six firefighters from Franklin Park, IL, a community adjacent to the City of Chicago, O’Hare Airport, and an incredible amount of rail traffic carrying tons of hazardous materials daily throughout the village.

Now Franklin Park is not immune to the financial cesspool found all across the country.  Tough decisions have to be made, many unpopular.  It’s tough to be the guys who have to find a way through these difficult times.

But as we find ourselves increasingly amenable to having our budgets slashed in all areas- including public safety- we should not be led astray by the mal-truths, the mischaracterizations, the sleight-of-hand which is becoming the norm lately as well.

We need to throw the flag on the bull when we hear it.

In Franklin Park’s case, the plan is to eliminate six firefighter positions (on top of the five they had already lost) as well as dumping one of its two ambulances providing EMS coverage for a population of 19,000.

Get your flag-thowing hand ready…

Read this gem as reported by Paul Meincke of ABC7 News as published here.  It’s from Franklin Park Mayor Barrett Pedersen who, when asked about the risk to public safety, offered up this little gem:

“I spoke with my chief and three commanders, and they indicate there’ll be the same response time. Every single one of the firemen are EMT qualified. So, they’ll be responding just as they are now with trucks and ambulances,” the mayor said.”

FLAG!

But wait.

Better pick up that flag and stuff it right back into your ass pocket.  Why?

Aha, didn’t catch it, did you?

Read it again.

Can what he is saying can be the full truth even when interpreted in each of these ways?

Without the layoffs, here’s the response scenario:

911 call comes in, ambo is dispatched, crew responds. No delay in response time.

With the layoffs, here’s the response scenario:

911 call comes in, ambo is dispatched, crew responds. No delay in response time.

In fact, if Franklin Park had only one firefighter/EMT, the response scenario still does not change!

911 call comes in, ambo is dispatched, crew responds. No delay in response time.

What is your definition of “response time?”  See?

Abracadabra, Alacazam! Now you see it, now you don’t!

So How Do We Get Real Answers?

By asking real questions:

“If I dial 911, when will the first paramedic arrive at my door?”

“If I dial 911, will that paramedic have an ambulance with equipment?  If not, when will an ambulance arrive?”

“If I dial 911 and your ambulance is out on another call, when can I expect another ambulance to arrive at my door, you know, to replace Franklin Park’s second ambulance?”

“If my home catches fire and I need to be rescued in the middle of the night, will my chances be greater or lesser of making it out alive if you cut your manpower down by almost 25%?”

“If a train carrying six carloads of methylethylbadsnot derails in our gem of a city, or a tornado hop-scotches across our community this spring, is our emergency preparedness plan current and viable despite the changes in manpower levels you want to institute?”

“Am I more safe or less safe with less firefighters on duty?”

and an obvious question to see just how fast that whizzer can get spinning:

“How come I’m getting less but my taxes keep going up?”

Sleight of hand is more difficult to get by if you are paying attention.

This is what you’re up against, folks:

People who know they can spin their message to suit their needs

vs.

a public that won’t take the time to press the issue and get the hard truth.

Still itchin’ to throw that flag?

OK, me too.  Here’s a few opportunities:

In this, the second decade of the new millennium, we have video to capture what is said so we may compare it later to what is done.  Here are some of the examples from then-Mayoral Candidate Barrett Pedersen on March 2009 at a Special Meeting of the Franklin Park Firefighters Local 1526.

“…When you make that emergency preparedness plan, you’re going to put a formula in there for a minimum number of people to be available to handle that emergency. And if you don’t have that number in the contract, that there’s going to be a specific number of people, than the formula you’ve set up for your emergency preparedness plan isn’t worth very much money….I think we can do a better job, and I think with that emergency preparedness plan, you’d have to take a look at putting into the contract a specific number of people guaranteed.”

-Mayoral Candidate Barrett Pedersen, March 2009

YouTube video

“…One of the things that I think is important for the fire department is to bring it back up to full staffing. I know you’re short three people right now and I think that you deserve a full accompaniment on each one of your staffs. I think that we can do that by cutting down on litigation, I think we can cut down on the wasteful spending- 800 thousand dollars on ornamental concrete on Grand Avenue…”

-Mayoral Candidate Barrett Pedersen, March 2009

YouTube video

“…I don’t think we should reduce the number of stations we have… Should there be a contract that has a specific number of firefighters that are guaranteed and if the number goes below that min number should they be replenished? I think it’s important to maintain that minimum number with regard to the emergency preparedness issue…”

-Mayoral Candidate Barrett Pedersen, March 2009

YouTube video

* * * * *

If you want more information the current issue in Franklin Park, IL, you can find it at the Franklin Park Local 1526 website, including info on a rally scheduled for January 23.  The Village also has a website, but I couldn’t find anything on it about the upcoming vote, and the major changes that face the Village today.

Posted in Chicagoland, Funding & Staffing, IAFF, News, Staffing, Videos, WTF?

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Posted by on January 19, 2010 • 2 comments

Brotherhood this, Brotherhood that, bla bla bla…

To my loyal reader (Hi Mom!)

I’ve got some new posts “in da can” but I’ll wait for a decade or so to get them going.

Gotta space them out.

The previous finalists in the Spectacularganza I call “2009 FireDaily Greatest Posts of 2009″ are listed at the end of this story.  If you have a moment, you might check them out.

FireCritic and I are working on a new project that has taken a little bit of time away from the extensive creative process required to produce- well, anything.

At least in my cranium.

More on that project tomorrow.  Until then, humor me with another re-run.  Excuse me if you’ve already seen it, but it bears another look:

————

In my opinion, we use the word “brotherhood” way more frequently than we display the magic it describes.

When we are fortunate enough to witness the brilliance pure brotherhood exudes, only then can we appreciate what it truly means.  If we perform it more than we say it, brotherhood becomes an honorable way to live our lives, not only in the fire service, but as individuals interacting with each other in everyday life.

Here is an excellent example of the display of brotherhood in this post from earlier this fall:

Oak Park (IL) Firefighters Retire Early to Facilitate the Return of Laid-Off Brothers

“…It’s disheartening and hurtful to be portrayed as the economic destroyers of the community, the ones who work such a short career and live such a wonderfully long retirement at the expense of the people we served – portrayed as something bad, as if our work, lives, careers were some sort of scam we have perpetrated on the community. I guess on a line item in a budget or in a ledger, we are just another number.”

Earlier this year, the Oak Park (IL) Fire Department had laid off several firefighter/paramedics due to budget constraints.

One of them is a brother that used to be a part of my crew for years at his previous department, and is one of those guys that can be described as a “fireman’s fireman”.  So I can personally verify that the Oak Park Fire Department had lost the services of a great guy- just as we did when he left us for Oak Park.

Today, he is back at work in Oak Park, one of two firefighters just rehired.

Why?

The honorable and selfless acts of senior firefighters, who decided to hang up the leather early to make room for the outstanding younger guys to carry on in their place.

What an excellent punctuation mark on the fire service careers of these fine men.

Here, in his own words, is an article written by one of those jakes, Rich Wilkie, reflecting on a career with no regrets.

*     *     *     *     *

I have just recently retired (after 27 years, two months) a few years early, short of a full 30 years of service. This was in order to effect the return to duty of the five young firefighter paramedics who were laid off last September. I was asked by one of the young firefighters today, “Were the years at the firehouse worth it all? What was your best memory and were there any regrets?”

It was worth every second of it. I would do it for another 27 years standing on my head. But I have already enjoyed a wonderful career serving, and theirs is just beginning. That is enough reason for me to know it’s time to go now. Not to mention that this job has taken its toll on my body physically and my spirit emotionally. There are so many good memories and stories; it would be impossible to single out one from the rest. So many challenging and rewarding situations in EMS and fire that you take with you, feeling and knowing you made a difference in someone’s life.

It’s a package deal, though. You can’t just take the good alone. Along with the good, you must carry forever the heartache and pain of the situations where you couldn’t change the outcome. You take those with you, too. There’s no vocation I can think of that gives you so much, spiritually, for your successful efforts and takes so much away for your failures. That’s how we think. We own our successes and failures, whether or not our actions could have possibly changed the outcome. We always want to help, save, rescue and succeed, and if we don’t, we feel responsible. We feel we’ve failed. That is why there is such a bond between us, “our band of brothers.”

It takes a special type of person to do what we do. We can’t do it alone; we need each other. Most people don’t really know or understand what is required from us and the toll it takes on us to do the work we do. Only those of us who do this work can understand what it is like to be us. A lifetime decision to willingly and without reservation give your life to help and protect the community you serve. It may sound cliché, but that’s the oath that every firefighter takes when he or she takes on this vocation.

It’s disheartening and hurtful to be portrayed as the economic destroyers of the community, the ones who work such a short career and live such a wonderfully long retirement at the expense of the people we served – portrayed as something bad, as if our work, lives, careers were some sort of scam we have perpetrated on the community. I guess on a line item in a budget or in a ledger, we are just another number.

But in my heart – and I hope in the hearts of the community in which I’ve lived, grown up, raised my children and served for 27 years – me and all my brother and sister firefighters are more than that. Your successes are ours and your losses are ours, too. Thank you for the opportunity and the privilege to serve you for the time I was able.

No regrets at all. Keep the faith and protect each other.

*     *     *     *     *

Rich Wilkie is a 27-year firefighter for the Oak Park Fire Department and member of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 95.

Making a splash: Rich Wilkie helps Joey Midlash handle a fire hose at A Day In Our Village in 2004.
Photo by Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest File 2004/Staff


————————

Previous finalists in FireDaily’s “2009 Best Blog Posts of 2009”

#2009-  Got a Bad Attitude?  Stay at Home!

#2008-  30 Minutes a Week of Training is Unfair and “Unreal”

#2007- “Da Chief”

#2006  “Nicknames”

#3  “The Head Rule”

Posted in Brotherhood, Chicagoland, Funding & Staffing

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Posted by on December 30, 2009 • No comments

360 Burn Size-up of The Fire Web 12/22/09

Chicago’s Gold Badge Society- One of a Kind

We know that a special type of brotherhood exists in the fire service.  In a Chicago Tribune story we see an example of the true blessings that brotherhood is made of.  Chicago’s Gold Badge Society recently held a Christmas Party bringing together many of the group’s 75 members, all of whom are relatives of Chicago firefighters and paramedics killed on the job. Read the story of how these wonderful people have helped the family of a Buffalo NY firefighter nearly killed in a roof collapse and putting him into a coma lasting almost 10 years.  If your active on Facebook, Chicago’s Gold Badge Society has it’s own Cause page, nearly reaching the goal of 2500 members.  Pop in and show your support!

Grab the Right Tool

If you cant get to the fire, you can’t make an interior attack.  Without good forcible entry skills, just prepare to set up for an exterior attack and all the fun that ensues with a winter water carnival.

The blog site VentEnterSearch.com is always a great spot to check out when looking to review your ability to recognize the way to best force entry in a given situation.  The most recent post gets you thinking about which is the best tool to use for gaining access into a special kind of door (your first choice is probably wrong).

As always, VentEnterSearch.com is worth your attention on a regular basis.

Station Fire Government Report Indicates Planes Ordered, Canceled, Then Re-Ordered

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich reportedly wants Congress to investigate how the firefighting was conducted in the county’s largest wildfire in history. The “Station Fire” ultimately killed two firefighters, destroyed 89 homes and blackened 250 square miles on the edge of Los Angeles.

According to a report from the Associated Press, questions still linger regarding the handling of the incident.  Chief among them is the apparent two-hour delay of three aerial tankers summoned by the U.S. Forest Service who later canceled then reordered them again according to Forest Service records obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act.  Read the entire story here

Posted in 360 Burn, Brotherhood, Chicagoland, Command & Leadership, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Wildland, WTF?

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Posted by on December 22, 2009 • No comments

Fire YesterDaily- “Da Chief”

Der Tannenbaum ist lit.  Der blogmeisterberger ist lit too.

As we approach the end of the year, the crack staff here at FireDaily has taken advantage of the open bar.  What better time than now to return to the thrilling days of YesterMonth for the third installment of “Two Thousand and Nine Favorite FireDaily Blog Posts from 2009”.

In case you missed the first two, you can find them here:

#2009-  Got a Bad Attitude?  Stay at Home!

#2008- 30 Minutes a Week of Training is Unfair and “Unreal”

#2007- “Da Chief”

Sometimes the Fire Gods might truly smile down upon you.  When you are blessed with the presence of this special guy, drop everything you are doing and be near him. Hear what he has to say. Drink it all in… (full post here)

In the meantime, we’d better get the rest of the bar checked out.  I’ll put some more ice on….

Posted in Chicagoland, In Da House, Leadership, Tips and Tricks, Tradition, Training

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Posted by on December 17, 2009 • No comments

The Ghosts of Fires Past

In January of 2002, a fatal fire broke out in the Plaza on DeWitt condominium hi-rise at 260 East Chestnut in Chicago.  In that fire several firefighters were injured and residents were rescued from the building’s roof where they were forced to flee to escape severe smoke conditions.

A few mornings ago as reported here on Fire Daily, history repeated itself.  As the first brutally cold and windy night of winter charged into the city, fully one-third of the on-duty personnel of Chicago’s firefighters were again called to the Plaza on DeWitt.  The 36th floor fire was again fatal; again eight firefighters were injured; several residents again were rescued from the building’s roof where they were forced to escape severe smoke conditions.

A little over a week ago on December 3, we all took pause to remember the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire of ten years ago.  Six firefighters lost their lives that day on an interior rescue for squatters believed to be inside the old building.

Yesterday, history again repeated itself.

A two-alarm blaze in a vacant South Boston warehouse yesterday was eerily reminiscent of the Worcester fire.  Boston Fire Rescue Company 1 was advised that the building was known to be occupied by squatters and people may be trapped inside.  They entered, split into two groups and began their search.  Two of Boston’s bravest tripped and fell into FOUR FEET of standing water during the effort.

One of the firefighters was able to feel his way up some stairs and found the lone occupant who had become disoriented in the heavy smoke conditions.  That firefighter, 63-year old John Smith, a FORTY YEAR VETERAN FIREFIGHTER. led the man outside to waiting EMS workers.

The report from the Boston Globe describes the scene:

“Fire officials said the rescued man was one of several people living in the warehouse. Inside the building, an intricately organized squatters’ residence could be seen, with beds, televisions, microwaves, and even a stocked kitchen setup, complete with a spice rack. Fire officials said yesterday that the legally vacant building was even wired for electricity.

South Boston is home to an array of warehouses and industrial-type buildings, and fire officials know that homeless people gather here.

“Since Worcester, there’s been a heightened awareness among firefighters’’ as they go about their searches,” (Boston Fire Department Spokesman Steve) MacDonald said.

Smith said his crew stayed focused on saving anyone who might be inside the warehouse yesterday. “This is a prime spot for homeless people at this time of year,’’ he said. “Inside these buildings, they can set up quite a bit of housekeeping and stay there for quite some time.’’

The firefighters in Massachusetts and Chicago have witnessed history repeating itself.

Because they applied knowledge gained from these previous incidents, they were better prepared to handle the next incident.

Here is tangible proof that the Worcester 6 an others like them have not died in vain.

We have learned from their tragedy and all become better prepared to handle the next call where history will invariably repeat itself.

Again.

Stay stoked!

-J

Posted in Chicagoland, Close Calls, Major Incidents, News, Rescues, Tips and Tricks, Tradition, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by on December 14, 2009 • 4 comments

Fatal Early Morning 5-Alarmer Eerily Similar to Fire There 8 Years Ago

“It was the only thing we could do. Both stairwells were filled with smoke. There was nowhere to go but up.”

It started as a slight smell of smoke, possibly from a cigarette he thought. But when the smell continued to grow stronger and smoke began seeping through the vents inside his apartment, Jeff Amsel called 911. As his apartment began to fill with smoke, he woke up his 6-year old daughter and, clothed only in loungewear ran out into the hallway. With no other options, they grabbed some winter coats and headed for the roof.

This morning’s hi-rise fire at The Plaza on DeWitt in the Streeterville neighborhood in Chicago has now claimed at least one life and developed into a five-alarm challenge for firefighters facing the first brutally windy and cold night of the season. Among the many injured reported were several Chicago firefighters treated for smoke inhalation.

Nearly 8 years ago, an eerily similar fire at this 51-story condominium building at 260 East Chestnut resulted in a fatality and injuring eight firefighters. As in this morning’s fire, the January 2002 fire also required firefighters to rescue residents from the building’s roof where they had also fled for safety.

The 2002 fire revived criticism by local fire experts about the City of Chicago’s refusal to require sprinkler systems in residential high-rises built prior to 1975. Because of the expense involved in retro-fitting these buildings, the city has given them an alternative. They have until Jan. 1, 2012 to take alternative life-saving measures. The modifications could include communication systems, fire hoses and emergency backup equipment.

Read more on these stories from Chicago Breaking News here , here and here.  FireGeezer has posted a video report as well at his site.

Here is the fire communications audio:

Posted in Chicagoland, Fires, Major Incidents, News

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Posted by on December 10, 2009 • No comments

This was crap. Something had to be done. And we on black shift were just the guys to do it….

Way back in the last century, we had just returned from a particularly gruesome call. Kids in our area like to go “hill-hopping”. That’s when they take daddy’s Beamer to the roller-coaster-like hills in the rural, wooded area of our district and go fast enough to grab some air. Sometimes they land back on the pavement, and sometimes they don’t. When they don’t, we get called.

After hosing down and restocking the rig, the boys and I trooped into the kitchen looking for a lil’ something.  You know- for the effort…..

“Hey, check this out,” shouted Al as he peered into the freezer. At our station, we shared one fridge with all three shifts, so there’s always a fair amount of scrounging.

He pulled out a quart of Breyer’s and pointed at the lid. There, scrawled in black sharpie was “RED, DO NOT TOUCH!!!!!!”

Red shift had “marked” their ice cream.

Like a dog marks a tree.

“This is just wrong,” Bruce said ripping off the lid and spooning a huge chunk into his mouth. “Wha-eva havven to buvverhood?” he mouthed, chowing down on the mint chocolate chip.

“Yeah. Brotherhood,” we chimed in, each grabbing a spoon and digging into the carton like puppies at a nipple. We didn’t stop until we had polished off the forbidden fruit.

What the hell is wrong with those guys? Sure, it’s understandable to label a pack of good steaks or some special item once in awhile, but this was not the first time. It wasn’t even the eleventeenth time- this had gone on long enough to become “an issue”.

This was something that could no longer be ignored; it deserved an answer- loud and clear.

We on black shift were good at answering. Sometimes we answered too well and got our noses thumped with a newspaper from the bugles, but we usually found a way to straddle the line. And the end result was that a message was sent- and a message was received.

Here’s what we did:

Immediately, all the food in the fridge found its way onto the kitchen counter. Armed with sharpies, we each began marking all the food- leftover lasagna, half a head of cauliflower, 4 cans of pop all got the label “RED.”

Sticks of butter, yogurt cups, tomatoes. “RED.”

A carton of eggs were marked “RED” on the outside, then all the individual eggs were marked with little “R’s” to connote ownership.

Some of the eggs were even drained of their contents with a sub-Q syringe and replaced with tomato juice. Red.

RED, RED, RED, RED, RED, RED. In the pantry cabinets, individual slices of bread was marked “RED” along with Styrofoam cups and plastic utensils.

Aluminum foil was unrolled, marked, and meticulously re-rolled. Oreos (unscrewed then re-screwed), oyster crackers, banana peppers- all got marked.

We were pleased to find out how embarrassed the tightwads on red shift were when they had been called on the absurd level of frugality. It was all the news, and never forgotten.

We are brothers, dammit. If you want some of my nummies, well then help yourself, my friend. None of this “DO NOT TOUCH” crap in our house.  Need a buck?  Here.  Now don’t ever make me “buy” your brotherhood again…..

Posted in Brotherhood, Chicagoland, In Da House, Just For Fun

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Posted by on December 9, 2009 • 12 comments

Be scared lil’ light bulb on my Butter-Face Christmas Tree… Be VERY scared.

The tree we bought a few years back has what is called a “lifetime lights guarantee”

“If FOR ANY REASON, the lights on your new tree fail to function correctly, they are covered for replacement at 100%”.  This tipped it in for me and my tipsy family.  Troubleshooters we are not.

After completing my recent speaking tour to promote our fancy new Facebook Group “The Hobbled Firefighters of Northern Illinois”, I returned to my warm casa to find my loving family had lovingly erected and fully decorated the aforementioned tree in order to surprise me.

All except the lights.

The lower two-thirds of the tree looked great!  All of the strands of lights were shining brightly, enticing us to fully feel the warmth of Christmas grow within our hearts.

The top third?  Not so much.  Nary a light was lit.  I began to think of it as our “butter-face” Christmas Tree, if ya know what I mean….

No worries, I thought.  We got THE GUARANTEE.  Whistling Oh Tannenbaum by Sternschnuppe, I dialed up my Christmas Tree vendor.  A friendly teen-aged girl’s voice message greeted me.  I imagine the tree vendor sought out the lowest-paid employee with the best sounding voice to record the greeting.

“Like, Welcome to blablabla… important to us blablabla… extension, like, you may dial it now blablabla… If the lights on your Christmas tree are not working, please refer to our on-line troubleshooting guide.”

I was frazzled.  Did Amber just use the four-lettered word, TROUBLESHOOTING?  Hadn’t we purchased The Troubleshooting Guarantee?  Apparently not.  Maybe too much frothy egg nog had preceded the purchasement of the tree (maybe too much frothy eggnog made me use the imaginary word “purchasement”).  Fine print was not ignored, it just was too small and way too wavy to decipher.

Whistling The Theme From Jaws, I looked looked up the tree vendor’s site and quickly found their info on what I should do if the lights aren’t working.  I clicked on the PDF link and found myself staring at a list of nearly 27 steps- The lights must first be checked for broken bulbs or fizzled fuses.  Troubleshooting.

So beginning today, I will be starting on step number 1.

Strike that, step number zero first- make some more frothy egg nog.

It may take me a bit of time to individually friggin check every friggin light for the one lil bugger that has caused me so much angst and grief.  And fuoro and freneticism.

@%#%&#%

All of this has also taken a flavorful bite out of the time I have been giving to the next great idea.  Fire Critic and I are hard at work developing a fun new project that should be out very shortly.  It’s just the beginning of what should be an fantastic new year for all of us.

The pace at the Fire Daily Imaginarium Media Production Facilities Headquarters is fast, frantic, frenetic, and feverish.

And frenzied.  And furious.

If you haven’t already noticed- today’s post is brought to you by the letter “F”.  Fire Daily has frickin’ tied one on before noon.  Again.

Blog posts have taken a backer seat (hiccup) to the new project and our Butter Face Tree.  Funnily, this is a perfect time to roll out my newest project, “Two Thousand and Nine Favorite FireDaily Blog Posts from 2009”.  Some of them come from that dim-witted, loud-mouthed no-good, jack-wad, Jeremy Black (whose odoriferous stench continues to permeate even the darkest, dingiest corners of the FDMPFHQ Imaginarium).

Here’s the first re-post- aptly entitled “Got a Bad Attitude? Stay at Home…”

While FireGeezer has his coffee brewing this morning, I’m poppin’ another bottle of Bailey’s.

Be sacred, lil’ light bulb.

Be very scared.

-J

Posted in Chicagoland, Firefighters, Just For Fun, WTF?

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Posted by on December 7, 2009 • 4 comments

FireDaily Needs Your Help With My Wunnerful New Idea I Just Came Up With

You know, I just had a most wunnerful idea. It just came to me!

I’ve got a fair amount of information to share regarding fire/EMS issues and ideas here in beautiful, cold, wintery, overcast northern Illinois. I’m wondering if there is a similar blogger that may have some information regarding their fire and EMS services.

We could get together, perhaps even once or twice per year, and update each other, comparing and contrasting the pros and cons of each other’s services. Of course we would share our experiences all over the interwebs so that everyone could benefit.

(Bear with me here, thoughts are coming to me as I type… )

Perhaps we could get one a camera crew to “chronicle” the event. Huh? Huh? Ya’ following me here? Imagine the possibilities….

So-

I’m putting out the official call for a partner blogger with whom I can perform this incredible service to the greater fire/EMS world. There is only one prerequisite: you must be from French Polynesia, or Fiji.

Yeah, Fiji.

Actually, Fiji is preferred but the greater French Polynesia area will be considered.

Now that I think of it If you’re from a similar south pacific area locale (or maybe even New Zealand) Mrs. FireDaily would consider your application as well. Just get back to me at blog@firedaily.com!

So let’s light this candle! I want to get going on this before the first winter storm watch….

Posted in Chicagoland, Just For Fun

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Posted by on November 28, 2009 • 5 comments

Oak Park (IL) Firefighters Retire Early to Facilitate the Return of Laid-Off Brothers

“…It’s disheartening and hurtful to be portrayed as the economic destroyers of the community, the ones who work such a short career and live such a wonderfully long retirement at the expense of the people we served – portrayed as something bad, as if our work, lives, careers were some sort of scam we have perpetrated on the community. I guess on a line item in a budget or in a ledger, we are just another number.”

Earlier this year, the Oak Park (IL) Fire Department had laid off several firefighter/paramedics due to budget constraints.

One of them is a brother that used to be a part of my crew for years at his previous department, and is one of those guys that can be described as a “fireman’s fireman”.  So I can personally verify that the Oak Park Fire Department had lost the services of a great guy- just as we did when he left us for Oak Park.

Today, he is back at work in Oak Park, one of two firefighters just rehired.

Why?

The honorable and selfless acts of senior firefighters, who decided to hang up the leather early to make room for the outstanding younger guys to carry on in their place.

What an excellent punctuation mark on the fire service careers of these fine men.

Here, in his own words, is an article written by one of those jakes, Rich Wilkie, reflecting on a career with no regrets.

*     *     *     *     *

I have just recently retired (after 27 years, two months) a few years early, short of a full 30 years of service. This was in order to effect the return to duty of the five young firefighter paramedics who were laid off last September. I was asked by one of the young firefighters today, “Were the years at the firehouse worth it all? What was your best memory and were there any regrets?”

It was worth every second of it. I would do it for another 27 years standing on my head. But I have already enjoyed a wonderful career serving, and theirs is just beginning. That is enough reason for me to know it’s time to go now. Not to mention that this job has taken its toll on my body physically and my spirit emotionally. There are so many good memories and stories; it would be impossible to single out one from the rest. So many challenging and rewarding situations in EMS and fire that you take with you, feeling and knowing you made a difference in someone’s life.

It’s a package deal, though. You can’t just take the good alone. Along with the good, you must carry forever the heartache and pain of the situations where you couldn’t change the outcome. You take those with you, too. There’s no vocation I can think of that gives you so much, spiritually, for your successful efforts and takes so much away for your failures. That’s how we think. We own our successes and failures, whether or not our actions could have possibly changed the outcome. We always want to help, save, rescue and succeed, and if we don’t, we feel responsible. We feel we’ve failed. That is why there is such a bond between us, “our band of brothers.”

It takes a special type of person to do what we do. We can’t do it alone; we need each other. Most people don’t really know or understand what is required from us and the toll it takes on us to do the work we do. Only those of us who do this work can understand what it is like to be us. A lifetime decision to willingly and without reservation give your life to help and protect the community you serve. It may sound cliché, but that’s the oath that every firefighter takes when he or she takes on this vocation.

It’s disheartening and hurtful to be portrayed as the economic destroyers of the community, the ones who work such a short career and live such a wonderfully long retirement at the expense of the people we served – portrayed as something bad, as if our work, lives, careers were some sort of scam we have perpetrated on the community. I guess on a line item in a budget or in a ledger, we are just another number.

But in my heart – and I hope in the hearts of the community in which I’ve lived, grown up, raised my children and served for 27 years – me and all my brother and sister firefighters are more than that. Your successes are ours and your losses are ours, too. Thank you for the opportunity and the privilege to serve you for the time I was able.

No regrets at all. Keep the faith and protect each other.

*     *     *     *     *

Rich Wilkie is a 27-year firefighter for the Oak Park Fire Department and member of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 95.

Making a splash: Rich Wilkie helps Joey Midlash handle a fire hose at A Day In Our Village in 2004.
Photo by Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest File 2004/Staff

Posted in Brotherhood, Chicagoland, IAFF, News, Staffing

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Posted by on November 28, 2009 • 7 comments

Pet Oxygen Masks Now On Chicagoland Apparatus

photo from 14 Paws Organization

Firefighters in Chicago and south suburban Matteson have recently gotten a new way to help save the lives of pets.

Oxygen masks will be distributed to the departments, and firefighters will be trained in how to use them.

The specialized masks are cone-shaped and designed to fit over the snouts of animals, including dogs, cats and some birds. The masks were originally intended for veterinarians.

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford says in the past, firefighters have used their own masks to save pets.

Fire officials say firefighters won’t have to worry about being bitten by an animal they’re helping because the lack of oxygen makes them lethargic.  Up to 150,000 pets die in fires every year, mostly from smoke inhalation.

Information from: Southtown Star, http://www.southtownstar.com

Posted in Chicagoland, News

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Posted by on November 10, 2009 • No comments

Today’s Web Scanner- 10/29/09

“Catastrophes Don’t Take Holidays” –Local 2

City of Chicago employees have been asked to take up to 28 furlough days in an effort to balance the budget.  Mayor Richard Daley has publicly floated the charge that unionized police and firefighters should also take the time off without pay.

“This is a serious recession, and everybody has to be part of the solution,” the Daley spokesman said.

Tom Ryan, president of Firefighters Union Local 2, said in a written statement Thursday, ”It is obvious that fires, accidents, hazardous materials incidents and the need for quick and competent firefighter and emergency medical response do not take a holiday or a furlough day.”  Read more fromCBS2 Chicago.

Someone’s Stealing Our Ambulance!

An AMR ambulance in  Vancouver left the scene of a medical call this evening without the patient.  Or the crew.  AMR officials said it is standard procedure for paramedics to leave their trucks running with emergency lights on.  They may want to consider a kill switch which shuts everything down when the brake is pressed without flipping a security switch.  Or not.  Here’s a video report from Fox 12 Oregon:

Hats Off to Mt. Lebanon PA Fire Chief Nick Sohyda!

Chief Sohyda approached Chris Cerci, 42, a McKeesport firefighter who competes in firefighter fitness competitions, about organizing workouts for his department in an attempt to mitigate some of the health risks, including stress, that firefighting can cause. The result: a program tailored specifically for firefighters by a certified trainer with proven results.  Read more from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

It’s refreshing and encouraging to see a fire chief recognize a need and tackle it head-on.

Stay Stoked!

-J

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Chicagoland, Firefighter Safety & Health, Line of Duty, News

Posted by on October 29, 2009 • No comments

Elgin’s Bloody Turnip

In the last 12 months, Elgin, IL firefighters have faced not one, but two rounds of layoffs. Beset by early retirements and other cost-cutting measures, one begins to wonder just how much more can be cut without affecting the safety of the firefighters and their public.

According to a report in the Daily Herald today, city leaders in the sizeable western suburb of Chicago are now considering a hefty cut of 1.5 million dollars from the city’s fire department budget. Publicly, the city says such a cut would not compromise public safety.

With all that’s already happened to the department, I find that hard to believe.

The city officials met early Monday afternoon with Elgin Fire Lt. John Fahy, president of the Elgin Association of Firefighters Local 439, which represents 130 firefighters, paramedics, fire lieutenants and captains.

“Every labor organization understands there are revenue shortfalls. As a union, we’re not opposed to coming up with solutions to do our part to balance the budget,” Fahy said. “Any concession would be pulled off the table if the city was going to reduce the level of service (for residents).”

The specifics and actual numbers for the 2010 spending plan will be made public at the city’s budget meeting next week.

You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip, so let’s not decimate a great department that has already given up so much.

-J

Posted in Chicagoland, Funding & Staffing, News

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Posted by on October 28, 2009 • No comments

“I’m the World’s Oldest Proby…”

Gerry

At one time or another, most little boys dream of being a firefighter. For some, that becomes their career path, while others leave it behind with their cowboy and baseball player plans. Likewise, many kids growing up in a home with a parent who is a church worker often follow some variation of that path, becoming a pastor, youth worker or parochial school teacher.

For Rev. Gerry Schalk, both dreams have come true. And it only took about 50 years to make it happen.

Schalk retired the end of July 2008 after a 20-year pastorate at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Barrington, IL.  He had already been serving as chaplain for the Fox River Grove Fire Protection District since November 2006, and asked if he could use his retirement from pastoral ministry as the opportunity to come on as a paid-on-call firefighter/EMT.

“The chief’s first line was, ‘well, you’re not exactly the right age,’” Schalk says with a smile. Typically the cut-off is 35; he is 61. With the understanding he’d have to go back to school, as well as pass the physical and agility test, Schalk went to work.

“I got my license as an EMT Basic, and on August 1, 2008, I came on the department as a probationary firefighter,” he says. “I’m the world’s oldest proby, let me tell you!”

Those who know Schalk are probably not surprised at this latest turn in his lifetime career of serving both his Lord and people. He began his ministry as a Lutheran school teacher, but after 10 years decided to enroll in the seminary and become an ordained pastor. He was pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Prospect Heights, Illinois, then did a stint on the district staff before accepting a call to Barrington. Along the way he was also vice president of the Northern Illinois District’s North Region, providing support and encouragement to pastors and lay leaders in about 70 NID congregations. Now he follows another avenue for reaching and serving people — in the fire department. And when you look at his family history, it all makes sense.

“My dad, Harold, was a full-time, career firefighter,” Schalk explains. “For most of his career, besides working the truck, he worked on the rescue squad, which was the predecessor of our paramedics. And my mom was a Lutheran school teacher.

“I always planned to go into church work,” he adds. “I never really thought about going into fire service. My dad never went to college and was bound and determined that his kids would go. That was part of it. But I grew up around fire stations and know and love fire service. In that way it’s a natural fit.”

All that notwithstanding, some may wonder why Schalk would want to begin something like this in retirement.

“In part, I knew how [the Fire Protection District] struggled to have daytime coverage, and as a retired guy I can do that,” he explains. Fire protection in many U.S. communities is provided at least partially by paid-on-call (formerly called volunteer) firefighters. “This really became an opportunity. My health is good and there is no reason I couldn’t do this.”

“Eunice and I have lived in Fox River Grove 20 years, but because my church was in Barrington, I knew my neighbors and not much else,” he adds. “This also was a chance to get involved in the community.”

In addition to his new role as firefighter/EMT, Schalk also continues to serve as the chaplain for the Fire Protection District and finds that rather than conflict, the roles complement each other very well.

“I often go not as a chaplain but segue into that role once there. For example, I was just on a full-arrest call. I got there and said, ‘we don’t need nine people working over this guy on the floor; let me take the family.’ I sat with them, knew what we were facing, went to the hospital and did the notification of death. I spent three more hours with the family after that.”

As fire chaplain, Schalk also ministers as needed to the firefighters in the squad. When a new firefighter comes on, Schalk goes over delicate forms such as line of duty death benefits and directives on notification. He also explains his role and opens the door for future counseling or other issues with the firefighters.

“I tell them that if they come to me with something, confidentiality comes off the table in only three situations: if you are putting yourself, a fellow firefighter, or the public in danger.”

In addition to his fellow firefighters and victims, Schalk is also experiencing the anticipated community involvement. He recently participated in an educational luncheon for area seniors. After giving the invocation before lunch, he switched hats (or collars) from pastor to EMT and gave a presentation on stroke signs and prevention. But in reality, he wears all the hats at the same time in this role.

“Those 48 people now know that their fire department has a chaplain,” he explains. “Some may say this doesn’t have a lot to do with law and gospel ministry, but for a lot of the people we come in contact with, we have to have that presence. There are people I come in contact with as a firefighter/EMT that I’d never meet from a pulpit in a church.”

As if Schalk isn’t busy enough, he taught a Concordia University Wisconsin extension course in Roselle last fall and has been sharing vacancy pastor duties with Rev. Harold Ross at Holy Cross, Cary. Nonetheless he and his wife have been able to make a trip to Europe and are planning another, and he still manages to get in some gardening. Busy or not, Schalk enjoys every minute of it.

“It has been really good,” he says. “I enjoy the department to no end, and it’s been a fun experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

People Ablaze is the mission movement of the Northern Illinois District, Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.

Posted in Chicagoland, News

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Posted by on October 19, 2009 • No comments

A New Weapon for Hi-Rise Fires-The Hero Pipe

Mount a Master Stream Attack from the Exterior Regardless of Height.

FireDaily has learned that the Chicago Fire Department has been testing a new tool for hi-rise fires. It’s called The Hero Pipe, and it looks very interesting. This nifty device offers an additional tactical option: with access to the floor below the fire floor, you can now mount a master stream attack from the exterior regardless of height.

Some of you may remember the Cook County Building fire at 69 W. Washington St. back in 2003. Master streams were initially ineffective due to the height of the fire floor (12th). The only other alternative was to mount an interior attack with handlines.

After the fire, I was able to talk with the guys in there on those lines. Every single guy I spoke with told me they had never been in a hotter fire- ever. More than one shared the thought that they knew they were not going home that day. They were literally tasked to put out the fire from inside the oven.  Eventually they were forced out and aerial master streams were able to be placed and used with efficacy.

Less than a year later, CFD had the LaSalle Bank fire on the 26th floor, out of reach of ladder company master streams. After an unsuccessful interior attack — again turned back because of high heat and flames — firefighters set up master streams on adjacent rooftops to put enough water through the 26th floor windows to cool the fire so an interior attack could be made.

Perhaps there is a better way.  According to The Hero Pipe website:

With as little as a two person team, the HERO PIPE can be set up for action in minutes. Once the proper attack points have been determined the aluminum manifold is secured to the sill using the rapid action lever clamps. If no sill is available, rest it directly on the floor at any outside wall or directly on the floor. Then secure with a patented hydraulic system between the floor and the ceiling.

The HERO PIPE was created by a veteran fire fighter with 20 years experience in downtown Chicago who recognized the limited capabilities when battling modern high-rise fires. Their product has been chosen as a finalist at the 2009 Chicago Innovation Awards being held on a week from Tuesday at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. Good luck, guys!

Toss this idea in with all the others in my cabinet labeled “Why Didn’t I Think of That?” Anyone have any experience with this device? Let me know!

FireDaily.com has no financial interest in this product.

-J

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Posted in Chicagoland, Tips and Tricks

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Posted by on October 9, 2009 • 9 comments

Silent Parade Friday

Suburban Chicago Event Celebrates 15 Years

October is Fire Prevention Month and attention is focused on getting the word out to your public as we enter into our “busy season”. Specifically, Fire Prevention Week takes place during the week of the Great Chicago Fire on October 9, 1871.

This Friday night, a suburban tradition continues as the annual Silent Parade steps off once again, offering a tribute to firefighters and civilians who have lost their lives in fires.

Neighboring communities Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Lisle, and Westmont join in the Downers Grove event celebrating its 15th anniversary. The idea was first conceived by Park Forest Fire Chief James Gignac back in 1983.

silent parade Downers Grove Fire Department Public Education Officer Marsha Giesler reports the parade will begin its journey westbound on Maple Avenue from Hinsdale to Lisle. Crossed aerial ladders will provide an impressive bridge for the vehicles to pass under at Main Street and Maple Avenue in Downers Grove at about 7:15 p.m. Typically, 30 or more vehicles from departments as far away as Aurora and Evanston participate in the parade.

Giesler encourages residents to line Maple Avenue and light the way by holding flashlights and American flags in tribute to those who are being honored. A brief memorial service will begin at about 7:45 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1101 Kimberly Way, Lisle, upon the fire apparatus’ arrival.

Posted in Chicagoland, Pub Ed

Posted by on October 7, 2009 • 2 comments