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Firefighter Nicknames- NEVER try to give one to yourself…

 

So we find ourselves sitting around the kitchen table patiently waiting for someone to make the first move to clean up the dishes, and digesting Scotty’s Garlic Stoup- of which none is left.

Perhaps drunk off the stuff, one of the guys burps then blurts out from nowhere, “I need a nickname.”

Oops.

firehouse kitchen table We all just sat there and smiled in anticipation.

Boy oh boy oh boy. All too infrequently, these gems of opportunity present themselves up for the artful manipulation that can only be exploited by your crew. Your brothers in arms.

We set the trap and ask him with all the innocent sincerity we can muster,

“What nickname would you give yourself?”

Of course, he already knows the answer but deftly hesitates for effect, errantly believing he is controlling the conversation.

“Hmm, I dunno. Let’s see. Well, they used to call me ‘Bulldog’ at my old department,” he offers hopefully.

Which was pretty damn funny as he stood all of 5 ¾ feet and weighed in at about a buck and a half. He must have seen a different movie.

What this poor guy didn’t realize was one of the "Commandments of Firehouse Nicknames”. Thou shalt never nickname thyself.

Truly great nicknames can only be anointed upon you by your peers. Only they can supply a label with a perfect fit and convey a true sense of who you are (in their eyes- which is all that matters).

They are best kept clean enough to be uttered in all types of company. This way it can work as a complete replacement for the name you used to have. You know- the name HR has.

But that doesn’t matter on the bay floor. Now you have your new name. From your brothers.

“Bulldog? No,” we decreed. “Lapdog. That one fits you like a nice little sweater, Lapdog.”

Maltese dog in sweater.ashxAnd of course once it’s out there, the next priority is to get it to stick. In this case, that didn’t take too long.

“Hey Lapdog, be a good boy and fetch me the spreaders.”

“Hey nice job on that arrest today, Lapdog. You deserve a treat.”

(whistle) “Here Lappy. WannagoforaRIIIIDE?”

No less merciless than inevitable, learning had occurred.

‘Lapdog’ is certainly not one of the best nicknames out there, but it sure fit this guy. Do you have one to share? We’d sure love to hear about it…

Stay stoked!

-J

 

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Posted in Brotherhood, Firefighters, In Da House, Just For Fun, Tradition

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Posted by on February 6, 2013 • No comments

Listen to the Firefighter Netcast’s Stand Down for Behavioral Health- Part 1

Listen to this very special firefighter's podcast here

Over the past few days and weeks, the fire service news has been inundated with stories of firefighters who have taken their own lives. It’s times like these which force us to pause and realize that the mental health challenges we face every day are truly no different than any physical challenge such as a bum back or sprained knee that keeps us from operating at our best. Why then are we treating these obstacles in such a different way?

The truth is that now, more than ever before, our brothers and sisters in the fire and EMS services, along with our families, have an incredible amount of new resources with which to assist us as we begin to change our attitudes toward the way we address these issues which have always been there, but we were always afraid to confront. The result is that more and more of us are emerging from our behavioral issues as much more healthy, productive, and happy firefighters, moms, and dads.

Now that’s great news.

Firefighter Netcast is suspending our regular programming schedule to bring you re-broadcasts of some of this great news so we can apply it as its needed- starting today. One of our most listened-to shows was originally netcast late last summer and features two special guests who lead a thought-provoking discussion on firefighter behavioral health.

Battalion Chief Jeff Dill of the Palatine Rural Fire Protection District in suburban Chicago is an Illinois licensed counselor of behavioral issues specifically for firefighters. He formed “Counseling Services For Firefighters” to offer just that- firefighters who know where firefighters are coming from and thus are best quipped to relate and help their brothers and sisters. Chief Dill is joined by another suburban Chicago Fire Chief- Pat Kenny, retired chief from the Hinsdale and Western Springs fire departments. Chief Kenny is the Assistant Executive Director of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and a representative at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Seminar on Depression and Suicide held last summer in Baltimore. Moreover, Chief Kenny is the father of Sean Kenny, who took his own life back in 2004. Listen to Chief Kenny as he offers a firsthand account of what its like to go through the torture of having lost your son to suicide, and how to deal with his loss publicly as a chief officer in his own department.

It’s very powerful stuff, and I hope you’ll join us for the next few days as we bring you all of the segments of this amazing show. It’s our hope that we can learn to approach these issues we face with a new attitude, and realization that we are winning these battles, just as we have overcome countless challenges over the storied history of this, the greatest service on earth.  

 

B/C Dill is a nationally recognized authority on behavioral health issues within the fire service. He established Counseling Services for Fire Fighters, LLC based on the tragic events that surrounded Hurricane Katrina. When speaking with firefighters who returned after serving the community of New Orleans, Jeff heard the pleas of firefighters who had a difficult time talking with counselors who did not have any firefighting experience. They became frustrated and never did seek the help they needed. In this program, Chief Dill tells us about a new resource coming to the aid of the fire service. Last year, Chief Dill announced the formation of Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA). The new 501(c) (3) organization was established to directly educate firefighters/ Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel and their families about behavioral health issues such as depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and addictions, as well as firefighter suicides. FBHA's sole goal is to promote good mental health to the men and women of the fire service/EMS and their families, as well as make a significant difference in reducing the numbers of firefighters who are turning to suicide to ease their pain. FBHA Founder Jeff Dill holds a Master's Degree in Counseling, and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois.

Joining Chief Dill will be a very special guest- retired Fire Chief Patrick Kenny of the Hinsdale (IL) Fire Department. Chief Kenny is the Assistant Executive Director of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and a representative at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Seminar on Depression and Suicide.

Tragically, in 2006, Chief Kenny lost his son Sean to suicide. He reflects on the obstacles and challenges he faced as a father as well as a chief officer during his personal nightmare. Since then, Chief Kenny has traveled across the nation and around the world sharing his intensely personal story and promoting advocacy of mental health awareness in the fire service and beyond.

Find out more by visiting any the links above, or browsing these others:

"A Father's Grief"

Posted in Brotherhood, Change, Chicagoland, EMS Health & Safety, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighters, NetCast, News, Tradition

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Posted by on February 3, 2012 • No comments

The Brotherhood of Two FNG’s – Part Four- Taking Care of Our Brothers

I’ve been sharing with you a story of humor, yet it is also a story many of each of you have been apart of in your own experiences.  You get on a department, and you grow close to each other as you begin your journey developing your second family.

There are many other stories, as I’m sure you can imagine.  Some can be related, some are better left untold.  But each story are singular threads that we share to create the fabric of life- the truly special one which we all share as Brothers and Sisters in the greatest profession on earth.

I began my career with Buzz, and was fortunate enough to have him as a part of our company when I suffered my injury a few years back.  From beginning to end, Buzz has been and continues to be my Brother.

Buzz has a beautiful wife and three fantastic young men for sons.  Throughout our Brotherhood, Buzz has always had the support of both his families.  Buzz also serves his country in the Global War on Terror, having been in the sands as a Navy medic saving the lives of his other Band of Brothers, our heroes in the Middle East.

When he is gone on his tours, the Brothers back home make sure his family is never in want for anything.  From simple chores to assistance with major issues we all made sure his wife, Maria, and her three sons could count on us to have their backs just like if Buzz was there for them.  We treated his family just like they should be treated, and how we would expect they would treat ours. 

Today, our Brother faces a new crisis, and we are all stepping up for him.  For those of you who are unaware, his eldest son Ken was unexpectedly diagnosed with brain cancer this last March. After 2 brain surgeries 5 weeks of radiation and countless medications, Ken is looking and feeling better and better. He still has a long road to recovery and many months of chemotherapy ahead, but things are looking positive.

This unfortunate medical issue came at a time when Ken was off of a health insurance plan between graduating college, and trying to get a small business up and going. His medical expenses are staggering and overwhelming.  Now, this is something that will dealt with over time, but we all can have an impact now.  Why?

Ken will be unable to work for at least a year.  But in this, the greatest country in the world, Ken can also receive a higher level of healthcare treatment IF he can pony up certain percentages out of pocket.  In other words, if he has more money, he can get better treatment.  God Bless America, right?

Anyway, us Brothers are not going to let a lack of finances hold Buzz’s son to a lesser standard of care without a fight.  We’ve put a party together and want everyone to join us the weekend after the Fourth of July at Arlington Park Racecourse. 

Join us as we bet on the ponies, break some bread, share some pop, enjoy pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting, 50/50 raffle, silent auction, other raffle prizes, and a demonstration by our very own Chicago Fire Professional Soccer Team.

A Day At The Races runs from noon until 6pm (post time at 1pm) on Sunday, July 10th at Arlington Park Racecourse.  Tickets are $40 for adults, $20 for children 4 years old and older.

Your ticket includes food, non-alcoholic beverages, and entertainment, and all proceeds will be donated to Ken so that he can get the level of treatment he deserves.

Now I realize that many of you are geographically unable to make it to suburban Chicago for this mega-party, but you can still help out in several ways.  First, visit “Ken Krull Fundraiser” on facebook and “like”  the page.  It will help get the word out to the world.  Secondly, we’ve set up a PayPal account to which you can donate by using the email address “kenfundraiser@gmail.com”.  Local 3481 will also be graciously accepting checks mailed to Local 3481, PO Box 1683, Barrington, IL 60010. 

Finally, contact me below for any further information on how you might wish to get involved.

This is one of those situations in life that happens all around us, but you never really grasp the impact until it happens to a loved one.  

Buzz is my buddy.  Buzz is my brother.  He was there when I started, and he was there on my last day.

Join me now as we stand right beside him today, as we know we will for the rest of our lives.

 

Stay stoked!

-J

Posted in Brotherhood, Chicagoland, Firefighters, IAFF, In Da House, Just For Fun, Tradition

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Posted by on June 16, 2011 • No comments

The Brotherhood of Two FNG’s – Part Three- Escape. Wait, no. Maybe Not

When you last left us, the two hapless FNG’s had amazingly escaped a potential situation in which something got broken.  Remember, if something gets broken, we’d have to endure the Wrath of the Lieutenant- that unimaginably obscene and cataclysmic display of sound and spit-spray.

But just as things looked like they were going our way, the rising railroad crossing gate snapped off the lens of our rotating light sending it high up into the air.  Oh no!  What if it gets broken?  AAAARRRRGGGGHHH!  We watched in amazement as it arced about forty feet into the air then began its descent toward the line of traffic stopped at the light.

But the Gods were smiling down upon us on that memorable day as the lens came down hard- into a landscaping truck filled to the rim with grass clippings.  It bounced once, then twice, then finally settled on top of the pile in the back of the truck.

The light turned green.  Nooooo! 

I bolted (I know smart-asses, not so much bolting these days anymore) for the landscaping truck as it began to start forward with the traffic.  I yelled STOP! and with one leap (well, OK, I stopped, put my cigarette out and coughed, cinched up my pants, then heaved myself up attempting to get up into the back of the truck).  My third attempt was successful. 

I grabbed the lens and looked it over in wide-eyed amazement.  Just a scratch!  Well, we could get that out.  In the words of Spicoli, “my Dad’s got an awesome set of tools.”

Down I sprang (well, climbed laboriously- HEY enough from you guys already, huh?) and skipped my way back to the ambulance holding the lens with both hands above my head like the Stanley Cup (Go Bruins!) as Buzz waited dutifully with the patient.

“It’s not broken, it’s not broken!” I screamed, ecstatically incredulous.  I gently placed the lens on the front passenger seat like a majestic crown on a velvet pillow, buckled it in securely, then retook my position as driver/operator of the mobile intensive care unit.  As we made our way to the hospital, tears again, this time tears of joy and re-relief. 

Me and Buzz on our first call together.  We had successfully avoided the Wrath of the Lieutenant.  We would not be so successful in the future.  Things would get broken, Wraths be unleashed.  But today….sweet victory.

To be continued…

This story has been told and retold countless times

and may or may not be a wildly exaggerated account of utter fiction. 

As we used to say on black shift,

never let the facts get in the way of a good story. 

Posted in Brotherhood, Chicagoland, Firefighters, IAFF, In Da House, Just For Fun, Tradition

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Posted by on June 15, 2011 • No comments

The Brotherhood of Two FNG’s – Part Two- The Wrath of the Lieutenant

When you last left, a Metra Commuter train was barreling down on our ambulance trapped in a railroad crossing as we were transporting a patient to our local hospital.  2 FNG’s, me and Buzz, and a patient were on the way to the hospital when the crossing gates came down on top of the box near a multi-hundred dollar revolving light, seemingly calling attention from anyone nearby to waste just a moment of their time to claim witness to what was about to happen.

This is a good point to address the obvious question you all may have here.  Why not just throw it into reverse and break what needs to be broken- just to be safe? 

B e c a u s e  i f  s o m e t h i n g  e v e r  g e t s  b r o k e n, we endure the Wrath of the Lieutenant. 

OK.  I know you readers are all rolling your eyes- but hear me out- this was not something to ever be a part of. 

The Wrath of the Lieutenant was cataclysmic.  Each of the five human senses were so violated by the event that the End of Times would be pleasurable by comparison.  One need only hear about one of these things to never want to be nearby when it erupts.

The message was clear: Don’t break anything.  It’s only that simple.  Don’t friggin’ break a thing.

Even though it looked like there might be just enough space for the train to clear the front bumper, I thought about the emergency lighting in the front bumper as well.  If those got broken, well, the Wrath of the Lieutenant would be known! 

Something was going to get broken, it was just a question of how spectacular that breakage would be.

So this FNG did the bravest, most heroic deed ever seen in my department’s history.  Forget about saving babies from a raging inferno, this took balls. 

I put her in reverse and slowly backed up. 

The first sound was that of the wooden railroad gate contacting the lens of the revolving light on top of the ambulance box.  Clink.  Tears streaming down my face in anticipation of what would happen if anything broke, I continued inching backward. 

Buzz peeked his head through the cab window and asked what was the matter.  My tear-stained head spun around and I screamed “BEWARE THE WRATH OF THE LIEUTENANT”!

Buzz froze.  He knew. 

His eyes welled up as he quickly did the Sign of the Cross on himself. 

“Don’t break anything!  Just let the train smash us!” Buzz screamed. 

The ambulance continued inching slowly backward.

Others nearby probably only heard the blaring of the approaching train’s horn, but the two terrified FNG’s could only wait for the sound of “something breaking”.  The wooden gate creaked and groaned as it bent farther and farther back, the revolving light holding it’s ground.

After what seemed like hours, the train finally roared by.  Turns out we had plenty of room after all.  Buzz and I shared a look of intense relief and began to dry our pitifully snot-slobbered faces.  Nothing got broken!  We had avoided the Wrath of the Lieutenant!

As we high-fived and danced a merry jig of exultation, the railroad gate, which had been bowed back about 30 degrees began to ascend upward to allow traffic through.  In doing so, it popped the clear dome light lens catapulting it up and forward high in the air, the revolving light still spinning away.

The lens flew like a rocket, arcing high up into the air.  Oh no!  What if it gets broken?  AAAARRRRGGGGHHH!  We watched in amazement as it arced about forty feet into the air then began its descent toward the line of traffic stopped at the light. 

Things were not looking good again for the two FNG’s.

To be continued……

This story has been told and retold countless times

and may or may not be a wildly exaggerated account of utter fiction. 

As we used to say on black shift,

never let the facts get in the way of a good story. 

 

Posted in Brotherhood, Chicagoland, Firefighters, In Da House, Tradition

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Posted by on June 14, 2011 • 2 comments

Whoa! What Did THESE Council Members Say?

Minds are like parachutes. Just because you've lost yours doesn't mean you can borrow mine.

As we trudge through the muck of crap we’ve been hearing from Oakbrook, Illinois, Xenia, Ohio, and Obion County in Tennessee, I have become weary, incredulous, and frankly- pissed off.

You’ll understand then, how ecstatic I was when this video was forward me.

It’s from a Village Board meeting in a neighboring town of mine- Palatine, Illinois. Firefighters stepped up and shared with those who hold the purse strings the reality of operating as a firefighter and paramedic in their local community. As these council members fervently extol, their eyes were opened.

Palatine Council Meeting Clip 10-4-10 from AFFIVideo on Vimeo.

It’s a welcome breath of fresh air when I needed one most. The video gives us hope that sanity still exists despite the slop we’ve been enduring.

It worked in Palatine. I wonder if we can make this work elsewhere?

Hmmm.

Stay stoked!
-J

Posted in Administration & Leadership, AFFI, Change, Chicagoland, Firefighters, Funding & Staffing, IAFF, News, Pub Ed, Staffing, Videos

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Posted by on October 8, 2010 • 1 comment

Love vs. Hate: Another firefighter steps up for compassion

Have you noticed how acceptable it has become to be hateful?

In a day and age which screams out for sanity, we hear more and more from the loud, the angry, and the hateful.

It is so easy to hate.  Each week, each hour, each day as the rhetoric and the vitriol continues to escalate it seems to become ever more acceptable to volley the words of hatred- to the point where what used to be “ex-treme” is becoming “main-stream.”

In response to acidic verbiage I was reading, hearing, and witnessing on September 11, I shared a personal story about the opposite perspective of my thoughts on that day- love.  I received a lot of feedback from that story, most all of them positive.

Now comes along another firefighter who dares take what might be considered an “unpopular opinion.”  I want to turn you on to an article entitled “Homeless” by Brian from the fire blog “Switch 2 Plan B: the misadventures of a firefighter.”

In his short article, he dares to sidestep the tired opinion of ‘homeless equals laziness.’  Beyond that, he reminds us of our unique ability as humans to show compassion for those of us less blessed with the fortunes of money, the love of a family, the health of the body and brain, or a place to call home.

Further, it should come as no surprise that a fireman dares to speak out against lead the charge of compassion. Way to go, brother.

His article led me to read more of the stuff on the site.  After a bit of browsing, I knew this firefighter had a unique style of writing so I subscribed to his RSS feed.

I urge you to take a peek as well.

I hope we’ll be seeing more of this type of writing from others as time goes on.  Maybe so much has gotten so bad that the pendulum is beginning to arc back towards sanity.

What an idealistic breath of fresh air!

Stay stoked!

-J

Posted in 360 Burn, Firefighters, Never Forget

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Posted by on September 20, 2010 • 3 comments

Just Say No

As you probably already know, an unprecedented meeting of the American fire service met in Tampa back in 2004.  The Life Safety Task Force generated a list of 16 Life Safety Initiatives. I’m sure most of us had seen or heard them.  But, if you are truly dedicated to saving your lives and the lives of those on your department and your crew, you will have come pretty damn close to memorizing them.  Yes, they are that important.

I’d like to touch on one of those today. It is the fourth initiative, and it reads as follows:  “All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.”

In preparation of our latest program over at Firefighter NetCast, I was exposed to the arguments both for and against the use of positive-pressure attack.  Chief John Kriska, a proponent of PPA, was the featured guest for the program which can be found at our site http://FirefighterNetCast.com or over at iTunes under firefighter podcasts.  I ran across what may well be the best video out there to demonstrate what happens when a PPV is set in a doorway and started before adequate thought is given to its potential effects.

I have accumulated a fair amount of training whether it has been in the classroom, at a controlled practical evolution, or on the fireground itself.   I know you have too, because I’ve seen you there as well, learning new ways to perform tasks, honing skills you’ve already learned, and perhaps even sharing your knowledge with others.

Help me then if you will, to figure out why we continue to see examples of near-fatal consequences on the videos regularly making the rounds on the internet?  Surely you know of a few of these head-shaking videos, and you may have seen this one as well.

This article is not meant to argue whether or not PPA/PPV should be used on your fireground.  Rather, as you watch the video, count how many “trained firefighters” it takes to kill an interior crew.  Take a peek:

As this video clearly shows, there are several on the fireground who seem to have forgotten some of the basic stuff we learned in our very first fire training classes: fire behavior.  As a “trained firefighter”, can you read the smoke?  Does it tell you what is happening inside this “box”?  Has the fire vented?  Will it?  What’s going to happen when it does vent?  Where do you want to be when this happens?  Would you have done anything differently before crawling inside?

Of course!

Sitting here in front of your computer monitor, not many of you would miss the signs of an impending hostile fire event, would you?  I wonder if the guys in this video would see the same signs if they were watching the video rather than performing the dance toward death.  If they were “trained” they probably would have seen the problems.  Why then, did no one speak up in a real situation?

I’ve seen it locally.  Firefighters with decades of experience seem to forget some of the basics.  Perhaps they take a shortcut, emboldened by the lack of disaster as their shortcut worked so many times before.  These are trained professional firefighters, many of them friends I have known for years.  They know better.  Why, then do we do stupid things on the fireground?

Maybe it’s because we have gotten away with it before.

Maybe it’s because no one stopped us before.

Maybe it’s because “that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

But, maybe our luck will run out one day, as it does about every 80 hours here in America.

As a firefighter, do you feel you have the ability, indeed the responsibility to say “NO” to your company officer?  As a company officer, do you feel you have the ability, indeed the responsibility, to say “NO” to your chief officer?

In this video, who should have said, “NO”?  Everyone.  Even the camera operator, if he/she were a “trained firefighter” should have the ability, indeed the responsibility, to keep our brothers and sisters from killing themselves, purely because we don’t feel it is our place to say “NO.”

Departmental policies, procedures, and guidelines must allow for “All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.”

But moreover, each member must realize that they are not only able -but as trained firefighters- also responsible to stop unsafe practices.  We need to establish ownership of this responsibility.

If you or your department hasn’t made this paradigm shift, the time is yesterday.  Take your own steps now to enact each of the 16 Life Safety Initiatives.  Let each of us “trained professional firefighters” all work together to get the job done safely so we all go home at the end of the day.

Just say no.

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Change, Command & Leadership, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighters, Firefighting Operations, NetCast, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos

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Posted by on August 26, 2010 • 1 comment

75 Years of Service

Look at your crew.

Total up the years of service they have under their lids.  Chances are the number adds up to less than the 75 years of service being celebrated by William Lewis of East Syracuse, New York.

That’s right, seventy-five years in the fire service.

Over 25,000 calls as a volunteer.

On Tuesday, the East Syracuse Fire Department honored Mr. Lewis with a surprise ceremony.  Now 93, he joined the same department in 1935 at the age of 18.

From a story by WSYR-TV:

“I was brand new and I went down to the man that was running everything and said what do you want me to do?  He said stay here and help me,” Lewis said.

He’s been helping ever since.

“Nobody wants to do the same thing for 75 years.  You don’t see marriages that go 75 years.  He married himself to the volunteer fire service and the community,” said East Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Cramer.

After 75 years Lewis is finally retiring, but he says the same thing still goes though his mind when he hears the sound of sirens. “The sirens will blow once and that means they’ve got a call,” he said. “I wonder where they’re going.

Congratulations Mr. Lewis.  And thank you.

Stay stoked, the rest of you youngins’.

-J


Posted in Firefighters, News

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Posted by on July 7, 2010 • No comments

THE PLACE TO BE- Friday night at FDIC.

Going to FDIC at Indy?  Excellent!

Like beer?  Wine?  Soda (south) Pop (north)? Appetizers?

I Thought so.

So where’s THE place to be when you’re at Indy on Friday night, April 23rd?

Join with hundreds of thousands (or so) of your brothers and sisters at the famous Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery just blocks away from the Convention Center at 10 West Washington.

This party promises to be one of the largest “Meet-Up’s” to date.  It offers tremendous opportunities to network with your favorite Fire & EMS bloggers from the FireEMSBlogs.com community like Statter and Tiger, Chief Reason, oh my!

Also indulging right next to you will be contributors to FireRescue Magazine. Members of our FirefighterNation.com family and many of our Facebook fans will be bumping our elbows, so don’t spill your drinks while laughing at their hilarious stories.  Get all the event details here.

Become my Facebook Friend here, become my FirefighterNation friend here.

What?  You want to buy me a drink, too?  Sure!

I’ll do you one better and give YOU a free drink ticket.  After all, I don’t want you to shake my hand unless your holding a beverage in the other!  After you listen to me long enough, you’ll need a another drink…

So, stop by any of the booths listed below to latch onto one of a limited number of free drink tickets to get you started! The Meet-up is sponsored by our friends at:

  • FireRescue Magazine, FirefighterNation.com and FireEMSBlogs.com: Booth #3755
  • Black Diamond: Booth # 410
  • Black Helmet Apparel: Booth # 138

By the way, those two trailblazers over at Firefighter Netcast will be podcasting live from booth 3755 Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, thanks to the generosity of the folks over at FireRescue Magazine, FirefighterNation.com, and FireEMSBlogs.com

Stop over and say hi and pick up a drink ticket from them.  You might even get them to sign their brand new mug for you (ala FireGeezer muggage)

After the great experience in Baltimore last month, I am really exited about this bigger and better upcoming meet-up and looking forward to pressing the flesh with as many of you as possible.

I hope you can make it!

Buy me a drink.  You’ll need it.

Posted in Firefighters, In Da House, Just For Fun, NetCast, News, Tradition

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Posted by on April 6, 2010 • 6 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

Civilian Friends vs. Firefighter Friends

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you’re too busy to talk to them for a week.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having the last time you met.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Have cried with you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it’s yours.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that’s what the crowd is doing.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Will kick the crowds’ ass that left you behind.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Are for life.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have shared a few experiences…
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no citizen could ever dream of…

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you’ve had enough.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, “You better drink the rest of that before you spill it!! Then carry you home safely and put you to bed…

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will talk crap to the person who talks crap about you.
FIREMEN FRIENDS: Will knock them the hell out for using your name in vain.

Can you think of any more?  Leave a comment…..

Posted in Brotherhood, Firefighters, Just For Fun, Tradition

Posted by on February 15, 2010 • 5 comments

Every Day- A Firefighter’s Life

Posted in Firefighters, Pub Ed, Videos

Posted by on January 10, 2010 • No comments

360 Burn Size-up of the Fire Web 12/12/09

The New Haven 20 Finally Get Their Due

Amid blaring bagpipes, the crowd erupted with even louder cheers, whistles and shouts when firefighters entered a high school auditorium to receive their promotional badges after a 5-year legal battle that ended with a U.S. Supreme Court victory. Read more on the promotions of the group who became known as the New Haven 20 and the finish line they crossed yesterday in a contest that began back in 2003.

Berkshire County Loses National/Local Treasure

A five alarm fire marks the end of a historic and beloved building in the Massachusetts Berkshires this week.  The Egremont Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, having been around since before the American Revolution.  The three-story wood frame structure did not have a sprinkler system.  Of course, the cause has not yet been determined.  One firefighter suffered minor injuries. Read more from the Boston Globe here.

VIDEO:  When it becomes second nature, training can save your life.

Toronto firefighters on a residential second-floor interior attack forced to bailout a window and down a ladder.  See how each firefighter came down the ladder and file it away in your memory banks under training.  Also a great “Reading Smoke” video…


FlashoverTV is powered by FireRescue1.com

Posted in 360 Burn, Administration & Leadership, Close Calls, Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighters, Fires, Major Incidents, News, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Videos

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Posted by on December 12, 2009 • 5 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

30 Minutes of Training Per Week is Unfair and “Unreal”

Running Against The Wind

Running Against The Wind

I had just finished reading a depressing thought I found on facebook by Christopher Naum:

“There’s an awful lot of time, energy and resources being committed and directed towards fire service safety. Is anyone really listening? Does anyone really care?” Are we just running against the wind?

Almost immediately after reading that, I find out that a downstate Illinois fire protection district has a problem. Some of their firefighters do not have the proper qualifications for responding to and working a structure fire.

“I see there are firefighters with zero hours in training,” one trustee said. “Either you are a firefighter or you’re not.”

Most were the older guys, retired, and unable or unwilling to commit the time and energy needed to meet the requirements set forth by the state of Illinois.

According to the Illinois Fire Protection Act, firefighters are required to meet a minimum of 24 hours of training per year.

I did some quick math. My 3rd grade daughter confirmed my calculations. That’s two hours a month. 30 minutes a week.

Tell me there aren’t firefighters out there that are donning equipment with which they are not completely familiar, advancing the wrong size line with the wrong nozzle into a ‘burning box’ just waiting to collapse, unable to recognize the deadly warning signs of a catastrophic fire event for which their equally untrained buddies will have to come in and effect a rescue they are ill-prepared to attempt potentially killing them all.

Please tell me this is a unique situation. TELL ME!

Recognizing the liability of untrained firefighters on the fireground, the trustees of this fire protection district are considering their chief’s proposal to form a second tier of membership- call it an auxiliary role.

Keep the guys active, but don’t put them into a position where they could hurt themselves or others.  There are other things these guys could do in a support role.

Sounds like a great idea, right?

You’ve read this far, you earned your payoff:

After the news of the proposed change appeared on the FireRescue1 website, one lonely comment appeared. It’s so bizarre; I’m not quite able to accept that it wasn’t posted as a facetious remark. Here it is, by ‘tommy517’:

“I think it is unreal what law makers are trying to require volunteer firefighters training for responding to calls. I know they feel it is for firefighter safety they come up with some of the stuff, and anything to make it safer is better. However, someone who has done it for years should be given some credit for years of service. I’m a volunteer and I love it. There isn’t anything much better to me than running on fire and rescue calls. I took all the required classes I needed at the time. Now they are wanting to come up with new stuff all the time. When I started I was a student in high school. Now I have a family and work full time. Its hard to get all the “new” trainings that are out there. I wish I had the time to go and take all the new classes and find out what is new in the fire service. With a job and family now its hard to respond to calls sometimes let alone run here and there for classes. Really what has changed? We still gear up get on the truck and put the wet stuff on the red stuff…”

Like he said, “Really, what has changed?’”

Seriously, folks. How many line of duty injuries and worse do we have to endure before this kind of mindset changes?

30 minutes a week…

Posted in Change, Firefighters, News, Training, Training & Development, WTF?

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Posted by on November 1, 2009 • 3 comments

Can You Be Forced to Take The H1N1 Vaccine?

New Challenges Pose New Questions for First Responders

Brett Brett is a firefighter/paramedic on a suburban Chicago fire department. He normally doesn’t get the regular flu shot because he feels it makes him sick. To date, Brett has yet to decide if he should get the H1N1 flu vaccine being offered up this month.

With all the H1N1 press lately, Brett has some new-found concerns. Many of them affect each of us employed as first responders:

1. Can Brett’s employer force him to take the vaccine- in other words- is there a point where his employer can dictate Brett’s personal healthcare decisions?

2. If Brett refuses, might he face disciplinary consequences up to and including termination?

3. Will Brett’s employer-provided insurance carrier have a say as well?

4. What happens if Brett refuses the vaccine and gets sick on the job?

5. Will worker’s compensation be available to him if he refuses the vaccine??

6. What liabilities do Brett and his employer accept should he contract the H1N1 flu?

7. What happens if Brett contracts the virus and passes it on to his co-workers or patients?

H1N1 globe mask Another interesting aspect to the story is there is nothing to fall back on in the area of precedence.  These are new times full of new challenges.  It’s possible that Brett’s employer doesn’t yet have the answers to these questions and will have to make some decisions soon to enact the next time around.  The way his agency handles these situations may be quite different than the way yours does.

There will invariably be a labor-management aspect which will have to be reconciled as well.  Freedoms that Brett may enjoy under his current contract may have to be negotiated the next time around.

So many questions, so little time.

-J

Posted in Change, EMS, Firefighters

Posted by on October 8, 2009 • No comments

Umm, Not So Fast East St. Louis

On Monday the city leader’s ill-advised attempt to cut- even further than the bone- yet more firefighters was stopped dead in its tracks.

The Illinois State Legislature formed the East St. Louis Financial Advisory Authority back in 1990 and gave it sweeping powers to oversee spending in the city as it teetered on the verge of bankruptcy.

19 years later, the watchdog group has stepped in and done their job, voting unanimously to reject the layoff plan proposed by Mayor Alvin Parks Jr. 

Patrice Rencher, executive director of the advisory authority, told the authority members that the plan "is in breach of the collective bargaining agreement" between the city and its firefighters. The agreement calls for maintaining a force of 58 firefighters, she said.

The F.A.A. went a step further to stymie the effort by the city to tap TIF resources to help rebalance the budget. 

The buck has to stop somewhere, but the firefighters in East St. Louis won’t have to endure further cuts.

Read the entire story here

WordPress Tags: IAFF Local 23,layoffs,East,Louis,Mayor,Alvin,Parks,Rencher,firefighters

Posted in Brotherhood, Firefighters, IAFF, WTF?

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Posted by on September 22, 2009 • No comments

East Haven CT 1st Lt Joseph Lambert dies in crash

-From WTNH and The New Haven Register

Video courtesy YouTube

Firefighters, family and friends are mourning the loss of one of East Haven’s bravest.

East Haven 1st Lieutenant Joseph Lambert died in an automobile crash along I-91 in New Haven early Sunday.

"Very sad, heavy-hearted. Joe was a great friend," said Neil Florio, president of Foxon Volunteer Fire Company No. 3. "I’ve known him for years. I’m really going to miss him."

An empty set of boots and bunker pants were at the ready at the firehouse on North High Street. They’re not Lamberts’, his are still in his car, but they are a reminder of a faithful firefighter who will not be there on the next call.

Connecticut state police are investigating the cause of the crash, which happened on I-91 North between Exits 6 and 8 around 4:00 a.m. Sunday. According to an accident report, Lambert apparently lost control of his vehicle, struck a guard rail, and was then struck by another vehicle.

New Haven firefighters found his shield in his wallet and called the East Haven chief.

Lambert Lambert, 30, had been a volunteer firefighter in East Haven for eleven years. He came from a family of firefighters. Friends and family said they always put others first.

"He’d get a call in the middle of the night — 2:00 o’clock in the morning, 3:00 o’clock in the morning — and he’d be out the door in his pajamas," his sister Aimee Lambert said.

"We’d get calls in the neighborhood often and he’d be right there, she said. "Neighbors had a baby that had stopped breathing for SIDS and he was right across the street and did CPR on the baby right away."

Black bunting and a lit candle were outside of the fire house. Lambert used to sit in Engine No. 5. Florio said it will be very difficult to fill that seat.

"I was sitting in the truck before and it’s not the same," he said. "It was tough to sit in there and not look over and see him."

Lambert was certified in cold water rescue, hazardous materials operations as well as rapid intervention. His goal was to one day become a career firefighter like his father.

"It was his life-long dream since he was a child," his sister Aimee said. "My father was a New Haven firefighter and we always looked up to him a lot and Joseph really wanted to be firefighter like my father and follow in his footsteps."
In a statement Mayor April Capone Almon said Lambert "served the people of East Haven selflessly and will be missed."

One of the special jobs Lambert was known for was leading the Explorers, a group of teens hoping to become firefighters. He was there in the rain, sleet, snow or hail to work with the kids, Florio said.

Career firefighter Jack Guido said he has a son with special needs who was in the Explorer program and Lambert gave him a lot of individual help and attention, taking him under his wing.

“He was just wonderful,” Guida said. “What he did for my son will never be forgotten.”

Details about memorial services were not immediately available

-Courtesy WTNH, and The New Haven Register

As always, our thoughts and prayers rain out over his family, his fire company, and his friends.  You are never alone during this horrific time in your lives.

Posted in Firefighters

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Posted by on September 21, 2009 • No comments

9/11 and the Forgotten (The Secret List)

From www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com

Thursday, September 10, 2009 

-Hey,
8 years ago.
When we recall the World Trade Center attack, the  Pentagon attack and the hi-jacked crash in Pennsylvania on the anniversary of Sept. 11, we get angry. Or we should. If we don’t, that’s a real problem.

So first and foremost, we take time to remember all those murdered on 9/11 along with the Firefighters, Police Officers and EMS Members murdered in the Line of Duty.

We also take time to remember those who survived and those who are survivors of those murdered.

There is also a group of THOUSANDS of Firefighters, Police Officers and EMS Members who live 9/11 every day. Most who it seems, have been forgotten. They along with other support workers, are suffering from major upper respiratory illnesses, some of them life threatening, that were contracted from inhaling the air at Ground Zero. It started with the first arriving company, police officer and EMT and continues today.

For me, I will NEVER FORGET the statements by "officials" claiming there was no harm being caused to those breathing the fumes. Elected and appointed idiots who think that we would believe their crap.

Incredible.

What’s more incredible is that they were believed by the clueless majority-and those who might have to write checks or actually TAKE responsibility. WTF?!

For now, responders receive federally funded monitoring and treatment, but this "system" is in a precarious situation. Funds are allotted annually, and next years funding could be cut or not granted at all, leaving many ill responders with nothing. Nothing. Congress is also considering a bill that would establish permanent Federal funding for 9/11 medical monitoring and treatment, giving workers and lower Manhattan residents some long-term health resources. Without that, some may have nothing.

Congress needs to be held to the fire in TAKING CARE of those who responded, gave their lives-or are GIVING their lives in helping others. Ask your member of Congress where they are on the issue?

The James Zadroga Act, named for an NYPD Detective who died as a result of illnesses contracted while operating at Ground Zero, has support in both houses of Congress from the New York and New Jersey delegations and lobbying muscle from the unions, but it appears to inspire little action from other lawmakers. It seems that some feel that it’s a NY and NJ problem, not "their" problem.

What happened to 9/11 being an AMERICAN PROBLEM?

Make the call. Find out where YOUR elected officials are and what they are doing-and will do..

You’ll also LOVE the fact that the bill has also lost some of its supporters from last year; it was shelved in October when Congress turned its attention to a $700-billion bailout package for Wall Street.

How’d that work out? We’re just say’n.

If you are interested in the politics of this, GOOGLE the "9/11 Health" and you’ll find plenty. I know there is ALOT to this issue and to some it is VERY complicated. But sadly, it reminds me of how we treat many war veterans and now, 9/11 survivors, and those who are dying a slow death-as they too were attacked on 9/11/01. They just didn’t die soon enough for the politicians.

As far as we are concerned, we just wanted to remind all of The Secret List members that NEVER FORGETTING, as Rick L says, means NEVER FORGETTING. And as a part of that, it means never forgetting:
- who attacked us.
- why they attacked us.
- who gave their lives that day.
- who continues to suffer each and every day.
- and who, amongst all of our members of Congress and Senate actually care enough to support them.

There is a clear moral obligation on the part of the Federal Government to take care of all those genuinely affected by 9/11, both physically and mentally.  8 years later-how are your local Federally elected officials responding?

Ask’em.

Take Care,
BillyG
The Secret List 9/10/09
www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com

Posted in Brotherhood, Firefighters, Never Forget, WTF?

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Posted by on September 11, 2009 • No comments

Bye, Glenn.

Strebel Glenn left us yesterday. 

It’s a tough thing when a brother passes.  It’s even worse when it happens way too soon. 

Those of us who know Lt. Glenn Strebel of the Barrington Fire Department see him as a rock.  It’s hard to think that a guy so strong both physically and mentally could be brought down so early by a rare and sinister cancer.  In the prime of our careers it can be hard to face the fact that we are, in fact, mortal.  Our time on Earth is truly limited, and we need to abide by the cliché “Live every day like it’s your last.”

I remember Glenn as highly-motivated,  extremely dedicated, and completely committed to his community and his peers.  Much more a leader than a follower, Glenn leaves us a legacy filled with intensity and pride.

And mischief.  One of the first (of many) practical jokes played on me as a rookie unfolded in the bunkroom.  Glenn had replaced the main structural components of my bed with empty pop cans.  When I plopped into bed, the whole thing collapsed.  Welcome to the family.

Fire Lieutenant, Shift Commander, Rescue Diver, Fire Investigator, Fire Prevention Bureau, Haz Mat Tech- and so much more.  Glenn managed to accomplish so much in his relatively short time here with us- and that’s something of which we might all take note.

Our deepest sympathy and thoughts and prayers rain out over his family and friends, and to his brothers and sisters in the fire service.  As a family, we are never, ever alone- a realization that brings comfort in these times of hurt and pain and tears.

Bye, Glenn..   See you soon, my brother…

WordPress Tags: Glenn,Strebel,Barrington,Fire,cancer,legacy,pride,Police,Lieutenant,Commander,Rescue,Diver,Investigator,Prevention,Bureau,sympathy,brother

Posted in Firefighters

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Posted by on September 11, 2009 • 1 comment