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A civilian burned and a roof collapse in South Jacksonville while firefighters were operating interior …
A Cy-Fair firefighter was injured after falling through the 2nd floor. Check out the raw video .. I’m guessing this is the rescue / removal of the injured firefighter… HEADS UP Statter .. note the turnout coat, jeans and blue helmet..
KHOU.com has a brief story HERE
Visit the Cy-Fair Vol. Fire Department web site HERE
Captain Wines
WARNING!!! Video contains adult language.
LMAO!!!!
Captain Wines
Working… with a ways to go yet. The past few weeks have been emotionally draining and I’m spent. I have not yet posted the names of the City Brothers and Sisters who filled the stations and manned the rigs so that the B-shift Brother could attend the funeral. Captain Bedwell has assured me that I will receive a copy and as soon as I do, I will post it here. Names or not, THANKS to each and every one of those members for their sacrifice and display of brotherhood.
I slao did not re-post the names of the members who stood post by the Chief’s door while in the hospital. I had the schedule posted HERE and it contained the names. We have received several comments from friends and family as to what a benefit and honor the postings were. Thanks too are due to the Brothers and Sisters who filled the schedule. Captain Sellers commented in an earlier post and I think it is worth repeating. Here is Captain Sellers’ comment …
I also failed to mention that several of us made our way down to Martin’s Restaraunt following the service for something warm to eat and cold to drink. It was a good turn out to raise a glass in Bobbie’s memory …
That was my first trip to Martins and I must say that it was very nice. The beer was cold … the food great and the service even better. They even had a picture of ole (now “Historic”) Station #1 on the wall … how fitting! Here’s a shot of Pop (my Dad..Willie Wines Sr.) taking a look…
Willie Wines Sr views picture of Roanoke City Historic Station #1 where he was assigned with Chief Bobbie Slayton
Sitting amidst Brothers and Sisters, having a few “adult beverages” and sharing old stories is one of the best ways to ease the grief. I now the trip was good for me and I feel as if it had the same effect on the others.
Tonight’s post is titled “working back to normal” and that’s what I’m trying to do. The evening at Martin’s was a beginning and today has been helpful as well. Today was the first in many that I’ve had the entire day to devote to the farm and catching up on my work here. I wish I could say that I got more accomplished than I did but at least I got the most important objectives completed … I’m getting back to “normal” (as if anything about me is “normal” ..LOL).
I had my helper with me today so if nothing else, I had an open ear. Not only does he listen to my ramblings (as long as I’m letting him drive the tractor) but he also asks enough questions that I’m forced to talk.. LOL. I think he needed to get back to work as well … my being distracted and off has upset his balance as well. He was as glad to be outside as I and seems to be readjusting rather quickly ..
For us, just being outside .. feeding and riding riding the tractor is “theropy’ of sorts … we both needed it.
Like I said… A good day and “just what the Doctor ordered”. The only down side was the weather. Once again, it was COLD! Now, it was nowhere near as cold as it was on the day of the funeral but it was still cold enough to freeze your nipples off so take my advice … keep your shirts on ( I can’t believe I just said that ..LOL)
Yea.. I know…. how could it get better you may ask?? How about if we had a “MAGIC” beer pouring machine?? Yea… it pours em from the bottom … really fast and with no head …
Take the time to check out THIS LINK to see this little baby in action ….. I want one! Hey .. if you folks are reading, let me be the first to offer a “product review” from Ironfiremen.com … send over the magic machine, a couple thousand cup and a truck load of kegs and I’ll get back to ya as soon as possibel LMAO!
Ok … I need to do a little begging here … I’m sure most of ya are aware by now that the 2011 Blog of the Year contest has opened up. The contest is hosted and run by Rhett over on Fire Critic and this will be the 2nd year of its existence. Last year, the “Melrose Misfit“ blog place a respectful 3rd despite being a brand new site. My format here is somewhat different but I hope just as worthy. Actually, I hope it’s even better … I WANT TO WIN and I need your help.
Go to the FireCritic site HERE to place your nomination and VOTE.You get one vote per day / per computer. Please take the time to vote EVERY DAY and ask all your friends and family to do the same.
I’m back on duty tomorrow then it’s off on a 4-day. Boots will be away conducting our regional CPAT test so we’ll have a fill-in for part of the day. I’m hoping we’ll be slow but I will get ya an update and post up as soon as we get a little sausage gravy in our belly. Until then, thanks for reading / following. Please remember to follow, friend and like us on “Picture Book” (Face Book) and to follow along on “Churp Churp” (Twitter) as well.
Stay safe and in house … I’ll see ya tomorrow
Captain Wines
Roanoke City Battalion Chief Bobbie Slayton was laid to rest yesterday. Bobbie passed away on Saturday, January 8, 2011 after suffering a stroke on December 26, 2010. Chief Slayton served the Department from December 6, 1965 until July 1, 2010 (more than 44 years). More on Chief Slayton can be seen HERE HERE and HERE
His viewing and funeral service was attended by many despite windy conditions and single digit temperatures. IAFF Local 1132 and the Roanoke Fire / EMS Department carried the Chief to his final resting place with Fire Department Honors.
City Stations were staffed with off duty members along with members from surrounding Departments… Salem Fire / EMS Department and Roanoke County Fire / Rescue. I’m waiting on the completed roster of the Brothers and Sisters working that detail and will have it posted here as soon as it becomes available. I personally want to express my THANKS and APPRECIATION to those members for their professionalism, the brotherhood, honor and respect shown for our fallen.
Several comments were made as to how “impressive” the funeral seemed to those not familiar with Fire Department funerals. Bobbie’s “send off” seemed only fitting for the type of man and Chief he was. Here is the local news coverage…
Mike Overacker (Retired) also has some great photos over on his site Roanokefirefighters.com See those pics HERE. (some pics in this post are also courtesy of Mike..other by Drew Able Station #3-A)
It was also fitting that the bell we use to signal a fallen’s “final Alarm” was a project of Chief Slayton. Bobbie played a huge roll in having the bell removed from the tower of Historic #1 as well as its refurbishment. The bell was then mounted on a trailer and has been used for member funerals since. Here is a photo of the Chief and his B-shift crew of Ladder #1 with the finished product.
L-R Bobbie Slayton, Riley Peters, Jimmy Jennings, Doug Rorer, Willie Wines Sr. and Brent Berry
Here is the bell and Honor Guard at Chief Slayton’s funeral
Thanks also to all the uniformed personnel in attendance. As I mentioned, the weather conditions were near unbearable. Members lining the cemetery entrance were standing unshielded in the elements for almost 45 minutes. Another tribute to the life and memory of Chief Slayton.
Below is the list of Roanoke County and Salem members who filled our stations..
Roanoke County Fire / Rescue..
Captain Brian Witt, FF/ Medic John Ferron, FF/EMT Barry Brown, Captain Troy Grey, FF/Medic Brandon Carroll, FF/EMT John Gillespie, Battalion Chief Bill Duff, FF/EMT John Morton, FF/EMT Adam Amburgey, Captain Barry Hurley, FF/EMT Scott Morgan, FF/EMT Tim Webster.
Captain E. Hite, EMS Supervisor Lt. J. Poindexter, FF/Medic T. Rickman, FF/EMT L. Keffer, FF/EMT J. McAlexander, FF/EMT B. Haynes, FF/EMT J. Meredith, FF/EMT A. Lester, FF/EMT M. Cogen, FF/EMT S. Albert.
There were also several City Members who came in (uncompensated) and manned a rig / station so that B-shift members could attend the services. I do not have the complete list yet but will add their names as soon as it becomes available.
The Honor Gaurd …. WOW! Another outstanding job by every member on the team. At the viewing, several retirees commented on how they thought the members posted by the casket were statues. At the funeral, Lt. Robet “Bugg” Reid and Lt. Darrel Songer once again had the task and honor of posting by the casket during the ceremony. That was a little over 1 hour at “Ceremonal Parade Rest” …. unbelievable job!
Well done folks. The members serving as Honor Guard were as follows….
Roanoke City
Battalion Chief Roger Manual, Lt. Dan Goodwin, FF/MEdic Richard Lipes, Captain Chris Trussler, 1st Lt. D. Songer, Lt. Robert Reid, Lt. T. Gherman, Travis Meador, Jeff East, J.D. Reynolds, Todd Riley, Josh Hull, Carlie Walshe, J. Anuszkiewicz, Rachel Winters, M. Jenkins and Jacob Palmer.
Lt. Mike Elston, FF/Medic Chris Smith and FF/EMT D. Parr
Toby Martin, Captain Jeff Lawson and Dean Perulous
Please forgive and let me know if I have left anyone out. AGAIN, thanks to everyone involved for a job WELL DONE!
REST IN PIECE CHIEF
Captain Wines
I wanted t include Chief Slayton’s Obituary in case you didn’t hit the link to it in last night’s post. You can tell that it was written by his children and really gives a feeling of the man Chief Slayton was. This was published in our local paper, The Roanoke Times; and can also be found on Roanoke.com HERE.
Bobbie Sherwood Slayton , our beloved husband and father, left this earthly realm to begin his eternal rest with the Lord, a little after 12 noon on January 8, 2011. Our mother was with him at his bedside, and angels sent by the Roanoke City Fire Department guarded him as he passed. Bobbie was born on February 27, 1944, in Roanoke, Va. to Woodsie and Lelia Slayton, who preceded him in death. He is also preceded in death by his brother Roger. Bobbie loved his family very much, and we loved, adored, and admired him in return. Bobbie was our hero. Bobbie is survived by his wife, Vicky, of 47 years. Vicky was Bobbie’s sweetheart, baby doll, and angel. She greatly loved him and will dearly miss him. He is also survived by three children, all of Roanoke: Rebecca Briggs, Jennifer Schilke and her husband, Mark, and Zachary Slayton and his wife, Sharon. Bobbie was blessed with nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild: Meghan Sizemore and her husband, Patrick Wright, and their son, Conner Wright; Bradley Sizemore; Ethan, Victoria, Lelia, and Edward Schilke, Kenzie and Emma Slayton and Kailee Bryant. Bobbie is also survived by two sisters, Shirley Tatum and her husband, Robert, and Leoney Snyder; as well as many nieces and nephews and one special nephew, Lynn Tatum. Also surviving Bobbie are his three half-sisters, all of Greensboro, N. C.: Melissa Reeves and husband, John, Jeannette Skinner, and Donna Sampson. Bobbie was a member of the Roanoke City Fire Department, and rose to the rank of Battalion Fire Chief before retiring on July 1, 2010, after almost 45 years of service. Chief Slayton began his career in the Department on December 6, 1965, and held the honor of being the longest actively serving firefighter on record there. Bobbie was the head of the Apparatus Committee for the Department for over 20 years and was instrumental in the design and purchase of their fire equipment. Our father loved the fire department, which was his life’s work. More importantly, he loved the men that he worked with and served, and each held a special place in his heart. We would like to thank the staff of Roanoke Memorial Hospital for the loving care given to our father in his final weeks. We would like to express our eternal gratitude to the brother hood of men from the Fire Department who came to our family’s aid: visiting, standing watch over our father, and comforting and supporting our family throughout this time of grief. Our father never met a stranger, and friends circled around him his entire life. He believed that there was good in all people and always gave them the benefit of the doubt. He taught his family the meaning of Servant Based Leadership and to be strong, independent, hard-working individuals. He taught us that family was the most important thing in life. Our father loved his family, loved his work, and loved cars … if he wasn’t working, he was tinkering on an old car. Our father was always busy with something or some kind of project. Our Dad was the hardest working man on the face of the earth. We never knew him to have less than three jobs at a time. Besides the Fire Department, he drove a tour bus for Abbott Bus Lines, delivered fire trucks for KME all over the country, was a talented automobile mechanic, and volunteered at his church, Belmont Baptist. He loved dogs, hunting, bluegrass music, and NASCAR races. He loved to drive and he loved to travel. He loved his gentle kind mother Lelia, and he talked of her often. We trust that he is with her now in heaven. We love you always, Daddy, and will miss you so much until we meet again. The family suggests that memorials be made to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at firehero.org or P.O. Box 498, Emmitsburg, MD 21727. The funeral service will be held at First Baptist Church Roanoke (515 3rd Street SW) at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 and officiated by the Rev. John Fox. Interment will follow at Cedar Lawn cemetery with formal Fire Department honors. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 6 until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at Oakey’s Roanoke Chapel, 318 Church Avenue SW, 540-982-2100. Published in Roanoke Times from January 10 to January 11, 2011
I’m sitting around today going over the happenings of this past week. I’m trying to pass the time and keep my mind occupied but my thought keep drifting to Chief Slayton, his family and his Department family. I think about all the history and tradition that Bobbie had seen in his career as well as all that he passed along. At the end of the movie “Lonesome Dove”, a writer tells Captain Call that people are calling him a “a man of vision”. I think of Chief Slayton the same way as Capt. Call interpreted that statement…. Bobbie was a “man of vision” because of all he has seen.
Browsing through my favorite sites, I came across a couple articles that kind of tied in to my drifting thoughts. Fire House Poles. It seems as though the brass poles in our stations are the next dieing tradition.
Here, in my Department; we have cut back on poles. Many houses that had multiple poles have had several of them removed and the holes covered. We have built 3 new stations over the last few years and one of those (Station #3 … the “hippie hotel”) is a single story house without a pole at all.
We’ve all heard the arguments about firefighter injuries and the poles not saving time. We also hear the argument of diesel exhaust rising through the pole holes into our sleeping and living areas. Everyone is apparently under the opinion that fans and / or diesel exhaust systems do not do an adequate enough job so poles are removed and the holes closed. Some departments have gone to simply using the steps while others have tried new ideas such as “slides”.
Personally, I like the poles and use them when I’m at a house equipped with them. In my mind, they directly affect service delivery. They help lower our “turn out” time. They get us to the rig and out the door faster. That, is the only time we as firefighters really have control over. We can’t control the 911 call .. the dispatch sequence .. or the response time. Sure, our chosen route will dictate our arrival but beyond that, we can only drive so fast or make “so much” time on a run. Getting out the door quickly is the key.
I also understand that sliding the pole is not as simple as you think. I have been in the station and heard “veteran” firemen slide. Just the fact that I said “heard” them means that they didn’t do it right. A brass pole will burn the hide off ya … and quick. The trick to sliding the pole is griping it with your legs .. thighs and calves. You arm is around the pole simply to stabilize your upper body … not to grip the pole. The sound of flesh burning and squeaking down a brass pole runs shivers up my back as the sound of finger nails on a chalkboard does most others.
I always took the time with fill-ins to assure they knew how to use the pole. I didn’t just ask and take their word .. I made sure. Some of our houses had some pretty high ceilings which made for longer poles and slides. If you slid one of those incorrectly, you’d be burnt or broken. Twisted ankles etc are easy if you don’t do it right. The pole at our old (Historic) Station #1 was our longest. Pop and Bobbie worked out of that house for many years and I also had the honor of sliding those many times… Here’s a shot of the pole from the bunk room … it landed you by the driver’s side of the where the Ladder was parked.
The poles also brought a little extra work for the men in that they had to be maintained. In “firehouse life” we usually divide certain chores between days of the week. One day would be “brass day”. In our older houses, more than the poles were brass. Door knobs, thresh holds etc were also made of brass and needed polishing. It was extra work but it also instilled pride in the company. Whenever a visitor came into the station, the first thing they wanted to see was always “the pole”.
Rhett had an article over on Va Fire News on how Portsmouth, Va is phasing out the pole. See that article HERE.
Coon (aka. Scott Boone) also sent me an article on this fading tradition which can be seen HERE
Even the FDNY is following suit. Read this article from The New York Times (published 2005)
I don’t know… this is what happens when I sit around and think too much. What do you think? What does your Department use? Stairs? Poles? Slides? Maybe you just build 1 story houses? …. maybe you don’t even care .. tradition / trasmition right?
Anyway, we are scheduled to be at Chief Slayton’s viewing at 19:00 tonight. I’ll try to post and update afterwards. For you local folks (or those in town for the funeral) this is a reminder that the service (funeral) is tomorrow @2pm at First Baptist Church in Roanoke.
His Obituary in the Roanoke Times seems to have been written by his children. It is heart felt, true to the man and brought tears to my eyes. You can read it HERE. Also please note that the family suggests that memorials be made to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at Firehero.org or P.O. Box 498, Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Here’s another picture of Bobbie. He was visiting us at Station #3. He sat that day and told old stories for hours ….
Stay Safe and in house.
Captain Wines
First, I’d like to say thanks to everyone for the thoughts and prayers following the loss of Chief Slayton. The outreach from across the Country and throughout our profession has been comforting to many.
I was looking through some of my pictures last night and came across a few I’d like to share. I mentioned that Bobbie and I were close and the friendship we shared allowed me a few “perks”. It has been mentioned numerous times how Chief Slayton worked 44 years and retired just this past July. Rhett even spoke of how Bobbie was always being asked when he was going to leave (retire). Well, Rhett was right in that Bobbie never really gave anyone an answer to that question .. no matter how many times or ways he was asked. He wouldn’t even tell me.
What he did do is allow me to watch him sign his retirement papers but swore me to secrecy. The day was May 14, 2010.
He was a little bit excited and proud but also somewhat nervous and saddened. I’m thankful I was able to share that moment with him.
Chief Slayton’s viewing is tomorrow, January 11, 2011 @ Oakeys Downtown from 2-4 and 6-8 pm.
The funeral will be with Fire Department Honors on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 @ 2pm First Baptist Church, Roanoke.
Also see Rhett’s article on the Chief’s passing over at The Fire Critic HERE.
In an effort to maintain my sanity, I’ll try to make this into somewhat of a “regular” post and share a few other things with ya. To begin with, I had better tell ya about the “Cowboy Cadillac” laying down on me before “fire boy” Fleitz does. Yea… my truck on a wrecker and me driving a Chevy.
She laid down on me while hauling hay. The good news is three fold here. 1st, I was at Lynn Flora’s farm. Lynn is the Captain at Lucky #13 on A-shift. Lynn took good care of me and let me use his truck to finish the haul! That was a huge favor … THANKS again Brother!
The 2nd bit of good news in the break down was that I was in Boones Mill. That meant that my old friend and Retired Captain Riley “Big Joe” Peters would be close by. Riley is working for a towing company now that he is retired and he came right out. I wouldn’t have trusted my truck behind any other driver … THANKS Big Joe .. you bailed me out again.
The 3rd piece of news is that Rhett was able to come pick me up. The poor little “city slicker” almost froze to death having to be out on a farm with the like of Lynn, Big Joe and myself rather than wrapped in a snuggie by his computer desk. We took it easy on him and got him back into his truck before frostbite set in. There’s a headline for ya Statter … “Farm work stops Fire Boy Fleitz COLD in his tracks!” LMAO …
All kidding aside, there’s the “brotherhood” at work again. One fireman in a bind and 3 to the rescue .. THANKS again guys! Rhett picked me up and we headed to town to meet 2 good friends and fellow bloggers for lunch and adult beverages. Chris Kiser ( of Fire / EMS Blogs Life Under The Lights) was in town all the way from Illinois. Merris (another friend a fellow blogger who we’ll be hearing a lot more of soon) put Chris up and showed him around town … ours .. Goode and Boonesboro.
It was good to see Chris again .. I haven’t seen him since Chicago. The waitress .. we worked her silly but I promised to make it up to her by making her famous … I told her I’d make her an “Internet girl” … lol they fall for that one every time.
The Buckaroo came to pick me up and we headed home to get a little work done. Heavy work … well .. heavy equipment anyway..
We finished out the evening relaxing by the fire place with a little light reading ….
He liked “Mrs. January” but I’m still undecided ……
LMAO.. we stole errrrr… borrowed the calendar from Rhett. Too Hot to Handle. I’m suprised it didn’t even make his 2011 Top Ten Hot & Sexy Firefighter Calendar List.
Ok, I’m gonna stop here for tonight. Please remember to keep the Slayton family in your thoughts and prayers..
I’m back on duty tomorrow .. I’ll check in then. Stay safe and in House.
Captain Wines
I haven’t posted in a few days because I couldn’t ..I’m not real sure I can now but I’m gonna try …
Retired Battalion Chief Bobbie (I’ve been spelling it with a “Y” by mistake) Slayton has passed away from complications due to a stroke suffered on December 26th, 2010. The Chief will be missed by many! His passing was peaceful and he was surrounded by his 2 true loves … his Family and the Fire Department.
Roanoke will not be the same. Something as simple as my title for this post is a good example. We are not the “Roanoke City Fire Department” anymore .. we are Roanoke Fire / EMS and Bobbie seen more than just a name change while working. If you could ask him, he’d tell ya that he worked ”the good years”.
Chief was hired by the Roanoke Fire Department on December 6, 1965 … I was born in 1969. Bobby encompassed the title of this site …. “Wooden Ladders and Iron Firemen” . He came to work when you had to be tough to be a fireman … back then, the ladders were made of wood and the men of iron. Today, at times; it seems just the opposite and Chief Slayton witnessed that transition first hand.
I couldn’t guess how many uniform changes Bobbie had seen. The color, material and even our patches. We’ve been blue, gray … cotton and polyester. He seen the “milk man” uniform… button up shirts to t-shirts. They even were allowed to wear beards at one point.
He watched our trucks change. Now, some folks tried to kid him and say that he was here with the horses but that’s not true. He did see our rigs go from gray to yellow to red. He witnessed the transition from open cabs to enclosed . He rode the tailboard and rode trucks with not enough “masks” for the number of men on it. Later, he would join the new truck spec committee …. afterwards (and until his retirement), he would chair that committee.
Chief of Department … he seen 8 of em… S. Whit Vaughn was the Chief from 1962 – 1970 and was responsible for hiring Bobbie. Then came Chief A. Hughson from 1970 – 1973 , Chief C. Holt 73 – 83, Chief Kerley 83 – 87, Chief H. McKinney Jr. 87 – 89, Chief R. Quarles 89 – 95, Chief J. Grisby 1995-2007 and Chief D. Hoback.
When Bobbie was hired, we were working on a “2 platoon” system … we now have 3. He seen “kelly days” turn to vacations, holidays and now to ”paid time off”. Despite all the changes he seen, the one thing that didn’t change was him.
In my eyes, Bobbie was kind of a simple man and I don’t mean that disrespectful. He didn’t need all the “fancy” stuff. He was a hard worker and his labors seemed to be enough. He earned his Department nick name by working. The “older” generation of firemen called him “Slicky” or “Slicky Slayton”. It wasn’t because he was hard to catch, quick witted or fast on his feet. He was called “slicky” because more often than not, you’d find him with oil or grease on his hands.
He loved working on vehicles. He did it all his life and earned the reputation as a top mechanic. Whatever station Bobbie was assigned to had to have a work bench, vice and grinder. His garage at home is bigger than my barns. He could fix ANYTHING. Just last year, I was hauling a tractor home from Ohio. I had a mechanical problem along the way and who do you think I called?? Not “Triple A” … I called Bobbie and he had me up, running and home home by midnight over the phone!
Like any good mechanic, Bobbie loved racing. It didn’t matter if it was in Garden City, up Williamson Road or any NASCAR track … just so it involved going fast. Bobbie, my dad and Captain Tony Young (ret.) even went to the Richard Petty Driving School. They traveled to countless Nascar events including trips to Rockingham and the Daytona 500. I was lucky enough to make a few of those trips myself.
L-R Tony Young, Bobbie Slayton, Willie Wines Sr
Playing cards was another favorite pass time of Bobbie’s and he did a lot of that while on those trips and even at the station. Hearts or Spades but usually Hearts. LMAO .. I wish you could have seen some of those firehouse games. Dad and Bobbie played so much together that they almost knew what the other had or was going to do. I say “almost” because it didn’t always work out that way. When it didn’t … and Pop played the wrong card … LOOK OUT. If someone had put a dollar in a jar for every coffee cup Bobbie slung across the room and broke, we’d be rich! He got so mad one year in Daytona over a misplayed card that he actually slept in the van … I think Pop would sometimes make a bad play just to see Bobbie “blow” LMAO.
Pop and Bobbie traveled a lot together. They both pulled a 2nd job driving a tour or “charter” bus for a big company here in town … Abbott Bus Lines. They even tricked me into hiring on so I got to take a few trips with them as well. TONS of good memories and funny stories. Bobbie and his “short cuts” … LOL.
On the job, Pop worked under and with Chief Slayton for a long time. Bobbie was dad’s “District” Chief when he was assigned to Station #6. He helped me get hired. I would go visit Pop at the station and the Chief would come by to talk to me. He wanted to make sure I was working out and running (back then we had to run a mile and a half in the agility testing). He taught me how to sit in an interview and coached me on how to present myself. I have no doubt that his efforts helped me in the process.
A few years later, Pop would move to Station #1 and become Bobbie’s driver. Captain Carl Roberts, Lieutenants Craig Sellers and Clayton Martin (now both Captains) and firefighters Jimmy Jennings and my Dad (both now retired) were assigned to Ladder 1. What a crew! Thousands of stories from that bunch and Bobbie always right in the center of em. Some times, I would work for Pop so he could be off and that meant that I would drive Bobbie…. I’m pretty sure I made him nervous ..one night, after I went the wrong way down a “one way” he drove me the rest of the shift …LOL.
Later in my career, I too would have the honor of working for Bobbie directly. While I was Captain at Station #9-C, the Department made a big Battalion “shuffle”. Bobbie was moved from B-shift to “C” . He was a fair Chief. He put “the men” first in every thought and decision. He retired from C-shift in July 2010 after 44 years and 8 months of Service to our City. His tenure is 2nd only to Walter Dodson who served 44 years and 10 months. Bobbie was a District / Battalion Chief longer than I have been on the job!
He’s gone but will never be forgotten. He is and shall remain such a HUGE part of our history. His memory will live on through the lessons he taught. Through the policies and procedures he set in place. Through the examples he laid. Through the PRIDE AND HONOR for the job he instilled in our hearts and, most of all; through his son Zach.
I know personally how proud Bobbie was to see his son come to the job. The bond of a father and son who are both on the job is different and difficult to explain. I feel like Bobbie is at peace knowing that Zach (and the rest of his family) is surrounded by his Fire Department FAMILY… he is not nor will he ever be alone. It’s our job .. our DUTY to pick up where Chief Bobbie left off. Moving forward … working hard, honest and most of all, looking after each other.
Thanks for all you’ve left us Chief … rest easy because you’ve earned it … WELL DONE!
Captain Wines Bo.
L-R Chief Hoback, Chief Bobbie Slayton, Chief Tartaglia photo by Mike Overacker
Rhett also has a great post on Bobbie HERE or find the local newspaper article HERE. Arrangments are as follows…
VIEWING Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Oakey’s Downtown
2-4 pm and 6-8 pm
FUNERAL Wednesday, January 12, 2011
First Baptist Church Roanoke, Va.
Roanoke City Battalion Chief Bobby Slayton (retired) is at Roanoke Memorial Hospital (room 1040). Firefighters are standing watch at his bedside for the next couple of days.
Slayton is the longest serving firefighter in Roanoke City’s history.
Below is the schedule for standing watch. If you would like to be put on the schedule, contact me (Captain Willie Wines) at 540-597-8068. Please do not call Captain Todd Stone or station #6 anymore.
All slots are 2 hour shifts. Please wait for your relief and call me with any problems.
Pictured L-R Chief Slayton (ret.), Captain Riley Peters (ret.), Firefighter Jimmy Jennings (ret.), Captain Doug Rorrer, Firefighter Willie Wines Sr., 1st Lt. Brent Berry
Friday, January 7, 2010
1200 – Alex Helms
1400 – Stephen East
1600 – George Perdue
1800 – James Walker
2000 – John Burrows
2200 – Jayson Anuskiewicz
Saturday, January 8, 2010
0000 – Scott Bradford
0200 – Carly Walshe
0400 – Ronnie Mitchell
0600 – Eric Mulford
0800 – Drew Abel
1000 – Josh Stovall
1200 – Covered by on duty personnel
1400 – Covered by on duty personnel
1600 – Covered by on duty personnel
1800 - Covered by on duty personnel
2000 - Covered by on duty personnel
2200 - Covered by on duty personnel
Sunday, January 9, 2010
0000 - Covered by on duty personnel
0200 - Covered by on duty personnel
0400 - Covered by on duty personnel
0600 – David Lucas
0800 – Craig Sellers
1000 – Robert Perdue
1200 – Teddy Adkins
1400 – Becky Smith
1600 – Vacant
1800 – Vacant
2000 – Vacant
2200 – Mike Jenkins
2400 – Vacant
This is an important update for us local folks concerning Chief Slayton. Bobby’s situation is not improving …. arrangements are being made. The Chief is resting comfortably in room 1040. Local 1132 is now posting a member by his door for as long as needed. WE NEED YOUR HELP.
Members should be in Class A uniform
They need not be at “attention” but should be professional and by the door
The member can help coordinated the flow of traffic / visitors into the room
The member will also be available to accommodate any needs of the Chief, his family or visitors.
Shifts at his door should be approx. 2 hrs in duration. We will stand this post 24 hrs a day for as long as necessary.
Any member is eligible to stand a post
At this time, call A-Shift VP Todd Stone to schedule a shift. I am working my way into town and will take over the coordination efforts due to Brother Stone being on duty. We will let you know when, where and how to change contacts..
I will post a schedule here on this site and possibly in a few other locations.
Contact Brother Stone at station #6 for details or I can be reach by cell at 540-597-8068 … leave a message if necessary..
I will update in the next hour or so … as soon as I can get to town …
THANKS in advance for all the thoughts, prayers and concerns … the family is aware and is thankful.
Please continue to keep them all in your thoughts and prayers..
Captain Wines
We’re fighting on all fronts here in “the Noke”. Our biggest battle right now has Retired Battalion Chief Bobby Slayton fighting to recover. I’m afraid his condition has not improved. Actually, he was moved earlier today to Pallative Care in room 1040. The family is now accepting visitors in moderation. Mikey Overacker has some great shots of Chief Slayton’s retirement party over on his site roanokefirefighters.com … I’ll steal one and you can check out the rest HERE
Our Brothers and Sisters from A-shift had a pretty good fight on their hands yesterday as well. A small fire in a local high rise resulted in 21 people being displaced due to water damage. It’s my understanding that the sprinkler system held the fire in check but a busted sprinkler line caused significant water damage. The local news coverage is below …
Rhett has the story over on VA Fire News HERE and Overacker has some good photos HERE.
Boots (Todd Harris) did a little fighting of his own today … We’ve been slammed! We caught a small car fire earlier in the day and as usual, Boots knocked her down quickly. Here he is doing a little mop up work with the can ..
The owner of the vehicle is a past member here. Charles went by MANY nick names … “Link” .. “Henry” .. “Diesel do” .. and most notably “Bones”. Another retired member, Leroy Edwards; dropped by last day and we sat around telling a few old stories and jokes. “Bones” was the topic of many. It was good to see both of em again, I just wish it had been under different circumstances for Bones. Here is a shot of Leroy and Bones (we put him in the rig to stay warm … he said they sure do make em fancy now)
Football practice for the Roanoke Rampage has began but I had to miss em both this week. Practice is being held on Monday and Wednesdays and I’ll be sure to get some good pics and updates for ya then. Until then, check out the link to the new site .. For all you corporate type readers out there.. WE NEED SPONSORS ! We play 100 % for charity in the National Public Safety Football League. The team is made up of Police and Firefighters from the Roanoke Valley and surrounding area. We have a great schedule this season and will play teams such as Chicago and DC . Go to our web site for more information on how to become a sponsor and support a charity.
Speaking of sports, the Guns and Hoses Hockey game is this Saturday night, 7pm at the Roanoke Civic Center! Another great event to benefit MDA. Tickets are only $5 and it is a BLAST! Make plans now to attend .. you wont be disappointed.
Heck, even the Buckaroo is getting geared up for all these battles. He’s been wearing my football equipment all week …
I told him that maybe he needed to toughen up just a bit before he plays full contact football with a bunch of 40 and 50 year old men. He then explained to me that he was “tougher than he looks” and proceeded to show me just how much by fighting a bear that he found sleeping in his bed ….
Well, the bear was starting to get the upper hand so the Buckaroo changed tactics ….
LMAO .. that’ll teach that darn bear!
Me?? I’ve been fighting too. Fighting to get caught up on the farm. I’ve been hauling hay all day everyday but can’t seem to get ahead. Of course, I have all the other chores to accomplish as well .. feeding, calving, fence repair etc. I also had to put up a new garage door on one of the barns. The good news there is one of our Brothers from #5-C happens to do garage doors on his days off. Mark Brown came out yesterday evening and into the night to get that big S.O.B up… THANKS AGAIN BROTHER! Here’s a shot of Mark at work and a few of the ol “Cowboy Cadillac” hay hauling as well …
Ok, we’re sitting on 10, I have clothes in the washer and more hay to haul tomorrow…. I’d better stop here and work my way towards bed … I hope we can stay in em tonight. Thanks for all of the comments and e-mails .. I have several to reply to and will do so in the next day or so. Thanks too for just reading and following along …. I’ll check back in tomorrow sometime … until then, stay safe and in house!
(PS. Don’t forget to “like” and “share” on Picture Book and Churp Churp… every little bit helps)
Captain Wines
Geesh … today … well today has been tough. I spent most of my evening at the Funeral Home last night. The wife of a now retired Captain from our Department recently passed away unexpectedly. It’s complicated. The Captain is a long time and close family friend. So close, that I really shouldn’t use the word “friend” … he is family.
Mike is a lot like me … or I guess I should say that I’m a lot like him. He’s one of those guys in the Department that is either loved or hated and never understood. The KING of fretting and never afraid to speak his mind or stand his ground. He confided in me last night that he wasn’t sure if there would be a FD turn out at all…. man was he shocked! The place was packed with friends and family wanting to pay their respects and a good many were Fire Department members.
Non-members questioned and commented on the FD presence …. we made an impression. Most importantly, it made an impression on Mike. Later, when we spoke about it, he became emotional .. it meant THAT much to him. He told me today that he wants to write a “Thank You” type of note for me to post here for all the Brothers and Sisters who showed their support. I asked if he wanted me to write something up and he said NO .. he wanted it to come from him. I’ll get it up as soon as he is able to get it written. That said, I wanted to add my THANKS as well.
Morale is low around here … the pay sucks, work is picking up and we are faced every day with having to do more with less. The good news is that we have each other! To see the emotion in Mike’s eyes … to hear it in his voice … I WAS PROUD TO BE ON THE JOB WITH YOU GUYS! It’s been asked in recent times.. “where has the brotherhood gone? ” and I can tell ya that it’s not dead… it’s RIGHT HERE! I seen it last night, today at the funeral and later this evening with a 2nd issue we’ve been dealing with…
I posted the other night about Retired Chief Bobby Slayton being in the hospital. I’m saddened to report that his condition has worsened. The family is not taking calls nor are they able to accept visitors right now. Pop and I are in constant contact, we are up to date on his condition and the family needs. Most of you local folks have my cell but if not, use the “contact” tab at the top of the page and I’ll get my number to ya. Just like with Mike and his situation, the concern and support from the “brotherhood” has been tremendous. Again, I am honored and proud. I’m not going to go into further detail tonight but will ask that you keep Chief Bobby and his family in your thoughts and prayers. I stole this older pic of Bobby from Rhett’s site … Thought you’d enjoy it.
I’m gonna stop here tonight. I’m emotionally drained. I’ll try to update on Bobby’s condition a couple times tomorrow (or as often as there is news to pass). Please take the time to “share” this post on “picture book” or “tweet” it on “churp churp” to get the word out here locally.
As always, thanks for reading … stay safe and in house!
Captain Wines
It’s The normal hustle and bustle of the Holiday season is expected but now I’m faced with the death and funeral of the wife of a VERY close friend while another good friend and now retired firefighter lies in the hospital. I seen my dad “Pop” at the funeral home tonight. He told me that he and Jimbo had been to visit with now retired Battalion Chief Slayton in the hospital. Pop was upset.
It’s difficult for us (firemen) to see anyone, much less someone you know, love and have worked so long and close to; be in a position where you can’t help them. Chief Slayton suffered a medical emergency just after Christmas and has been in the hospital since. I have spoke (written) about Bobby several times here on the site. Pop worked on Bobby’s shift and was his driver for several years. Bobby is like family … we have been on several off duty trips together, he shared and traveled together on our “2nd job” (the 3 of us .. me, Pop and Bobby). He even came out and painted my house when I built it. ….my point here … we’re CLOSE. Here we are …
Bobby has a lot of pride in the job and for the time and effort he has put into it. His son is currently on the job here in the “Noke” and I know that Bobby couldn’t be more proud. Bobby pulled time in the busy companies. Old #3, the Squad, Station #9 and Historic #1. He seen some fire and was considered a “good Jake”. Another big accomplishment in his career was making it to the #1 spot on our “Seniority List”. Not only did Bobby hold that spot for some time, he also has the “record” for working the longest.
Chief Slayton was hired December 6, 1965 and retired July 1, 2010. That’s 44 + years! Rhett covered his retirment HERE and I did HERE as well. The question that keeps coming to my mind is … WAS IT WORTH IT? He worked 44 years, has been retired for 6 months and is now facing the possibility of a lengthy hospital stay as well as rehab.
The Fire Geezer had a recent post Is he the oldest active firefighter in the U.S. ? No disrespect here but … this guy just turned 90 years old! Yea … 90! Is this another LODD in the waiting? WIll it be the first of 2011? I hope not but why even be in the position where he could be?
Chris Naum touched on the topic / issue back before Christmas, with his stellar line up of guest; during his Firefighter Netcast episode of Taking it to the Streets. The show was titled “Looking forward through the rear view mirror” and can be heard HERE.
Now, Chief Bobby is not 90 years old but it still kills me to see guys .. good guys .. work their ass off and put it on the line for so long only to reap the rewards of a short retirement. These guys deserve better… their wives and families do as well. Are the Cities, Counties , Townships etc doing their part? What ever happened to 20 and out? A “20 and out” with a max hiring age. We know what’s killing firemen and at what age. When is enough… enough? 90 year old men have no business in the fire service and the days of 30 + year men should be out as well.
Rising insurance, lower retirements etc all play a part I know but these men (we) also pay a higher premium. We are firemen … we don’t know how to go home, relax and do nothing but we had better learn before it’s too late.
What do you think ??? Should we have a mandatory retirement age? What should it be? Can you do years of service? If hired at 25yo and work for 30, how affective are you at 55? Who carries the burden of liability here?
I don’t know .. but I do know that I have to be on duty tomorrow so I’ll check back with ya sometime then. Until I do, stay safe and in house!
Captain Wines
Well, the Holidays are over and it’s back to the grind stone. Today’s our first day back and it hasn’t been too bad. A few runs scattered here and there but nothing post worthy. I hope and trust that everyone had a very happy new year. No New Years Eve party for me … no dancing girls … nothing… just work, work, work and early to bed. Seriously… LOL it reminds me of one of those baby commercials…
LMAO … I love those comercials. Seriously though … I hope you all had a safe and Happy New year. I can’t wait to get rolling into 2011 … I have a ton of stuff planned and can’t wait to share it with you. For starters, I’ll be hitting the road again this year with the crew of Firefighter Netcast. We will be at EMS Today March 1-5, FDIC, Firehouse Expo, FRI and The National Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial Weekend!
I have a ton of stuff planned for Ironfiremen.com as well. I want to take a few trips and do a few “ride alongs” with various Departments and Companies and document the experience for the site. I’m thinking I will see if Kentland will let me tag along for a tour so I can see for myself what all the “hype” is about. I don’t know where I’ll go from there … suggestions?? invites?? Let me know where you’d like to see me post from.
I was doing a little web “surfing” today and ran across this pretty neat video from the Hershey, Pa. Vol. Fire Department. Apparently, this was their 2010 “in review” type video … check it out..
I have some “give aways” and contest in mind for 2011 and of course will continue my normal boring “regular” type postings. I say that but it must not be too bad to read … I’ve been mentioned as a “favorite site” in one of Hyrdant Gal’s contest already … check her, me and the contest out HERE .
I was also mentioned in a post over on the site “unlimited unscheduled hours”. Check out the site and that article HERE.
I won’t give away all my plans for the upcoming year for fear that Rhett or Statter will steal them away but don’t doubt for one second that we wont continue to grow and improve … think I can do it??? Does a woodchuck chuck wood?
LMAO… I like that one too. Anyway, I gonna stop here for now… I may update ya later if anything exciting happens. Otherwise, I’ll catch ya tomorrow or from back here on Tuesday.
Until then, stay safe and in house!
Captain Wines
Local coverage from the early morning blast is below. 2 remain in critical condition … more to follow as available
When I tried to find a pic of “sucking hind tit”, nothing came up that I could use here … you can only imagine what did… ANYWAY … here it is day #1 of 2011 and already The Fire Critic, Statter and Geezer are sucking errrrr “pulling” hind tit and allowed ME to beat them to an actual news story… PICK IT UP BOYS…. LOL
Scary thought I know but hey … everybody is doing it. I mentioned last night that 2010 was kinda like a roller coaster ride for me … a lot of “ups” and “downs” but I assume everyone’s life is kinda like that so maybe that’s my one link to normalcy. Anyway, today is the first day of 2011 so I figured I’d take a look back too …. hang on, here we go..
My “blogging” career began back in December of 2008 while assigned to Station #9 aka home of the “Melrose Misfits”. An A-shift member Jerry Franks aka “Beans” came up with the idea and created the site. The plan was for all 3 shifts to post and show a small glimpse of what firehouse life was like … the good the bad and the ugly. As it turned out, I did the postings for “C-shift” … thus, the beginning of my involvement in blogging. The site was AWESOME and we had a blast doing it … it “hooked” me. We damn near won The Fire Critic’s 2009 Blog of the Year in our first one out of the box. If you’ve never seen the site, take the time to scroll through the post HERE. Anyway, that’s how all this got started so if ya don’t like it, you have “Beans” to thank … here he is
Station #9 was being shut down and combined with station #5 into a brand new multi million dollar station. The crews were to be hand picked and I wasn’t one of them. On my Birthday of all days, I was relocated to Station #3 January 16, 2010. The “trend” back then (set by us) was “station blogs” and it just so happened that station #3 had one. Station #3 was a new station as well and quite honestly took a ton of ribbing from us thugs at #9. Their site was sporadic at best and wasn’t updated very regularly. I didn’t want to move in and just “take over” so I decided that maybe I was done with the blogging thing. Who wanted to be part of that “fell good .. hippie blog” anyway?
Several phone calls and e-mails later, it was evident that some folks (well… both of em anyway) really enjoyed my writing and convinced me to pick it back up. I came up with the name Wooden Ladders and Iron Firemen because I felt (and still do) as if that “saying” has somehow reversed itself over tha last how many years. Anyway, that was the name and the site went up on February 23rd, 2010.
My first post contained a Xtranormal video … yea… you’re welcome Statter..LOL. I later erased the video and left the reat of the post ( I was just a little disgruntled at the time). So, I’ll start there and hit the highlights of each month since.
February 2010 The “birth” of what has now become Ironfiremen.com Most notable was the now erased video and the Hooter’s Girls pic of them choking a chicken …LOL (Hooters was 2 doors down from Station #3..yea.. that was a smart move).
Look closer guys … there IS a chicken in the pic…LOL
March 2010 A busy month and some decent posts. Our football season had began ( Roanoke Rampage.. and YES I played and YES it was full contact) but what stands out most in my mind was past Melrose Misfit Ben “Tyrone” Obaugh leaving the department after only a few years. This has been a problem in our Department for some time now…. big and quick “turn over”…. new guys staying a year or two and moving on. Tyrone was the “star” of the Station 9 site but more than that, he was “one of us”. We had a great crew back then and I loved em all but Tyrone held a special place in my heart … if ya didn’t kill him … you had to love him.
April 2010 WOW! More good post. Some great pics… fires.. work etc. I met some new friends and fellow bloggers such as Hydrant Girl … or “Gal” as I call her. I have a pic of her that month in her wedding dress and bunker pants … sexy, cool, and odd all rolled into one. That’s not the pic that stands out in my mind though. April also brought the first “nude” pic to our local blogs and YES .. we had it here first …
May 2010 We announced several pregnancies this month (no … none of em mine) and had several other funny events happening. It was Memorial day and I listed the name of our 343 Brothers lost back on September 11, 2001. But, for me; the Rampage away game in Orlando Fla was the highlight. I was a celebrity for a while plus I didn’t have to be out in the cold snow or rain feeding cattle… I was laid up by the pool in good company ….
June 2010 Hay season was upon me and we were winding up our football season. I broke a collar bone but didn’t miss a play .. our last game in Charlotte was one of my best … I was mad as hell and just getting back into the “groove” of football. Birthdays, parties, float trips and even a few fires. It was a very stressful time in my life so I neglected some of my work on the farm and spent quite a bit of time down in the Outter Banks …
July 2010 More hay and farm life shots. Visitors, a new shed and the end of 2 Eras. Battalion Chief Bobby Slayton retired with almost 45 years of service while we, The IAFF and the entire Fire Service lost a leader in Duane Dixon’s death.
August 2010 More good post. The Buckaroo in some “compromising” settings. Family, friends, training etc. Another good Xtranormal video. August was also my first out of town “Fire Department related” trip in some time. I traveled to Chicago with Firefighter Netcast (Rhett Fleitz and John Mitchel) for Fire Rescue International 2010. WOW .. what a trip! I met so many new friends, contacts and leaders of the fire service that I had looked up to for so many years. This was the first time I had met Chris Naum, Chief Reason and Chief Billy Goldfeder. We even got to meet (and interview) “white Sean” from Rescue Me .. Steven Pasquale. Most notable .. the first time I met Dave Statter .. or he met me 
September 2010 Obviously, the 9th anniversary of the September 11th attacks were on everybody’s mind. My post was of how I haven’t forgotten. Another stand out for that month was that my baby sister from Long Beach, Ca. was in. I hadn’t seen her in a while … a good but short visit
Octaber 2010 Oh yea… I was in full swing. Some fires .. good and bad calls… I showed some emotion in a post and even earned a “counseling session” from the Chief as to my posting choices. I had 2 big stand outs for the month .. I again teamed up with the crew from Firefighter Netcast and we headed up to Emitsburg, Md. for the 2010 National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Weekend. That trip and Halloween with the Buckaroo … his first mustache
November 2010 House fires … raw video … more emotion and Victoria Secretions. Yea… November was a good month! Tons of sexy pics and funny posts. Most notable was the time with friends and family for Thanksgiving. We had 5 generations together for a picture. Also notable was my product review of Axe shower gels and body wash …
December 2010 What else can ya say about December … CHRISTMAS. Of course, I had to add my little “Ironfiremen” spin and throw in Santa’s Sexy Helpers …
So there ya have it … a brief “Year in Review” if ya will. I have to admit that I had some decent post in 2010. Again, I don’t know why because I’m WAY out of the box when it comes to “Blogging rules” etc. My site and post are about me, my family and our lives. Well, a small part of it anyway. I guess it is kinda neat for some of ya to see how firemen think / live as opposed to straight line news etc. I don’t know but anyway and again, thanks for reading and following. Hey, take the time to browse through the older posts .. the “Archives” are in the right hand side bar. Don’t forget to “friend” me on “Picture Book” and be sure to “share” these post with your friends.
I hope you’ve enjoyed it … I know I have. Gonna kick back and relax for a bit this afternoon …. feeding etc maybe even a movie tonight (True Grit ???) . We’re back on duty tomorrow so I catch up with ya then
Until next time, stay safe and in house!
Captain Wines
I know I’m a little early as far as the clock goes but I’m not sure I’ll be able to stay awake long enough to tell ya right at midnight. I haven’t been regular with post this week due to working my tail off trying to catch up from being out sick. I’m almost there. I did want (and need) to take a minute or two to wish you all well in 2011 and the years to follow.
I notice a lot of my fellow bloggers have been saying “thank yous” etc to their readers and I’d like to do the same. This has been one hell of a ride for me so far and I owe it all to you guys. Acting in his self appointed capacity of “King of Blogs”, Rhett over at The Fire Critic once posted some “tips” for making a successful blog / site. I think I break every rule he posted. Most notable, he said to write about your “readers” .. NOT yourself .. he continued to say “nobody cares”. Here’s the exact quote ..
“Write about your readers…not yourself. Unless you blog in the format like IronFiremen.com, you should write about your readers. Most of them don’t want to hear about you. You can add your thoughts, but don’t make your blog all about you…nobody cares.”
Well, I don’t know why but apparently some of you do care (yea yea Rhett … both of em) because you’re reading and following. For that I say THANK YOU. I haven’t really posted or talked about it much but I guess my writing here is some what of an “outlet” or stress relief for me. A “vent” if you will. I fell like I can (and do) say things here that I wouldn’t necessarily say aloud to someone. Despite what some of ya think, I’m not a great “communicator”. So, anyway .. thanks for allowing me to do so.
2010 was a year of ups and downs for me .. a real “roller coaster” ride if you will …
Obviously, one of my “ups” for the year (and my life for that matter) has been the Buckaroo. The cool thing about this site is that you folks have got to watch him grow over the past 2 years as well … here is a pic of him about 1 week old on his 1st visit to the firehouse (Station #9 aka The Melrose Misfits)
Then he began to grow …
You’ve watch him “trade mark” his signature wave and even sport his first mustache ..
Another “up” for the year was my move over to the Fire/EMS Blog Network WOW!! What and honor to be in the company of these folks! The possibilities and opportunities have kept rolling in since my switch over to “the network”. Promotions, product reviews and the network of contacts!
I have meet so many great people through the site … both on and off the job. I have had some great conversations / debates etc and even downed a few beers with some of the top leaders of today’s fire service. Chris Naum .. Chief “Art” Reason and even Chief Billy Goldfeder to name just a few …
We’ve traveled to Fire Rescue International 2010 as well as to the Memorial Weekend at the National Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial in Emitsburg, Md.
My postings have increased in numbers and matured in context .. errr… well ok, that’s a matter of opinion but my “style” if you will has changed somewhat…. hopefully it’s been an improvment. I lost my senior editor Scott Boone..aka “Coon” due to a station transfer. I wont get into that tonight but will hit that as a “down” for 2010 in a later post. Anyway, without his editing skills, any ol rubbish I could manage to peck out on the computer usually made it to the published screen (you guys should see some of the stuff he edited out).
I must also admit that the majority of my time has been spent baby sitting The Fire Critic. Yea.. he’s more of a handfull than the Buckaroo himself…. I thought pottie training him was hard …..
The good news there is that I’ve had help. I gotta say, there’s not a better babysitter this side of Kentland than that of Dave Statter. Now, Dave and Rhett have a history of their own. Sometimes, it’s more like refereeing than babysitting with these two. We’ve kept Xtranormal plenty busy but we’ve also learned along the way that there really is a special bond between Rhett and Dave ….
LMAO .. all kidding aside, Dave is GREAT with the kids… he has that special ability to “get down on their level”. And who knew.. as right as Dave was on the Obion County deal, maybe Rhett has been right on the height thing … Dave doesn’t seem that tall in this pic …
LMAO.. lock the kids up! Ok, so hopefully, I’ll get a post up this weekend with a good look back at 2010… the highs and lows. Again, I’ll say THANKS for the ride and that it’s been fun.
Best wishes of safety, health and properity for each and every one of you …. Wait…. I guess I should throw in a “true” Ironfiremen like photo for the New Year huh ……..
Thats more like it !!! HAPPY NEW YEAR… 2011 !!!!
Stay safe and in House..
Captain Wines
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