@#$$%^^&*(%#*^*&^&^%$# AHHHHHHH!!!!! SHIT! I have so much on my mind right now that I can’t even think straight much less function normally (good thing I’m on break huh). Try to bear with me and I’ll do my best to lead you through a tour of whats on my mind. You all know I pretty much work from sun up to sun down on my off days. Yesterday was no exception. Nothing went right. I had a ton of hay down, made plans, arranged the help and went to making square bales. I got em all on the ground in the beautiful, bright, hot..not a cloud in the sky sunshine. Then, we began to pick em up. I shoulda wore my water wings! The sky went to pitch black and the storms rolled in. RUINED! Another financial hit that I’m not real sure I can stand. I scattered and went as hard as I could to salvage what was possible and then get all the equipment under cover. Next thing you know, it’s 10:30 and I missed Chris Naum’s live Pod Cast Taking it to the streets. Because I missed it live, I brought it up this morning and tuned in before leaving the house. I have mentioned it before but I’ll add again that I have a lot of respect for Chris and his views. I will also add to that and say that despite that fact, I don’t always agree with (or understand) everything he says. As I listened in this morning, several issues struck me and I wished I had the opportunity to have called in last night (that said, I know I can call Chris at anytime and discuss these issues but feel as if it would have made a better impact had it have been done on the live show). Anyway, I’m not sure if I’ll call Chris first or not but I will post on those topics real soon. The reason I wont get into it tonight is because while mowing hay and pondering those thoughts and the pod cast this morning, I received a disturbing call.It seems as though a former brother and member of our department allegedly murdered his wife and then took his own this morning or sometime last night. Sadly, this leaves behind 2 children. Some local news coverage here. I stopped the tractor and began making the necessary calls. There are some people (including me) who had worked with Tim (when he was here) that I thought should hear the news from a brother rather than from the news. Now, that in itself may sound odd to most of you. Tim didn’t work here anymore. He QUIT. He left several years ago and went to the railroad. Is / was he still a brother? When does it stop? He wasn’t paying dues anymore. He was somehow or another still using IAFF tags on his vehicle. Did he think he was still on? Not long after he left, he also tried unsuccessful to get his job back. Was his heart still on the job? Some will say Tim was a good guy, others will say different. How can a “good guy” do what he did? I’ll say this. I’m not so sure Tim Drew was a “fireman”. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure he wasn’t. He did however pull some time on the job and felt and became a part (in whatever way) of our brotherhood. I work beside men and women today who I would put in the same category as Tim. Not a fireman but working for the Fire Department. Let me explain. When he came through the door, he was the biggest man I had ever seen that close up. “Muscle man” is not even close enough.. he was huge. Was he physically able to do the job.. yea. He once carried me across the back lot of Station #9 (the old K-mart parking lot) upside down, one handed by my ankle. The whole time, shaking his other finger in my face telling me how he was gonna kill me if I ever fretted him again. He once participated in the National Combat Challenge. HE BLEW IT OUT OF THE WATER! The officials / judges etc didn’t know what to think or do. Most every other competitor had sponsors boots, gloves, PPE, SCBA’s etc. Tim (and the other Roanoke Fire Dept. members)competed in rubber boots and shit gear. Tim’s time had never been reached before. When he got to the dummy drag (unwinded), he simply reached down, picked it up, slung it over his shoulder (as if it were a sack of potatoes) had proceeded to the finish line. They ended up giving him a “DQ” stating video evidence that both feet were off the ground at the same time while walking to the finish line (their definition was that he ran). That night, EVERY sponsor in attendance wanted Tim and Roanoke in their product and for them to re-enter the next day. Needless to say, they didn’t take any offers and returned home knowing they had made their mark and would be remembered. So, without a doubt; Tim was one of the strongest men I have ever known. His downside??? He couldn’t take the sight of blood. Tim was hired right at or just after the “merger” and it was the EMS side of our job that he couldn’t handle. I have several memories of Tim and the job but one in particular that stands out was a MVA with multiple fatalities. Tim was the fireman on the first in Engine and I was there on Engine #5 as the extrication company. Long story short and without HIPA violations, later in the incident, I ended up inside the overturned vehicle working to free a pinned occupant. This young girl was pinned next to her deceased mother. Needless to say, it was neither a pretty sight nor an easy task (for any involved). Tim had the task of passing me tools / equipment and I seen “it” in his face as he would stretch into the mangled wreck to pass off the tools etc. He spoke with me weeks later and told me he didn’t know how we (Me and Scott) did it. He didn’t know how we could see and work around what we did (and do) and yet get the job done. Sadly, I was too young at the time to know how to answer. I’m not sure I know today but will say that some of us can do the job… while others cant. It takes a special breed and I’ve often said that it can’t be taught. You either can or can’t because they can’t teach “HEART”. It’s the same as when crawling down that pitch dark hallway, sucking hot air through your bottle and reaching out to find life all the while afraid of what it will be when you reach it. As Firemen, we keep crawling. Whether it’s into that mangled vehicle to comfort and free that child next to her dead mother or whether it’s down that dark smokey hallway. It’s what we do. It affects us all in one way or another, some are just able to handle or sort through it better than others. (or we hide and hold it in until we explode.. but that’s another post..) I just wonder how much of what Tim had to see and do was he still holding on to? He felt connected enough to run our tags. He tried to get his job back. Was he carrying our burdens? We had another brother a short while back who took his own life. This member received a full honors funeral. I wonder if there will even be a uniform at Tim’s service. I wonder should it be? Was he “on the job” today??? No. But, at one time he was and while there, he stood, fought and worked beside me. Not many men share the bond that we do but like him or not, agree with me or not.. Tim and I went through a few doors together. When do we stop being “Brothers”?
May God forgive him of his sins, bless and look after his and her families and those left behind.
Captain Wines
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Yesterday was our last of the cycle and I pulled the tour. Not only did I work, I also had to fill in and ride the Battalion. For those of you who follow this or any other of our local blogs, you’ll know that the North side Battalion runs out of the new Station #5.
Yesterday was my first day stepping foot into the new house and; I must admit, I had mixed feelings. My old house (Station #9) was one of the 2 houses closed to open this new station. For some or whatever reason, one half of my crew and I didn’t get the nod to make the move on C-shift and were reassigned to Station #3. As you can imagine, this left somewhat of a “bitter” taste in my mouth and I felt as if I could care less if I ever stepped foot inside. That said, it’s my duty to cover the Battalion in the Chief’s absence so I pretty much had to go. I’ll begin by saying WOW! The station is huge! I got lost several times just trying to find the Battalions Office, the bedroom or a bathroom. I will add that the guys have done a great job of making it feel like a “firehouse” rather than a concrete commercial structure. Their new table turned out BEAUTIFUL! ( I do need to ask where the old Station #9 table went though). I’ll assume the brass pole they have mounted in the TV room came out of either #9 or #5 and that was a nice touch as well. They have hung several pictures from and of both houses which also add to the “flavor” and preserve some history. What I wasn’t impressed with was the wasted space, some poor decisions / planning and the craftsmanship. The bay is huge. 4 pull through bays with more than ample space. The house is supposed to run an Engine, Ladder, Medic and Battalion. One thing I didn’t like is that they now also house a reserve ladder. They park it in the Battalion bay so, the Chief now has to back into his parking spot (and he doesn’t have a driver / spotter). I can’t figure millions of dollars for pull through bays that we can’t use (station #3 is the same with another reserve ladder parked in the Medic bay). Also, due to City code, the entrance / exit (or front pool as we call it) can only be so wide, which basically means too narrow for 4 fire trucks to be pulling in or out of. I also noticed the height of the bay. Nice for getting on top of trucks, buying taller ones in the future etc but these ceilings are WAY high. I asked the guys if they were coming back to put some sort of ceiling tile etc up and the reply was no. I didn’t measure it but is looks as though there is approx. 12-15 foot of space above the trusses. Seems to me that’s a lot of extra space to heat but I’m also not an engineer or HVAC guy (that’s Tyrone’s new gig). Big is nice but it also makes for some long walks. I thought the off going Battalion was kidding when he said I’d have to walk a mile to get to the car from the bedroom…. he wasn’t. And speaking of the bedroom, I kinda wondered who’s idea it was to place an upstairs TV room across the hall from the Captain and Chief’s bed room. I tried to turn in fairly early but there was no way I was going to get to sleep. I’m sure they were unaware but the conversation and sound from the TV room seemed to be amplified straight into the Chief’s bunk. So there I lay, tossing and turning; while the crew talked of everything from fighting the “big one” to breast feeding and the difference in cow manure depending on weather the cattle are on hay or pasture land (yea..firehouse conversations). As far as the craftsmanship … I just felt as if it was poor. VERY POOR. Had the station have been my personal home, I would not have accepted it from the contractor. There were several little issues that I noticed but one of the main ones was the floors (the interior floors,bays and pools). There are cracks EVERYWHERE. I’m not talking small ones either. They have come back and filled the cracks with caulk / putty or whatever but how long will that last? The station is less than 6 months old and every room has a crack in the floor. What will they look like or what condition will they be in 10 yrs from now? The finish also left a lot to be desired. There’s not really an easy way to say it … they looked like crap! The hallway leading to the Captain and Chief’s office looked more like unfinished concrete than the pools did. Now make sure you understand that.. they were clean (the assigned members had the place spotless) but the “finish” … well, it can’t really even be called a finish. OK, I don’t want this to be a “bitch” or negative post so I’ll quit there. I just wanted to say that in several ways, I was impressed with our Department’s newest station while at the same time I was also somewhat disappointed in what a Department such as ours will “settle for”. So, I titled the post “Memories” and yesterday brought back several. As I mentioned, this station is a combination of 2 of my old houses #5 and #9 (station #9 being the most recent). The Engine that now runs out of this house is old Engine #9 or the “War Wagon” as I called her. We caught several runs throughout the tour and I have to admit that I miss the sound of that 60 series Detroit. The ol War Wagon has a distinct sound either opened up or with her jake brake screaming and it felt like old times riding behind her and hearing her “roar”. The station is also located just blocks from our old house .. Station #9 and it felt good to be back riding through the old “hood” again. As I said, we had several runs along with training and a Captain’s meeting so the day passed quickly. Here’s a shot from a run earlier in the day. A small electrical fire / short circuit handled by Engine / Ladder #5 (note Engine #3 on scene as well).
Later, in the night; we were in and then right back out of bed for call after call. Burnt food, a rubbish fire on a back porch ..yadda yadda yadda and with every run, we just had “that” feeling. You know.. too many “almosts” and sure enough, the next run we caught was a job. Our Brothers and Sisters from the South side rolled up on a 2 story vacant with heavy smoke showing from side “Alpha”. A quick stretch, aggressive attack and good truck work resulted in a good job by all hands involved. Here are a few shots.. on scene were Engines 1, 5, 2, Ladders 1, 7, Medics 1, 7, RS1, Battalions 1 and 2.
If you look closely at the top pic, you’ll notice this was a 2 story, balloon construction with the fan set at the door and the fire was contained to the floor of origin. Yea.. no extension! Well done boys. I could dig into this topic a little but wont for now. The use of fans, the decision to go or not, vacant vs. occupied has been a big topic for discussion / debate lately but I’ll save it for another post.
Another thing that brought back some old memories was the Captain on the first in Engine. After the fire was “under control”, this Captain came out to change his bottle and give the Battalion a face to face update. At some point in the conversation, I took the time to tell Doug that he had done a “good job”. He put his arm around my shoulder, gave his “signature” laugh and told me it really wasn’t as bad as it had looked. Doug was assigned to me (as 1st Lt. on L13) when he graduated from rookie school! Now he’s a Captain at our Headquarter Station. Actually, all of the 4 privates assigned to #13 at that time are now Officers. Hurd and Connor are Captains while Franklin and Bradford are Lieutenants. Makes ya feel proud but also kind of…well..ummmm.. old. I don’t know. I guess all the training etc we did back then paid off… I hope so anyway. I just hope they remember me as one of their “good” examples of an Officer as opposed to the one they don’t want to be like.
Well, it’s getting late and after a night of no sleep, I could use the rest. Now I know what you’re gonna say .. how hard is it to sit there and type all night?? Well, let me assure you; this “blogging” stuff is harder than it looks. As tough as the Buckaroo is, even he has trouble hanging in..
Poor little fella is just wore out! I’m gonna close shop here and roll over beside him. We’re back to chunking square bales tomorrow so we both need the rest. I’ll try to post again later this week. If not, we’re back to work on Saturday. Until then, stay safe and in the house. Thanks for following.
Captain Wines
Who am I kidding?? It’s been a busy week, month and year! I know you folks are tired of hearing it but things really are hopping around here lately and, although it may not seem like it; I am working to get the new site change up and “live”. I’ve been playing around a little with the new look trying to figure things out and I have to tell ya… it’s gonna look COOL! It’s kinda “slow going” simply due to everything being different and me being an idiot. Yea.. believe it or not, Mr “two finger..hunt and peck.. wanna be blogger” is not as computer savey as most people think. It’s actually a little more to it than I thought it would be right off the bat but, as soon as I learn the new system etc it will save me time and be a lot easier. So anyways, continue to hang in there and trust me… we’ll be up and running with a totally new look / approach very soon. Ok, to move on, I have all sorts of news and happenings etc from this past week. I’ve already told ya that I’ve been busy and I guess that’s maybe somewhat some kind of “bad” news (nobody likes to work too hard). Some good news from that is that I haven’t been all by myself. Yep.. the Buckaroo has been on the job and right in his ol Paw Paw’s hip pocket all week.. say “hi” Buckaroo…
Yea..yea.. I know he’s cute and how much you guys like seeing him but you also have to realize that 1.) he gets it from me and 2.) It’s not easy keeping up with me around here. No kidding, we’ve had a full schedule. I’m trying to figure out how to get rich quick with out working as hard, having to prostitute myself out or rob a bank so we’ve been working on the Nascar angle.
I’m sure most of you don’t know but the Wines name is pretty big in the world of racing..well, Mini-cup racing anyway. My dad and I are 2 of the 7 founding members of the Va. Mini-Cup Racing Association. I served as President for ohhh I don’t know 100 years or so until Pop took over. We also own and operate the Mini-cup Supply Store were we continue to fabricate and repair race chassis’ as well as sell parts etc. So, the Buckaroo has some pretty good roots as far as breaking into the racing world. Now don’t take that wrong… just like “pimping”, training aint easy… especially around here. You see, I’ve started working to get back down to my “fighting weight” for our up coming football season. Oh yea… football is just around the corner and I’ll be ready. Somehow or another, I’ve put on a few extra pounds this summer and now tip the scales at a whopping 134lbs! If I can get back to around 127-130 (without shaving my mustache) I should be back in my “prime”. The Buckaroo is training right along beside me too …. only a slightly different type of training. Yea, we’re moving from pampers to “big boy britches”.
More good news here because it saves me money! No more pampers plus we just about wear the same size britches LOL.Oh yea.. speaking of football…. how bout them “CHOKIES”?
Seems as though our local Collage team dropped another one to some no name high school team or something. The good news is that I think Coach Stone is working on getting Va. Tech on the Rampage schedule this year so our shot of winning a game just went up. Ok Ok ..for all you Hokie fans out there (both of you) I know that may have hit a nerve. Well, don’t fret … I was just kidding. Look at it this way, at 0-2 I’m sure there is still some kind of Bowl Game out there that they will be eligible for. Who knows, maybe they’ll be lucky enough to make the “Tampax” Bowl or something. Play your cards right and pull enough strings and maybe..just maybe..you’ll be able to get a seat!
LMAO.. ok back to the Buckaroo. It hasn’t been all work this week. We occasionally take the time to pull into and stop by the “teek” (he’s having a little trouble pronouncing his “C’s”) to chunk a few rocks and cool off.
I think I’ve actually wore the little fella out this week. He even fell asleep inside the tractor. Yea.. while raking hay, he just decided it was “nap time”.
Now don’t get all excited and call child labor services or whatever it is… I let him sleep in the bed too…
The little fella has it made! If only he had a picture of his Paw Paw beside Chief Billy Goldfeder or something….ummm wait… he does!!!
Have I mentioned I got to hang with the Chief up in Chicago over a few beers?? Ok, so on with the week. On Monday, I headed out to the FirefighterNetcast East headquarters to record a “wrap up” pod cast of Fire Rescue International. I posted the link earlier but will add it again here just in case you haven’t heard me use the term “meat and potatoes”.
If any of you folks are still under a rock somewhere and haven’t seen or tuned into Firefighternetcast YOU NEED TO! They have some great shows recorded as well as a full stable of “big name” hosts. Check out Christopher Naum and Taking it to the streets, Art Goodrich and The Voice of Reason, Tiger Scmhittendorf and Firefighter Story Tellers or catch the live shows from John and Rhett with various guest and hot topics. This week, they asked the question “Is there too much to know how to do and do well for a volunteer to keep up?” Their guests were Josh and Patrick from No Ambition But One and the topic hit close enough to home for me that I even called in. I have several views and comments on the topic but will limit them tonight. The first that comes to mind is the title of their site. If the name sounds familiar, it should; and I was disappointed that it didn’t come up in the podcast. The title is actually the beginning of a famous quote from FDNY Chief Edward Croker. An AWESOME quote!! Let me share it with ya….
“I have no ambition but one, and that is to be a firefighter. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work, which a firefighter has to do believe that it is a noble calling. There is an adage which states that ‘Nothing can be destroyed except by fire’. We strive to preserve from destruction the wealth of the world, which is the product of the industry of men, necessary for the comfort of both the rich and the poor. We are defenders from fire, of the art, which has beautified the world, the product of the the genius of men and the means of the refinement of mankind. But, above all, our proudest endeavor is to save lives of men and women – the work of God himself. Under the impulse of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring, even at the supreme sacrifice. Such considerations may not strike the average mind, but they are sufficient to fill to the limit our ambition in life and to make us serve the general purpose of human society.”
Edward F. Croker
FDNY
It was also mentioned in the podcast that some rural Departments may have to offer only “limited” services due to time, training and / or funding restraints etc. Limited services? You gotta be kidding me? A department that can not or will not do interior firefighting? It was said that possibly departments such as these could at least strive to confine the fire to “the building of origin”. The “building of origin”?? I damn near had a STROKE! I plan on doing a long post (as if all of mine aren’t already) going into detail on some of these issues. I’m a huge advocate and supporter of a “Culture of Safety” for the fire service but also strongly believe in and support a “Culture of Extinguishment”. Is a house or building worth a fireman’s life?? NO! Does it have value? Yes. “The product of the industry of men”. Not a house, a home. Built with my own two hands, my sweat and blood. And I guess I’m somewhat bias due to being a fireman because I know how I am on the job. I understand what it means to work your ass off all your life for just a little something in return. I don’t want to loose mine nor will I stand idle and watch you loose yours. That said, I wont kill firemen for lumber, photos or keep sakes. I also wont stand in the front yard and squirt water through a window because you’re out and I might get hurt if I choose to go in and put the fire out. That’s what they pay me for. Our job is dangerous! I knew that when I hired on. As a Company Officer, it is now my responsibility to assure the job gets done in as safe a manner as possible and EVERYONE GOES HOME. And although today’s lightweight building materials etc. is narrowing our window of opportunity while increasing risk, today’s advancements in technology and training is somewhat leveling the playing field. Bottom line is to put em out, we gotta go in em. I’d better stop while the stopping is good. I will continue this “mini-rant” and post more of my thoughts etc on this and these type issues later in the week. I’d also like to hear your thoughts / comments. Take the time to listen to the poscast and then weigh in using their comment section or mine. Conversation / debate on topics such as these is much like training .. we can all come away having learned something.
As always, thanks again for reading … I’ll catch ya later in the week, until then, stay safe and in house!
Captain Wines
Rhett, John and I did what turned out to be an hour long wrap up of our experience from Fire Rescue International 2010 and “behind the scenes” perspective of Firefighternetcast.com. You can check out the show here. Have I ever mentioned that I hate the sound of my recorded voice?? Geesh.. what a redneck! I think I said “meat and potatos ” about 20 times. In my defence, I was a little nervous and out of my comfort zone. That said, all in all; I think it went pretty well. John is obviously a GREAT editor (but he will pay for the new “theme song” LOL). We are in talks for my own show in the near future. We’ll pick up and expand on some of the hot topics and centers of controversy within the fire service. I already have several topics / shows in mind. Regardless of what happens with these ideas, be sure to follow Firefighternetcast.com anyway …” This aint your Daddy’s Fire Service radio Show”
Yea…can ya believe it?? Back to back post! Hey, I know excuses are like a certain body part (or orifice)… everybody has one LOL but no kidding I’m as busy as a cat covering up…ummmm..errrrrr… well…
You get the picture.. it’s my “busy time”. Home / personal stuff, work, the farm… you name it. I’m working all day everyday, come home, go to bed and get up and start all over. Don’t believe me?? Just ask the Buckaroo. We were stuffing hay in the barn the other day and he was really excited about just how much we’ve been putting up. He LOVES to use the front end loader. How high is the hay Buckaroo???
Speaking of the Buckaroo, I mentioned him the other day in a post ( I know.. I mention he everyday I post). I mentioned that I had to find a pair of long britches for him due to it being cool.
Notice I had to roll em up.. and thats what got me ta thinking. You see, basically; my Grandmother raised me during the most “influential” years of my life. Pop was a single (divorced) firefighter / father with 2 boys so he had to do something. Working a 24 hr shift, he had little choice but to go back home (50 miles away, in a rural farm town.. heck.. I can’t even call it a town). But anyway, he commuted 50 miles one way every other day to pull his 24 hr tour while Granny took the blunt end of raising another 2 boys (2 hellions actually). So, with the divorce, distance, the pay scale back then etc. to say the least, times were tight. Now I know this will make me sound “old” (and I’m NOT) but honestly, we didn’t have much BUT didn’t know it. We didn’t know we were “poor”. More than that, and again I didn’t know it at the time; Granny taught me several lessons back then(and continues to today). I grew up wearing 2 pair of socks (2 pair whenever we wore shoes). We wore 2 pair because she always bought our shoes a size or so too big. That way, we could “grow into em”. The idea was that when our feet got bigger and the shoes became tight, just change to a single pair of socks and get a few more miles out of the pair. Good idea but she didn’t account for how fast our feet grew.. guess she fed us too good LOL. Anyhow, I never got to the point to where I could take off a pair and I guess out of habit, still wear 2 pair of socks everyday, today. Britches were no different. We even wore “corduroy” because they held up better for boys.
Quit laughing! Now, weather it was corduroy or wranglers they too were bought a size too big. We simply rolled up the cuff until we grew into em. My point here is not that Granny was “frugal” or “cheap”, actually; she spent SMART. She bought what was needed to do the job. She took what we had and put it where it was most needed and would best serve a purpose. My rolling the buckaroo’s britches up the other morning got me to thinking… how did we (as a culture / generation) get away from responsible thinking? All the big “talkers”.. the key lecturers etc talk about firefighter safety these days (and I agree.. and will talk on that some here in just a bit as well) BUT.. BUT.. they are talking about size ups, go or no-go, risk analysis, building construction, etc. We, nor these folks aren’t dumb. We all know the risks and the fact that “NUMBERS” is a key factor in keeping us safe. Hey, stuff is going to burn, people are going to be trapped and firemen are going to be called to respond. You can do everything right but the job at it’s roots remains the same.. DEADLY. I would love to hear one of these lectures say point blank to these Chief Officers / administrators etc… lack of staffing kills firemen and it’s your job to assure that there are enough men on the rig to perform their duties as safely as possible! Yea.. set the blame / responsibility right in their laps. Ray McCormick had it right (it was just presented wrong). FIRE is what’s killing us. If we put the fire out (and put it out as right and SAFELY as possible), there’s nothing left to hurt us. That said, all we need now is the manpower and tools to do so. Cities are spending MILLIONS on “downtown renovations”. Multi-million dollar “art museums” and “up scale, downtown housing”. Hundreds of thousands to “consultants” to develop a new city “logo”. Another million or so for a “food court”! All this to draw “visitors” to the city in hopes of bringing in revenue. Hummmm?? Guess where the money comes from? Fire / EMS departments running short. Under staffed, under paid! No raises in years while the cost of living and insurance continues to jump by leaps and bounds. Who’s gonna protect all those people if they ever come? I’m no rocket scientist but I believe the word is “infrastructure” and I would hope that if you’re running a productive city, Public Safety would be a BIG part of that infrastructure. What does your department spend a year on uniforms? How many pair a year does a member of your company receive? Did he / she REALLY need that extra $40/pair of duty pants? How many members have been on out of town “conferences” or training classes in the past year? What was spent on that? Were the cheapest tickets / hotels etc purchased? Does your Department not have competent instructors? We just received a “grant” for a fire safety house. There’s an idea! We’d better teach these kids how to get out on their own because before too long, there aren’t gonna be enough available companies for a fireman to get there in time to make the rescue. Now don’t get me wrong. Fire safety and Public education is a huge asset to our profession (the numbers are there to show it). And, these “safety houses” are great tools ( our Local already owns one that has been shared with the Department) BUT I’d rather see a grant for 1 more fireman on duty. Then, I’d go to that school on my day off and teach the kids about smoke detectors, staying low, stop drop roll, not hiding from the firemen etc. As a fireman and a father, I put more faith in that brother / sister than any training aid! Department “X” just received a grant for however many thousand feet of brand new 2 1/2″ hose. I’ll bet they’d rather have 2 more members to stretch the hose they already have .. I’ll guarantee they’ll make that sacrifice and assure the hose they have now will make it another year or two. Is it the Departments fault or those who issued the grant? Are we putting our money in the right place? Are we spending like “Granny” taught us to? I don’t pretend to have all the answers.. hey, I’m a high school drop out on a blog rant so what do I know? I will say this though… I don’t know a single brothe
r or sister on the job in my department that would bitch if told “hey, we’re not gonna approve this or that class / uniform request etc because we are putting those funds towards hiring another body” or “hey, we need you folks to take the best care of and make this bed of hose last because we’re putting off buying new in order to hire”. Think about it. Are we (you) doing your part and then, are our leaders / administrators doing theirs? Ok.. enough of my rant!
I have a little personal and some humor real quick and then you can get back to your Cheetos and porn. I mentioned the other day my being off on funeral leave. First, thanks for the comments etc (even though I didn’t post em). Secondly, there is always some good that comes out of these situations. In this case, there were 2. As hard as it may be for some to understand, my uncle is no longer suffering. The second positive is that even if it is for circumstances for situations as this, it brings families together. You guys have seen bits and pieces of my family and I guess will continue to. In all, I have a brother and 4 sisters. Most are local but, my baby sister (the youngest of the lot) Jessie came in from California. I get to see her about once every 5 or so years now. Now, if you guys can behave.. here’s a shot of me, my sister Marci (whom you’ve met from NC) and Jessie.
I am back to station work by the way.. or I was (now I’m off on vacation again). By the looks of things upon my return to the station, the boys have kept themselves busy. We have a table and picture mount in the development stages and the boys from “A-shift” completed a work bench for the bay.
Now the bench turned out “extra special nice” but my boys of C-shift are not ones to be out done so, they found another type bench / stool to assist Lt. Rhett Fleitz in retrieving his coffee cup in the mornings (and yes Bill… it’s a Geezer mug).
I don’t know who keeps putting his “sippy cup” on the top shelf but plan on launching an investigation LOL. Alright, I’m gonna try to wrap it up for now. I do want to clue you in on the next post which will include discussion on the “Rules of Engagement Poster” and some of the fellow bloggers etc that I was fortunate enough to meet a few weeks back while in Chicago. To end, I will reply to a few of the comments left on some previous post. Apparently, someone doesn’t know or understand why I sign off as “Captain Wines”. So here it is. The word “Captain” to me had always been one spoken with admiration, aspiration and pride. For the most part, I’ve had good ones and always called em Capt or Captain. Call it respect or whatever but in my eyes, I’m sure they earned it. Now, that’s not saying that I think I have.. I can’t speak on that but I will say that everyone who has worked for or around me calls me Capt. or Captain. I don’t know why but I hope it’s because I’ve earned that title ( I know I’ve worked towards and in hopes of that goal). The guys from Pop’s day in the Department called us “Big Willie” and “Little Willie”. At home, I’m “Paw-Paw” or Bo. In court, it’s “William” and in bars it’s most likely asshole. Either way, today; at the station the members call me Capt. When I started blogging (and following Rhett’s ordeal) I decided to always sign my post / comments. I didn’t figure Schmoe or a brother from anywhere else would know who “Bo” or “Little Willie” was so I signed the everyday, on the job name “Captain Wines”. And weather or not the commenter thinks or believes so… I’m pretty sure I’ve earned it! Thanks again for following.
Captain Wines
Today is September 11, 2010 and I’m not sure how many times I’ve heard the phrase “never forget”. Today, the History Channel has played 9-11-2001 footage all day. Today, the United States Flag was flown at half mast all across the country. I’ve even gotten a few “thumbs up” from citizens while out on runs today. As I often do, today we stopped by our Fallen Firefighter Memorial here in the city. I was glad to see that someone else had visited the site today and even had the thought to leave flowers
It’s been 9 years and today, it seems some folks are picking the banner back up. I say “back up” because I’m not so sure everyone “remembers” any other time. Let me explain..or at least try to a little. As a firefighter, I (we) have NEVER FORGOTTEN. Personally, I think of that tragic morning EVERYDAY I report for duty. EVERYDAY! I have a 9-11 book on the night stand by my bed. On the window sill, I have a photo of me marching in the 2002 St. Patty’s Day Parade with my friends / brothers from FDNY 39/16. My turnout coat carries a patch that reads FDNY.. Fallen Heros. I see these items every morning and reflect on that day and why I’m here. EVERY morning.. not just on it’s anniversary.
In the days following 9-11-01 firefighters were praised all across the country. People began to recognize our job and the sacrifices we face and make on a daily basis. Everybody wanted to shake our hand. They stopped to give hugs and tell us how much we are appreciated. They almost began to understand that it’s firefighters (Firefighters, EMS workers and Police Officers) who are first in on the “front lines”. Well, maybe they did understand it at the time but I’m afraid that now, once again; they’ve forgotten. Today, we are back to budget cuts. Departments and individual companies running short staffed. Companies closing, members being laid off. Hell, in Detroit; 4 of the 6 injured brothers were transported in Fire trucks! Firemen critically injured while fighting a fire had to be transported in Engines because the city didn’t have enough ambulances in service! IT’S A DISGRACE! There are a ton of GREAT post out here today. Dave Statter has a good list of em here. He and The Fire Critic have a video from Bobby Halton of Fire Engineering. In that video, Chief Halton said that he knew some of us are still mad. Well, I’m one of em and I’m not sure that I will ever get over it. Virginia has a license plate that says “fight terrorism” but are we??
Companies are spending millions to find / build the latest and greatest “iphone” or the next “gotta have” application for your whatever gadget. Professional sports players (golf, football, Nascar drivers etc) are getting paid MILLIONS to play games yet we can’t find Bin Laden and firehouses are being closed all across the country. A preacher in Florida says he’s going to burn the Koran and not only does it make National news, the White House has even gotten involved. I don’t recall hearing of calls from the White House whenever someone burned the U.S. Flag in protest! We’re going to allow a Mosque to be built down the street / near Ground Zero? We are worried about someone Else’s “feelings” but what about ours? People think and argue for the names of the 19 murderers (hijackers) to be listed on memorials and included in the final death toll (which continues to grow by the way)! I think maybe they HAVE forgotten. Spending the day to myself in quiet reflection I often recall the interview with FDNY Captain Jonas. He told his guys “they’re trying to kill us”. They talked about the possibility of not making it out, shook hands and wished each other luck. THEN THEY WENT IN! They went up! I can’t tell you how proud that makes me feel to be a firefighter. That’s who we are. From the smallest VFD to the largest departments, there are brothers and sisters pulling a tour. The next job could be our last. The next 9-11 could happen any moment but I and we are here and ready to “go in”. So no, I haven’t forgotten and never will. I’ll remember the day September 11, 2001, the times 09:59 and 10:28 and the number 343.
Captain Wines
Yea, I know..but hang in there…I told ya some changes etc were on the way. To begin with, the changes have began. If you use www.Ironfiremen.com to get to me, you most likely didn’t get here. While we are in the process of changing over, you will need to use the “blog spot” address here … temp link After the change over is complete and I figure out how to use “word press” and then go live, the old address of Ironfiremen.com will work again. Please be patient and bear with me / us… it will be worth the wait. Ok, so I haven’t posted in a bit and tonight will be short and sweet as well. I have been off on funeral leave and dealing with everything associated with such an event. I have also been adjusting to the return home from Chicago and trying to catch up on all the farm work that fell by the way side while I was away. There are a thousand topics I want to discuss but will wait until the new site is live. I will however (as usual) give you a “teaser” or two. I have had the Buckaroo a few days and he has got my gears turning. Yea I know.. the same age level right?? But anyway, the mornings have been cool (cold) here so I had to hunt him a pair of long britches (no Rhett..not slacks..britches). I found a pair but had to roll the cuffs up and that got me thinking Fire Department crap.. yea.. welcome to my mind! But anyhow.. I have a direction. I also wanted to finish up on FRI and mention all the fellow bloggers etc that I got to meet. An impressive list for names and reads… I’ll list em when I have time to explain / expand. And, to top it off, I’ve been thinking about grants. Yea.. I need one but that’s not exactly the direction I was heading (besides, I don’t think Old Milwaukee Beer or Evan Williams give out grants..LOL). Anyway, the new look / direction seems to have some promise. That said, I have gotten all the comments etc and want to assure you all that the “new look” will still be “Captain Wines”. I’m gonna keep what got us to this point, just add to or build upon it a little. As always, thanks again for reading / following. I’ll be back up and as regular as the leading laxative in no time. I’m back to duty tomorrow and plan for a more details post.. look for it and until then, stay safe and in house.
Captain Wines
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