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A gamble with tax payer’s money? Are BIG chances being taken in Botetourt County’s provision of Public Safety? Why let a fox in the hen house?

I want to move on to other subjects / topics but this Botetourt County issue just wont go away!

If you haven’t been following this soap opera, read my previous posts HERE HERE and HERE

I’m still getting phone calls, texts, emails etc warning me that this ~~Joe-Bob~~ Billy Joe Carter is hunting me down. The rumor is that he’s looking to “beat me up” and there’s a “Bounty” on my head. Again I’ll state that I just can’t believe that’s true. It has to be 100% RUMOR.

To begin with, I’m not that hard to find….

I even made Statter911.com’s “Quick Takes” today!

I actually kinda stand out in a crowd. My picture is posted all over this and many more web sites so you should have a general idea of what I look like. All my contact information is on the computer as well. I post regularily about my personal / private life so you should all know where I live and what I do on my days off ( I live in Catawba, Va). Everyone but the guy who is supposedly looking for me has called so it must not be too difficult to find my number (597-8068).

Beyond all of that, I just don’t believe that a Fire Chief would act in that manner. None of the Chiefs I know anyway. We are PROFESSIONALS… paid or volunteer .. or at least we’re supposed to be.

There are a lot of things surrounding this story that just don’t “add up” and it’s not just Buchanan… it’s much deeper / wider than that. Apparently, Botetourt’s problems are County wide. I guess I’ll just have to start laying some of it out on the table in hopes it can / will be resolved and everyone involved can move forward.

Some folks have asked me why I care about what happens in Botetourt County and that answer is simple. I grew up in Botetourt. I went to High School there anyway. I have family and many friends that still live in Botetourt to this day. Rhett and I (as well as our friends and family) often travel through Botetourt County. And, it’s a Fire Service issue… if the rumors are true, then what is being said and allowed to happen in Botetourt effects us all and in a negative way!

In my last post I noted that while trying to find out more information on this Carter character, I found someone with the same name and similar address from back in 2002 who had felony charges against him. Felony assault and alluding police. I didn’t think it could have been the same guy.

After I posted that article, I was contacted by several people stating that I had indeed found the right person and that there are several more felons serving either in the Buchanan VFD or other Departments within Botetourt County. Again, I just can’t believe that’s true.

I’ve searched the Virginia Judicial System’s web site under Botetourt County Circuit Court and found similar names. They don’t include pictures so I can’t be sure. You can do your own searches and see what you find

Search Botetourt County Circuit Court Records by clicking HERE

I’ve been told that ~~Chief Jim Boy Bob~~ Billy Joe Carter has either a restricted or suspended driver’s license. Again, that can’t be true. How does he respond to all these incidents? Not in a County vehicle I’m sure. NOT under Botetourt County’s Insurance policy / umbrella?

Somebody is scheduled to appear in court the 1st week in March to see about getting their license restored so maybe I should just show up to see for myself if it’s the same guy?

I’m also hearing rumors about members who have possibly been previously convicted of charges such as vehicular man slaughter yet still operating equipment out of the Buchanan VFD. I’m hearing about Felony drug charges and more. AGAIN….. this must be false information.

Whoever is in charge of Botetourt County’s Public Safety would NOT let issues as serious as these go unnoticed. These people would NOT be allowed to serve as Public Safety providers .

Or maybe they ARE allowed to serve in Botetourt County. Maybe their policy allows for members with criminal records? If so, then why would “Botetourt” not just come out and say it? Why place a “gag order” on the paid members?

That’s just it…. who IS in charge of Public Safety in Botetourt?

I can’t find a clear answer to that (past Assistant County Administrator Spencer Suter ). Maybe it’s Councilman Austin from the Buchanan District? I’m not sure but, either way; I bet the responsibility will soon fall under the new Emergency Services Coordinator they are trying to hire.

Find Botetourt County’s Board of Supervisors HERE

~~Earnest T~~ Billy Joe Carter said in a recent interview ” I don’t need anybody down here baby-sitting me” …. maybe he does.

What kind of application process is there to volunteer in Botetourt County? Is there even a process in place? Do they not do have age limits or background checks?

That may be a good question to ask at their next Board of Supervisor’s meeting. They have one scheduled for tomorrow at 2pm. Learn Where, When and see their agenda by clicking HERE .

Their policy should be STRICT because allowing felons to serve in Public Safety is like putting a fox in the hen house!

These are NOT the types of people I want in my house ( with my wife, children, grandchildren etc) while I’m away. When responding to an emergency incident, the Fire Chief has that authority …. to enter your home (by force if deemed necessary).

What if something comes up missing? What is someone is spoken to or touched in an aggressive or inappropriate manner? Who is liable? Is Botetourt County the responsible party? Is tax dollars covering the insurance?

These are NOT the type people I want responding to my friends / family’s homes either. You wouldn’t just “let em in” if they knocked on your door from the street would you?

Are Botetourt tax dollars covering the liability of people with these types of criminal records driving emergency vehicles? With 2 counts (charges) of eluding police is it still ok to drive a fire truck? What if it’s not the rig… just a Chief’s buggy?

Imagine the law suit the County would be facing should a member with such a record become involved in an accident.

If they hurt, injured or killed themselves or someone else.

If ”they” ( the County) allowed this person to drive, knowing their record; who is at fault?

Again, I just don’t believe I’m getting accurate information here. There is NO WAY this could be happening in 2012! Not in a County as progressive and fast growing as Botetourt.

Maybe that’s why ~~Joe Ray~~ Billy Joe Carter and a few others are so opposed to the new Emergency Services Coordinator position? Apparently there are NO established, uniform guidelines for responders in Botetourt County. No Standard Operating Guidelines (S.O.G’s) or Personal Operating Procedures (P.O.P’s). It sounds like all the Departments are doing whatever they want and however they want to do it.

S.O.G’s, P.O.P’s, Policies, Procedures etc…. why do we need those? hummmmm. I’ll go back to the County’s liability and tax payer money.

Lets start basic. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) or “Turnout Gear”. It’s the “suits” firemen and First Responders wear to protect us. They are EXPENSIVE but a necessity. When to wear it shouldn’t have to be spelled out right? WRONG. Spell it out in Policies, procedures, SOG’s POP’s etc so there is no DOUBT.

That’s another comment I keep hearing but just can’t believe. Some folks say that ~~John Boy~~ Billy Joe Carter doesn’t like to wear his. I’ve actually heard that his uniform of choice on an emergency scene includes Croc shoes and a baseball cap! Again, I don’t believe those allegations. A man wearing Crocs?? On an emergency scene??… NO WAY! This guy is supposed to be a Chief.

I’ve even heard rumors that he was not wearing his PPE on the fire where he was “seriously” injured after coming in contact with a downed power line. Oh you should see THAT interview (click the links for previous posts at the top).

Wait a minute … IF the County bought and issued him PPE (Helmet, coat, pants, gloves, hood and rubber sole boots etc) and then HE decided NOT to wear it and became injured, who pays the hospital bill? Was this a “special circumstance” or a continued practice?

Where is the tax payers money wasted? On the initial purchase of the gear they wont wear or on the hospital bills from the effects of them not wearing it and becoming injured ?

Again, these rumors must be false. We are not talking about a rookie here … this is the Chief of a Department built on a Century of Tradition!

This guys is setting the example for the members under him …right?

I said it in one of my earlier posts …. change is not always bad. The hiring of an Emergency Services Coordinator, if nothing else; could bring some unity and structure to the Botetourt County Departments. Everyone working from the same page. A minimum level of qualifications, SOG’s, SOP,s etc.

Safer for the members and better service for their citizens. A win/win.

If any of the volunteer Chiefs disagree with the hiring or selection process of the County’s new Emergency Services Coordinator then they should speak up. THEY SHOULD voice their concerns / opinion but tactfully.

They have been offered a seat at “the table” yet some have refused. In my opinion, these members / Departments now have NO SAY in the issue.

SIT AT THE TABLE and be a part of the SOLUTION … not the problem. A Fire and Rescue Steering Team, was formed in 2003 to foster collaboration among Botetourt’s volunteer fire departments, rescue squads, full-time paid Fire/EMS responders, and the County …. every Volunteer Chief should GO TO THESE MEETINGS!

Again I’ll say that I can’t believe that Botetourt County hasn’t gotten out in front of these issues and taken a stance or at least made a statement. Carter had no problem getting coverage of his views from a local TV station WSET 13 or from Duncan Adams and The Roanoke Times.

Are the rumors / allegations true?? I don’t know. I hope not. I also hope the Board of Supervisors will investigate it further. They should have access to training and criminal records for every member on the roster of EVERY Department County wide.

Is / was Botetourt County aware of these issues and if so, for how long? I’m scared to know.

Tomorrow’s meeting may be a good one to attend if you live in, visit or travel through Botetourt County. It’s not on the agenda but maybe some of these issues will be addressed. Call your supervisor and ask.

Visit Botetourt County’s Emergency Services Web Site

**Note** I had this post in the “que” awaiting publishing when I received 2 comments from someone claiming to be Billy Joe Carter. I have not investigated to determine for certain if it is the Billy Joe Carter I’ve made reference to. The e-mail is a yahoo account and could very easily be an impostor ”fueling the fire”.

In case it is him, I’ve decided to publish the comments. I am posting them “as received” with no guarantee or implication of the author. They were left under the “contact” tab of Ironfiremen.com vs. under a specific post.

His comments talked about needing to hear his “side” of the story … I though I had. I’ve seen the interviews and read the articles. A lot of my points / comments were quotes HE gave.

He also talks about me having forgot where I “came from” …. I’ll debate that ANY DAY! Here are the comments…

“billy joe carter says

Hey willie.This is billy joe I would like to say keep up the good work I think your site is great and has some funny stuff in it man and thanks for putting me out their and doing your home work on me you got it all right shit you don’t need to be a ff hell get a news job because that seems that’s all you do but I like it and my back ground O that’s true good job but man I have to say you seem a little gay or your in love with me and that’s cool

on February 27, 2012 @ 1:42 pm. Reply (Edit)”

My response was ….

“Iron Firemen says

No problem and THANKS Jim Bob … means a lot to me coming from you. Keep up the good work

on February 27, 2012 @ 2:22 pm. Reply (Edit)”

A second comment received ….

”billy joe carter says

Now you have my email so send me one anytime hell let’s just stay in touch every day I will keep you up to date on us hillbillies but I will tell you if I was looking I would have found you so stop playing games and grow up put your big boy gear on and do your job or you may not have one and their is always 2 sides to everthing so call or email me anytime and I will give you mine so that way you can report both sides and people like you are the reason I’m fighting so hard cause you and others forget where you come from but me I know and I also know the truth a mans life was saved that night was it done the right way no but I put my life on the line to save another and that’s what we are here for so I’m sorry if I made all ff look bad for saving a life then I’m sorry but if u are the man u say u r I know u would have done it to so let’s put this to rest I’m not going to bad mouth u or make fun of u which is very easy to do I’m going respect what u write and respect that u are a ff but I ask for the same if not then well we may have to have a face to face so in closing I ask that u get both sides and the truth but I really do like the site willie jr take care and besafe and if u ever need to know something just call me O I forgot its not a problem with paid guys its a problem with who they work for so I will be praying for u and your guys take care good luck and sorry all this was done by phone so try not to make to much fun of it plz thanks billy joe carter

on February 27, 2012 @ 2:20 pm. Reply (Edit)”

Let me know what you think on this issue. Leave your comments here or on Face Book

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Thanks as always for following… sorry this one was so long…. I’ll check back in with ya in a day or so. Until then…

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 27, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, funding-staffing, news, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized, vehicle-operation-ambulances, vehicle-operations-apparatus • Tagged: Botetourt County, Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, Botetourt County Director of Emergency Services, brotherhood, Buchanan Vol. Fire Chief Billy Joe Carter, Buchanan Volunteer Fire Department, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, Fire Critic, firefighter pics, firefighters, Ironfiremen, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Melrose misfits, Statter 911, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen

Volunteer Leadership

5 comments

I am a career firefighter. Actually, I’m a paid, Union firefighter and I’m proud of that. I worked hard to get this job and followed in my fathers footsteps. I know that many men before me have sacrificed and paid dearly to allow me the opportunity to work in the greatest profession in the world and for that, I am thankful.

I also know that today’s fire service was built by volunteers. I’d dare say that every Fire Department in the United States started off as volunteer. Mine did. If you don’t know the history of your Department, you should.

Rhett wrote a book on the history of our Department. The book is titled “Firefighting in Roanoke” and traces our history up until the year 2000. He has plans for a second book if we ever find the time.

Buy your copy of Firefighting in Roanoke HERE

Chapter 1 is titled “The Volunteers“. Back in November 1882, the foundation of the Roanoke Fire/EMS Department was laid. A group of men with a vision and desire to serve created a Fire Board and Roanoke Fire Company No. 1. The Vigilant Steam Fire Company No. 1, The Junior Hose Company No. 2 and Friendship Fire Company would soon follow.

The Fire Board composed a set of Rules and Regulations or bylaws to govern the various Volunteer companies. IMAGINE THAT …. 100 years ago these men seen the need to have all their members / individual Departments working off of the same guidelines. It wouldn’t have worked any other way.

Today’s Fire Service is no different in that aspect. We are running and counting on mutual or automatic aid more and more these days… even here in Roanoke. We need to be compatible. Our lives and those of the people we are sworn to protect and serve depend on it.

It’s not easy. It takes discipline and strong leadership. Leadership at all levels. For the most part, we have a lot of that here in our area. Our City (all paid) is surrounded by either combination or fully volunteer Departments. For those that haven’t had to already, most are now working towards the “Combination” model.

Volunteering is difficult and almost impossible these days. The call volume in itself would keep most volunteers on the road most of the day and night. Our minimum standards have training hours up into the hundreds. Firefighter 1 & 2, Haz-Mat, Driver Operator, EVOC, Rope 1, RIT, May Day, Vehicle extrication, Confined Space and Technical Rescue are just some of the basic classes needed. Throw in a full time job, a family and a house with grass to mow etc and a volunteer has NO TIME REMAINING.

What happens is that more and more calls go uncovered (then turned over to the next jurisdiction / company) or response times get higher and higher until they reach an unacceptable level. The City, Town or County then HAS to do something. The result of late has been to supplement with paid employees.

We’ve seen it work here. In Wednesday’s post, I mentioned Roanoke County. Today, they remain a combination Department serving 251 sq miles. They have grown to 153 full time employees and approx. 250 volunteers. Individual “volunteer” companies still remain and operate administratively under their own rules and regulations. Operationally, everyone operates under the same protocol.

Bedford County is another good example.

Chief of Department Jack Jones and Deputy Chief Marci Stone have recently began supplementing their system with part time paid members. Not in every station but where justified and needed.

The Town of Bedford has a very strong volunteer Department ( I call em “Little Brooklyn”..LOL). Not only do they make their calls, they also run County wide as a Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). Their Chief, Brad “Bedford” Creasy; works for our Department and was a member of mine back at “old” station #3 when I first made Captain in 2000.

Another past member of mine, Brad “Opie” Glidden (from our Station #9 days); is the Vollie Chief for Company #13 in Bedford County.

Bedford County is approx 753 sq miles. They have to have Standard Operating Guidelines and a Chain of Command.

Franklin County is the same way. I was a volunteer there when they began supplementing with paid personnel back in the 90′s. Chief Ty Dickerson is doing it in Lexington. Augusta County is hiring. They ALL have coordinators / directors. They need em.

Being on the road as often as Rhett and I are, we get to meet some great members and visit strong companies. We have had the privilege of seeing some great leadership moving Departments forward in a positive manner. Our good friends “Big Nick” and “Little Nick” from Hyattsville are great examples. Nick and Nick have developed some great “Live In” programs that have helped keep volunteer companies meeting their benchmarks.

Learn MORE and visit FD LiveIn.com by clicking HERE

Another GREAT friend of ours is Chief Tiger Schmittendorf. Tiger runs the site “Run To The Curb” and is the leading authority on volunteer recruitment and retention.

Visit Run To The Curb by clicking HERE

My point here is that providing Emergency Services to our communities is becoming harder and harder these days and just like it did 100 years ago, it will take progressive and forward thinking to overcome the hurdles that lay before us. We have to work together as a team, as Brothers and Sisters. As a “Department” rather than individual companies.

The days of “Territorial” Volunteer Companies is passing. A 15 or 20 minute response time because you think it’s “YOUR” call and you don’t want to turn it over is unacceptable! Our citizens expect more. They demand more and they DESERVE it! We can not compromise on Public Safety for the sake of ego stroking.

The sad thing is that despite all the progress being made, one stand out can cast a black eye on the entire service. It’s been happening here.

My last few posts have been about one of our neighboring Counties, Botetourt; hiring a Emergency Services Coordinator.

Botetourt is a progressive County who is growing by leaps and bounds. They have recently started supplementing their system with paid staff and keeping in line with their 2003 Strategic Business Plan are now searching for a Coordinator.

They have met some opposition, most of which has been led by the Volunteer Chief of the Buchanan VFD, Billy Joe Carter.

Chief Carter opposes the new position for fear that the Coordinator will have the authority to assume command of an emergency scene. His quote in a local paper left me speechless.

“He said Tuesday that if an emergency services director assumes control of a scene “there are going to be a lot of hurt feelings and busted noses.”

Read my original post on the issue by clicking HERE

Well, that wasn’t bad enough. ~~Jim Bob~~ Billy Joe decided to get a little more publicity and take the issue a little farther. The next morning, he announced in a television interview that he intended to step down as Chief at the 7pm Wednesday night meeting.

He moved away from hurt feelings and busted noses and stated “you can’t fight politics”

Read that post and watch the VIDEO in my follow up post HERE

Well guess what ??? HE DIDN’T QUIT. The Buchanan VFD missed a golden opportunity. They should have accepted his resignation, taken his pager, radio and keys then filed a restraining order.

Latest from The Roanoke Times HERE

He’s an embarrassment to his Company, the County and the Fire Service.

In the interview where he announced to the world that he’d be stepping down, it was said he feared …

“the change will tear down the century plus tradition of the Buchanan Department”

I wonder what traditions he’s afraid of losing???? I’d honestly like to know.

I don’t know what this guys is so scared of. The same model / system has worked all around him. Traditions weren’t lost.

I don’t know why the issue gets under my skin but it does. I grew up in Botetourt. I have family there still. When Rhett and I travel, we are often looked at as representing the entire Roanoke area…not just the City. One guy is making an entire Company look like a bunch of hillbillies and it reflects on us all.

Today, he was quoted in the paper as saying “I don’t need anybody down here baby-sitting me,”. Apparently he does.

I’ve received numerous phone calls, e-mails and texts today.

We’ve been on “High Alert” and I’ve even been forced to get a disguise.

Rumor has it that ~~John Boy~~ Billy Joe is pretty upset with my opinion / coverage of this 3 ring circus and is on the hunt.

Actually, several of the calls were to warn me that he was on his way to beat my ass. I just can’t believe that’s true. No way a Chief would would react in this manner right?

I did a little checking just to find out exactly who it is that is apparently “after me” but I came up empty.

I did find someone sharing the same name and a similar address from back in 2002 but this guy had a felony charge for assault and 2 for eluding police ( found HERE ) . I guess there’s no way this could be the same guy. He couldn’t have felony charges and be a Chief… right?

The Fire Critic asks “Should Felons be allowed to be Firefighters?” Click HERE

Anyway, we made it through the day. Obviously, I’m very hard to locate.

I guess it’s a good thing he doesn’t know that I work on A-shift and that I’m on duty tomorrow.

I hope nobody tells him that I work at Station #3 on Williamson Rd.

It’s also a good thing that he doesn’t know that I’m the driver and sleep in the first bunk on the left in the Lieutenant’s bedroom.

Of course, if he knew I’m 5’1″ with light blonde hair, hazel eyes and a baby face I’d be near impossible to miss. Shhhhhhhh!

I just hope he isn’t smart enough to come at me by kidnapping Rhett. We have a srtick policy here at Ironfiremen.com …….

WE DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORIST !

I am however always open to good debate. If Chief Carter or anyone else for that matter wants to debate / argue my opinion, Im more than willing to entertain their thoughts. I’LL EVEN POST EM HERE! Just write em down and send em in. Comments are easier than ever as long as you’re logged into Face Book or don’t hide behind an anonymous name. I’m waiting by the mail box!

LMAO… you guys stay SAFE and in House maybe this circus will move to another town.

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 25, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, funding-staffing, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: Botetourt County, Botetourt County Director of Emergency Services, brotherhood, Buchanan Vol Fire Department, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Captain Wines, Chief Jack Jones, Chief Marci Stone, FD LiveIn.com, Fire Critic, Fire Department Live In programs, Fire Department Traditions, firefighter pics, firefighters, firefighting books, Firefighting in Roanoke, Franklin County Department of Public Safety, Ironfiremen, Lexington Fire Department, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Run to the Curb, Tiger Schmittendorf, Ty Dickerson, Volunteer Fire Chiefs, volunteer fire departments, volunteer recruitment and retention, Willie Wines Jr, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen

The plot thickens for Botetourt County Volunteer vs. Paid battle …. screw you guys..I’m going home!

5 comments

Read “Volunteer vs. Paid…Respect my AUTHORITAH” by clicking HERE

Buchanan (Va) Volunteer Fire Chief Billy Joe Carter has reportedly stepped down as chief and left the Department.

On Tuesday, he was quoted as saying that if an emergency services director assumes control of a scene “there are going to be a lot of hurt feelings and busted noses.” Yesterday he said “you can’t fight politics”

Click HERE for the news coverage from last night ….or just watch the video below…

I just hope he doesn’t try to take the other members of the Buchanan VFD with him. Like the video stated, they have a long and rich history which can certainly be built upon.

Change is not always bad, especially when the result is increased public safety. Here is Botetourt’s Mission Statement which ironically was developed, in most part; by another Volunteer Chief who opposes the new Director of Emergency Services position..

“The combined agencies of Botetourt County Emergency Services will provide prompt and professional services to our community in order to protect citizens, property and the environment.”

I have obtained an e-mail from Spencer Suter, Assistant Administrator of Botetourt County addressed to all Botetourt County Fire and Rescue Volunteers

”Recently, there have been some letters to the editor printed in the Fincastle Herald which question both the need for a Director of Emergency Services and the work that BCES administrative staff currently does. Enclosed is an open letter with accompanying documents, which I sent to Chiefs and Captains last September, during a time when the proposed enabling code was being considered by the Fire and Rescue Steering Team. The message in the letter remains constant and I want to share it with as many volunteers as possible. I urge you to read it carefully and understand the reasoning behind the decision to hire a director, as well as the fact that administrative staff does much more in support of overall emergency services than some folks realize.Last year, the budget for volunteer Fire and Rescue exceeded $1,550,000. This is a far cry from the funding levels only 5 – 10 years ago. Part of that funding was used to, for the first time, provide a small cash incentive for your hard work and dedication. I recognize the fact that many of you do not want any monetary “reward” for your service – you simply want to help your community. I understand and truly respect that. However, please understand the spirit in which the process took place – we worked for years to bring this to reality because we appreciate what you do every day.The simple fact of the matter is, our ultimate goal is to provide the best services possible for the residents of Botetourt County, while ensuring responder safety. Currently, there is no consistent countywide policy with regard to much of anything. What policy exists has no enforcement mechanism. There has never been any intent to “take over”. As long as I am involved with this process, I can assure you that protection of internal operations of volunteer agencies will remain a top priority – and I intend to remain involved. The only polices which could be enforced are those which will be developed with volunteer input. This is not a one way street – those same policies can be / should be enforced by volunteer leadership in the same manner. If a volunteer officer sees anyone, including career staff, breaking a safety policy or otherwise putting themselves or others in danger, it will be their right and duty to immediately correct it and, depending on severity, report it through the chain of command.

We have received a large number of applications for the director of ES position. It is my full intent to ensure that we hire the person best suited for the job. We will be looking for a consensus builder, with an ability to work with a wide range of personalities and viewpoints, and strength in leadership.

In closing, please know that I have and will continue to support your efforts, and deeply appreciate your sacrifice and commitment to your communities. By the same token, I also appreciate the good work that the career staff does every day in support of our combined mission and I can’t stand by and let charges otherwise go unanswered.

I wish each you a safe and happy weekend,”

Spencer
Click Here for Open Letter Document

Click Here for FARST History

Spencer Suter

It seems to me as if the County is doing the right thing here.
Hell …. they are HIRING when everyone else is loosing positions by attrition, “un-funding” positions, facing station closures, brownouts etc.
I should also note that I received a comment in last night’s post from a volunteer member of Botetourt who stated …

“It should be worth noting that at least 75% of all the fire and rescue departments support this new position, but the minority has chosen to bring the media into this to share their view. I’m afraid that this might be just the beginning of public backlash for my county and volunteer brothers and sisters.”

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 23, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, funding-staffing, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: Botetourt County, Botetourt County Director of Emergency Services, brotherhood, Buchanan Vol. Fire Chief Billy Joe Carter, Buchanan Volunteer Fire Department, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Captain Wines, Fire Chief, Fire Critic, Fire Department staffing, firefighters, Ironfiremen, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Volunteer Fire Chief, volunteer fire departments, Volunteer firefighters, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen, WSET

Volunteer vs. Paid …Respect my AUTHORITAH !!!

14 comments

Another paid vs. volunteer battle and this one is in my back yard. It’s embarrassing!

I don’t speak out much on the paid vs volunteer issue here on the site but most of you who have met or know me, know where I stand. For me, it’s not paid vs. volunteer; it’s professional vs nonprofessional.

I know a lot of damn good firemen who are volunteers. I know just as many “paid guys” who aren’t worth a dime. Paid or vollie … it doesn’t matter to me as long as you do the job.

To expect less would be a disgrace to those who came before us.

That is why we are all here right? It do the job. To protect and serve our fellow man.

After reading our local paper this morning, I’m not so sure all of my area Departments / members share that same direction / goal. I work in the city (43 sq. miles). We are surrounded entirely by Roanoke County (251 sq miles) who has their own combination Department. Rhett and I tell everyone to think of Roanoke County as a doughnut with the City being the “hole” … lol… I know… in more ways than one!

Roanoke County is then obviously bordered by several other Counties.. Botetourt County is one of them. Botetourt is becoming a lot like Roanoke County in that it’s growing fast. It is is 541 sq. miles and is served by 7 fire departments ( census stats HERE ). Until recently, they were all volunteer.

Roanoke County started out all volunteer as well. Years ago, forward thinking volunteer Chiefs such as Woody Henderson(and others) realized that the County was rapidly outgrowing the resources of many of their volunteer Departments. They simply couldn’t meet the demands of growth and I can understand that. They asked the County for help.

Roanoke County’s response was to supplement the Volunteer’s with a variety of paid members. Ambulances were staffed at some stations while others received crews to staff fire apparatus. Not all stations were supported with paid members in the beginning. I believe that for the most part, the shifts were only 8 or maybe 12 hrs back then … they covered the daylight shift while most volunteers were working and unable to respond to calls.

With the leadership and support of Chiefs Tommy Fuqua, Rick Burch and many of the Volunteer Chiefs (again like Chief Henderson) their Department now has approx 153 paid members supporting 250 volunteers in 12 stations.

Apparently, some of Botetourt’s Volunteer Chiefs are not as forward thinking. The County just recently hired it’s first few paid firefighters. I believe they run out of the Fincastle Station (#4).

Continuing with their plan, on January 24th; the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to establish a Department of Emergency Services. It will combine all existing fire and emergency medical services into a single Department, volunteers and paid staff, and would also create within it a new director position to oversee operations.

“The director will not have the authority to direct the volunteer organizations’ routine administrative functions. The job description calls for a team-oriented consensus builder — skills that surely will be important from Day One”

A couple volunteer Chiefs are calling foul ….apparently they don’t want the help.

Actually, it’s not the “help” they’re afraid of, it’s the possibility of someone taking over “their” emergency scene. YEA .. they don’t want the position filled because they are afraid of the authority the new position will carry.

If need be, “when deemed necessary for the welfare of the public or responders “ the Director of Emergency Services COULD assume command of an incident…. “COULD” but it’s unlikely.

Read the article from this morning’s Roanoke Times HERE

Never mind the welfare of the citizens and visitors of the County they protect. Never mind the safety of the Fire and Rescue members (paid or volunteer) who respond to incidents within the County. This is all about a Volunteer and his “AUTHORITY” ? Are you kidding me?

One of the Chiefs opposing the new position caught my attention ….Buchanan’s Chief Billy Joe Carter.

You may remember Chief Carter as well. I posted on him a couple of times back in January as he was injured in a “Firefighter Close Call”.

Carter arrived on scene of a well involved mobile home fire with reports of an occupant trapped. As the fire quickly progressed, the service drop burnt from the home and delivered an electrical shock to Chief Carter after hitting the ground. He said he didn’t get “out of the way” quick enough this time ( I guess he’s out ran electricity before). He radioed the information to dispatch stating “it’s pretty bad” then directed the arriving members attention to the fire and away from him. He was later transported to a local hospital and placed in ICU .

I cringed every time the local news played the interview with Chief Carter from his hospital bed. THIS is a Chief ? THIS is the image the Buchanan VFD wants to project? What “message” is this guy and his Department sending (to it’s members as well as the public) ?

As it turned out, the mobile home was unoccupied and I said it was “good news for the Chief”. I said that because had someone HAVE been inside that home, he would have had to listen to them die. Even if he had PPE and an SCBA with him, he would have never gotten a seal or been able to execute a rescue. This member was not “Battle Ready” and SHOULD HAVE STAYED HOME.

Read my Previous post HERE and the one including his bedside interview HERE

Chief Carter seems to be one of the leaders of the opposition to Botetourt’s new Director of Emergency Services. No way is he going to let some body else run one of his emergency scenes!

“He said Tuesday that if an emergency services director assumes control of a scene “there are going to be a lot of hurt feelings and busted noses.”

“Hurt feelings” ???? “Busted noses” ??? You’ve got to be kidding me? Now THERE’S a professional Chief for ya!

Well I hope I don’t hurt his “feelings” but I wish someone more competent would have been there to take command back in January…. maybe then he wouldn’t have became another “Close Call” statistic and ended up in ICU.

This job is NOT ABOUT YOU or being in “CONTROL”. It’s not YOUR fire. It’s about the people we have sworn to serve and protect. There is no shame in asking for or accepting help. If supplemental paid positions will decrease response times and increase the level of Public Safety in Botetourt County, then I’m all for it and any Chief in his right mind should be as well. Drop the egos and do the right thing guys. DO YOUR JOB … I have family who lives there and I’m depending on you! ALL OF YOU !

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 22, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, funding-staffing, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: Botetourt County, Botetourt County Director of Emergency Services, brotherhood, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Captain Wines, Chief Rick Burch, Chief Tommy Fuqua, Fire and Rescue, Fire Critic, firefighter close calls, firefighter injuries, firefighters, house fire, ICS, IMS, Incident Command, Ironfiremen, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Paid and Volunteer Combination Departments, Roanoke County Fire / Rescue, Roanoke Times, volunteer fire departments, Volunteer firefighters, Willie Wines Jr, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen, Working fire

Covering a shift …

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It’s not as fun as it used to be …. I guess maybe because I’m getting older.

I’ll have to admit to being a creature of habit. I’m used to my station…. my rig …. my bed etc and when you “travel” or cover someone’s shift, everything is different (unless you cover in your own house).

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I worked for Rhett this past Saturday. His Captain is off on vacation and he needed to be out of town for family. With the Captain off, Rhett ( the Lt) moves up as the Officer so for him to now get the day off, he needed to find a Lt. or above to ride…. that’s where I came in.

Obviously, I don’t mind covering for Rhett but to be honest, the differences between stations had me “off my game” a bit.

The piece assigned to Station #3 is a “squirt” …. yea …. thanks Kalamazoo.

Before being transferred out here to “Lucky #13″ I was assigned to Station #3 so the rig and accommodations are not all that unfamiliar to me. There are quite a few differences though.

To begin with, because Rhett had been “riding the seat” I had to take the time to remove his booster seat before I could even put my gear on the rig ( LOL…. that was for you Statter )

All kidding aside …. our two rigs are very different so my “set up” has to change.

The seat belt is in a different location than I’m used to reaching for. My helmet, gloves etc are not where I’m accustomed to them sitting.

The run books, computer etc … everything is in a different location. You feel like you’re always looking or reaching for something that is normally within reach and 2nd nature for ya when you’re in your own piece.

The good news is that Station #3-A has a solid crew … a VERY solid crew. They took very good care of me and paid no attention to my fumbling around over in the Captain’s seat.

“Big” Dave Lucas was my driver for the day so I didn’t have to worry about getting to where we were headed or having water on the line.

Big “Luke” is squared away.

He used to be a Lieutenant …. for a day or so anyway (our Lieutenants are our driver / operators and act as the Officer in the Captain’s absence). He also was or is #1 on the lieutenants list … if there even is a list. Yea … I know … I’m confused as well.

You see, 2 years ago; Lucas tested out #1 on the Lieutenant’s list for promotions. One of my members, from #9-C ; Scott “Coon” Boone tested out #2.

Our promotional testing consists of both a written test and extensive practical exercises. It is a very stressful and competitive process. It’s an accomplishment to land in the Top 10 of the scoring, much less 1 and 2.

Several promotions were made including 4 Lieutenant positions. Big Luke and Coon made it ! Well almost. A day or so after they were told they were promoted, our admin figured out that they had miscalculated our available positions. The promotions were taken back! BOOMERANG BUGLES ! GONE !

I posted about it on Engine 9′s Blog.. the “Melrose Misfits” HERE .

(You can also find a picture of me without my mustache in that post … just like the Lt. bugles…GONE)

I also posted this video of Ernest T. Bass counting in an earlier post on that site….I still laugh every time I see it.

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My point here is that Lucas is a good driver / operator and that made my ride at #3 much easier.

It’s a good thing too because we had a fairly busy tour.

The most excitement was catching “The Great JC Penny Mulch Fire of 2012″ and a mutual aid cooking fire out in the County.

We switched out the firefighters for the shift. I started out with Brad Harris ( coach for the Roanoke Rampage) and switched over to Eric “Wingnut” Mulford halfway through the tour.

Harris caught the cooking fire and Wingnut was riding on the mulch fire.

Both Harris and Mulford are Medics so they split the shift on the ambo. Harris rode the 2nd half on the ambulance and took a beating …. I’m suprised he didn’t just quit and walk out

Rhett was in Nashville, Tn visiting family and, every time he opened a beer; would call to check in on us.

I can’t believe he would call and frett us like that.

My regular followers know that there are a lot of things that I can tolerate but FRETTING is not one of them !

Unfortunately, this is the Fire Department and as we often say …. “it’s all on the big wheel” (meaning sooner or later …. it will roll back around to you).

And roll it did. Rhett and the family tried to head home yesterday afternoon.

Of course that put him on the interstate about the time all the snow hit. He ended up parked on the Northbound side of I-81 for about 5 hours. The good news is that they had plenty of gas and some movies to watch so they stayed warm and entertained. He eventually made it home… safe and sound.

I should have know he’d have trouble driving in the snow despite the fact that he’s a Yankee. We travel a lot together and every time he drives, it’s a gamble. He does GREAT in a fire truck but when he gets behind the wheel of the Blog Mobile … LOOK OUT.

Driving in the snow is not that difficult. Hell …. even the Buckaroo can do it ..

How many 3 year olds do you know that can drive better than Rhett? LMAO.

So yea… as you could see in the video …it snowed … and in FEBRUARY … imaging that!

We got about 8-10 inches at the house … not so much here in “The Noke”.

I have to admit that I LOVE snow and wish it had gotten butt deep to a giraffe.

Of course, snow adds a few more challenges to my life both on the farm and on the job.

That said … if it was easy … everybody would do it !

Farm challenges aren’t so bad ….

I’ve got the equipment to handle it and my cows adapt pretty well.

I do often wonder what a Texas Longhorn is thinking while standing in the middle of a wet and cold Virginia snow…lol

Probably what “Rookie Randy” finds himself thinking most of the time … “why in the hell did I follow him to HERE ! ” LMAO

Anyway, you folks seem to enjoy some of the farm and “Buckaroo” pics AND … everyone else has been posting their “snow pics” so I’ll add a few more of mine for your viewing pleasure.

The challenges a snow presents at the firehouse are obviously different but weren’t a factor today.

After all that snow yesterday, the temperatures today reached the mid 40′s so most of the white stuff went away.

It was a wet and heavy snow so we’ve been running “wires down” calls Department wide ALL DAY LONG! A couple of EMS and fire runs thrown into the mix but nothing exciting or worth reporting.

We are working the “Hell Cycle” this week ( Mon, Wed, Fri ) so I’ll be checking back in with posts kinda regular.

Sorry for the “random thoughts” and “rambling” … it’s just the mind set I’m in tonight.

Thanks as always for following … I hope you continue to enjoy the site. I will mention that I love your feed back and comments and we’ve made it easier than ever for you to do so now.

If you are looking at (reading) a specific post (done by clicking the title) vs. the site’s Home Page (Ironfiremen.com) you can comment with ease at the end of the post by logging into your Face Book account. While you’re there … don’t forget to “Like” and “Share” our posts with all your friends!

Thanks again …. stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 20, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, fires, funding-staffing, news, Uncategorized, videos • Tagged: brotherhood, Buckaroo, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Captain Wines, cooking fire, David Lucas, Ernest T Bass, fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department, Fire Department Promotions, firefighter pics, firefighters, firehouse shifts, firehouse work schedules, funny video, Ironfiremen, kitchen fire, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Melrose misfits, mulch fire, New Holland tractors, Randy Armbrister, Rhett Fleitz, Roanoke Fire/EMS, Roanoke Rampage, Scott Boone, snow, Texas Longhorn cattle, Willie Wines Jr, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen

A bunch of FOOLS

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I posted last night on the 2 LODD’s (Line Of Duty Death) and funerals here in Virginia.

Again I’ll say that I truly feel as if both Brothers Weissman and Whitacre received a fine send off.

I was able to attend the Weissman service but was on duty yesterday during Whitacre’s Funeral. Both were well attended and those in attendance should be proud that our Brotherhood was well represented. Yes… our “Brotherhood”. These families got to see first hand over the past few days and week what all the “hype” and Brotherhood “talk” is about. They experienced it first hand. If you attended one of the services…. you did too.

I know I did. I did in several ways actually and have received several calls, e-mails, texts etc of the Brotherhood at work at both services.

I rode up to Alexandria on Thursday with two Brothers. Mike Elston (Lt. with Salem Fire/EMS) and Andrew Murray (Rookie firefighter at Station #1-B for Roanoke Fire/EMS). Mike pulled double duty by not only attending to pay his respects but by playing with the Pipes and Drums for both the Weissman funeral and wake. This was Murray’s first Fire Department Line Of Duty Death Funeral.

That was one of the places I found the “Brotherhood” at work. Andrew had read here on the site that I would be attending and had extra room if anyone wanted a ride. He also read how I felt that every new (Rookie) member should attend a LODD is possible.

I’m sure Andrew didn’t know what to expect. As it turned out, he stood in the cold and rain for several hours. He did not have a good view of the services and couldn’t hear everything that was said about the fallen. All of that didn’t matter …. HE WAS THERE.

Later, he messaged me how he was glad he attended. He said “The funeral, oddly, was one of the best experiences of my life so far”.

A couple people have quoted or commented on something I said in last night’s post…

“We attend these services for the survivors. The fallen are already in a better place. You attend for the family. The wives (or husbands), children , parents etc as well as for their extended family…. the Brothers and Sisters of their Department. You attend to let them know (and see) that they are not alone, their grief is shared and their support system endless”.

See that entire post by clicking HERE

I hope Andrew understands that now …. I think he does. I hope he will pass what he found along to other members. I bet he will and that my friends is Brotherhood.

I also mentioned in last night’s post that after the funeral, we ended up at Murphy’s Pub in “Old Town” Alexandria. The event was hosted by the Northern Virginia F.O.O.L.S .

For those of you who don’t know, FOOLS stands for Fraternal Order Of Leatherheads Society …. ( as in those of us who wear leather helmets). They stand for a lot of what Rhett and I believe and strive to live by. In part, it says ….

“The Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society (FOOLS) is an organization that was started in 1995 by a group of Central Florida Firemen. This group, known today as the Founding Fools, had a passion for not only the camaraderie and brotherhood that is forged between firefighters, but the rich tradition and heritage of the Fire Service”.

Read the FOOLS International Mission Statement HERE

Visit Northern Va. Fools HERE

The Wake was also well attended and saturated in Brotherhood and cold beer!

It’s a much needed part of firefighter funerals.

It offers a chance for the members to gather somewhere away from the station, funeral, church or family’s home. It’s the chance and time for them to share their memories / stories and to “vent” their grief.

It’s where the fallen would want and expect to find us …. at an Irish Pub toasting the memory of our Brothers / Sisters. It’s where Josh Weissman would have been!

It was a GREAT event and I’d like to THANKS the Northern Va FOOLS once again for putting it on.

Like I said, It was very well attended. The Weissman family even made it out!

Paid, volunteer, rookie, veteran, Brother and Sister … I met em all !

This is where I learned about Josh. Hearing stories being told of how this member or that knew him.

I got to watch the slide show of Josh. I saw an everyday firefighter / medic. Home shots. Pictures at the beach…. on a cruise…. or at the station. Goofing off… dancing and drinking a beer. That’s where the reality sets in … Josh Weissman was no different than any of us.

Other than the “Josh stories” …. there was plenty more to discuss….

It was a building full of firefighters and beer after all …. LOL !

Ploitics, staffing, pay, benifits etc… we solved all of the Fire Service’s problems that night.

Well …. maybe we didn’t solve em but we certainly realized that most of us are facing the same issues and fighting the same battles.

We “relate” to each other.

We share a bond that not many other professions can know … again I’ll say … Brotherhood.

Me, I mingled with em all. I think I talked to and spoke with most members there.

Some I approached…. others came to me.

The Sister with me pictured right came up to ask for her Fire Critic / Ironfiremen.com Brotherhood Chip.

She had met and remembered me and Rhett from the Greenbelt, Md 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. She was part of the medical team / staff.

For me, this is an honor very humbling and somewhat embarrassing. It’s hard for me to get used to folks coming up to and knowing me. I post so much about my life that anyone who follows the site (yea…both readers) knows what I am and have been doing. I’m honored that people take the time to notice, show interest and follow. The embarrassing part come in that Rhett and I meet so many people that I often times can’t remember their names.

Anyway, it was GREAT to see her again and AWESOME that of all those climbers, she remembered us. I proudly gave her the Chip.

Get your FireCritic / Ironfiremen.com Brotherhood Chip HERE

Like always, I got a ton of conversations struck over and about my mustache.

I get the same questions comments …

“That’s the coolest fireman’s mustache I’ve ever seen !” …. Have you ever heard of Chief Billy Goldfeder?

“How do you eat with that thing?” … I don’t. I eat just like you… with my mouth and teeth.. LOL

“How long did it take you to grow that thing?” …. 43 years.

“I want one JUST LIKE THAT !” …. you can’t have THIS one but I will kiss you with it if you buy me a beer… LMAO

I see all kinds of variations as well.

I call the one pictured above left a “starter stache” ….

This one… to the right… I call a waxer.

I had a really good time meeting and talking with everyone. I felt at home and again …. this is what the Brotherhood is all about.

There were a few highlights of the evening for me …. 1st. The family attended.

2nd… the Pipes and Drums were asked not only to attend but to play…. AND PLAY THEY DID !

3rd. The family was there for our toast to Josh following the Pipes and Drums rendition of Amazing Grace. I shot a little video of it and included it in last night’s post. If you haven’t see it yet…. hit the link above… IT WAS AWESOME !

Special THANKS to the Northern Va FOOLS and all the members of the Pipes and Drums for one hell of a send off!

For those of you unable to attend, you missed something special.

I hope I never have to attend another but if I do, I will do my best to talk you into going with me. I hope you will bring a few Brothers and Sisters along as well.

It’s snowing pretty good right now and I’m back on duty tomorrow. I’ll try to get another post up detailing what happened yesterday while I was covering Rhett’s shift.

For those of you on duty tonight, pay some extra attention. Watch you footing. Throw a shovel on the tail board and a cold weather bag in the rig. Until I get back to ya …. stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 19, 2012 • Filed under: ems-health-safety, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: 2012 LODD, Alexandria Fire Department, Alexandria Va, Bag Pipes, brotherhood, Captain Willie Wines Jr, DC Fire Department, DCFD, Fire Critic, firefighter pics, Firefighter Zachary Whitacre, firefighters, FOOLS, IronFiremen.com, LODD, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Murphy's Pub, Northern Va Fools, Paramedic Joshua Weissman, Pipes and Drums, Rhett Fleitz, Va LODD, video, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen

A good send off

2 comments

Thursday, I attended the funeral of Fire Department Paramedic Joshua Weissman. Josh worked for the Alexandria (Va) Fire Department.

The service was very well attended and I was honored to have been able to pay my respects. I say it that way because that’s what it is … paying respect.

Read my previous post HERE

Fire Critic says “Go to the funeral… you OWE it to them”

Rhett was out of town and unable to attend but I didn’t have to travel alone. Actually, I had a substitute driver step up. I ended up riding with brother Mike Elston from Salem Fire/EMS. Mike was going to pay his respects plus, he plays with the Pipes and Drums.

We also had rookie firefighter A. Murray tag along. Murray is a rookie in my Department and works at Station #1B. He is just a little over 6 months out of the Academy (he graduated with my rookie Randy). I was glad he tagged along. He later told me it was one of the most rememberable experiences he’s had since being on the job. This was his 1st LODD (Line Of Duty Death) funeral.

I think it’s important for younger members to attend these funerals (any and all members for that matter).

For one thing, I think it may result in something positive if it opens their eyes to the dangers of our job. Maybe they will realize that the “it will never happen here” mentality doesn’t apply where they work.

It also teaches them about what Rhett and I so often preach.. Honor, Respect, Pride, Tradition and Brotherhood.

The members who attended this service stood out in the cold and rain for about 4 hours. We were all soaking wet and cold but I never heard one member complain.

We attend these services for the survivors. The fallen are already in a better place. You attend for the family. The wives (or husbands), children , parents etc as well as for their extended family…. the Brothers and Sisters of their Department. You attend to let them know (and see) that they are not alone, their grief is shared and their support system endless.

I think the Weissman family as well as the Alexandria Fire Department has seen that over the last week.

Learn more about the Northern Virginia F.O.O.L.S

Sadly, there was a 2nd Line Of Duty Death here in Virginia this week.

Firefighter Zachary Whitacre of the Gore Vol. Fire and Rescue Department (Frederick County, Va) was laid to rest in Winchester, Va today.

I was not able to attend the service today as I am on duty. Rhett is still out of town visiting family so I’m covering his shift.

I was there in spirit / thought and my Department represented us well.

Our Honor Guard was in attendance and had the honor of folding the flag.

I have received several calls, e-mails and texts telling me what a great job our members did. I understand that attendance for the service was very good and the weather much better than that on Thursday.

Photo By Brother John Crist

Our Honor Guard members in attendance were Lt Rob Reid, Firefighter Travis Meador, Firefighter Carlie Walshe, Firefighter Anuszkiewicz, Firefighter Richard Lipes and Firefighter Todd Reighley.

Special thanks to of Chief and Department for allowing our members to participate. The team would also like to extend a very special THANKS to Retired Chief Steve Poff of Roanoke County Fire / Rescue for his actions.

All indications are that Brother Whitacre had a good send off as well.

Please continue to keep Brothers Weissman and Whitacre, their families and Departments in your thoughts and prayers as they have a lot of healing yet to do. Thanks to each and every member who were able to attend either of the services. I can tell you that the family noticed and your presence made a difference. I’ll give ya a little update tomorrow and add a few pics from Murphy’s as well as my tour covering for Rhett today.

Until then, Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 18, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, ems-health-safety, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, news, Uncategorized, videos • Tagged: 2012 LODD's, Alexandria Fire Department, Bag Pipes, brotherhood, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Fire Critic, fire department funerals, Fire Department Honor Gaurd, firefighter pics, Firefighter Z. Whitacre, firefighters, FOOLS, Gore Vol Fire and Rescue Dept, Honor Gaurd, IronFiremen.com, LODD, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Murphy's Pub, Paramedic Joshua Weissman, Pipes and Drums, Roanoke Fire/EMS, Va LODD's

Paying my respect

2 comments

Tomorrow morning, I will leave the station early and head up to Alexandria, Va. to attend the funeral of Alexandria Fire Department Paramedic Joshua Weissman.

Brother Weissman died from injuries sustained while operating on the scene of a vehicle fire on I-395 on February 8, 2012. He will be buried with full Fire Department Honors tomorrow.

CLICK HERE for the latest details on the services

I hope the funeral will be well attended …. it sounds like it will be. For those of you near Roanoke (or between here and Alexandria) I still have room in the van if you’d like to ride along. Leave a comment or message me on Face Book and I’ll get in touch. We are leaving Roanoke around 6:30am and return before midnight (we will be attending the wake as well).

Before the services, I will be meeting up with Dave Statter who is planning on providing live streaming video. Check his site for more details as they become available .. CLICK HERE

I hope to see you there. I URGE you to attend if at all possible. Regardless of Rank or tenure ( if you’re a “Rookie” firefighter…you definitely should attend). I believe we owe it to each other to do so. It’s paying “RESPECT” to a Brother or Sister. It’s “RESPECT” for the job we do. For knowing that the next funeral could be ours. It “HONORS” the fallen and our profession. It also reflects “PRIDE”. I can remember at the services for one of our fallen Brothers ( Captain Chris Brown ) meeting several members from out of town and even out of State. I remember how proud I was that these Brothers would travel that far to stand beside us in a time of grief. It all goes back to that word we hear so much … BROTHERHOOD.

Read The Fire Critic’s post ” Go to the Funeral… You OWE it to them”

Today, I moved into my new office. NO … I have NOT been transferred again.

I guess I didn’t move into a “new” office, my old one was just remodeled.

We just had our new computer installed in the rig yesterday…yea… all this time we’ve been “old schooling” it in “The Noke”.

We’ve had the computers in the Battalion vehicle for a few months now so I’m not a total stranger to their operation. It is, however; a lot different trying to use it while racing down the road in a fire truck vs. punching all the buttons etc while sitting still in the Battalion car.

It actually made me kind of dizzy. I find myself looking at the screen the entire time we are in route vs all the things I usually looked for / at. Talk about “tunnel vision”.

It’s also very weird not hearing all the radio traffic…. other pieces marking enroute, on scene etc. I guess it’s just gonna take a little getting used to. The good news is that in about 20 years or so they say we’ll have all of our hydrants and pre-fire plans on there as well. I can’t believe it’s taken us this long to get em in the first place. You know what they say … 100 years of tradition unimpeded by progress! LOL

I got something else new today …. Custom leather suspenders !

Actually, I picked em up yesterday from Rhett over at Station #3.

They were made by Wolfpak Leatherworks.

Visit their web site HERE

Find them on Face Book HERE

I LOVE EM !! The Brothers at Wolfpak paid a lot of attention to detail.

The front straps have my name and department on em. Wines and RFD

The back says “Iron Firemen”

What’s even more special is the fact that they added the “Buckaroo’s” name on the front as well ! OMG that’s BEAUTIFUL !

Every run I get to see his name. I think about him for a brief moment and how important it is that I make it home to him in the morning (that’s also why I have his, my daughter and wife’s picture in my helmet… it’s the last thing I see before “going to work”)

Special THANKS to the Brothers of Wolfpak Leatherworks for an OUTSTANDING job! I have worn them all day today and can say that they are very comfortable. Rhett and I will be doing a full “product review” on them after we wear em long enough to give ya a fair evaluation. When completed, you will be able to find the review on our new site..

Firefighter Product Review

Follow and “Like” Firefighter Product Review on Face Book click HERE

Here are a few more pictures of my new suspenders …..don’t forget to check em out at the link above and tell em The Fire Critic and Iron Firemen.com sent ya!

That’s it for tonight … see ya in Alexandria tomorrow. Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 15, 2012 • Filed under: ems-health-safety, ems-topics, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: 2012 LODD, Alexrandria Fire Department, brotherhood, Buckaroo, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Custom leather work, Dave Statter, Fire Critic, firefighter gear, firefighter pics, Firefighter PPE, firefighter product review, firefighter suspenders, firefighters, leather suspenders, LODD, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Paramedic Joshua Weissman, Randy Armbrister, Statter 911, Va LODD, Wolfpak Leatherworks, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen

EMS LODD’s …Government “loophole” leaves families without benefits !

3 comments

READ THIS POST

Actually, don’t just read it …. “like” and “share” it on Face Book as well. We need to get the word out and have this loophole closed before another family is affected.

Follow Ironfiremen.com on Face Book HERE (click “Like”)

I got a call from Bill Finegan the other day. He told me the story of Danny McIntosh. It pissed me off !

“Danny Mac” died in the Line Of Duty almost 2 years ago (March 2010). At the time, he was on duty for an EMS non-profit organization. Danny also worked as a firefighter and a sworn Law Enforcement Officer.

Learn more about Danny Mac by clicking HERE

At 39 years old, he was married with 2 daughters. His family is NOT eligible for about $330,000 in Federal Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) because of the badge he was wearing.

Federal PSOB covers paid & volunteer EMTs, paramedics & firefighters who work for Fire Department based non-profits, but they deny ALL claims if it’s an EMS based non-profit. If he was wearing any one of his other uniforms,Bethann, Delaney & Addison would have been covered!

The family, Bill and many others worked tirelessly to have this injustice corrected. Not just for Danny Mac’s family but for the families (survivors) of all future EMS based LODDs. Congressman Mike “the rockstar” Fitzpatrick became involved and eventually proposed HR1668 “Danny Mac” to close this stupid loophole. It ALMOST worked.

It actually passed both the House and Senate but had all “language” pertaining to Danny Mac “pulled” (removed) after reaching the Conference Committee. When a bill becomes law, the last step is the House & Senate bills go to a Conference Committee. The purpose of this committee is to RECONCILE the two bills. Many times there are subtle differences in the language. In this case, the Conference Committee CHANGED the two bills by pulling all of the “Danny Mac” language out of the bill. They pulled the language 90 minutes before the bill became law! Their arrogance is epic. I’m told that the decision was made by one of the staffers who works for Congressman Mica (Orlando)

The reasoning ??? MONEY. They didn’t want to add to the National Debt by having to “pay out” to more families of fallen Public Safety Officers! Can you believe it ?!?

So now, Congressman Fitzpatrick, Senator Leahy (author of the Senate bill), and Congressman Smith (TX) are going to introduce a stand-alone bill. They need to get the bill passed ASAP because Bethann’s last appeal will be heard in mid-March.

The family, Bill and several others are heading down to Washington DC tomorrow (Feb. 15th, 2012) to hold Congressman Mica accountable for the actions of his staffer. The “core group” (Danny Mac’s wife, Bill and the Bucks County PA guys) are being joined by Brothers and Sisters from as far away as Vermont & Texas.

This is grassroots- set up by guys who knew Danny- to honor his memory and to take care of his family. This isn’t being set-up, sponsored, endorsed, funded, or orchestrated by any lobbyists or national organizations.

They want to make it possible for the stand-alone to be passed before Bethann’s hearing, and to turn survivors’ issues into a political third rail. The plan is to hold Mica accountable in the court of public opinion. It would be a grand-slam if they could get some guys in the Orlando area to show up in front of one of his offices down there- and get the local media to cover it. They are working the networks to see if we can get it done…

This is where they need our help … SPREAD THIS STORY!

Share it on Face Book. Tweet it … re-post on your site, tell a friend, tell a fireman … whatever it takes … help get the story out there!

To all my Brothers and Sisters down in Orlando …. BEAT DOWN THE DOOR of Congressman Mica. Make is phone ring so much that they will want to unplug it! Have him look you in the eye as he explains why we (The United States) can’t afford Death Benefits for our fallen Brothers and Sisters. It actually doesn’t cost us a dime. The PSOB is funded by seized drug money!

Don’t let this injustice continue …

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 14, 2012 • Filed under: ems-health-safety, ems-topics, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: Captain Willie Wines Jr, Congressman Mica, Danny Mac, EMS LODD, Fire Critic, HR1668, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Paramedic Danny McIntosh, PSOB, Public Safety Officer Benefits, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen

More from The Fire Critic and Ironfiremen.com

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It should be titled “More and MORE” from The Fire Critic and Ironfiremen.com

Our schedule is filling up fast for 2012 and we want you to be part of it …. here’s the latest and what’s new.

Keep up to date by following us on Face Book. Click HERE then “Like”

Regretfully, we’ve had 2 LODD’s (Line Of Duty Deaths) here in Va. this week. Arrangements and details from the latest, Firefighter Zachary Whitacre of the Gore VFD, Frederick County, Va; have yet to be released. I’ll post more when available.

Alexandria Fire Department Paramedic Joshua Weissman will be laid to rest on Thursday, February 16, 2012 1:00pm at Beth El Hebrew Congregation located at 3830 Seminary Road Alexandria, VA 22304

I will be attending the funeral and have plenty of room if you’d like to ride ( Rhett will be out of town and unable to attend but we are taking the “Blog Mobile” ). I will be leaving Station #13 in Roanoke at 7am Thursday morning. We will return late Thursday night (We will be attending the 6pm wake as well). You can meet me (and park) here or I can pick you up if you’re on the way. Leave a comment here or on Face Book and I will contact you with more details.

Please keep Brothers Weissman, Whitacre, their families, friends and Departments in your thoughts and prayers.

Have you seen our new web site??? YOU SHOULD !

Rhett ( The Fire Critic ) and I have been doing “product reviews” for some time now but they’ve been scattered throughout both our sites.

We’ve came up with a way to put them all in one place and made it very easy to navigate!

What’s even better is that you ( the readers ) can “score” (or “rate” ) the products as well ! The pages are set up so that you can see the last 10 products reviewed. Simply “click” on the one you are interested in for the full review and the chance to “score” or rank the product yourself.

The site is going to be VERY busy and we WANT your input. Tell us what you think of the site. We WANT your “score” of the products we review. Is there a product you’d like to see us review?

Visit the new site HERE . Follow ( and “Like” ) us on Face Book by clicking HERE

We have also teamed up once again with the National Firefighters Endowment !

“The National Firefighters Endowment seeks to support organizations that lack the tools and resources necessary to more effectively protect the life and safety of the public and their emergency response personnel with respect to fire and all other hazards”.

Brothers helping Brothers … that’s what it’s all about!

We are calling this one ” Brotherhood Cuts “ and hope it will become a big campaign moving from city to city … State to State.

Learn more about Brotherhood Cuts by clicking HERE

Our first event will be held March 10th (5pm) in Pinnacle, North Carolina at the Shoals Volunteer Fire Department (2964 Shoals Rd Pinnacle, NC 27043) Everyone is welcome to attend. All of the money raised will go towards purchasing Bail-Out Kits for our North Carolina Brothers and Sisters!

Although our primary job is to help promote and organize the events, Rhett and I will be much more involved and even participate. That’s right … WE WILL PARTICIPATE.

I will be at the 1st event in Pinnacle, NC ( Rhett will be unable to attend). To set the record straight … I will NOT be shaving my mustache (or squirrel as Rhett calls it) at this event (unless there is a huge donation made). I will most likely be shaving my head. As the project grows, Rhett will shave his head and we will eventually reach the point where my “stache” comes off.

Read The Fire Critic’s post on Brotherhood Cuts HERE

Stay SAFE and in House .. I’ll check back in asap!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 13, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, funding-staffing, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: 2012 LODD's, Alexandria Fire Department, Brotherhood Cuts, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Fire Critic, firefighter Bail-Out Kits, firefighter fatality, firefighter mustaches, Firefighter Product Reviews, Firefighter Zachary Whitacre, Frederick County, fund raiser, Gore VFD, Joshua Weissman, LODD, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, National Firefighter Endowment, NC Firefighters, Shoals Volunteer Fire Department, Va, Va firefighter deaths, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen

Smoke, fire, a priest and a 3yr old!

2 comments

It’s been a mad house around here!

The weather is unbelievable. It’s 60 degrees one day and blowing snow the next.

All I know is that the Buckaroo and I took full advantage of the couple of warm days we had over 4 day break.

We actually worked pretty hard on the cold days as well but the good news is that we got a lot accomplished.

I get a lot of comments / e-mails etc asking about “the Buckaroo” so I figured I share a few pics from this week with you. He’s actually became pretty popular on the site.

A lot of folks seem to think he’s my son but he’s actually my grandson (yea … I know I don’t look that old..LOL).

He’s only 3 years old but has been with me on the farm pretty much every day that I’m not on duty. I even made a bracket to mount his car seat into the tractor when he was a baby (now he drives it).

The comments often range from one end of the spectrum to the other. Some say how “cute” and “cool” it is that I keep him with me while some have threatened to call Social Services .

LMAO … TRUST ME … the Buckaroo is VERY well taken care of and far from neglected.

If you ask him …. HE owns the farm and every piece of equipment we have…

It’s “his” tractor … “his” truck … “his” cows etc…. sometimes, I feel like I’m working for him…LOL

I wish I had the farm years ago and could have spent this much time with my daughters. If I only knew “then” what I know “now”.

I’m thankful for a job that allows me the time at home. I only wish it paid enough that I didn’t have to spend every day “off ” working a 2nd job.

The good news is that the work I do on my off days is enjoyable to me and being able to share it with my grandson is an added blessing.

We have some great adventures together and I almost feel young again…ALMOST.

LOL… sometimes just trying to keep up with him wears me out!

So, for everyone asking about the Buckaroo … he is doing very well and THANK YOU for asking.

I thought about starting him his own “Face Book Fan Page” but it seemed kinda creepy.

I will try to add an album of Buckaroo pics on my FB page so those of you needing a “Buckaroo fix” can keep up with his adventures.

Be sure to follow, Like and Share us on Face Book .. tell all your friends as well.

Click HERE to follow Ironfiremen.com on Face Book .. click “Like”

Ok, so last cycle; I was busy filling you guys in on our latest New York City Trip. THANKS again to all who donated and help support Brothers Weidmann, Gersbeck and the FDNY Rescue 2 Mayday Fund!

I didn’t get to make a “regular” type post or to keep you updated on things happening here in “The Noke” so I’ll try to catch ya up now.

We did catch a little work last day (Monday).

Thankfully, we were on it quick, nobody was injured and the damage was minimal.

Randy was detailed down to station #5 who was 1st in. He still can’t grasp the term “Medic truck” so we’ve just been telling him that he’s riding the “life saving crew” …. LMAO … THAT he understands!

So 5 rolls in with light smoke showing and goes to investigate.

The Captain radios back that they have a “working fire” and directs his crew (of 1) to make the stretch.

The Chief was in house with 5 and established command very quickly. He calls me on the radio to advise me that 5 has a hydrant and gives us an assignment to search (yea… searching from an Engine … that’s what you have to do when you run with a minimum staffing of 3 ).

I’ve got “Boots” (Todd Harris) riding backwards and I’ve got to tell ya .. it felt great! Usually, I’m thinking, worried about Rookie Randy…. is he with me? Is he in a good position? Is he paying attention etc. With Boots, I don’t have to worry about any of that.

We came off the rig, I get my hook and tell boots to take the fire floor from side Alpha and that I’ll take the floor above from side Charlie … “I’ll meet ya on the 2nd floor”. Not the best but that’s how we operate.

The fire was a small kitchen fire located in the rear B/C corner of the home. We approached from the Bravo side and placed our rig on Alpha. I walked the Delta side to get to and enter from Charlie giving me the full 360 view of the house. I was quick to get by the fire room and locate the stairs.

For as little fire as there was, it was a pretty good smoke condition on the 2nd floor (low heat). When I came out of the first bedroom, I seen a MN8-FoxFire helmet band coming up the steps and knew it was Boots. We searched the remainder of the 2nd floor together like a well oiled machine. As a Captain, there’s not a better feeling than watching your men do their job and do it well. Boots is a good fireman!

Our searches were negative ( ALL CLEAR ) and we finished up by doing some ventilation, salvage and overhaul work.

We did get to see Rookie Randy out in the front yard…..LOL

He even changed my bottle for me ( I wont mention that he put an “empty” on me before Georgie pointed it out to him)

Units on scene were C-shift .. Engines 5, 13 and 2. Ladder 5, Medics 5 and 2. Battalion Chief 1 and 2, Support 2 and our investigation unit. Another good job by all members on scene!

I also had a special visitor / guest on the middle day of last cycle. Our newly appointed Department Chaplin, Father Sandy Webb stopped by.

You may remember my January 19th post titled ” I need a Priest “. Well, Father Webb is back from his trip and graciously accepted my request to bless my new helmet.

He was excited and for several reasons.

First off …he had just gotten his name and title sewn onto his turnout coat. He was beaming with PRIDE.

He was also excited to know that Ironfiremen.com would have the honor of posting the first ever pic of him in his gear!

Check out that new white helmet Father Sandy is sporting (I’m still wearing my old helmet in this pic).

LMAO .. how odd / funny is that? A Priest excited about making it on THIS site!

I’ve posted about Father Webb several times here on the site and remain excited to have him as part of our family.

A Chaplain Program is nothing new to our Department but this is the first time it has taken a hold and actually been productive.

A lot of that is due to Father Webb and his commitment to our members.

He’s the first Chaplain we’ve had that you can / will actually find / see in a firehouse.

He was also excited because we caught a run while he was here.

I figured… he has a badge, coat and helmet so we put him on the rig!

After getting back to quarters, we shared a few stories over some coffee and cake but Father Webb was on a tight schedule. He had never blessed a helmet before and asked if there was any “traditions” etc that he should know about. He also wanted to know if we would do this in front of everyone or alone.

Having my helmets blessed is a personal tradition of mine so I decided to do it in private. I haven’t really discussed it with the boys but I’m sure they didn’t mind.

I have to say that this was by far the best and most memorable blessing I’ve had done (and I’ve gone through several helmets). Father Webb came prepared. You would have never known it was his first.

I wont share his exact words but he asked a blessing upon me and the helmet. I found his words comforting and am honored that he accepted my request. He even made me a card to place inside my helmet to remind me of the occasion.

“This Fire Helmet was Dedicated to the Greater Glory of God and Blessed for the Protection of Captain Willie Wines Jr by the Rev. Sany Webb on Saturday February 4, 2012″

I haven’t placed the helmet into service yet because I still need a new “front”. Of course if you read the previous post I linked to above ” I need a Priest ” then you seen and remember that Rhett had the Brothers over at Box Alarm Leather LLC make me a custom front.

That front is just too nice to wear on my “first out” helmet. So, as soon as we get that new front in here this fancy new Phenix leather will be in service … I CAN’T WAIT!

Special thanks to Father Webb for the “Blessing” and everything else he does for me and my Brothers and Sisters here in Roanoke.

I’m going to wrap it up here for tonight but promise to get back with another post tomorrow. I have a lot of exciting news to share as far as new web sites and projects that Rhett and I are involved in ….. 2012 is going to be EXCITING !

Until I get back… stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Comments are always welcome and easier than ever when logged in to Face Book!

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 11, 2012 • Filed under: news • Tagged: Box Alarm Leather LLC, Buckaroo, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Chaplain programs, Engine 13, Father Sandy Webb, FDNY, Fire Department Chaplains, firefighter pics, firefighter traditions, firefighters, house fire, John Deer, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Phenix leather fire helmets, Rescue 2 MAYDAY Fund, Roanoke Fire/EMS, search and overhaul, The FireCritic, Working fire

Taking “Brotherhood” to the FDNY and so much more… 3rd and final part!

3 comments

Click to see PART 1 and Part 2 of this post

We get to “The Rock” ( Randall’s Island .. the FDNY Training center ) and who do we bump into ???

Our old friend and Brother Firefighter James Sorokac!

Jimmy gave us one hell of a tour back in December 2011 when we were there with the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation. We “hit it off” right from the start … it’s easy to tell that Jimmy is a fireman’s fireman.

I could talk for days about all the facilities at “The Rock” and Jimmy knew every one of em inside and out. The site is nothing short of amazing. They have an entire 3 story New York City Block built inside a massive structure … it’s 3 story buildings, built INSIDE another building to allow their members to train out of the weather! Flashover simulators, a subway mock up, multiple burn buildings, roof simulators, confined space, trench, passenger vehicle and even a bus fire simulator. You name it, they train on it and it can be found at “The Rock”.

Learn more about “The Rock” by clicking HERE

Seeing how we’ve already had the tour, this time; Jimmy just told us a few stories and OHHH.. what stories this Brother can tell!

He was actually pretty excited about one in particular. You see, Jimmy services on their Ceremonial Unit. Actually, he’s their Senior member! Click HERE to learn more about the FDNY Ceremonial Unit ! Back at the 10th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jimmy had the honor of ringing the bell. A photographer captured and unbelievable shot of James, at attention, hand on the bell, a tear on his cheek and the American flag in the foreground. I can’t describe the emotion I felt seeing the photo … or the emotion it captured.

Roberta Lerch, wife of Honorary Chief of Department Jack Lerch; created a painting from the photograph and presented it to the Ceremonial Unit. They in turn, presented it to the Commissioner and Chief of Department who then deemed it remain on display at the Training center.

That’s the picture hanging above Jimmy’s head (in the photo to the left).

They even had a nice write up and picture in WNYF (With New York Firefighters) 4th/2011.

He was VERY proud and should be ! Rhett and I have also heard rumors of that picture becoming a book cover very soon … VERY COOL !

Thanks again to Jimmy for spending a little time with us out at “The Rock”. Thanks also for the great stories and for caring enough to share them with us … nobody tells em like you do Brother!

So, we got to visit with the Chief of Training as well. Soon, we’d find ourselves in the Captain’s office. Usually, being in the Captain’s office isn’t a good thing but this time … IT WAS AWESOME!

Beside every good Captain is a GREAT Lieutenant and we had the honor of meeting Lt. Ed Galiani as well.

Lt. Galiani has been wearing a MN8-FoxFire Helmet Band for a little while now. Can you see it?? Yea … it’s on there just burnt, blackened and smoked up a bit…. just a little bit.

We always get questions as to how the Helmet Bands hold up … this should leave no doubt in your mind.

Lt. Galiani did say he was a little concerned that it didn’t glow anymore but was very pleased that it hadn’t burned apart. It hadn’t even cracked up like the old inner tubes.

Well, Zach took the band off and headed over to the sink.

After a little soap and water, she began to clean up nicely… the Lt was impressed.

He just wasn’t aware that you can clean the Bands. So, for all of you out there wearing them ..YES …wash em. Soap and water will do well if washed regularly. If you’ve put em through the ringer as Lt Galiani has .. use something a little stronger .

We took this Band and presented Lt Galiani with a brand new one. Zach wanted to take this one back to the home office so he can show those who doubt just how well they hold up. This band has seen hundreds of fires and who knows how many heat cycles! FIREFIGHTER TESTED BABY!!

Learn more and purchase you MN8-FoxFire Helmet Band by clicking HERE

So, we left The Rock, and headed to Ground Zero. Of course we dropped in to visit our friends at Ten House and then grabbed a bite to eat. It had been a busy 2 days and we were BEAT so we headed back to the hotel.

There, we received a call. One of our loyal fans / followers lived not too far away and wanted to come meet us.

Little did we know that Christine Sarracino would have to sneek out of the house to do so…. LOL (just kidding).

Christine fought late buses and trains to finally meet us.

We headed down to a local bar for a few beers and stories. She was very fun to hang out with.

She even made a special gift for each of us. I had mentioned in an earlier post that we were thinking of having a patch designed that Incorporated both Ironfiremen.com and the FireCritic logo. She designed one for us to consider, printed it out, framed it and added a special note with each! It was a GREAT gift!

The next morning, we headed South in Jersey to Fire Hooks Unlimited!

Visit Fire Hooks Unlimited by clicking HERE

I carry a 6 foot “New York Hook” on every fire. It gives me reach and allows for plenty of leverage. I LOVE IT and these are the folks who make em!

Not only that, the owner; Bob Ferrell is a Retired FDNY Captain (who Retired as an “Acting” Battalion). Captain Ferrell is one of the most famous FDNY Captains and I call tell ya without a doubt … he’s a CAT BIRD!

You can read about some of his exploits in books such as Dennis Smith’s “Report from engine company 82″ or “Fire Department of New York – The Bravest 1865-2000” by FF Paul Hashage .

Learn / read more about FDNY Captain Bob Ferrell by clicking HERE

Captain Ferrell rolled out the red carpet …. we got a first class tour by him personally.

Captain Ferrell is holding the 5 foot version of the tool I carry in the picture shown to the right.

This place was AMAZING .. Rhett, Zach and I were in heaven.

The only thing better than the tour was the Stories Captain Ferrell told ….OMG!

I could have sat and listened to him for days! It was a perfect ending to another great trip! That evening, Rhett and I turned the ol “Blog Mobile” (that’s Rhett’s mini-van) south and headed home.

So, that was our trip in a nut shell … even though it took me 3 posts to get it all out! I want to say THANK YOU again to everyone who supported our effort in raising money for the FDNY Rescue 2 Mayday Fund…. WE MADE A DIFFERENCE!

Thanks also for following the site and sticking with me through these last few lengthy posts. I’ve got to catch ya up on some events that have occurred since we got back home but I really wanted to get the New York trip complete before moving on. I’ve had my new Phenix Helmet blessed and we’re almost ready to put her into service. We also caught a little work today but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for all the updates.

Until I get back…. Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 6, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: 9/11, 9/11 Memorial, Bronx New York, Captain Bob Ferrell, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Christine Sarracino, Engine Company 82, FDNY, FDNY Ceremonial Unit, FDNY Training Center, Fire Critic, fire helmets, Fire Hooks Unlimited, firefighter pics, Firefighter tools, firefighters, firefighting tools, Helmet Band, James Sorokac, Ladder 31, Lt. Ed Galiani, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, MN8 FoxFire, NYC, Randall's Island, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen, Zach Green

Taking “Brotherhood” to the FDNY and so much more …CONTINUED!

2 comments

This is “Part 2″ of my post on our latest visit to New York City and the FDNY. It’s continued form yesterday …

See PART 1 of this post by clicking HERE

So, we get to Hoboken’s Headquarters and Battalion Chief Greene is waiting to greet us. The City of Hoboken has some GREAT looking houses. They are old and you can tell. Some may say they look like crap or are “dumps” but I beg to differ. These houses hold history and tradition. THEY ARE HISTORY ! That’s why they are “houses” and not “stations”.

So anyway, the first thing Chief Greene does is shake my hand and give me a Challenge Coin!

He felt bad when I gave him a Brotherhood Chip the night before and caught him with empty pockets.

They didn’t sell beer in the firehouse so he bought me a cup of coffee ….LOL

Their coins look GREAT!

Actually, I can’t think of a coin Rhett or I have received that I thought didn’t look good. Some stand out a little more than others. Sometimes it where or who it came from while with others, it the engraving, logo or phrase on the coin.

Hoboken’s is solid all the way around.

Another example of how Department’s such as Hoboken and members such as Chief Greene “GET IT”.

PRIDE, HONOR, TRADITION, RESPECT and BROTHERHOOD !

I wish my Department had a coin. With everything else we brag on … we should!

So, we got a tour, ate some stale doughnuts (bagels..LOL) and shared a cup of coffee up in dispatch.

That was another cool thing about this house. It was a house … the Headquarters .. and their dispatch center! There was a retired Jake manning the dispatch console. If anyone had a question, they asked him (sorry … can’t remember his name).

That’s him sitting to the far left…working (that’s Battalion Chief Greene in the center).

I’m thinking… how cool is this? The dispatcher is retired from the job. Who better to fill this position?

Now, our guys and gals do a wonderful job but this Brother has an advantage. He knows what he’s hearing. He knows the job .. what we want, need and are asking for. Sounds too simple I guess?

Anyway, we were having a great visit.

Before long, Zach was in the Chief’s office working his magic. Next thing you know, Hoboken made a large purchase of MN8-FoxFire Products! These members are really going to be pleased and impressed! It’s also a great feeling for me, Zach and Rhett. We know what these products can do as far as giving us an extra “tool” for visibility, orientation and accountability! What an honor it is to be in a position to help or Brother and Sister Firefighters operate more safely !

THANKS to Chief Greene and the Hoboken FD for the hospitality ! We look forward to seeing you all again.

So, we left Hoboken Headquarters and wanted to celebrate.

I was looking for a bar to buy us all an ice cold beer.

Zach and Rhett ?? ….. well …. their minds were somewhere else …A BAKERY ?!?!?! WTF? ( No Chief “G” …NOT “Well Trained Firefighters” ..LOL )

Apparently, this place is famous or something. They have some kind of TV show or something where they cook a bunch of fancy cookies and cakes. The Cake Boss ? You can CLICK HERE to learn more.

I guess it’s kinda like the time when Rhett made us stop at some Jersey Shore place to look for Spookie (or whatever her name is). All I know is that Zach and Rhett were very excited to see the chair these people sit in to talk about cooking or whatever. Me??? not so excited but I do have to admit that it makes me feel good to see my two Brothers happy and excited so I guess it was worth the time to stop.

After their sugar fix, we got back to work. We loaded up and headed to Queens!

Our first stop was Rescue 4….AGAIN… MY EMOTIONS WOULD SURFACE.

I have often wrote about my good friend and Brother Captain Todd Stone and our travels to ride a long with the FDNY back “in the day”. Rescue 4 was a regular ride for us.

Being in this house, and even back the day before while in Rescue 2 with the roof hatches open; my thoughts often drift to a photo I have of Firefighter Pete Mclaughlin while riding R4.

Every run, Pete would stand on the side shelves with his head up through the roof hatch. Todd and I have some GREAT pictures in the back of that rig with Pete and many more of Rescue 4′s elite.I think of those times / rides often.

Firefighter Pete Mclaughlin was killed in The Line of Duty on October 8, 1995 just a week or so after our last ride with R4. He was caught in a flash over with collapse. Later, they would name a street in Queen in honor and memory of Pete. You can read a small related article by clicking HERE . WELL DONE BROTHER … continue to Rest in Peace and thanks again for the ride!

After leaving Rescue 4, we headed out to what used to be know in the FDNY as “Red Square” …. aka their “shops”.

The members called it “Red Square” because it’s an entire city block in size. That’s a New York City “block” and it was always surrounded on all 4 sides by broken down fire trucks … RED ones (hint..hint Swoope Vol. Fire Company, Roanoke County Fire / Rescue and more…LOL)

We got some UNBELIEVABLE tours here!

Shops, tool rooms etc … this place was HUGE! Not only was it big …. the folks inside seemed to know what they were doing / talking about ! IMAGINE THAT !

I was as excited as my wife and daughters get inside a Walmart … I was like a kid in a candy store (or Rhett and Zach in Carlo’s Bake Shop..LOL).

OMG this place was AMAZING !

The only place you’ll see as much or more apparatus in one place at the same time is at Firehouse Expo, FRI, FDIC or the like!

Tools???? Walls and WALLS … shelves on top of SHELVES full of em!

I know the FDNY is the largest in the world but all I’ve ever seen is one house etc at a time. I guess it took seeing the shops to actually realize the scope of what they have to deal with. They have more pieces out of service for repair than we do in service in the whole valley!

Anyway, I didn’t let em see me catch too many flies due to my mouth being wide open in awe and they gave us another fantastic tour. Rhett, Zach and I could sit and talk to members like the shop’s staff all day long .

We pulled out for a quick lunch on the go and headed out to the FDNY Training Center … THE ROCK ! Our day got even better.

TO BE CONTINUED …….

Read the 3rd and final part by clicking HERE

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 5, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, funding-staffing, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: Captain Todd Stone, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Carlos Bake Shop, FDNY, FDNY LODD, FDNY Rescue 2, FDNY Rescue 4, FDNY shops, FDNY tool shop, FDNY's Red Square, Fire Critic, firefighter challenge coins, Firefighter Pete Mclaughlin, firefighter pics, firefighter traditions, firefighters, Hoboken Battalion Chief Greene, Hoboken Fire Department, Hoboken NJ, LODD, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, MN8 FoxFire, Queens NY, The Cake Boss, The Jersey Shore, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen, Zach Green

Taking “Brotherhood” to the FDNY and so much more!

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I knows it’s been a few days since my last post but I have to tell ya. Our trips here lately are so jam packed and emotional that, for me; it takes a couple days for everything to sink in. I want to try to absorb everything we experience before attempting to write about it. We do however try to keep everyone updated via our Face Book pages.

Click HERE then “Like” to follow Ironfiremen.com on Face Book

This will take me a while to get out so it’s gonna a long one. I’ll spare you the pain and try to do it in 2 parts ….

Most of you know that our most recent trip had me, Rhett and Zach Green heading back to New York City. It started out as business and ended up being so much more (as it often does with the 3 of us). Zach called to tell me we needed to head back up and gave me the “high points” of our itinerary.

Once again, we would be stopping by FDNY’s famous Rescue 2 in Brooklyn. Read about our last visit to NYC and Rescue 2 by clicking HERE and HERE . I told Zach that there was NO WAY that we could go back into Rescue 2′s house empty handed after what happened to two of their members back on December 19th 2011.

Firefighters Weidmann and Gersbeck were critically injured while searching the upper floor of a brownstone fire in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Gersbeck was able to make the stairwell while Weidmann pushed through a wall of flame to reach an awaiting ladder on side “Alpha”. His unbelievable escape was caught on video… Click HERE to view the video .

Both of these members are still fighting to recover. They are fighting and suffering, their families are as well… emotionally, physically, psychologically, and financially. Rescue 2 set up a fund just for these situations … The Rescue 2 Mayday Fund. We knew right away what we needed to do .. raise some money for the fund!

We asked for donations and Zach offered to donate 50% of all online sales for the week (Mon-Mon) before our trip. Sattter 911, Bill Carey, Firefighter Nation, Fire / EMS Blog Network and MANY others helped in promoting the effort. It was a HUGE success!

Thanks to your efforts and support, Rhett, Zach and I handed over checks totaling more than $2,300.00 to Captain Liam Flaherty and the members of Rescue 2.

Captain Flaherty and his crew were VERY appreciative. We talked about all of the donations that have been making their way to the fund and how much each dollar counts. Not just each dollar into the fund … but every dollar out of your pocket. Captain Flaherty and the men of Rescue 2 understand how hard “times” are throughout the fire service and how difficult it is to give money away (donate) in these economic times. That’s what made these donations even more special … You most likely couldn’t afford it but you gave ANYWAY …That’s what BROTHERHOOD is all about.

I guess, in a way; we were able to show the men of Rescue 2 that the Brotherhood is alive and well… and not just in New York City. Knowing that a lot of you who donated were sacrificing something to do so (big or small) was very humbling. Again I say THANK YOU !

Keep in mind that Brothers Weidmann and Gersbeck (and their families) are not “out of the woods” yet. Firefighter Gersbeck is now recovering at home while Weidmann faces many more surgeries and extensive rehab (he was burnt over 54% of his body).

If you missed the chance to DONATE, you can still do so by clicking HERE

Photo by Lt Rhett Fleitz (FireCritic.com)

We got to spend some time at Rescue 2. The house and men within it are nothing short of AMAZING.

They had just placed their brand new rig .. a 2011 Ferrara into service on Saturday .. Liam said they were batting 700 … it already smelt like fire. We got the grand tour.

We also got to meet someone very special in my mind …Brendan Ielpi.

I had the honor of meeting Brendan’s father, Lee; back during our October 2011 visit. Lee Ielpi is a co-founder of the WTC Tribute Center and Chief Billy Goldfeder had arranged for him to give us a personal tour. It was one of the most emotional events of my life! I will never forgot the time I spent with Lee, and what he shared with us that day.

I still cry thinking about thinking about that visit. He kept a hand on me the entire time … a hand on my shoulder, clasping my hand into his or leading me by the arm and he was always looking me in the eyes. I can’t explain how it felt. How it feels still today. Somehow, for whatever reason; we forged a bond that day and it’s one I will carry for the rest of my life.

Read the post and learn more about Lee Ielpi by clicking HERE

Lee lost a son on September 11, 2011 at the World Trade centers. He and his other son Brendan went there that day to “do what they could”. They ended up looking (digging) for a son and brother, Jonathan; who responded in on FDNY’s Squad 288. Three months to the date, they found him but I don’t think Lee has ever “really” left.

Jonathan’s gear is now on display at The Tribute Center. Lee shared his story with us that day standing near that tribute (the gear). I can’t describe the COURAGE that must have taken. The HONOR, RESPECT and PRIDE.

Brendan was also on the job at the time of the attacks. He had traded some time and scheduled off to take a trip with some friends. After learning of the attacks, he picked up his father and responded into the City.

Now, just over 10 years later; Brendan is assigned to Rescue 2 and was pulling a tour when we stopped to visit. I could see his father in him and, for me; it brought back so much emotion. I understand the “father / son firefighters” relationship as my dad is also retired from the job. I don’t know why but I also feel as if us sons share some kind “bond”. As children, we’ve lived the life of a firefighter’s son. As adults, we spend our time trying to meet and live up to the expectations of 2nd generation firefighters who came behind such great men. I know that Lee is proud of Brendan and it was an HONOR to meet him.

You can learn more about the Brendan, Lee and some of what they went through and felt in those days, weeks, months and years since the attacks in a new book by Dennis Smith titled ”A Decade of Hope: Stories of Grief and Endurance from 9/11 Families and Friends” (Click the title for more info, exerts and purchasing) .

See more PHOTOS from our visit with FDNY’s Rescue 2 by clicking HERE

So, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up and would spend the rest of the evening in Hoboken, NJ.

I got pretty excited because Rhett and Zach decided we would eat at a topless restaurant. This trip was becoming more epic by the minute … Rescue 2, a Mayday Fund donation and now eating at a topless joint??? We need to go to New Jersey more often!

Turns out I think they were just teasing me cause this joint was REAL fancy and I didn’t see any topless women. Then when they brought the food out, it was just little teeny tiny portions and we all had to share. They laughed and told be it was “TOPAS” and not “topless” …LMAO. It was good food anyway.

And, turns out there was a firehouse right across the street.

These were some great men as well and we even got to meet their Battalion Chief.

He was there for a station / gear inspection but invited us in anyway. We had some great conversation and then I handed him one of our Brotherhood Chips.

Get you FireCritic / Ironfiremen.com Brotherhood Chip HERE

We took the chance to show the members some of the MN8-FoxFire Product line. Like everyone else who sees it for the first time, they were overtaken with “Glow Fever”.

The Chief was so excited that he invited us back to headquarters the next morning to meet the Chief!

Visit the Hoboken, NJ website by clicking HERE

The next morning, we stopped by a local bakery and bought some stale biscuits to take to the station … we try to never go into a firehouse empty handed. The members LOVED em! Rhatt and Zach called em bagels but they sure looked and felt like a stale biscuit or doughnut to me…LOL

TO BE CONTINUED ……

Now, see part 2 by clicking HERE and the 3rd and final part by clicking HERE

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 4, 2012 • Filed under: command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, funding-staffing, in-the-line-of-duty, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: 9/11, 9/11 attacks, A Decade of Hope, Brendan Ielpi, Brotherhood Chips, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Chief Billy Goldfeder, Dennis Smith, FDNY, FDNY Captain Liam Flaherty, FDNY Rescue 2, FDNY Rescue 2 Mayday Fund, Ferrara Fire Equipment, Fire Critic, firefighter donations, firefighter Gersbeck, firefighter injuries, Firefighter Weidmann, Hoboken Fire Department, Hoboken NJ, injured firefighters, Jonathan Ielpi, Lee Ielpi, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, MN8 FoxFire, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen, WTC Tribute Center, Zach Green

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Thanks to your efforts and support, Rhett, Zach and I handed over checks totaling more than $2,300.00 to Captain Liam Flaherty and the members of Rescue 2.

Read the post and learn more about Lee Ielpi by clicking HERE

This House WILL NEVER FORGET

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