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Size matters and yea….I have a big one!

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Get your minds out of the gutter…. I’m talking about mustaches for Pete’s sake! Say what you will but, when it comes to mustaches, ”SIZE” really does matter. Now, like I said (and I aint bragging) I have a big one.

That said, I don’t know many other fellas that even come close to being in the same catagory. As a matter of fact, I only know 2. The first that comes to mind is Chief Billy Goldfeder…

You GOTTA love that stache! Oh yea.. have I mentioned I know the Chief personally? Met him several times now and have even had a beer or two with him. 

There’s a lot of “mustache envy” going on right there, I’m just not sure which way it’s going (LOL). So, Chief Billy is just 1 of the 2 who may come close to being in or near my catagory when it comes to mustache size. The 2nd…… ???????? Well, that would now be the Buckaroo! Yea… the Buckaroo….Take a look..

LOL… now THAT’S a mustache! Aint it a beaut? He calls it his “moose”stache …LOL. I guess Goldfeder and I will have to fight for 2nd place in the battle for “best stache” now LOL. And, I guess the Buckaroo’s costume choice is  out of the bag now. He wanted to be a fireman just like his “Paw-Paw”. Here are a few more shots of the little fella in his turnout gear and mustache…

Does it get any better?? I love that little wave he gives when I get the  camera out. He’s a ham for the cam. Well, for cameras and pretty girls. I had him out picking up square bales yesterday and assigned him “loading supervisor”. Here’s a shot of him at his desk giving that signature wave…

Of course, deer season is now officially open and you never know when a monster buck may run right by the hay trailer so he kept his bow and arrow pretty handy..

Of course with 500 bales on the ground, he decided he had better save his energy for trick or treating and opted for rides on the 4-wheeler with the farm help..

Ok, moving on; I have several other items etc I’d like to mention. I have gotten several e-mails and comments etc on my post Counseling Session for better judgment … this is great judgment. Several, I did not post. It seems as though a lot of folks are jumping to defend me concerning this issue. First off, THANKS for both the comments and the support. Second, in this case; I don’t think I need / needed ”defending”. As I mentioned in the above post, I do not think any of the pics I used crossed the boundary of inappropriate, embarrassing or damaging to me, this site, the Network or my department (I have never openly acknowledged the name of my Department on this site nor should one be considered connected to the other). I edited that and the following 2 posts multiple times and even  had a trusted and valued friend / fellow blogger edit behind me. Third, what I received was a “counseling session”… not a reprimand. I did not get “in trouble”. This was kinda like a “courtesy call”. A “hey… just in case you haven’t thought about it…”. Again, I’ll say YES.. I have thought about it (that’s why I used the pics I did in the manner I did) and THANKS to my Chiefs for the friendly reminder / heads up. So, again to my readers; thanks for the support but hold up on the lynch mob.. it’s all good.

A related thought is that the post in question was all B-shifts fault anyway. Yea… when I came in that morning, Captain Phil “Triple D” Dillon was all excited to pass along that his shift had a total of ZERO runs for his previous 2 tours! ZERO!  NILL !  ZIP ! NODDA ! Well, those of you in the Fire Service know what that means… yea …. the next shift takes a beating…. and we did! Thirteen or so runs that started with the worker and continued through the night. Well, when I got here this morning, Captain Dillion had that funny look on his face (no.. not his usual one.. the other one). You guessed it.. another tour for B-shift with no runs! Uggggggggggg!

As soon as he left, the City went NUTS. We had 2 working fires in the City before 9am. Lucky #13 lived up to her name once again and we were able to stay in house. Our brothers and sisters from the Southside caught what sounded like a fully involved detached garage. Soon after, The Deuce put the Northside to work on what appeared to be an attic fire but was quickly downgraded to a “can handle”. So, the curse of Dillon has avoided us thus far despite being Halloween. I hope our luck holds…

It wasn’t just the first day of last cycle that was busy for us, we were steady pretty much all cycle. I think I mentioned that Georgie was off on Vacation so Boots had the wheel while we received “fill ins” all cycle for the firefighter position. I posted the shot of Brady from day one but didn’t get one of the middle day where we had Shane Duncan and Brad Harris splitting the shift. On the 3rd day, we had Carlie Walshe from Station #5. Carlie graduated from the last Rookie School and has been doing really well out in the companies. For those of you that followed me from the “Melrose Misfit” blog, you may remember Carlie from a fire she was on before she was even hired. Check out that fire and her pic / story here. Anyway, we didn’t catch a fire with Carlie but did have a pretty good smoke condition due to burnt food… I know… WooooooHooooo. Bottom line is that Carlie did a good job taking care of me and Boots last day and we wanted to let her know and say thanks.. here’s her pic..

Ok, I’m gonna wrap it up for the night. Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween. I also hope to stays quiet for everyone pulling a tour tonight. We are back Tuesday and Thursday, until then stay safe and in house.

Captain Wines

Posted by on October 31, 2010 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Trick or Treat ! Happy Halloween 2010

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I’m gonna post later on this evening / tonight but wanted to take a minute or two for a few quick updates and to wish everyone a safe and Happy Halloween. The meaning of Halloween changes drastically from childhood to adulthood and even more so when you’re a firefighter. For the kids, it’s all about dressing up in whatever costume and of course the CANDY! Oh yea… lots and lots of CANDY!

Ummmmmm Ummmmmmmmm I love me some candy corn! I can remember me and my little brother going door to door and returning home with pillow cases full of candy. I would hide it here and there just in case times “got hard”… Jackson tried to eat it all that night LOL.  As you grow older, you pass through a stage where you’re “too old” to trick or treat anymore. Then, you reach an age where you attend “adult” Halloween parties and you’re back to the costume thing again. I think that it is the one time a year where (even as adults) we can dress up as or pretend to be someone we’re not (or don’t show in our everyday “public” lives). Whatever the reason, it’s fun. I also mentioned that Halloween has a different meaning for firefighters in particular and that couldn’t be more true for our brothers and sisters in Detroit.

 ”Devil’s Night” or Hells night is typically October 30th or the night before Halloween. Devil’s night mischief (criminal) activities can be dated back in Detroit as early as the 1930′s. It soon turned from juvenile pranks to arson. In more recent years, Detroit has seen anywhere between 500-800 fires in the 3 days leading up to Halloween.  I don’t know the numbers yet but I can tell ya they were busy up there last night. Check out this site for some cool stuff and live audio from the Detroit Fire Department.  Keep the Brothers and sisters of the DFD and members everywhere in your thoughts tonight as we pull the 2010 Halloween night tour.  Lets hope the only “Devils” we see tonight look like this one…

So, what are your plans for tonight? Trick or treating with the kids? Party? What? I asked a few posts back if any of ya had a guess as to what the Buckaroo is going to be dressed as tonight. Last year, he went as “Elmo”

 I’ve had 1 entry/ guess so far for this year’s costume, but didn’t (couldn’t) publish the comment. That vote was for a “cowboy”. It’s not too late to get your vote / guess in… what do you think he’ll be?  I’m also curious as to what you or your “little one” will be dressed as tonight. Send me your pics in “costume”. If I get a reasonable response, I even have some prizes I could throw out (one for whoever gets the Buckaroo’s costume right and another for the best reader costume). Come on, don’t be shy…

Speaking of the Buckaroo, he’s all fired up and ready to hit the streets tonight. He’s got the phrase a little wrong in that he says “trick or treat, smell my FOOT” LMAO…  We also had a big time carving his pumpkin or “taking his guts out” as he put it…

SCARY huh??? So anyway, I’ll be back tonight with pics of the Buckaroo and more. Everyone please stay safe and have a Happy Halloween!

Captain Wines

Posted by on October 31, 2010 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Counseling Session for Better Judgment…This is Great Judgment.

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There are many that think  just because I’m  associated with the Fire/EMS Blog Network that I know what I’m doing, and that couldn’t be farther from the truth! I’m lost and fortunate enough to be part of this network with such a fantastic support gorup of innovators behind me. I started blogging almost 2 yrs ago now by simply posting the happenings of my shift (“C”) on the Engine Company #9 Blog. (www.enginecompany9.blogspot.com).  My ball of rubber bands got bigger and bigger and now, here I am on the Network. Alot of people have asked me why. Why ”waste” the time??

I want you to read this. The following is a comment I received (not a comment, a “message”) on Face Book (aka “picture Book”).  This simple statement from a single arthur makes all this time, effort etc worth while….

“ Capt., I wanted to let you know that I am a follower of your website. You are a true leader with a huge heart! That is an awesome combination that you don’t see very much anymore! Without sounding like a suck-up, I just wanted to say that the world could use a few more people like you. Thanks for having the courage to talk in an open forum on your web page. I am not quite that technical, or do I feel like I have time to do it. I know that I’m not the only one who enjoys your take on firehouse life. It is really true that we live a different life then the rest of the world. You do a great job expressing what we all go though and how we all feel at times. Keep up the great work, Capt. You are truly making a difference! Thank you,

Size”

WOW!!! Sums it up right?? Well, how about this?? The Fire Critic also hit on the same article here. Starting to see a pattern?  If not, check out the comments from the post “Ramblings”. Again….WOW!  Lawyer’s comment is as heart felt as the post. Messages etc like those make it worth while. Now, don’t get me wrong; there are other comments / actions that make ya want to throw your hands up and say screw it. Tuesday was almost one of em. I say almost because if it wasn’t so funny I would have just quit.

I received a “counseling session” on Tuesday from my Battalion Chief (no…it’s NOT the first). He advised me that our Deputy Chief had instructed him to “council” me on using “better judgment” pertaining to my post here on the site. He spoke specifically about the first day of this last cycle post ( or the Oct. 23rd post.. Nothing says 4 day break is over like a working fire) where I posted about a “working fire” on our 1st day back from break. Apparently, I should have used better judgment when or while posting pics of the interior of this structure. Hummmmm… better judgment??? I have several thoughts and issues here.

1st.) I never gave an address or name of occupant and / or owner.

2nd.) The exterior pics didn’t show an address or give a clue as to the location of the incident.

3rd.) The interior pics were of “specific” items etc that served or could / should have served as a training tools for us and every other fire department etc who reads or follows this blog.

4th.) The pics in no way showed wealth or valuables etc left behind by this family due to the fire.

My questions??? How much more good judgment could I have used in that post??? I chose those specific pics for a reason. I used them because they didn’t show too much.  I understand the concept of not using / showing interior pics etc. If I’ve been there, this person / family has most likely been through enough without having their personal space plastered all over the Internet. There has been a HUGE issue with firefighters, pictures and their appropriate use recently in Georgia. Statter, Geezer and the Firecritic have covered it well.  That said, and in this case; I don’t think that’s what happened. I used an interior pic of a propane burner. I used another showing automotive tires inside the structure. Both, were what I perceived as safety issues and wanted / attempted to share that information with the Brothers and Sisters who read this blog. I used specific pics to make a specific point. I thought I had “covered my bases” enough that I did not invade the home owner / occupant’s privacy. Apparently, in the eyes of my Department; I could have done better. How??? I’m not sure. The only way would have been to not use them at all and I believe that would have been an injustice to those of us on the job.

I can’t help but wonder if that in some way, this “counseling session” was more directed to the posting of the child. Again, I was VERY careful not to give details. No address, no names, no ages etc. This kid can and could be most any child in a big city. Those of us with any time at all on the job have ran this call several times before.  I felt there was a story there and I told it. Apparently, it touched several others as it had me. I think that maybe due to all the “hype” and negative publicity that the Georgia incident has brought to the Fire Service, my Department may be a little nervous.

Do these stories need to be told? I think so. Somebody has to tell em. We (the Fire Service) have millions of stories just like my last few postings that need to be shared. Shared with one another and with the public. I’ve said it before that most people have no idea what we do and see on a daily basis. I think they should. The story needs to be told but in the right way (in a way protecting those involved).

Social media is growing by leaps and bounds as I type. “Picture Book”, “Churp Churp”, etc. and no one knows how to control it as of yet because it’s inventing itself as it grows. It’s hard to keep up with for those that are involved with and good at it… much less for those of us unfamiliar with it’s uses / possibilities. Much like on the job where we have a “duty to act”, I think here, we have a duty to act responsibly. Should there be guidelines etc for those doing it while on duty … I think it must be. My department has none. No  SOP / SOG (standard operating procedure / guideline) for Social Media (or even cell phones or pictures) while on duty. Do we need some??? again, I say yes. Should Social Media even be allowed while on duty? Here, I’ll again say “yes” but with guidelines. When used correctly, These blogs, websites, pics, tweets etc can be learning tools for everyone they reach. WOW… what a concept huh? We can learn lessons on the East coast from a fire out on the West coast just minutes after it happened. We can share stories of the job we do and how it affects us thus giving the public (our true bosses) a better understanding of what we do. How much help could that be when we are up asking for more tax payer money for equipment, raises etc? I guess in short, I think we need to embrace Social Media and use it to our advantage but, do so in a controlled manner.

I personally, my Department, and us here on the Fire/EMS Blog Network; have a great resource for dealing with these issues. Rhett Fleitz (the Fire Critic) is what most consider to be a leader / expert in this area (Rhett and I work for the same Department). Rhett has even been chosen to present a class on Social Media at 2011 FDIC! Statter and I agree that Rhett doesn’t even look old enough to work for the Fire Department yet now here he is going to present at FDIC. Congratulations and WOW! For us, me and my Department; maybe it is Rhett who should be doing the “counseling”. Teaching the “do’s and dont’s” the why and why not’s. On the tail of this Georgia embarrassment and my counseling session I’d ask does your department have policies or guidelines concerning Social Media? Do you think you should have and where and how do we draw the lines?

In the mean time, be smart about what you use / post. Remember, someone is on the other end of that camera or cell phone lens, or reading that post or comment. Try not only to do a good job, try to do “the right thing”. Will I work / try harder (make better decisions) in my postings??? YOU BETCHA!!

Thanks again for reading / following and for all the support and comments.

Captain Wines

Posted by on October 29, 2010 • Filed under: ems-topics, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, news, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Update..

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I can’t shake it. I don’t know why but some of em just “stick” and stay with ya. Here it is 11 am and I’m still sitting here running it through my mind. I did find out one interesting thing… Did you know that you can order a pizza and 2 liter drink and have it delivered anywhere you want  online?? All ya need is a computer and credit card. Hummmmm… this internet stuff is really something aint it? The bad news is that there are some neighborhoods in our City that most pizza companies wont deliver to. I wonder if you add enough to the tip and explain who you are  if they’ll deliver just that one order anyway??? ;-) Hmmmm? I can remember my little brother and I having a “pizza party” as kids. Of course, for us; it was more for fun or entertainment rather than necessity. We were LUCKY. I hope there was a pizza party somewhere in North West last night. I hope it made a difference. I wonder the impact the party or even the “visits” while on the calls will have on the boy. It brings to mind a now retired / resigned city firemen M. Coleman and (now “old”) station #5.

Years ago, we had “stores” inside the stations. The men sold items such as bread, milk, eggs etc. Of course they also carried candy and “soda pop” but the reality was that we (they… the FIREFIGHTERS) were providing a service to the community. At Station #5, they had a large yard . Despite the garden, there remained enough room for the local kids to gather for daily football games etc. Firehouses were “community centers”. A place to gather. Somewhere to buy necessities, meet and talk with neighbors or a safe haven for the kids to play. Back in the day, Marvin Coleman was one of those kids. He has told himself that the men from #5 practically raised him. Food, cloths etc…. it didn’t matter, Marvin had what he needed. Later, he graduated high school, applied for and became a firefighter. WOW!!!! The brothers from a small “single engine” house in a “poor” section of town made THATmuch of an impression on Marvin as a child. I know we always “try” to do the “right thing”, but how many times do we actually “get it right”?

 I wonder the impression we’ve  made on that little boy every time we’ve entered that apartment I spoke of last night ? What will he think of firefighters? What impression have we left? Will he know and understand the compassion and care he’s been shown? Will it change or guide his views? Will it move him as it did Marvin and propel him to a career of service? Who knows, maybe he doesn’t even have a clue.

 I just hope he likes pepperoni.

Capt.

Posted by on October 25, 2010 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, news • Tagged: , ,

Ramblings….

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You never get used to it. Some act as if they are numb or oblivious to it but but I for one HATE it. For the 3rd day in a row, we get the call for a diabetic in a “low income” type housing. An adult female  unconscious on the couch. No bulbs in the sockets so I know to carry my light. Her young  grandson lives with her and has the knowledge to call 911 when he absolutely can’t rouse her. This time, her sugar was up. Higher than what we normally find it at in her condition yet, low enough to be potentially fatal. The thermostat is set at 95 degrees and the TV is wide open. The boy is in need of a bath and is still in his “bed cloths” .. it’s 7pm.

The boy is not worried that the fire department is there.. he called us. He is not upset or worried for his grandmother’s health because I don’t believe he understands what is happening or how dire her situation is. He’s more excited to have someone inside the apartment that will pay attention to and talk to him. He tells us about his new box of crayons and wants to draw a picture for us. I  assign a man to him and get him off to the side.  While coloring and talking, he mentions that he’s hungry and we soon learn that his last meal was breakfast this morning. A biscuit, banana and milk.

The firemen and Medics are in the process of  waking grandma up (we have a protocol and procedures for diabetic emergencies). I take a look inside the fridge to see if she 1.) has insulin and 2.) has food for her and the boy. To my disbelief, there is food inside. I think her sugar gets low enough that maybe she just doesn’t feel like cooking. Who knows? I have been worried about this little fella for days now and today, something has to happen. I check out his bed room. I’ll spare ya the details but I don’t want him to have to stay another night in that bed.The apartment is barely furnished and in disarray but, I was again surprised to find a change of his little cloths that had at least been sink washed and hung on the shower curtain rod to dry. He will at least have semi-clean shirt, socks and undies to put on in the morning for school.

 The EMS supervisor is called to respond and, after his arrival; we make the call to the necessary State / Local “Agency”. They take the information and tell us they’ll be out to assess the situation on Monday or Tuesday. MONDAY OR TUESDAY??!! WTF !!  The medication does it’s job and Grandma is now awake and oriented enough to talk to me. A firefighter takes the child to another room to review his colorings (so he wont have to hear the talk his Grandma and I are about to have). I’m not sure she understood. I’m not sure they ever do (“they” as in every other person I’ve had to have this talk with. This is NOT the first time this same scenario has played out during my career).

 She’s now oriented enough to not want to go to the hospital with us. She says she will get up and fix her and the boy something to eat. I’m not so sure. If she doesn’t, our medication will quickly wear off and she’ll be right back where she was or worse. That’s all we can do at this point. Our hands are tied. I can’t take him with us. I wanted to put him in the Engine, bring him back to the station, give him a warm bath and something to eat. I sit here now thinking of going back over there to assure grandma indeed got up and fixed something to eat. I’m not sure how Grandma would take that (already knowing I’ve called Social Services in). Maybe I’ll order a pizza and have it dropped off. Will she take it? Would he get any?

 Again, this is not the first time I’ve seen this but, that doesn’t make it easier. Will going back tonight overstep my “boundaries”? She has already somewhat scolded him for calling 911 in the first place (I explained to her that had he not, she’d be dead). Will taking or sending food insult or make her feel “belittled”? Do I even care as long as the boy gets something to eat?

 I know these little kids are tuff. They HAVE to be. If I don’t go back tonight (and I’m thinking hard like I will), I know I’ll find some way / excuse to do so Tuesday. What makes it even worse is that I know how the system  works. It will take months for them to figure out / decide what (if anything) they can or should do. In the end, it will have taken too long and make little to no difference. That or Grandma will make minor, short term changes to keep em off her back a while and then, things will go right back to how they were. That’s been my experience anyway. I’m not being judgmental here … that’s just how it is. I’ve seen it too many times! For the little fella’s sake, I hope I’m wrong this time.

You know (and I know most of ya do), that’s the side / part of this job most folks don’t know about or have to see. As a whole, the public doesn’t know or understand that we run emergency medical calls…car wrecks, sick, hurt, shot, stabbed. They never have to see the people we’re faced with living in the conditions they do. My mother commented on last day’s post about how she hated to hear of the conditions we were in during a fire. In reality, tires and propane are nothing compared to some of the garbage and filth we sometimes have to crawl and work through on everyday EMS runs. It’s nothing compared to the pain and suffering we have to see on a daily basis. Nothing compared to seeing young innocent children trapped in substandard living conditions. Statter commented on a FireCritic post a while back saying basically that our (firemen) job is to do what we can and “help” those in need. I’d like to think we can do that but again, I’m not so sure. Did I “help” this kid tonight  by calling Social Services? Maybe…. maybe not ( I may have made his situation worse). Is simply “helping” enough? I don’t know. Did I “save” him?? NO, he’s still there and I’m sitting here kicking myself in the ass!

Captain Wines

Posted by on October 25, 2010 • Filed under: news

Nothing says 4 day break is over like a working fire!

4 comments

Yea… welcome to lucky #13! Well, I guess I shouldn’t say it like that because in a couple ways this morning I guess I really was lucky. It may take me a minute or so to get to it so hang with me. This 4 day break was a much needed one. And I should have figured today was gonna be rough because my break went so well. I’m used to any and everything not going my way or as planned so I should have known something was up following a very relaxing evening yesterday. The weather here has changed to cool and windy … or when you’re my size; that means COLD and windy enough to relocate ya. Anyhow, taking the weather into consideration, the  Buckaroo and I decided to take the evening off. We packed a cooler and headed up the mountain for a little R&R. The mountain behind the house is a GREAT get away. There’s a group of us on the road who spend most evenings telling the unbelievable tales of the day at a neighbors garage / shop over a few adult beverages. That neighbor happens to own a nice piece of land on the mountain and for about the last year or so, we have been building a cabin on his place. Blood, sweat and every piece of scrap or donated building material we could find has gone into it. She’s not quite finished yet but is coming along nicely. The perfect place to look out over the valley, forget all your problems and just sit back and enjoy the piece and quiet. Here are a few shots..


That’s the view from the top looking down to my place…

The buckaroo has a new favorite … fried bologna and cheese ummmm ummmmmmm! So, you can see how the last part of my 4 day was VERY relaxing. That would all change! The full moon last night might have been a clue. When I got here and the off going Captain said they haven’t had a run in his last 2 tours… THAT should have really set off alarms. Ol dumb a** me, I came on in and made egg sandwiches like it was business as usual. Then, at 08:40; we got the call. The 4000 blk of whatever street multiple calls with flame and smoke “everywhere”! We cut the corner and I can see heavy smoke banked in the street up ahead several blocks. I mark a “working fire” from there to get additional companies on the road and advise that I will give a better size up and details upon arrival. Now, Georgie is off, Boots has the wheel and we have old McDonald filling in from Station #5. We roll up to a 2 story, wood frame, family dwelling with heavy smoke from Bravo, Alpha and Delta. I give the size up, call for the hydrant and go to work. While making the 360, I was met by an occupant who could / would only state “upstairs”. No matter what I asked… “is someone still inside”… “is everyone out”??? I got “upstairs”. I got McDonald and we made the stretch through the rear and up the narrow steps to the 2nd floor. A 640 sq ft. home sheeted with 1/16 panelling. High heat, and zero visibility… BLACK, but no visible fire! The construction of the 2nd floor (knee wall partitions) along with the construction material (panelling) allowed for the seat of the fire to remain hidden in a dead space behind a knee wall. The construction also allowed for the fire to intensify, run the studs and extend across the rafters above us and on to the other side and rooms (all still hidden at this point). Finally,just before flash over; the fire breaches the panelling and shows itself at the knee wall (parallel with the steps up). We open up and start hitting the fire. That pushes the fire like a blow torch through the dead space, into the stairway / hall and up behind us into the adjoining room. It’s hard for me to explain here but basically, the upstairs was 2 rooms divided by a chimney up the center. We were pushing the fire in a circle right around us. Ladder 5 had opened her up but at the time, ventilation wasn’t taking affect. I don’t mind telling ya, it got a little rough for a minute but, we held our ground until the calvary rolled in and we soon had it under control. Afterwards, you get the chance to see exactly where you were and what you were facing even though you didn’t know it at the time. The situation with pushing the fire reminded me of a close call our Southside Brothers had over on Greenbriar a year or so ago. Then other thoughts / lessons came to mind. You always hear (and rightfully so) “know building construction” … aka “our own worst enemy” etc. Well, I knew the construction.. the basics anyway.. but is that enough?  There was no way I could have known that the walls were covered in panelling with little to no insulation. No way I could have known about the remodel and knee walls. The dead space beside the stairs creating a chimney effect. Then there were other factors and / or potential disasters. Propane heating / cooking devices in the kitchen. The upstairs room had automotive tires stacked and used as a make-shift table (a tire fire inside a residential structure). WOW! The chimney effect caused by the construction almost burnt our attack line in half! I didn’t / couldn’t see it at the time. Can you imagine the smoke condition with tires burning inside a 640 sq ft oven?  Lucky we stopped it before it got any worse or to the propane tanks down stairs. LUCKY #13 .. yea.. she was today. Now, I know all this sounds kinda bad. On arrival, it looked like a “gonna taste bad” bread and butter. As it turned out, it was a little more than that BUT all the companies involved put in some solid work. No injuries (to firefighters or civilians), flame damage contained to the 2nd floor with smoke and water damage throughout. I only share this story with you to get / keep ya thinking. Knowing your enemy or building construction is so much more than type I, II, III, IV etc. Living conditions or “household short cuts” due to economic cuts etc these days can produce hazards we haven’t seen or even considered. I say more than building construction, KNOW YOUR TERRITORY. Get in these buildings / houses every chance you have. I know a lot of folks cringe at EMS runs but that’s a great time to see what’s on the inside of the places we run. Pay attention, learn the layout, observe materials used, correct problems, notify those who need to be and give yourself, your company and fellow Brothers and Sisters every advantage. Ok, you get the point, here are a few shots from this morning and local media coverage here

The 2nd pic shows the propane tank and burner. The 3rd give a better visual of its location. The door to the left of the stove is the side Charlie door that we made entry through.

The 2 pics above here show the car tires in the upstairs bedroom and what’s left of our attack line after the “blow torch” effect from the dead space behind us.

Above are a few shots of the companies “taking up”

And that’s me and my fill in from #5 Brady McDonald.  Those of you who follow me regularly will know that this was my 1st “working fire” since being relocated to #13. I have said multiple times that the crew here is no stranger to me and that the transition has been smooth. Today, I didn’t even have my normal “new” crew. Now, I have been on a lot of fires with Boots but we have always been on different companies. I have been on several with Brady as well but again, he was always on another crew. They both preformed well on those fires but it wasn’t with “me” or my company. Boots has pumped hundreds of fires in his career.. but again; not for me or my company. I have to admit, I felt “off” this morning. Maybe not so much “off” as not “as comfortable”. I’m used to “my boys”. We have been together so long that we worked hand in hand with limited communication. They knew what I expected, they knew my tactics, where to be etc. I never had to think twice or 2nd guess anything with Bugg, Coon, Opie or Wheezy beside me. I knew them but, more importantly; they knew me. All that said, both Boots and Brady did a great job this morning. Brady made a good stretch, hung right with me and took a beating. Excellent nozzle work. Boots sent the water with perfect timing. He had 3 lines off, a 5″ supply. Ladders, irons etc. everything flying off our rig but it’s not the crew I’m accustomed to. Lt Bugg was on the fire this morning as the Officer on E5. While overhauling he says to me .. “your back’s hurting ya today Capt?” I said yea … killing me why? He said he could tell by the way I was standing. He (they… the Melrose Misfits) called it the “horse stance”. One leg locked, the other flexed at the knee resting on the toes. Just by my posture, they knew to steal some work from me cause my back was sore or I wasn’t at 100%. It’s the little things like that which make a company! I know I’ll have that again but I don’t right now. I can’t having only been here 2 cycles. The man power shortages, cut backs and transfers just put us further out of our element and more at risk. They were even pulling members from our scene today to send to a 2nd call in the downtown area! Pulling from one to cover another??? We hadn’t even given “under control” yet!  UGGGGGGG!!!!! Ok, so I guess I’d better throw in a shot of Bugg as well …..

Ok, I’d better stop this rant while I can. So, the rest of the day has been clean up, reports and more runs. As I’m typing, our brothers and sisters from Stations #5 and #2 are out on another fire in lower North West.  We will most likely have to “move to cover” another station so I’d better type quick. The early fire had us behind in shopping so we elected to eat out. While eating we got to meet a young fellow and his 2 older sisters (neither looked old enough to be his mother). Apparently little Evan (I hope I remembered his name correctly) LOVES fire trucks (another “run to the curb” kid) and wondered what the chances were of maybe getting a tour of the rig?? …… 100% !!! The little fella sat in every seat, touched every piece and even blew the siren. I’m pretty sure we made his day .. and truth be know; he made ours a little brighter as well.

Ok, so things are picking up around here so I’d better cut it off. I do need to give Statter a warning to look out for the newly empowered Firecritic. If you didn’t tune in to last night’s Firefighter Netcast show it would seem as though Chief Kelly Edmison validated Rhett’s comments / concerns etc. Rhett even mentioned several times during the pod cast how he couldn’t wait for Statter to hear “this” or “that”. Here comes the ol “back and forth”…. “he said, she said” again. I wish they’d just kiss, make up and agree that they were BOTH right in their own respect (LOL). Ok, enough for tonight, thanks again for following and giving me an outlet for my ramblings. We’re back Sunday and Tuesday, until then, stay safe and in house!

Captain Wines

Posted by on October 23, 2010 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, news • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Some needed rest…

1 comment

Today is Wednesday the 20th and here in Va. it’s a cool rainy morning which for me is kinda good news. Good in that 1.) we can always use the rain and 2.) this weather will allow me to slow down and take somewhat of a “break” today. The weather has been BEAUTIFUL here for the past little bit and fall has been “in the air”. For those of you not from Va. now is the time to visit. The leaves are just beginning to change, our crops are harvested and the views are gorgeous. Here’s a shot from my front yard where you can just start to see some color in the mountain..

In the next few days / weeks, the colors will become much more vibrant and the views even more spectacular. This is my favorite time of the year. One of the best ways for you “out of state folks” to experience the change of season (other than a personal tour through the greater Catawba Valley with me) is to take a ride down the Blue Ridge Parkway. What are you waiting for?? Pack up the truck or gas up the bike and head on down … and, don’t forget to look us up while you’re here. Another good thing about this time of year is that Halloween is just around the corner. Fun for me in that the Buckaroo is now at the age where he’s getting excited about it. Excited about dressing up and about all that free candy (except I don’t think he’ll be getting many of his favorite .. Little Debbie Swiss Rolls ). Can any of ya guess what his costume will be? Send in your guess and / or suggestions / ideas.  And, you know what; Halloween isn’t just for the kids anymore. It seems as if everyone now a days throw “adult” costume / Halloween parties. Now, for us men, costumes aren’t that big of a deal for for the gals … well that’s another story. You know me.. always looking out for the gals so, I’ve been doing a little shopping and found some great firefighter costumes / ideas for the ladies .. check em out..

WOW !! TRICK OR TREAT ! A “win / win” either way LMAO! I wonder what station they work at? I know Hrdrant Girljust had a big Halloween bash at their place but she really didn’t show or go into much detail of the costumes. I’m wondering how many of you guys are hitting the parties this year and what you will be wearing. Send me the pics (I know Hydrant Gal was early and not a lot of parties are going on yet.. but when they start..send em in) and I’ll get em up on the site. As far as that goes, send me some pics of your little ones on Halloween as well .. you know I’ll have the Buckaroo on so, I may as well post some reader costumes too (just remember to include your name ..blog / site if applicable and the child’s name / relation etc).  Speaking of the Buckaroo, much like myself; he’s had one heck of a week. He’s had all is routine / regular chores such as making and moving hay and checking / feeding the cows…

He’s also had some “special” duties this week .. breaking elephants. Yea.. I said breaking ELEPHANTS! A small circus was in town for 2 nights this week and me and the little fella made it out. I had told him that we were going and that they would have tigers, elephants and midgets. That’s all he talked about ALL DAY. At 11 am while hauling hay .. “paw-paw lets go see that circus now”.. at 2pm “paw-paw let me see that elephant now”…. “paw-paw..what’s a midget?” Then it was back to the elephants.  Elephants, elephants, elephants and wouldnt ya know it … you can actually RIDE EM! He went  “ape sh**” ! And yes, he got his ride .. I just wish he’d have worn his spurs..LOL

I don’t know who the two adults or other kids are but everybody seemed to enjoy the ride. The Buckaroo was a little disappointed in that he wanted to ride “all by myself” but it all worked out just fine. As for me, well; they didn’t have any midgets BUT… they did have some dancing gals ..

Ok, so I mentioned I’ve been busy and it hasn’t been just here on the farm. The “move” to Lucky #13 has kept me running as well. Back to back calls, unpacking, settling in etc. The good news is that last day, we actually had a few EMS calls where the pt actually survived! Yea .. it’s been “THAT” kind of cycle. As I predicted, the new crew and I haven’t missed a beat. Georgie and Boots are a good fit. That said, I will admit again that I miss “the boys”. Especially Coon and Opie. We have been together for so long now that it just doesn’t feel right being at the station without them. I can’t help but think back to our days at #9 as the “Melrose Misfits”. Lt. Bug, Coon, Wheezy, Tyrone and Opie .. man did we have a blast! Had a good time and got the job done .. a great crew that I will always remember as a highlight in my career. And wouldn’t you know it … there I sat thinking about em and in walks Tyrone (ok.. he ran… stumbled in..LOL).  And, in honor of me (well, that’s my story anyway) he’s even trying to grow a mustache ….

I think it’s gotten away from him just a bit because it seems to have gotten around his chin and such. Anyway, it was great to see the little sh** and learn that he and the family are doing well. Station #13 also has another old friend, brother and past co-worker of mine in Lt. Barry Ferguson of A-shift. Barry was my Lt. on Ladder #2 when I first got on the job and was one of several who really took me under their wing. There is not a better person in the Department as far as ropes, rappelling or ascending goes (he even held a World’s Record for ascending at one time..and still may). But, what Barry is probably most famous for are his cartoons. Back then, you could just about bet the farm that there would be some type of cartoon on the board or circulating through the fax machines every morning Barry was on. If you screwed up … BAM! .. welcome to the funny pages. I’m sure you guys have figured out by now that I was often the subject for his drawings. Yea .. I have a notebook collection full of his documentation of my screw ups LOL. I’ll have to get / find one of those scanner thingies and try to get a few up on here in the future.. you’ll laugh your butt off. Here’s Barry doing what he does best (photo stolen for Mike “Mikey” Overacker from over at Roanokefirefighters.com)

So, I’m going to get to what I was talking about in the beginning of the post and do a little resting up. There are several “hot topics” in the Fire Service for you guys to follow. Use the links at the top of the page and be sure to check out the great sites under “more partners”. Always be sure to hit my favorites Dave Statter, The Fire Geezer and The FireCritic. Firefighter Netcast also has a great show comming  up tomorrow night that you wont want to miss. check it out and get the direct link to the show here. That’s gonna do it for now. Thanks again for following and checking in. If you haven’t or aren’t following on “Picture Book” or “Churp Churp”please do and tell all your friends … things will pic up around here soon enough and I’ll get better at posting a little more regular as well. Until next time, stay safe and in da house!

Captain Wines

Posted by on October 20, 2010 • Filed under: news

Getting my “move” on!

1 comment

It’s the 2nd day of my first cycle at my new digs. LUCKY #13! I’m out here with Lt. George (Georgie) Perdue and FF / EMT Todd (Boots) Harris. We are a single engine company with only 3 assigned (we are holding a vacancy here). It seems as though our Department goes from over staffed to running short from one day to the next so its hard for me to keep track of exactly where we stand personnel wise. It really depends on who and / or when you ask as to which answer you receive.  It’s kinda like when we over promoted a few too many folks and had to pass out boomerang bugles.  Its  that fancy “past high school” type counting they use down there where  all the beans are counted…  you know the math… we can close a station here… loose a truck there … put these two companies together yet NOTHING will change. Not response times, man power etc. Nothing.  Hummmm?? Yet here we sit running with 3 (that’s counting the officer and driver).  I knew I should have paid a little more attention in math class… well either to school or Andy

LMAO.. I love that episode. So anyway, I’m out here at #13 and adjusting just fine. My new crew and I have all known one another for some time now and get along great. It has been a very easy transition. As far as the station, I was assigned here to Ladder 13 (now Ladder 5) several years ago when I made 1st Lt. so, the house is not unfamiliar either. I think I mentioned a few post back (while filling in at #6) that this house and #6 are identical. I wasn’t quite sure at the time but now know that this station was actually built a year before #6. This house went up in 1978 and #6 in 1979. Here’s a shot of the new place…

As for the reason for the move ..that’s a long story and NO, I’m not in trouble nor have i done anything wrong.  It would take me 10 pages and 2 days to tell the story and honestly, I don’t think this is the place to air dirty laundry. For now, I’ll settle for a more glamorous and “made up” reason for the move.  My job at #3 was done and they needed me out here. Georgie and Boots need to be “dialed in” and pulled  together so they can function more like a “team”.  Company and team building … a “special assignment”. Yea.. that’s it… a special assignment.

 LMAO… I love those videos. For those of you new to this site, you may want / need to watch the first video installment here to better understand the “goat” comments and to get to know the man in the cowboy hat a little better (it’s a pretty good video / post too). Anyway, I’m here, Clayton is there and everyone is going to live through it. Oh yea.. I just thought of another reason for the move… I need to help Boots build on his cooking skills. Last day (my 1st here) he was going to make “pigs in a blanket” for lunch. You know.. SIMPLE.. pigs in a blanket (a whole or half hot dog wrapped in a plain ol biscuit from a can right??). Obviously,  NOT SO SIMPLE. One very important step in making pigs in a blanket…. put a tooth pick through the two folded ends of the biscuits and down through the dog. That way, while subjected to the heat of the oven;  the biscuits wont open up, unfold, and leave you with a baked hot dog on top of (vs. wrapped in) a flat biscuit LMAO! Instead of a pig in a blanket we had a dog on a biscuit LMAO…I don’t know who laughed harder.. Boots or us. It was a fairly busy 1st day here. Moving, unpacking etc. A couple visitors, a hundred phone calls (thanks to everyone who called with “well wishes” etc.. it meant a lot to me and I appreciate it) and a few runs to boot. We only had 4 runs the entire tour but of those 4, we only had a 50% survivability rate. Not a good start huh. Today we are taking a little more time to settle in and get adjusted. It’s Friday and our middle day so we are almost over the hump. Big plans for tomorrow when we get off though. I’ll be heading over to West “by God” Virginia for the 31st Annual Bridge Day held at the New River Gorge.

 If you’ve never been and can get there, you wont be disappointed. Check out the link above for all the activities etc. The high lineis a MUST but my favorite is the rappel. Anywhere from 700 to 850′ negitive (depending on your position on the cat walk) ! When I say “negitive” , I mean that you are not against a building, wall, cliff or ANYTHING. I’ve been on some pretty awesome rappels at some unbelievable sites but nothing can compare to the Gorge… not even by the falls..

 Like I said, it’s worth the trip, you’ll have to see it to believe it and it’s sure to be an experience you wont soon forget.. hope to see ya there. Ok, for some more local news… ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL??!!!?? Oh yea, it’s that time of year again and the Roanoke Rampage are gearing up for our 2nd season in the Nation Public Safety Football League. Strength training etc will begin in November, practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays in December and pads / full contact in January. Check out the Rampage link above and sign up for a committee. We need your support!

That’s gonna do it for now. I’ll check back in a little later on. Until then, thanks for following, tell all your friends on “picture book” and “tweet tweet” to follow along, stay safe and in house!

Captain Wines

Posted by on October 15, 2010 • Filed under: news

A little rest before the big day…

2 comments

Ok… it’s been a few days since I checked in so I’ll give a quickie to hold ya over until tomorrow. I’ve been on 4 day break and the weather has been BEAUTIFUL. You know what that means … make hay while the sun is shinning. Yep.. me and the Buckaroo have been going at it pretty hard. Here’s his signature shot for all his fans ( I think he has more followers than I do.. LOL).

The only thing he likes more than fire trucks is tractors and I have to admit.. he’s beginning to become a handful. All he talks about .. all day every day is driving. I try to explain to him in 2 yr old terms that he’s not big enough yet .. he can’t even reach the pedals. I guess he gets it from his momma but he then mumbles something I can’t hear… gives me the evil eye and proceeds to show me he indeed can….

The sad thing is that when he actually can reach em and operate the tractor on his own, he’ll be more interested in chasing nurses or something… LOL. Moving on, the Buckaroo isn’t the only “youngin” I’ve been dealing with this week. My little buddy Rhett has been crying more than the Buckaroo this week. Something about a kidney stone..yada… yada…  yada.. What a PUSS!

The good news is that I think he finally passed the thing. Rumor has it to be about the size of a grain of sand. To hear him tell it, he passed a bowling ball. I would have loved to seen his face while pushing that baby out…

LMAO!!! And all this BS with Statter and he said she said. Rhett even thinks he beat me to being the first writer in the network to post nudity. His feeble attempt can be seen here . Once again (as he did with Statter) he jumped the gun and spoke too soon. Allow me to refresh his and your memory of the first nude shot …

I can’t remember if I did it from the Melrose Misfit blog or from Wooden Ladders and Iron Firemen back when we were over on “Blogger” but either way, I beat him to it LOL. Alright, all kidding aside, I do believe Rhett is feeling MUCH better and (if it wasn’t just the meds talking) has rededicated himself to regular and multiple postings. I just hopes he brings RoanokeFire.com back because we need a local outlet BAD. Moving on, I’ll hit just a few highlights etc. Everyone knows and can obviously see by now that I have made the move over to the FireEMS Blogs.com . I’m glad I did. I will say that I haven’t figured everything out just yet but with that said, I’m also now surrounded by tons of support and supporters. My hits are also increasing which is good news as well. I think that fact is due to the switch and to my fellow bloggers on the network dropping my name. Hell,  Fire Geezer himself even gave me a mention. (That’s when you know you’re doing well). Thanks to Bill, Mike Ward, Rhett, Dave, John and all the other Network Bloggers for the warm welcome, and support. I hope I can exceed every one’s expectations. I also want to touch just a little more on my day at #6-A this last Saturday. We had a public Relations event to attend at a local park that morning. Church groups, civic leagues, community activist etc. Good food, music and plenty of fun for the kids.

The highlight of the event, other than watching the “Po Po” guzzle chli dogs was that now retired Battalion Chief Bobby Slayton was in attendance. Looked like Santi Claus with a touch of red..

That’s little Alex pictured with the Chief. You may remember him from back in his part time days and Melrose Misfit Blog days. We also had a ride-along that day. One of Marci’s top students Randale Smith pulled the tour. In showing him a good ride etc. Capt. Stone ran us down by the ”old” and new station #1. While visiting the “old” #1, I couldn’t help but reflect back on the days when she was up and running. That’s a station anyone who worked out of will never forget. Here’s a shot of the bunk room….

The open dorm, wooden floors, stamped tin ceiling, wooden lockers. This is what a firehouse is supposed to look and feel like. Memories in every view. Here is a shot of my dad’s locker .. I can still see Pop’s uniforms etc hanging there..

Alright, I’ll try to check in again tomorrow. For now, I need to get a little rest. Tomorrow is gonna be a long one. It’s back to work and my first day at my new home ….. Lucky #13! Woooo Hoooooo.

Until my next one, Thanks for following, don’t forget to follow on “picture book” and “churp churp” as well. Stay safe and in house…

Captain Wines.

Posted by on October 13, 2010 • Filed under: news

Pulling an A-shift tour..

6 comments

Today, I’m paying my dues for hanging out by the pool in Nags Head and drinking beer. On one of my last visits, I called up an old friend and talked him into covering my shift thus giving me a couple extra days to soak up the sun and relax by the beach. Today, I’m paying that favor back by pulling a tour for him. I’m working at Station #6 on the South East side of town. I’m no stranger here and it’s nice to be back in the house. I was assigned here back when I made Lt. and worked on both “C” and “B” shifts. My dad also spent the majority of his career here so I’ve spent plenty of time in this station even before I got on the job. As a matter of fact, as a kid ridding along with Pop; I even helped the men move from the “old” Station #6 into this one. Here’s a shot of the old and current..

Rhett has a better shot of both stations here. Station #6 was established September 5, 1911 and will soon reach the 100 year mark.  The current station was opened in 1979. At the time, it was one of the few stations we had that was single level ( no poles ) with actual drive through bays. This section of the City has always been busy (fire and EMS) and the house remains a desirable assignment even today. It began as a single Engine house, after the move it its current location, it grew to an Engine and Medic and now houses the same Engine / Medic with the addition of the HTR (Heavy Technical Rescue) truck, a support vehicle and the Swift Water team / equipment.  I have several good memories of visiting Dad here as well as from my days assigned as Lt. Today, I’m working on A-shift with an old friend and Brother Captain Todd Stone (of Kentland and “Little Brooklyn” aka Bedford FD fame). Lt. Branch is behind the wheel and that puts me in the “hot seat”….BACKWARDS!!! oh yea.. You can bet the Capt. will have the nozzle tonight should we catch one… only question is which Captain??  Here’s a shot of Todd and my view for the tour..

We also have a ride along (buff) tonight. Little Randale Smith is a “straight A” student from Captain Stone’s wife’s Bedford Science Technologgy- Advanced EMT Work Studies class. This kid is supposed to be a straight A student who finished #1 State EMT compitition and 5th in the Nation and he wants to be a fireman??? I guess Marci sent him in to ride with Todd and me in an effort to “dumb” him down a little cause this kid is WAY too smart to want to work here..LOL.  And oh yea.. a special note to Marci… for future classes, add some cooking lessons. I don’t care how smart these kids are… if they can’t fix an egg sandwich or a pot of beans, they’ll never make it in a firehouse… LOL. All kidding aside, Randale seems to be a great kid and I wish him the best with his career aspirations.. here’s a shot of the little fella..

24 hrs with me and Todd… he doesn’t stand a chance! Ok, that’s enough about me and today.. I have some other important issues to tackle. Bullying ! Yea.. it’s rampant in the blog world and in a certain case, I feel obligated to step in. Allow me to explain. Everyone knows I’m a huge Dave Statterfan. HUGE. That said, I’m also very close with Rhett Fleitz of Fire Critic(and many more). Well Dave and Rhett have been going back and forth over the Obian County, Tnn. incident and I have been put in the middle. I have even been accused of “ridding the fence”. To defend myself, I will only say that I voiced my opinion live on Firefighter Netcast and in my last post. The only “side” I took was my own. As far as the lovers spat between Dave and Rhett I will say this. Dave is “THE MAN”!  A true reporter. Rhett ….well… I like Rhett. That said.. DAVE.. stop picking on my little buddy. I’m serious!! STOP IT!  You don’t seem like the type of person to kick a man when he’s down or hold the “little man” down and there are some issues you may not be aware of. Look at this…

You know what those two pics are??? TIGHT. Tight as in almost don’t fit. Snug… hitting the sides..you know…TIGHT.  Now look at this..

Know what they are???  KIDNEY STONES. Yea…OUCH!  Rhett is trying to pass one or ten. Think back to “tight”. He’s trying to push those rocks through his little….ummmm…errrrrrrr…. well anyway Dave… he’s SICK. Even banged out of work today. So please.. as a personal favor to me.. give the little guy a break. We all know your position was “spot on” and that you were right and, as soon as he gives birth to that boulder, I’ll explain it to him. Ok, moving on…RUMOR CONTROL…

I’m moving AGAIN! I posted on it earlier but apparently nobody reads my post. I have been reassigned once again. My next regular scheduled shift will be on “C-shift” at Luck #13. I won’t go into details here but, if you want the whole and honest story; stop by or give me a call. I didn’t / don’t want to go nor do / did I want to upset (move) another Captain but in this case something had to happen. This was the decision made. I will miss the “boys” like my left arm. They have been looking after and taking care of me for some time now. I’ll will post on that point of view in detail a little later after I have settled down a bit. There are still a few issues to be settled in this whole ordeal and understandably, I’m still a little pissed but in due time I’ll be able to tell the entire story… (brings to mind one of my favorite pics..)

You gotta love that pic! And hey.. I can’t put this kid up and not get the Buckaroo on. So here’s his update. It’s been a busy week for him as well. We’ve been in the hay field pretty much every day. Here he is with his signature “from the tractor wave” and another from the hay loft..

He’s been jacked up on Mountain Dew all week but for good reason. First off, he has made the transition to a “big boy” bed. Now you guys know the Buckaroo well enough by now to know he didn’t just settle for any old bed…

Oh yea… A fire truck bed!! That’s how my little fella rolls! He’s also been a little excited because deer season is now open. Now, he has been with me while I’ve shot fox, ground hogs and coyotes but never a deer (for Pete’s sake.. he’s only 2 yr old.. how much experience can he have??) Anyway, he’s been VERY excited to get his first one so, we’ve been doing a little target practice and lining up our guns..

LMAO.. poor little fella can’t figure out why the deer wont die or run off. Alright..that’s enough for tonight..can’t wait to screen all the comments from PETA. I’ll check in in the next day or so. I report to #13 on Wednesday. Until either, stay safe and in house.

Captain Wines.

Posted by on October 10, 2010 • Filed under: news, Uncategorized • Tagged: ,

Some pics and a good debate..

3 comments

I wanted to show you a few more pics from the National Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial Weekend held last week in Emmitsburg, Md. I’m getting a little more comfortable with “word press” and love the fact that I can now easily add slide shows. Check this small one out…

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I also wanted to make sure you guys got to hear a great debate that happened last night on Firefighter Netcast. The discussion centered around details from South Fulton and Obion County, Tenn. where firefighters watched a house burn to the ground over unpaid fire protection dues. The story is spreading like wildfire…here’s just one video.

A lot of big names in the Fire/ EMS blogging world took the time to call in and voice their opinions. I even put in my 2 cents. My points are this…

  • Don’t blame the Firefighters or the home owner. Blame the County admin.
  • Subscription vs. taxes??? A fancy name and word play by legislators to save face
  • Where does the tax money that should have been spent on fire protection go? They must have one hell of a sewer, water or trash collection system.
  • Much like we use on the fire scene, government officials are using loss / benefit analysis. They have the attitude of there aren’t a lot of fires .. “it’s not going to happen here” and if it does, it will only happen seldom.
  • This is why the IAFF and other orginizations push Political action. This is what happens when we vote gun rights and abortion vs. firefighter issues.
  • All departments face similar issues except for some (or most) it’s min. staffing, equipment, training etc. We don’t get it because the result would be a tax increase.
  • Mutual -aid and auto-aid issues … What if South Fulton had an incident while responding to or on scene out in Obion County?
  • Maybe he couldn’t afford the $75 fee. We see that all the time BUT they have nice rims (20′s) or a 60″ big screen sitting in the living room.
  • Rules and guidelines, SOP’s, SOG’s were established. Our survival depends of following set guidelines etc.
  • Nobody mentioned the homes construction etc. In today’s fire service, had someone have responded; they very well may have made a “defencive” or “surround and drown” type attack anyway. The home would have still burnt to the ground. I would have much rather stayed in house and let it burn rather than standing there and watching it burn.
  • Bottom line, the Fire Service as a whole as well as local governments (large or small) needs to take this incident and LEARN from it.

I could go on for hours but will spare you the headache. Listen to the show here for some more great points / debate on the issue. Thanks to Rhett and John of Firefighter Netcast for providing another great outlet for our voices to be heard. I’ll catch ya later tonight. Until then, stay safe and in House.

Captain Wines

Posted by on October 7, 2010 • Filed under: fires, funding-staffing, news

THANKS.. Welcome and buckle up!

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Guess it’s cherry popping time and you folks have mine. We have finally gone live and made the move to Fire / EMS Blogs. We have several other ”first times” tonight / this week as well. This will be my first post on the new network. My first time using “word press”. I got to speak with “Joe Schmoe” on Firefighter Netcast for the first time tonight and I actually shut up before I wanted to. Anyway,there are a lot of “first times” happening tonight and,  I’ll get to all or most of that and more  in a minute… First off I have to say THANK YOU! Thanks to all my readers for hanging in and staying with me all this time. It’s hard to believe that this all started from wanting to show a little bit of “firehouse” life from back in our Station #9 or “Melrose Misfit “  days. THANKS to Fire/EMS Blogs for having the faith in me to bring me over to the network. Thanks to Rhett ( Fire Critic) and Chris Hebert for all of their help and support. Thank you… thank you… thank you! Enough of the “love fest” for now. Here’s the post…

Have you ever heard the term “having” or “getting the spurs put to you”?

If you haven’t, it basically means getting your ass kicked pretty bad. Not only has someone “beat you down”, they then take the opportunity to rake their spurs across ya adding insult to injury. That’s pretty much how my last few weeks have felt like. Now, with the imagination I have; I can picture times when having the spurs put to you is not such a bad thing….

Either one of those gals can spur me anytime..LOL.. excuse me just a sec while I wipe some drool from my stache.. And, by the way; tonight’s post was supposed to be another first. The first nudity for Fire/EMS blogs. Unfortunately, Rhett beat me to it. Yea.. he sabotaged my site last night and put up these unsightly, over sized, way too greasy “ta ta’s”, “fun bags”, “boobs”, “boobies”, “hooters” “jugs”, “knockers” etc. Be warned…. it’s not safe for viewing at work but check out his cheap imitation of a post here. Ok, back to having the spurs put to me. As if everything else happening these past few weeks wasn’t enough, even the boys have saddled me up. Oh yea… they’ve rode me like a rented mule…

The damn thing is (or the  ”irony” of it all for you more intellectual types) is that I’m the one who basically taught Opie and Coon to do the “riding” (aka..busting balls). Just look at the two of em…kicking and spurring

I guess last day was just “my turn” and the boys did it up good. BUT…. Little did they know. Monday was my last day for the foreseeable future with em. I took today (Wednesday) off and got the word at home that my next day, I’m to report to Station #13 on C-shift. GONE again!! A couple of notes here on the move. 1st. I asked for it. I didn’t want to but felt I had to because of the circumstancesaround our house. 2nd I don’t think I’ll be the only or last one to ask out of the house. 3rd I hate that I couldn’t take the “boys” with me and away from the environment they are subjected to. That said, everything will work out. Good things can’t keep happening to bad people.. that’s been proven all too many times. I am also confident in my boys and know that they can and will handle themselves as need be regardlessof whether or not I’m there. I have all the confidence in each member I leave behind as well as in the Captain whom will fill my position. Captain Martin is “old school” and will look after em for sure. We need more of that! Not just here but in the Fire Service in general. The days of “wooden ladders and iron firemen” are all but gone. Today, we have iron ladders and wooden firemen who are out for “number one”. THEMSELVES. Self preservation is today’s focus. Brother my ass! Ok, I’m not gonna get started on a rant. I wanted to simply take a moment to say welcome and thanks. I have a lot of high hope for the new site / network. Those of you who follow me know andunderstand that most of the time I’m “against the grain” and I’ll warn ya.. don’t expect less. The title of my pod cast my be “water hammer” because as usual, I plan to rattle the pipes. I’ll bring it to ya straight andsometimes, that’s hard to take but you’ll always know where I stand. Don’t forget to check out and click on the advertisements on this andall the network pages. Also friend us on “picture book” and follow along on “churp churp”. Stay tuned, I hope to increase the number of post. This “word press” is supposed to be easier once I get the hang of it. I enjoy the comments so keep them coming as well. I’ll check back in tomorrow… until then, stay safe and in the house.

Captain Wines

Posted by on October 7, 2010 • Filed under: news

My life as a “roadie” and a little more detail..

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Back again from the 2010 National Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial weekend. I know here of late, my post have been either scattered or shortened. That said, I also know you guys understand why and I need to say that I appreciate the patience. So, as mentioned previously; it’s been an emotional week or so… both good and bad. The bad part, we’ll skip for now. The good (but also somewhat sad part) I want to cover as much as possible.That story is here.. Emittsburg Maryland at the NFFF Memorial weekend. WOW !! What an honor and privilege. You guys know me so hang “in” or “on” while I figure out how and where to start. To begin with, I left one little man to spend the weekend with another. Yea.. I had to kiss the Buckaroo goodbye for a few days to head up here with Rhett (actually, I think the Buckarro has grown a little taller than Rhett already.. I know Sam {Dave Statter’s son} has..LOL) Anyhow, I told the Buckaroo that Paw-Paw had to go out of town to do some “firehouse” work. Well, you guys know the Buckaroo by now and, as you may guess; he was dressed for the occasion to see me off…

I miss the little fella but will also say that we’ve been so busy that I have been able to keep my mind other wise occupied. Yea.. it’s the “new” Capt. The last several trips have been more about work than play believe it or not.
Yea, WORK.. I’m a “roadie” now ya know… serious business. Heck, they have me working out of the back of a 52′ tractor trailer / broadcast center…

Now again, don’t get me wrong; it’s work but it’s also enjoyable and worth while work. I mentioned earlier that I am here with Firefighter Netcast to record and produce audio for Fire Hero Radio (new material up from Statter now). Yea.. I got skills like that ( you seen me in that broadcast truck right??). And, all kidding aside, Rhett and John do a FANTASTIC job of providing a needed service to not only their customers but to the Fire Service as a whole as well. Yea… this work does, will and can benefit YOU. Here’s a shot of the set up, just outside the Chapel..

I say it can benefit you because, you need to hear these stories. We all do! Much like while in Chicago at Fire Rescue International where we got to hear the “meat and potatoes” of every main lecture / topic, here in Emmitsburg; we have had the honor and privilege of hearing and witnessing the families of our fallen brothers tell their stories. Do you folks remember Lt. Kevin Kelley from Boston? He was killed in the line of duty when the brakes on Ladder 26 failed and the Rig was involved in a fatal crash. We had 8 of his family members stand in our booth and talk about the life and death of this true hero. We had the wife of another fallen Brother along with their 3 year old daughter talk for 15 minutes of their loss and the support group that quickly surrounded their lives. I’ve shed a many a tear today and am proud to say so. The stories don’t just “touch” you, they reach out and grab you! Friends, family members etc are returning from fatalities from years past. They feel attached and / or connected to this sacred place and keep coming back. They walk, talk and share their stories. They help the newest families feel at ease and then take the time to reflect back to their first visit… to their own loss. The sidewalks (or brick walk ways) are inscribed with tributes. Many visitors end up on their knees with paper and markers rubbing an imprint of those bricks onto paper so that they have yet something else to hold on to.

You can’t witness this and not be moved. I didn’t take a rubbing but did spend a few moments visiting the names and memories of my department’s last two Fallen, Helm and Cassell.


We have seen both new and old faces. I was fortunate enough to have a person whom I had never met walk up to us at our “booth”. John Crist is from Hagerstown, Md. and, to that point; we had never met. John wanted me to know how much he enjoyed my site! WOW! He took the time to share that with me (and Rhett seen and heard it … poor fella.. not my fault John has never seen or read whatever site it is Rhett runs these days). A face to face.. hand shakes and greetings. Another HONOR for this weekend. Thanks John. I also seen several old friends here. A couple brothers from Roanoke County and another brother from..ummmmmmmm… let me think…where is he from??? Well, maybe you’ll recognize him..

Is that Chief Billy Goldfeder again??? Damn he sure takes a lot of pictures with me (must be mustache envy.. LOL). All kidding aside, thanks for d
ropping by Chief. Tonight’s services were as impressive as suspected. I know we had some slight video problems with the live broadcast I linked to earlier but hopefully all were handled rather quickly. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the live broadcast of the Memorial Services … if you can’t be here, Ironfiremen will bring you the next best thing. There are Pipes and Drums here from all over the Country. I have some pics of the brothers and sisters from out west (taken for my friend Schmoe.. for or to fret…who knows … LOL). I haven’t downloaded them yet but here are a few shots of Pipes and Drums (just not zoomed in on the “West coast” members)… you gotta love (and cry) when you hear the Pipes fire up..


Ok, that’s enough for tonight. I have a ton more material but I’m just too tired to do it right now. I’ll get it up.. I promise. Until then, keep checking back and scroll down to watch the live feeds. Thanks for the comments and for following. I’ll check in tomorrow. Until then, stay safe and in house..
Captain Wines

Posted by on October 2, 2010 • Filed under: news • Tagged: , , , ,

Coverage continued…

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I’m in Emmitsburg, Md. at the Nation Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial weekend and, as I sit here typing and reflecting on the days events; I am once again humbled. I have never attended the National Fire Academy nor have I ever been to the Memorial and I must admit that just being here on the grounds is awe inspiring. The feeling here is of pride, honor and remembrance. I’m here with Rhett and John of Firefighter Netcast. We are here working for Fire Hero Radio through the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation and Dave Statter. It has been our privilege to interview and record the families of our fallen brothers and sisters in an effort to start collecting an oral history of the fallen. We are set up just outside the Chapel with a great view of the entire service. We have had the honor of recording several interviews thus far and each has brought tears to our eyes. Another strong presence here is the feeling of “family”. The care, support and love is evident in every eye and on each face. Again, I’ll simply say I am humbled. Here are a few shots from the day. I’ll update with more detail later tonight. Tune in below (the earlier post) for live coverage of tonight’s candle light service as well as for the Memorial Service tomorrow.

Posted by on October 2, 2010 • Filed under: news • Tagged:

Coverage of the 2010 National Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial

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Below, you can watch the candle light service held on Saturday, Oct.2nd begining at 06:45pm (est). You can also tune in to the memorial Service held on Sunday begining at 09:30am. More to come soon…

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1

Posted by on October 2, 2010 • Filed under: news • Tagged:

WHAT A WEEK !!!

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I apologize for it being such a stretch between post but I have to tell ya… this has been about the worst week or so of my career. I can’t and wont go into details right now but trust me… There are only a few people I’d wish this worry and stress on. I will say / ask this… please keep my boys in your thoughts and prayers as they are and have been faced with some very stressful and emotionally draining times as well as difficult decisions. That said.. Rhett and I are hitting the road. And YES.. I am smarter than I look so NO we are NOT flying again LOL.

We are headed up to the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, Md. I will update with a detailed post tonight and include links where you can follow the events of the service. Better yet, drop what you’re doing and hit the road… we’ll see you there.
Capt. Wines

Posted by on October 1, 2010 • Filed under: news • Tagged: ,