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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

NFFF/CFD Video—> Make this a MUST WATCH FOR ALL FIREFIGHTERS. Perfect training.

 

 

 

The final version of this superb video is finally available.  Brought to us by our friends over at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and

featuring my fine friends at the Chicago Fire Department, this is excellent training and should be seen by every firefighter everywhere.

_________________________________________

“What’s most important is that we all go home.  We’re not Superman. We have families that need you to, so…we have other obligations as well. “

“When you’re a young kid, you got that cape on. you wanna go through walls. And if you don’t have the old timers, they’ll kinda  pull you back a little bit, They say hold on kid, understand what your doing, and why you’re doing what you’re doing, and to give yourself a way out.”

 “Have a wife turn to you, and look at you and say, “What the hell happened here? Where the hell was his hood?  Who was in charge? How did you guys let this happen to him? Why him?  What do I say to them?”

“If you think you’ve got some good reason for not wearing this or for not doing things the right way , write it down.  Because I need to read that to your widow.  Because I’m not going to know what to say.  You say it for me.”

I think the worse day I’ve ever had in my life is when I was five years old and my father was killed in the line of duty.  That day stays with me forever.  It’s like it happened yesterday.  I don’t want anyone else to have to go through that.  And I don’t speak just for myself, I speak for my family, I speak for the firefighters that worked with my father that were next to him when he got killed. It never leaves you.  It’s a scar you’ll always have.

“We don’t have any more room for badges on the wall.”

_________________________________________

 

Any kid can smear on the war paint.  It’s what you do once you’re all “warriored-up” that shows your true worth on our battlefields.

The firefighter I want with me on a line or with a tool by my side is a brother who is not only aggressive and eager to do the job, but also has the knowledge and seasoning to know when to go and when to think twice when it’s appropriate.  I don’t need young, dumb, and full of a battle cry and a death wish. 

If he aint got no brains, send him the f*&% away..

Stay stoked.

-J

 

 

Posted in Brotherhood, Chicagoland, Emergency Communications, Firefighter Safety & Health, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, LODD, Never Forget, News, Tradition, Videos

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Posted by on December 28, 2011 • No comments

Classroom or kitchen table? Where have you learned the most?

 

 

 

 

If you had to choose between these two locations, where would you say most of your fire service learning took place?

Isn't it interesting that most of how we learn is best accomplished by simply interacting with those nearby?

With that in mind, I’m looking for pictures of your firehouse kitchen table being “used” by firefighters, specifically the times when we sit around it solving all of the world’s problems in an informal setting.

Send them to me at john@firedaily.com  We’ll get as many of them posted as we can.

Posted in In Da House, Tradition, Training, Training & Development

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Posted by on June 30, 2011 • 1 comment

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

The Brotherhood of Two FNG’s- Part One- Buzz

The Brotherhood of Two FNG’s

Part One- Buzz

Hello Friends,
 
I would like to take a few days to relate a story of the Brotherhood of two FNG’s.  For those of you who don’t know, N stands for “new” and G stands for “guy”.  After the story has been told, I would like to tell you why this all came to mind this month and tie it all together with a dose of true humanity.  Enjoy!

When I made the move to my most recent department, I was among a group which almost doubled the size of the career staff there.  The department was making the difficult transition from volunteer to combination and this was a significant growth spurt for the paid firefighters.

Among my group was a firefighter named Brian Krull.  Brian would be the first of the group to earn a nickname that has stood for more than 14 years now.  Let me explain.

Around the newly-expanded day room table sat 6-7 FNG’s.  The Lieutenant came bounding in (he bounds, what can I say?) and smugly asked (he smugly asks, what can I say?) which of the new guys had been responsible for sending the personnel manager a stunning bouquet of flowers following his acceptance into the department. 

Brian raised his hand.  

Oops.  Day one and he was singled out already.

It was 1997.  Back in the 1900’s, FTD had a commercial out about some guy dressed as a bumblebee who delivered flowers, remember? 

Buzz.

The nickname Buzz stuck like honey to a hive. 

So, after a couple weeks of FNG training, we were divvied up into the three shifts.  I had been warned that I should slit my wrists if I was assigned to black shift.

Naturally, I was assigned to black shift.

So was Buzz, and thus began what turned out to be an extraordinary band of brothers who were constantly on every chief officer’s radar screen.  We were a proud group, eager to put up our skills against the other shifts when challenged, and always coming out on top.  That made black shift a target, from blue shirts and multi-bugles alike.

Buzz and I ran our first call together.  2 medics on an EMS run, allowed to solo for the first time without adult supervision despite our Lieutenant’s better judgment.  On the way to the hospital, me driving-Buzz in back, we approached a railroad crossing.  Cars were stopped for a light so I had to enter the opposite lane to slowly sneak around the stopped line of traffic.  Just as I committed the ambo into the RR crossing the bells started ringing and gates started lowering. 

Maybe I shoulda just gunned it, but as I said we were FNG’s on our first call.  Fearing the worst, I stopped which allowed the gates to come down on the top of the box. 

Thunk!

I stuck my head out the window and saw the RR gate had come down behind the rotator light on the front corner of the ambulance.  If I backed up I would surely snap the multi-hundred dollar accessory and face the Wrath of the Lieutenant (he wraths, what can I say?)  If I didn’t back up- well the train probably would clear the front of the ambulance no problem.  Right?

I had a decision to make.  Back up and break the multi-hundred dollar light?  Take a chance on the train missing us?  Howabout just getting out and running away screaming like a girl?  You know- right to O’Hare for starters- then who knows where? 

To be continued…..

This story has been told and retold countless times

and may or may not 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, IAFF, In Da House, Tradition

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Posted by on June 13, 2011 • 2 comments

You might be a redneck firefighter if….

I'm traveling this week.  Here's a rerun from last year.  Enjoy!

To all my brothers and sisters who start out your radio transmissions with “Breaker, breaker..” of have the naked lady mud flaps on your apparatus, I offer these nuggets for entertainment purposes.

Or suggestions.

* You have ever been dispatched to a working “cow” fire
* You ever put out a cow chip fire
* Your PASS alarm goes “Yeee Haw”
* You dispatch center ever said “Y’all can’t miss it”
* You used your rescue air bags as furniture at the fire station
* You refill your air bottles at the local gas station “Free Air” hose
* Your department has a Rescue Bubba and a Rescue Cow for training
* You only wash down the floor in the station to “keep the dust down”
* Your radio call signal is “Wheee doggies”
* You have to mark the department out of service two weeks during deer season and every Sunday during the Winston Cup Race
* You bought a computer so you could get NASCAR Online on the Internet
* You count reading fire magazines in the bathroom as training hours
* Your last four fire department raffles were for a shotgun…and a member won it each time.
* You borrowed the department’s quick dump tank so you could have a neighborhood pool party
* Your safety officer is the person who broke his arm at the last house fire
* Your rehab consists of a cold beer and a pack of “nabs”
* Your last serious fire was your fire department BBQ
* You used your “good” fire house as a bumper on your boat dock
* You have a shotgun rack in the back of your fire truck….and got two bucks on your last call
* Your Hurst tool is on loan to the local body shop
* You use a hanging noose knot for all your rescue operations because it’s real adjustable
* You don’t allow a person to join the department unless they own a pickup
* You wore a hole in your fire boots….while wearing them at your full time job
* You keep 2 packs of “Red Man” in your turnout gear for “emergencies”
* Your departments brush truck doubles as your hunting truck
* You voted against the last person for chief because he was a Jeff Gordon fan
* You painted your new rescue truck to look like Earnhardt’s race car
* You borrowed the fire truck to use the spotlights for deer hunting
* The directions to your last house fire was “Go down past the last house you burnt up”….and you know exactly which house they are talking about
* You ever went diving in a swimming pool with your SCBA equipment…..just to see how it would work
* You must take the battery out of your tractor to put in the fire truck before you go on calls
* Your preacher borrows your PASS alarms each Sunday for church to keep the congregation awake
* You consider “2 in and 2 out” to be two guys in the cab and two on the tailboard of the truck
* The last girl you kissed was named Rescue-Annie and you enjoyed it so much you are thinking seriously about asking her out
* Your department has ever had two emergency vehicles pulled over for drag racing while going to a scene
* Your firehouse has wheels
* You’ve ever got back and found you’ve locked yourself out of the firehouse
* Fire training consists of everyone standing around a fire get’n drunk
* You’ve ever been toned out on an out house fire also if that out house fire was with entrapment
* You’ve ever let a person’s house burn down because they wouldn’t let you hunt their ground
* Your personal vehicle has more lights on it than your house has lights in it
* You’ve ever walked through a Christmas display and walked away with at least 3 new ideas for a light scheme for your truck
* Your rescue truck can smoke the tires
* Your department’s name is misspelled on your equipment
* The nurses and doctors turn out the lights and hide when you show up at the hospital to get your equipment
* Dispatch can’t mention your name without laughing
* The local news crew won’t put your department on T.V. because you embarrassed them last time.
* You’ve ever locked the keys in your trucks
* You’ve ever referred to a light bar as sexy
* Your defibrillator consists of a marine battery, a pair of jumper cables, and a fish finder
* You’ve ever taken a girl out in a pumper
* Your pumper has been on fire more times than it’s been to a fire
* Your pumper smokes more than the house fire
* You’ve ever been arrested for indecent exposure at a house fire
* You’ve ever called it quits on a house fire when the beer got hot
* You’ve ever been late to a house fire because you had to stop and get the guy who fell off the truck
* You’ve ever stopped in route to pick up a road kill
* You hand out spit cans before each meeting
* You have a sign out front of your station that says will fight fires for beer
* Your equipment has chew stains down the sides of ‘em
* Everyone on your department is related in some way or another
* Your annual vacation plans depend on where the state EMS conference is held.
* You have as many ambulances in town as you do EMTs.
* You thought your first ambulance ” run ” would be a 5K.
* You think that the ABCs stand for ” Always Being on Call. ”

 

24redneckfire-back

Posted in Just For Fun, Tradition

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Posted by on May 20, 2011 • 2 comments

“Taking Up” debuts online Wednesday!

"You can do everything right in this job and still get killed" – Paddy Brown, Captain Ladder 3 – lost 09/11/01

Wednesday night, the Firefighter Netcast family grows once again as John and Rhett welcome the newest member of the Firefighter Netcast family, Lieutenant David LeBlanc, from East Harwich, MA.

His new program is called “Taking Up”- reflections on the right, the wrong, and the why.  In each program, Dave will facilitate commentary about today’s Fire Service, training and techniques. We’ll be focusing on keeping our members safe while adhering to the principals of our Profession. 

Dave is not a stranger to Firefighter Netcast, having been a contributor and guest several times over the last year.  Indeed, he has made a great impression on us all. He is also a contributor to Backstep Firefighter over at Fire EMS Blogs as well as many other sites..

Through his writings and appearances on the show, one thing becomes glaringly clear:  Dave LeBlanc is passionate about the fire service.  He is never afraid to voice his opinion, yet can always be counted on to respect those who differ with him.

This is exactly the type of discussion Firefighter Netcast is looking to create- that banter back and forth around the station’s kitchen table, or as we jaw around the back step of the apparatus.

Dave LeBlanc began in the Fire Service in 1986.  He was a Call Firefighter for the Dennis Fire Department and a Volunteer for both the West Haven Fire Department and the Allingtown Fire Department in West Haven, Connecticut.  He has a Bachelors degree in Arson Investigation from the University of New Haven.  

In 1993 he started working full time for Harwich Fire Department in Massachusetts as a Fire Alarm Operator.  He became a Firefighter in 2000.  He is currently a Lieutenant assigned to Harwich Station 2 in East Harwich, MA.  Now, he brings his experience, his ideas, and his flavor to Firefighter Netcast.

So, join us live on Wednesday night, April 6 at 9pm ET for the premiere of “Taking Up”, or visit FirefighterNetcast.com to download this and every other show for listening at your leisure.

Firefighter Netcast- this ain’t your Daddy’s fire service radio podcast…..

Posted in Firefighter Safety & Health, NetCast, News, Tradition, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by on April 5, 2011 • No comments

Aggressive vs. Safe- Here’s to the end of Either/Or

I would like to direct your attention to Backstep Firefighter and today’s well-written article “The 2011 Firefighter” by my fellow brother, Dave LeBlanc.  Among other things, Dave wrote about being an aggressive firefighter vs. an overly-safety-conscious firefighter as we enter the New Year.

This is a topic that will be revisited on a regular basis- in 2011 and that is a good thing.  I’ve heard excellent arguments on both sides of the issue, and Dave is one of the best at articulating his opinions on the issue.  In fact,  Firefighter Netcast’s Chris Naum recently hosted “Looking Forward through the Rearview Mirror” on his program “Taking it to the Streets” during which this very topic was discussed.

You can download this impressive show to your mp3 player here.

As we continue to debate aggressive vs. safe, I would encourage everyone to consider that the truly successful, efficient, and valued public servant will be the intelligent, well-trained firefighter who neither goes completely aggressive nor ineffectively safe.

If you want to be the best, most efficient savior of lives and property, then you will come to understand there is an inherent value on both ends of the debate.

This will lead you to gain the intelligence and experience to become the 21st century firefighter- one who is BOTH effectively aggressive enough to bravely do what needs to be done to protect lives and property AS WELL AS smart enough to make intelligent decisions on the fireground that will allow us to perform our tasks without making the human mistakes that continue to injure and kill us each year.

Not either/or.

Both.

Are any of these statements untrue?

  • Constant training makes us better firefighters
  • If we apply the lessons learned from our experiences, we become better at what we do.
  • Our job is intrinsically dangerous.
  • We will never be able to guarantee we will all go home at the end of the day.
  • The success of the 21st century firefighter will depend upon intelligence coupled with bravery, aggressiveness coupled with smarts.

We need to recognize that there is more to the debate than the either/or two polar opposites being bandied about in the recent past.

Thank you for reading Fire Daily.  I hope it has helped spur your thinking.

Here’s to a happy, safe, smart, and proud New Year!

-J

Posted in Change, NetCast, Tradition, Training & Development, training-fire-rescue-topics

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Posted by on December 30, 2010 • 3 comments

360 Burn Size Up of the Fire Webs for 8/20/2010

“Enjoying Vacation, Wish You Weren’t Here…”

From Backstep Firefighter, my friend David LeBlanc shares a story about the current woes being suffered over at the fire department in Lawrence, Massachusetts.  As David writes, the Lawrence Fire Department finds itself faced with the challenges not unlike most every other department in the nation- doing more with less every day.

However, David relates, just as their mayor left on a Caribbean vacation, he made sure another 23 firefighters got slapped with pink slips on the way out the door.  A shift of 13-15 is left scrambling to protect 80,000 with the only help available as mutual aid.

What do you think the aid companies have to say about that?

Read what happened after the sun-drenched mayor returned at the article here.  Seriously, we can’t make this stuff up….

if it looks like ......

Philly Brown Stuff Bubbles to the Surface

FireGeezer pointed his spotlight upon an interesting video from Philly.  They, too, are suffering from staffing cuts which are being addressed by the fix-all cure of rolling brownouts which began at the beginning of the month.

Early on in the video, former assistant city comptroller Brett Mandel spoke plainly about the logic of brownouts:

“If you’re going to say that a fire station is not needed for Thursday night, well then, why is it needed for Friday night?  And if it’s not needed for Friday night, well maybe we don’t need that station.

On the other hand, if we need it for Friday night, why don’t we need it on Thursday night?”

The video ends with a contentious back and forth between the union president and the fire commissioner all played out on live TV.  With more of these types of interviews bubbling their way to the surface, maybe the public will gain more of an understanding of just how politics affects their local fire service.

it sure takes balls...

Gubbamint Discounts

As we wade our way through the economic mess with no end in sight, and the newly empowered attack upon the pensions of public employees, are we still thinking about the way the public perceives us?  What’s your take on these “fire department discounts?”  If your guys have been on the receiving end of half-price dinner or free coffee, and you didn’t get the same discount, would you ask for it?

Would you demand it?

Captain Schmoe over at Report on Conditions gives his view here.

Another Blogger from Hilton Head Done Good!

Tom Bouthillet, Prehospital 12-lead ECG

Finally, a warm welcome to my friend Tom Bouthillet, a Fire Lieutenant / Paramedic with Hilton Head Island (SC) Fire & Rescue.  Tom’s superb blog Prehospital 12-lead ECG is now up and running right here on FireEMSblogs.com, which should always be your first stop after FireDaily.com and FirefighterNetCast.com.  Give him a peek!

He is the second blogger that “done good” from HHI, home of B/C Mick Mayers (Firehouse Zen).

Let’s hope Tom has better taste in hockey teams…

Stay stoked!

Posted in 360 Burn, Administration & Leadership, Brotherhood, EMS Topics, Funding & Staffing, IAFF, News, Staffing, Tradition, WTF?

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Posted by on August 20, 2010 • 1 comment

“The Big Burn” – Largest fire in American history

The aftermath in Wallace, Idaho

The aftermath in Wallace, Idaho

Exactly 100 years ago, the summer of 1910 was hot and dry like no other. The resultant drought left plenty of dry vegetation in the forests of northeast Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana.  By mid-August there were 1,000 to 3,000 fires already burning due to hot cinders flung from locomotives, sparks, lightning, and backfiring crews.

Then came the wind.

On August 20, a cold front swept through the area bring hurricane-force winds which blew all the smaller fires into one or two gargantuan blazes- far too huge for the U.S. Forest Service- then only 7 years old- to handle with little manpower, and even less resources.

Some firsthand accounts from rangers who lived through the horror:

“They told of trees swelling, sweating hot sap, and then exploding; of horses dying in seconds; of small creeks boiling, full of dead trout, their white bellies up; of bear cubs clinging to flaming trees, wailing like children.”

There is an excellent article over at the spokesman.com which relates some of the accounts of those who witnessed, fought, and survived the maelstrom.  Here is a small excerpt:

The scale was immense. Telegraph operators sent out desperate messages describing the approach of a solid line of flame 30 miles wide, and that was no exaggeration. Today, you can drive Interstate 90 east from Wallace, Idaho to just short of St. Regis, Idaho — about 45 miles — and be within the old burn zone every mile of the way. And this was by no means the only burn zone in the Northern Rockies – just the biggest.Smoke from the fire was said to have been seen as far east as Watertown, New York and as far south as Denver, Colorado. Ships 500 miles out into the Pacific Ocean, could not navigate by the stars because the sky was cloudy with smoke.


The fire had no end in sight and would have burned on had Mother Nature not returned to the scene with another cold front containing dousing rains.

The legacy of The Big Burn was the re-shaping of the U.S. Forest Service.

Prior to the fire, debates like those that remain today were taking place: let the fires burn as nature intended, or fight them in order to protect the forests.  However, after the devastation of this fire it was decided that the U.S. Forest Service was to prevent and battle against every wildfire.

Firefighters across the nation are gathering to mark the centennial of the event this weekend.  Numerous events are planned around the region to commemorate lost lives, reflect on a century’s worth of changes in wildland fire management philosophy, and celebrate how far we’ve come.

Posted in Disasters, Fires, Major Incidents, Never Forget, Tradition, Wildland

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Posted by on August 19, 2010 • No comments

First Due Blog Carnival- Sharing The Wealth

Dale runs the ride.

Remember the excitement of going to the carnival?  You know, before we became “spooked” by the the guy with more arms than teeth running the “Zipper” screaming to us riders: “YOU ALL WANNA GO FASTER?”  We’d all scream back, “YEAH!”  And the ex-con with his glass eye gleaming would grab one of the long red levers with all eight and a half fingers and shove it forward forcing the ride into overdrive, the screaming kids only drowned out by the sounds of Bad Moon Risin’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival cranking at an ear-splitting level.

All for two tickets. Damn, that was cool…

Those were times we look back upon with fondness.  We were young with out lives splayed out endlessly in front of us.  We were pups with a lot to learn.  In time, we would be growing into mature young adults- all blazing our own trails and creating our own ways of life.  Eventually we would find ourselves in the fire service, young, dumb, and full of come on, you didn’t think I’d really go there, didja?  All of us didn’t stay young, most of us didn’t stay dumb, and, well, you can finish the thought…

My point is that there were many sign posts along each of our journeys that we look back upon and never forget.  Just like the when the kid puked on the Tilt-O-Whirl, we also have a few memorable moments in which someone said or did something that left an indelible impression upon us.  And we grew from that, and we became better firefighters in the process.  The truth is, we benefited from someone who Shared the Wealth.

This month’s First Due Blog Carnival sought out your stories of someone who Shared The Wealth in your life.  I asked you to Share that Wealth with us all.

I had a feeling there was some fantastic stuff out there, but I absolutely amazed at what you took the time to share.  To all of you, I express my sincere appreciation for Sharing The Wealth.  There stories are simply incredible.

To our readers- please set aside some time to reach through all of these.  This is some exceptional stuff.  Don’t short-change yourself by skimming through it too quickly.  If you must, bookmark this page and come back to it so you can properly savor it and benefit from it all.

Then YOU Share The Wealth.

Here’s how.  Forward these stories to someone you know, whether it be a rookie just starting out, or someone who feels a little stale and could use a pick-me-up.  Print a couple up and post them at your station so that others can benefit.  Perhaps you have a story you would like to share.  Get it to me and I’ll make sure to share your wealth.

YOU make the ride go faster.  YOU crank the tunes to ‘eleven’.  YOU make it a memorable moment for those riding on YOUR carnival ride today.

On to the submissions!

“If one of your firefighters gets into trouble, how are you going to get them out?”

Chief Reason Art Goodrich was once asked this question during a class taught by Rick Lasky.  “I left the class with a new found attitude,” Art relates. “I no longer viewed us as invincible. I no longer thought that we could get into any situation and get back out without assistance. It caused me to take a better look when I was doing size up at a scene.”  Art takes it a step further by focusing on a major flaw that many of us have in our wheelhouse.  What is that flaw?  Read about it here.

“You won’t be the best at everything, but no one is.”

Hydrant Girl is relatively new to the fire service and, thus, offers this unique perspective in her Sharing of the Wealth.  As you can see, it doesn’t take very long to be the recipient of some sage advice from the right person who told her, “Find what skills you can offer your team and work to strengthen them. You won’t be the best at everything, but no one is.” He went on to say that the best crews that he’s worked with worked together. They built on each others skills and were successful because they knew their strengths and weaknesses before they went in the fire rather then too late. “  Who said it to her and why?  Find out here.

“Looking back on it, the things we talked about that weekend were shown to us as being “fresh” ideas ten and even twenty years later.”

When I saw that Mick Mayers had offered up some of his wealth, I knew we all had struck gold.  In Firehouse Zen, Chief Mayers writes about leadership and attitude, two of the topics closest to my heart in the fire service.  In his article, Mick frames his story by reminding us that he has spent a bunch of time with nationally recognized fire service leaders and could have chosen from any of them when sharing his wealth.  Why then, does he tell us the story of the relatively unknown Chief Harry Diezel?  Because “he was able to inspire a young officer candidate in sixteen hours of a seminar, by exposing to him to the potential of emergency services from an entirely different model than ever envisioned.”  Read about how Chief Diezel was able to send Mick down this particular road in his article over at Firehouse Zen.

“Since I don’t have a juicy “moment of Zen” for you, I will instead give you some things I have learned along the way from some great guys.”

Hard to believe that you have never experienced a moment of Zen, Rhett.  Wait, I take that back.  Unencumbered by zenness, Rhett Fleitz AKA Fire Critic has instead offered up some pearls of wisdom he’s learned along his winding road in the fire service.  You may have heard of some of these before, but they are definitely worth a revisit.  Chances are, some of your rookies need to be exposed to these as well.  Read them here .  Thanks, “Big Toe!”

The message is simple, yet it is often forgotten. I use it to reign myself in when tension is high and focus is required.

Captain Joe Schmoe over at Report on Conditions offers up some words of wisdom which should be a part of everyone’s mindset.  Head on over to his site and read about what he is talking about.  As usual, all his stuff is spot on.  Bookmark his page and read it often.  Then come up with an adjective or two about his writing style and e-mail them to me.  It will help me describe to myself why I am so attracted to it. Dare ya!

“Who messed with my gear?” I yelled. No one looked up, busying themselves with putting on their turnouts

Rachel Smith is a wildland firefighter and graduate student studying fire ecology and community risk abatement at the University of California, Berkeley.  That’s what it says on her site, Flash Fuels at RachelCSmith.com. It should also say excellent writer.  Rachel tells the story of how, as a green rookie, she became acceptable as a member of her company and the necessity of reacting correctly to the traditional “tests” flung her way.  This is a “copy and save” article.  You will want to refer to it when it comes time for a young rookie to go through this mental obstacle course.  See it here.  Thanks, Rachel.  It blew me away!

“At the end of the day, when the alarm comes in, you’ll do your thing and I’ll do mine.”

The beauty of mining for these nuggets is that you never know what you will find.  Bill Carey over at BackstepFirefighter.com takes us down the road less travelled.  How?  As firefighters, we are constantly inundated with “Thou shalt’s”.  Well-meaning “experts” point to a particular method, procedure, tactic, or strategy that has worked exceedingly well.  For them.  While such advice is often valuable to some (or even many) Bill reminds us that we are all different, and we don’t necessarily fit into the cookie-cutter way of doing things.  Maybe we would do better by taking what we read, hear, and see and determine how it effects US and OUR organization before falling in lockstep behind it.  Very refreshing.  Like a glass of pineapple-mango juice.  Thanks, my friend!

Remember the Onion

My offering here at Fire Daily is simple.  Ever notice the guy who never really cooks?  Oh sure, he’s trying, he wants to do it right, but no one ever showed him how to do it.  Be the firefighter who has the ability to recognize, and the desire to help, a faltering member of your company.  Too often, we fall into some sort of competition, a race, in which we are not only better, but better than the next guy.  In my opinion, true leaders cast such competition aside, opting instead to mentor those nearby, ensuring that the end game results not in one winner, but a team of winners.  For Chissakes, show the idiot how to peel an onion before he hurts himself!

+     +     +     +     +     +     +

So there you have it.  Thanks to all of you who Shared the Wealth this month.  We are now a little bit richer.  Keep feeding us, we are hungry for this stuff.

To our readers- if you found this valuable, promise us YOU will Share the Wealth.

YOU Create a ‘life memory”’ in a young firefighter’s life.  YOU teach them how this all works.

Make the “Zipper” go faster.  Crank the music to eleven.

Oh, yeah, almost forgot. Stay Stoked!

Posted in Administration & Leadership, Brotherhood, Command & Leadership, In Da House, Just For Fun, Tips and Tricks, Tradition

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Posted by on May 28, 2010 • 9 comments

Remember the Onion

Remember your first time?

(….I mean- cutting an onion)

Way back when, I learned how to correctly cut an onion from my friends at the firehouse.  Until then, I just hacked away at it mercilessly and with reckless abandon.

Hey!  Nice hatchet job there, Lizzie Borden.

If I wanted to dice an onion, I chopped it. If I wanted to slice an onion or mince an onion, I chopped it.  And if I was lucky, I was able to chop an onion when I actually needed some chopped onion.

I never really knew how to do it correctly, but I got by OK…. No matter how the onion pieces ended up I was still able to use them and still managed to get the job done.  It may not have been pretty- nothing like your guys picking some outer onion skin from the pasta sauce you served up that night.  And I managed to keep the blood out of the food, know what I’m saying?

Where am I going with this?

All I needed was someone to show me how.

Someone who could take 12 seconds out of their life to give me the direction necessary to get you to dice that onion just right.   Ahhh….

Once someone showed me the PROPER WAY, I was golden.  I never looked back.  No sauce was compromised, everyone’s dinner was not just good, it was damn nummy!

The key?  Someone took the time to show me the best way to get it done.

It made me better, it made us all better.

Remember the onion when you see a guy struggle with getting his gear on.  Maybe he doesn’t take the time to get his suspenders lined up for that quick pull-on.

Remember the onion if your partner continually shows up in the nick of time at the start of your shift leaving little room for error thereby showing disrespect for the off-going crews

Remember the onion if he doesn’t completely clear out all of the glass from the window during extrication.

Remember the onion if the new guy fumbles for his handlight because he’s got too much crap in his bunker pockets.

Remember the onion when your partner has trouble throwing a ladder because he isn’t grabbing it at the right points taking it off the truck.

If you take the time to give a quick hint or offer a helpful tip, you’re entire team has just improved.  While one member has become ever-so-slightly better at what he does, that just made you all better.  Show them how to show the next guy, and so on.

It means the difference between just getting the job done somehow- and getting the job done right.

Which would you rather do?

Remember the onion.

Stay Stoked!

-J

Posted in Command & Leadership, In Da House, Tips and Tricks, Tradition

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Posted by on May 28, 2010 • 4 comments

May 3- Great Fire of 1901

photo: Jacksonville Historical Society

On May 3, 1901, Jacksonville, Florida suffered the most destructive event in the city’s history.  Never before (or since) has there been a larger metropolitan fire in the entire South.

The conflagration destroyed the majority of downtown Jacksonville, wiping out 2,368 buildings and leaving nearly 10,000 people homeless.  Miraculously, only seven died.

“The Great Fire”  triggered an unprecedented rebuilding effort that laid the foundation for modern-day Jacksonville.

Co-author of the book The Great Fire of 1901, Dr. Wayne Wood points out, “The 1901 Fire of Jacksonville was one of the most cataclysmic city disasters in American history. It is right up there with the San Francisco earthquake, the Chicago fire and the Galveston hurricane. Yet with all of its drama and destruction, the story of Jacksonville’s Great Fire has never fully been told.”

It began with an errant cinder from a shanty’s cook stove at lunch hour. The spark ignited piles of moss that were drying at a mattress factory to the west of town, at Davis and Beaver Streets. The fire erupted with a torrent of flame that quickly spread from block to block.

By the time the fire was brought under control at 8:30 pm, it had destroyed nearly everything in a 2-mile swath across the city.

photo: Jacksonville Historical Society

Cindy Devone-Pacheco, Senior Editor at FireRescue Magazine,  also brought our attention back to this incident, as well as the Great Atlanta Fire which occurred sixteen years later.  You can read more about these two epic events in fire history at her article here.

Although these events happened about a century ago, there are valuable lessons to be learned about preparation and readiness that apply to this day.

Posted in Disasters, Fires, Major Incidents, Never Forget, Tradition

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Posted by on May 3, 2010 • No comments

First Due Blog Carnival 3rd Edition: Call for Submissions

Wow!

Thanks to my FireEMSBlogs.com partner Bill Carey of Backstep Firefighter for hosting the second edition of the First Due Blog Carnival.  The topic was “Influential Fire Reports” and several top notch contributors stepped up with gripping stories, some painfully personal.  The result was an absolutely superb collection of “must-read” articles for firefighters worldwide.  Check them out here.  Thanks, Bill!

With the April edition of the First Due Blog Carnival complete, it’s time now to begin collecting your submissions for this month’s topic: Sharing the Wealth.  Whether young or “seasoned”, career or volunteer, rural or urban, each of us has seen or heard something which changed the way we personally approach firefighting.

Maybe we learned it from a wise captain, or picked up something during a training session.  Maybe we witnessed something on an emergency scene.  Maybe we learned from an informal debate around the kitchen table.  Maybe someone pulled you aside and whispered something in confidence which made you think how you could handle the next situation more easily, more effectively, more safely.

These are valuable gems which, until now, have been been mined on an individual level.  Now it’s time to “Share the Wealth”. Let others benefit from your treasure.  Share with us the pearls of wisdom which you found to be invaluable in your quest to be the best firefighter you can be.  Together, we can multiply their effects and allow others access to our individual treasures.

As you relate your story, please include the circumstances under which you encountered the information (fire scene, day room, local bar) and from whom the information was obtained.  Be sure to include any pertinent links or photos. Most importantly, let us know how it changed the way you personally operate and why. It’s hard not to get excited about how this may turn out- with your help.

Submit your story by Wednesday, May 26 so I can get them out right before Memorial Day weekend on this site.  If you don’t have a blog, drop me a line at blog@firedaily.com and I’ll be honored to guest-post your submission.

Thanks for doing your part in Sharing the Wealth!

Posted in Change, In Da House, Just For Fun, Tips and Tricks, Tradition

Posted by on May 2, 2010 • 6 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

Pre-FireGeezer Fire Geezers – 1943 FDNY Video

(Here’s a video that will even make Bill feel young)

From the YouTube description:

This All Hands building fire took place sometime during the fall or winter of 1943, and shows the Fire Patrol arriving on the scene and carrying tarps in to protect property.

The engine that took the hydrant first was perhaps an American LaFrance, made in the early 1920′s.

Note, the neat looking rig that the Fire Patrol was using.

The rest of the engines on the scene all appear to be Macks, some of which had open cabs while others had enclosed cabs.

Note the gasoline tanks were located behind the cabs.

On the enclosed cab engines you can see what looks like a Federal Sign and Signal Model l8 emergency warning light.

This video was complied and edited from movie film in the Stillman Fire Collection Archives. The original movie was silent. We added the sound track, and if you want to view it as it was taken then turn off your computer speakers.

Posted in Just For Fun, Tradition, Videos

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Posted by on February 22, 2010 • No 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

FireYesterDaily Best of 2009- “Nicknames”

We’ve got a long way to go, but I am optimistic.  We gotta just keep pushing along.  So here is the fourth installment of “Two Thousand and Nine Favorite FireDaily Blog Posts from 2009”.

In case you missed the first three, 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”

#2006  “Nicknames”

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.

Click here for the full story

Posted in In Da House, Just For Fun, Tradition

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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

Tradition Tuesday- Bagpipes

It is OK to Cry Today

The tradition of bagpipes being played at fire department funerals in the United States goes back over one hundred and sixty years. When the Irish and Scottish immigrated to this country, they brought many of their traditions with them. One of these was the bagpipe, often played at Celtic weddings, funerals and dances.

It wasn’t until the great potato famine and massive Irish immigration to the East Coast of the United States that the tradition of the pipes really took hold in fire departments. Factories and shops had signs reading "NINA" meaning No Irish Need Apply. The only jobs they could get were the ones no one else wanted — jobs that were dirty, dangerous or both — firefighters and police officers. It was not an uncommon event to have several firefighters killed at a working fire.

bagpipes The Irish firefighter’s funerals were typical of all Irish funerals-the pipes were played. It was somehow okay for a hardened firefighter to cry at the sound of pipes when his dignity would not let him weep for a fallen comrade.

Those who have been to funerals when bagpipes play know how haunting and mournful the sound of the pipes can be. Before too long, families and friends of non-Irish firefighters began asking for the piper to play for these fallen heroes. The pipes add a special air and dignity to the solemn occasion.

Today, the pipes will play for our fallen brother Pat Joyce. 

It is OK to cry.

Posted in LODD, Tradition

Posted by on October 6, 2009 • No comments

Tradition Tuesday- Fire Plugs

Why are Fire Hydrants Called Fire Plugs?

In the 1600’s, water was only available after firefighters dug down through the ground to drill a hole into the nearest water main. As the water poured out into the hole, a well of water formed. Water was scooped out and moved by bucket brigades. When they were done, a wooden (usually redwood) plug was driven into the hole.

Since it was easier to knock out one of these ”plugs” to get water the next time it was needed, firefighters tried to remember where the “plugs” were located and often marked them. Then a firefighter would get his water alpina fire plugsupply with the swing of an ax, filling the old depression in the ground once again.

Water mains of old were actually made of wood. At right, Capt. Bob Adrian, right, and firefighter/paramedic Chris Morrison of the Alpena City Fire Department in Michigan examine a section of wooden pipe that once served as the city’s water system. The log is bored through the center, sheeted in metal and coated with a creosote or tar sealant. Sweet grab, guys!

Do you have any more information on fire plugs? Feel free to share your comments!

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Posted in Tradition

Posted by on September 28, 2009 • No comments