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School Bus roll over in Botetourt County … on board students call 911

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photo from WDBJ 7

A school bus in Botetourt County rolled over at approx. 08:20 am on Wednesday morning  (5/23/2012).

The bus had 39 students and the driver aboard.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation but it is believed to have been related to an on board argument.  The driver, it’s said; was distracted and looking into the rear view mirror prior to the accident.

That driver, Mary Elizabeth Esque of Eagle Rock Virginia; has been charged by Virginia State Police with “Reckless Driving”. She has also been temporarily suspended from her duties as a driver while the investigation continues. She has no prior driving citations.

Follow and “LIKE” Ironfiremen.com of Face Book HERE 

The bus involved was not equipped with seat belts or safety restraints.  Of the 39 students aboard, 13 were transported to local hospitals with what has been described as minor injuries. The call to 911 actually came from one of the on board students as the driver worked to remove others from the overturned vehicle.

Listen to the 911 call , video and more HERE

PHOTOS from WDBJ 7 HERE

The incident was one of the first “tests” for the newly hired Carr Boyd ( related article HERE ).

Boyd was recently hired as the County’s Emergency Services Director despite a lot of opposition and controversy from local Volunteer Chiefs.

This MCI ( Mass Casualty Incident ) was apparently handled very smoothly and efficiently. Responding units were Botetourt’s career staff from Fincastle and Read Mountain Stations, volunteer members / equipment from Fincastle, Eagle Rock and Troutville, and mutual-aid from Roanoke County.

The Incident Commander was Division Chief Jason Ferguson.

I’m happy to see that the hiring of Carr Boyd has not resulted in the ” hurt feelings and busted noses” as suggested by Buchanan’s Volunteer Fire Chief Billy Joe Carter.

Read “Volunteer vs. Paid… Respect my Authoritah !!“

The search for this position drew a lot of attention to Botetourt County’s Emergency Services (mostly here on Ironfiremen.com).  For many, it was an unneeded position. With a “school yard” type attitude, most of the opposition to the position was due to the fact that the Director has the authority to assume Command of an Emergency Incident. Some of the Volunteer Chiefs felt as if the new Director would exercise this authority and take command of all of “their” Incidents.

It almost seemed like their concern was more for their “ego” rather than the citizens and visitors of Botetourt County. Sadly, my investigation into the issue brought to light several more serious issues in Botetourt County Emergency Services.

Read “Volunteer Leadership“

For more from Ironfiremen.com, use the search box (top right) and keyword “Buchanan”

The fact that Boyd did not “take” command of this incident says a lot to me about his tactics. Obviously, Chief  Ferguson was able to and DID handle the situation appropriately. Boyd did not “take” command because he “out ranked” Ferguson …. it was about competence.  I believe Boyd would have handled himself in the same manner had a volunteer Chief been in “command” and doing a good job.

I think Director Boyd “passed” his first test and is doing a good job thus far. I look forward to seeing what improvements he can bring to Botetourt County and their provision of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

My child was not on that bus but to every member and Department represented on scene … THANKS and WELL DONE!

Is your Department ready to handle a school bus accident, roll over or extrication? We have a GREAT source of information for you right here on the Fire/EMS Blog Network…..

Click to visit “First Due Tackle“

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by on May 25, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, EMS Dispatch, ems-topics, Fire Dispatch, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident, news, patient-management, rescues, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Did ya feel it??

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My post last night was titled “where were you when the world stopped turning?” . Well it didn’t stop today but it did shake a little…. in Ohio anyway. Why you may ask???

I’m in Newark, Ohio with Rhett and Dave Statter …. yea…. they’re together!

We’re up here because they are presenting on Social Media for the Ohio Fire Chief Association’s Leadership Seminar.

“Presenting” as in teaching … TOGETHER … IN THE SAME ROOM!

In speaking of Face Book, one of the slides says .. “If Face Book were a Country”  …. it continues to say that it would be the 3rd largest in the world (behind India and China) but I say it still wouldn’t be big enough for these two heads / egos …LMAO!

All kidding aside, the Ohio Chiefs assembled here are getting one hell of a class. The only way it could be any better would be if we had Curt Varone of Fire Law Blog  along.

Despite all of the rumor and hype, Rhett and Dave work very well together …. especially in this arena.

It’s actually very funny because I get to see both sides. When in public, they are always throwing “jabs” at each other (although they are very professional while teaching / speaking) BUT …. when we are alone, they can often be seen holding hands and skipping down the hallway of our hotel…LMAO (I throw up in my mouth every time I see it).

Follow and “LIKE” Ironfiremen.com on Face Book HERE

If you or your Department hasn’t had a class on Social Media …. it’s not too late. We see so many Chiefs who say our Department doesn’t have a web site or Face Book account so “we’re not on it”. Our reply is simple …. how many members do you have?  How many of them have Face Book, Twitter accounts etc?

“I don’t know”

Then guess what???? Your Department IS on Face Book, Twitter etc. If those members post pictures, comments etc then they are putting a view / perception of your Department “out there” and you have no idea about it. No idea and no control. You should see the look on their face when they realize it. In some cases, I will actually locate pictures etc of that Department’s apparatus etc and show them.

The material covered goes much deeper than this. Today’s presentation was broken into 7 sections over 6 hours and we just “brushed” on the topics. It’s a GREAT presentation and TRUST ME …. you and your Department NEED IT!

Find out how to have us speak at you event / Department HERE or HERE

I also need to say what GREAT hosts the Brothers up here in Ohio are. We are staying at and the seminar is being held at the Cherry Valley Lodge . It’s a VERY nice venue but of course … that’s how we roll!

We were met with open arms and Assistant Chief  Tom O’Brian even invited us out to Newark’s Station #1 for dinner this evening.

The entire group has been very interactive with the presentation and is full of what seems to be some forward thinking and good Chiefs. I can’t name them all but just for example, we’ve met Chief Tom Stewart and his Assistant Chief Matthew Noble of the Orange Township Fire Department .

Chief Rick Anderson of the Ashland Fire Department  ( IAFF L-1386 ) is also here and playing a huge roll in making the event run so smoothly. Again, I can’t name every Chief or Department represented but again I’ll say TRUST ME … the Ohio Fire Chiefs are a great bunch of guys who seem to “get it”.

I’ll try to post more on today’s events and tonight’s dinner later on tonight. Rhett and I have a few stops to make along the way of our trip home tomorrow and they should make for some good stories as well. Until I get back to ya … try to picture Rhett and Dave holding hands and skipping down the hallway (without upchucking) but most of all …. stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

 

Posted by on May 23, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, news, technology-communications, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Where were YOU when the world stopped turning

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I’ve got a lot of catching up to do and I’m not going to get it done in tonight’s post…. I hope this one will be short and sweet and I’ll get more up tomorrow.

The title of this one has a few meanings to it. First off, I went to an Alan Jackson concert this past Friday night. IT WAS AWESOME!

I’m not sure who to thank … my Department, our Civic Center, the concert promoters or Alan Jackson himself because our tickets were free. Somehow or another, both the Fire and Police Departments received several free tickets to disperse to their members.

Our Department simply paged out that they had em and to call if you wanted a set. I made the call without thinking. Had I have thought about it, I most likely wouldn’t have called. It’s the beginning of hay season and a very busy time on the farm. I’m not a fan of big crowds or loud music …. I don’t “get out” and it’s most often by choice.

After I got the tickets, I began regretting it. Too much going on, having to end my day early … take a bath etc. In my mind, the only “plus side” to going was that my wife (Donna) would get a much needed and deserved night out.

When we walked inside the civic center, I was shocked … it wasn’t a good turnout for the show. I figured Alan Jackson would see all the empty seats, play a few tunes and haul butt. HE DIDN’T.

We had GREAT seats and the stage had a large TV screen on both sides. The camera crews did a fantastic job of getting the “right” shots and provided plenty of close ups of Alan. It was evident in his facial expressions that he was playing for / from his passion for his job (it was obviously not because of a “packed house”) He played as if he was standing on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry or Madison Square Gardens. The music was not too loud or over bearing nor was there an excess of lights, explosions etc…. it was Alan Jackson singing.

I know most of his songs but have never seen him perform live. I was hoping he would play “Where were you when the world stopped turning” and he did. I stood through the entire song. Donna kept pulling at my shirt, wanting me to sit but I would have none of it.

I stood to honor and thank him for honoring us.

He even had the well know picture of the firefighters raising the flag at Ground Zero on the screen as he sang.

If you even have the chance to see an Alan Jackson concert … GO!

 

I’ll throw in the video for anyone who has never heard the song ( and I doubt there’s anyone who hasn’t ) but there’s NOTHING like hearing it live and in person ….

Ok, the 2nd meaning of the title for this posts is due to where I am tonight and more than that … WHO I’m with. Rhett and I are on yet another “road trip” but, this time; Dave Statter is with us (or we’re with him…lol).

Yep … Rhett and Dave are traveling together and I’m along to chaperon.

Apparently, I’m good at what I do because it’s been nothing but a “love fest” thus far … it’s almost sickening…LOL

We are in Newark, Ohio where we (Rhett and Dave ) have teamed up to present on  social media in/for the Fire Service.

We are at the Ohio Fire Chief’s Association’s Leadership Seminar  and these folks are in for a real treat!

I’ll update ya more in tomorrow’s post on how we’re getting along. The two “stars” of the show are currently down in the hot tub working out their pre-show jitters so I should have plenty to report.

For a little local “catch up”, the Brothers and Sisters from our South Side caught a little work last day ( Sunday ) and a citizen caught it on video. Rhett has the complete set of all 3 videos over on Va Fire News  HERE .  I’ll include “part 1″ which includes the knock down …

I’ll check back tomorrow…. until then, stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

 

Posted by on May 22, 2012 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized, videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Old School” Captains …

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I guess it depends on your own definition of what “old school” is but, for me; I’m talking about the good ones. Back when we had “Wooden Ladders and Iron Firemen”.

I was lucky to have grown up around several of them. I was even luckier to have gotten hired and worked under or around several more.

They were the Captains that Rookies feared yet respected at the same time. No non-sense types that knew their jobs and would settle for nothing less than you learning yours. These were the men that you didn’t want to piss off or let down. When called into the office, you never wanted to hear “close the door”.  If they were mad or disappointed, it meant that you had failed in some way or another.  They taught you something from even the everyday “little” things.

There was a “life lesson” or some sort of Fire Department training in every task. They worked hard and expected the same of you. There was never an option other than “the right thing” and they ALWAYS looked after their members.

I don’t understand it fully because for most of us… we didn’t know these men before the Fire Department. They weren’t our fathers or someone that we had grown up with. What was so “special” about these men that made us work so hard and strive for perfection (in their eyes anyway) ?  What drew us to them? What made us want so badly  to keep them happy?

It’s an intangible quality that I’ve work for my entire career. I’ve been a Captain for 12 years and I still haven’t gotten there … I hope to one day.

Follow Ironfiremen.com on Face Book HERE .. hit “Like”

Like I said before, I’ve been lucky enough to know several of these type Captains and this morning, I got a little “validation” (if you will) from one of them that I’ve looked up to since I was hired.

You all know my Senior Firefighter Todd “Boots” Harris. When I got on, Todd’s dad, Gary; was a Captain on my shift. He was very well respected and rightfully so. I never worked for Gary but was around him a lot. At the time, I drove our Battalion Chief ( Chief Patton).

I was one of the least senior and youngest men in our Battalion yet I thought I knew it all. Back then, my position as Chief driver; was basically a license to free lance. Right or wrong, I took FULL advantage of the opportunity.  We ran every fire on the “North Side” and most of em on the South. Whenever we’d get there, the Chief would simply tell me … “get in there and put it out”. NO radios … NO assignment … NO accountability etc … I just went to work.

I wasn’t well liked. We’d come in, I’d pack up, run in … get to (or as close as possible to) the nozzle or grab and go to work. After the knock down, a little bit of salvage / overhaul etc, then; the Chief and I would load up and head back to quarters. No hose loading, clean up etc. I was a “cowboy” on an open range …. I had  a free pass to ride.

There’s no wonder a lot of the older members (and especially Officers) didn’t think much of me. I didn’t know it, but I was going about it all wrong. I thought I could earn “respect” that way. I thought that made me a good fireman … getting to the fire and getting water on it. I didn’t realize that it was so much more to the job because I had blinders on … tunnel vision.  It wasn’t just what I was doing either.. my attitude matched the actions… again.. I thought I knew it all and DIDN’T.

Most of the Captains from those days are now retired…. Todd’s dad Gary included. Several of them, I still see quite often (Union meetings, Department functions, funerals etc). Now, I’m a Captain and I can’t help but wonder what they think of that when they see me. I know they have their doubts and I don’t blame them.

Boots and his dad (Gary) run a sports bar in the City ( The Second Alarm ) and have for the last 30 years or more.

See a related post from Rhett’s Roanoke Fire.com HERE … Todd and Gary did later  reopen a little farther up Williamson Road.

Obviously, I see Gary a lot. More so than others, I often wonder what HE thinks of me having made Captain. Again I can’t explain it but, for whatever reason; I still look for and want his “validation”.

I most likely didn’t make the best impression on him back when I was a Private and now, not only am I a Captain, I’m his sons Captain (and Boots has more seniority… he’s been on the job longer yet I’ve passed him in rank). That “hot dog” “cowboy” firefighter from back in the day is now responsible for his sons welfare on the job.

Gary and my dad are a LOT alike. Neither is a man of many words. I guess it’s also a “fireman” thing because they don’t have to say it … I know what they want to or are trying to say and we both understand that we “understand” …LOL.  Well today, Gary basicly told me that I’m a good Captain and I can’t tell you how much THAT meant to me!

We had a bad night. One like I hope to never experience again ( getting home late and worn out lead to a hot bath, tottie and bed!)

Without giving too much detail, Boots had a medical emergency at the station last night. He got out of bed and came to me for “help”. As soon as I seen him, I knew something was wrong … he looked BAD. I can’t explain that feeling. Seeing him like that. It takes a LOT to shake me but that did. I was ON THE JOB and scared. This wasn’t “John Q Citizen” … it was Boots.

Our Brothers from Medic #4 (thanks Brooks and “Milky”) rushed over and got us to the ER. As soon as we were settled and knew everything was going to be “ok”, I had to call “mom and dad” and tell them where we were and and what was going on. THAT is a difficult call to make even though Boots was doing very well. I knew what the first thing through their mind would be when they answered the phone at midnight to hear MY voice.

I thought about not calling but Battalion Chief Adkins (Teddy) made a great point. Would I rather call now, knowing that it will put them in a panic or; have Captain Harris find out the next morning (or at 4-5am) and know that we had been in the ER all night with his son  and I didn’t call??  Hummm… good point …he would have killed me. I made the call.

Gary and Todd’s mom arrived at the ER and stayed the night by his side. Everything worked out as good as possible and Todd was released this morning. He is doing fine and should be back to work next cycle. We ended up going back into service and returning to quarters.

After shift break, I gathered Todd’s clothes etc and headed over to the house. I spent a little time making sure he was comfortable, settled and that he didn’t need anything.

I rubbed his feet a little, read him the cartoons from this months Hustler and tucked him in for some much needed rest. When I left, I went straight to the bar … The Second Alarm.

You see, had everything have been normal; that’s where Todd would have been. He and his dad meet there every morning to clean and stock from the night before. Today (as with every day that Boots is on duty), Gary would have to work alone. I went to the bar to stand-in for Boots … to help Gary (he had been up in the ER all night as well).

It was there, in his own “round about way” that he thanked me and basically told me that I was doing a good job as Captain. There wasn’t a lot of spoken words back and forth but he made his point.

I was honored … HUMBLED and I want to say like almost “proud”. I didn’t need nor expect his thanks. We ( me, Georgie, Teddy, Brooks or Milky) didn’t do anything that anyone else wouldn’t have done.

What hit me the most was that Gary said “I’m glad you were there son” ( he has always called me “son”). It’s funny how a statement as simple as that, from someone whom I hold in such high esteem;  validated so much of everything I’ve been working for and towards my entire career. On one hand, It makes me feel as if I’ve grown closer to the Captain that I’ve always aspired to be. On the other hand, it posed several questions…..

How many times do I pass out a “good job” ….. “well done” … “proud of ya”? As a Captain, do I give the “validation” due to my members? Have I been?  Will it mean as much to them, coming from a Captain like ME as it meant to me coming from an “old school”  Captain such as Gary Harris ….. I HOPE SO.

Again I’ll say that Boots is at home, resting and doing very well. I will update you on his condition if needed but I don’t expect it will be. I’m back on duty tomorrow (Tuesday) and will get another post up asap…. until then, stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

 

Posted by on May 14, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Someone you need to know …flowing foam, dragging 2 1/2″, visitors and more

3 comments

To start with, I need to mend some hurt feelings. Can you imagine that …. firemen “catching feelings”. One because I didn’t say something … the other because I did!   WTF?

I have mentioned Retired Lt Mike Overacker on my site many times over the years. Last week, I failed to check his site for pictures of some of our recent fires and therefore, didn’t link to his site. I was merely an oversight and an issue of not having enough hours in the day. It was not a case of me getting “too big for my britches”.

That said, Mike was able to grab some great shots of a couple fires last week.

Visit Roanoke Firefighters.com  

Instead of sending a nasty-gram e-mail, maybe next time Mikey will use his spare time to call and let me know that he posted some good pictures of this or that fire and I will gladly link to them.

So, obviously; Mikey was upset that I didn’t say something. “Fire Boy” Rhett Fleitz was up in arms over my saying too much. He was apparently upset that I took the time to congratulate Dave Statter on reaching his 5th Birthday over at Statter911.com

In the comment section, Rhett called my post ( Better Late Than Never ) a “love fest” that he thought “would never end”. I can’t win for loosing!

So PLEASE take the time to visit the Fire Critic’s site after you’ve looked at RoanokeFirefighters.com. He actually has some good articles and the  occasional picture.

Rhett is always thinking…. bringing new and fresh material to Fire Critic.com  and keeping both of his loyal followers well informed. Most recently, he has started a new weekly series that he calls “20 Questions”. Basically, he is posing a 20 question interview to some of the top names in today’s fire service (and some folks you may not have heard of yet but should and will soon).

Read his 1st installment “20 Questions with Christopher Brennan of Fire Service Warrior” 

This week, he interviewed Shane Parkins of the National Firefighters Endowment.

This is a man that EVERY member on the job should know.

Shane lives out in California and is the President of the National Firefighter’s Endowment. The Endowment is a non-profit group whose mission is “to support fire departments that may lack the resources to effectively do the job. More specifically, our focus is on ensuring firefighters have the tools to respond in times of crisis, and do so safely“.

In a nut shell, they provide “grants” for the equipment we need to do our jobs. Don’t let the word “grant” scare ya … THEY ARE EASY TO APPLY FOR!

Shane and the NFE is currently accepting video applications for several $5,000 Equipment Grants that they have to offer. Yea… it’s that easy. Send them a short video explaining what equipment your Department needs and why ….. next thing you know, Shane and the NFE could be coming to your rescue!

Details for $5,000 Equipment Grant from the National Firefighters Endowment by clicking HERE 

TRUST ME …. get to know this guy and support the National Firefighters Endowment ANY WAY YOU CAN! These are the folks helping us… the firefighters. In these times of cut backs in staffing, salaries, station closings / brown outs etc .. who else is on our side? Shane gave a GREAT interview in Rhett’s 2nd “20 Questions” installment… he explains a lot of what the NFE is all about …. take the time … READ IT!

20 Questions with Shane Parkins of National Firefighters Endowment

Now go back and read questions #5 and #6 again. This time … hit the links for the NFE’s Officer’s Club  and join. I promise you that your donation will pay off in one way or another.

Ok…moving on… we’re back on duty today. It’s been busy but productive.

We started off by flowing some foam over at our water treatment plant.

Our rig is a Pierce Quantum that carries 1,000 gallons of water and 40 gallons of foam.

It’s equipped with a Huskey Foam System that is actually pretty sweet.

We don’t use / flow a lot of foam here in “The Noke” so it was good to get out and flow a little.

This was actually the first time that I’ve flowed foam from this Engine (due to the cost etc … we’re not allowed to train with foam) and I’ll have to admit that I was pleased.

We carry 2 TFT foam nozzles on the rig plus we had an old style “pipe”.

All 3 nozzles did very well at both 1% and 3%.

I only wish Randy …. aka “Rocket Randy Armbrister from Max Meadows Virginia” was with us today. Apparently Captain Clayton “I’m 1st Due everywhere” Martin banged out sick today so we had to ship a man out to Station #3.

The good news about sending our Rookie to #3 is that I’m sure he learned something. The bad news is it was probably all about Band-Aids … you know… “sticky side down” and all that other technical medical stuff…LOL

 

We got a short break in the afternoon before heading over to our Regional Training Center for Company Evolutions.

Captain Todd Stone ( Station #6-A) is still on Light Duty recovering from a Roanoke Rampage Football injury and has been assigned to the Training Center. Captain Stone spent some time at the RTC earlier in his career and did a fantastic job …. he fell right back into it here in his old age.

We had some quality training tonight. Todd and I are good friend who go way back and I think a lot of him. I was obvious that he had thought about tonight’s operations and planned it so everyone got in some quality work as efficiently as possible (how a “Training Center” should work…right?)

Anyway, he had it set up so the Engines ( us and Engine #1) go some hydrant work, a FDC hook up as well as work advancing a 2 1/2″ hand line and stand pipe operations in a separate evolution.

At the same time, the ladder was able to throw multiple ground ladders as well as do some work from the aerial.

Like with the foam, we don’t attack with a 2 1/2″ line very often here in “The Noke” so the training was needed and fitting. They were timed exercises and we actually did very well.

We were joined by Engine #1, Ladder #1 and Medic #1 … aka.. “The BIG Show“.

During our short period of “down time” this afternoon, we had a couple visitors drop by…. Eddie Snyder and Melissa Farris.

Eddie is a Brother Firefighter from Staunton, Va and a member of IAFF L-3468. He runs out of Staunton’s Station #2.

Rhett and I first met Eddie while speaking at the Swoope VFD Annual Dinner.

Read my post “GUILTY“ 

Rhett and I always enjoy when Brothers, Sisters, fans and followers of our sites drop in for visits. I was a little pushed for time today but I was able to give Eddie and Melissa a tour of the station and a small piece of our 1st due. I hope they enjoyed their visit.

Typically, Rhett would have joined us and shown the two around to some of our other stations but the time factor, short notice etc didn’t allow for it this time. Maybe they will get up again and we can show them a little more of our Departments history etc.

He was able to score an Ironfiremen / Fire Critic Challenge Coin made exclusively by NM Coins LLC. Have you seen em yet? Got one? Well you’re in LUCK because they are currently ON SALE for 40% off over on Daily911 Deals.com .

You get 2 coins (ours and a “stock” firefighter coin) PLUS our CUSTOM patch for just $14.40 ! 2 coins and a patch for under $15.00!!! WHAT A BARGAIN!

40% off Ironfiremen / Fire Critic Coin-patch combo 

We’re back on Sundayand I’ll check back in with ya then. Until I do …. stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by on May 11, 2012 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Better late than never!

2 comments

Because my puter has been down … I missed two very important days last week.  Two days of celebration.  One marking the death of a terrorist, the other marking the birth of a Fire Service Media Icon.

First, we reached the 1 year anniversary of the Death of Osama Bin Laden!

Like the headline from the New York Daily News said… I hope he rots in hell!

SPECIAL THANKS to Seal Team 6 for a job well done. I only wish that his death could have been much slower and painful. The thousands that he murdered and the many more he left behind suffered. He should have too.

I could and would have killed him with a cotton ball. As long as that would have taken, it still may have been too quick. The good thing for him is that I’ll never get that chance. I do take comfort in knowing that he seen his killer. I’m sure he seen the seal coming towards him and knew he was American. I can only hope that he got the shot off before Bin Laden closed his coward eyes. I smile thinking that the last thing this POS  piece of shit seen was the muzzle flash of an American weapon. I hope his mind was consumed with fear and that the impact was painful.

I celebrate his death and the victory of a battle. I say “battle” because the war is far from over. There is a lot of work left to do yet. I say kill em all … including those awaiting trial still today. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his Al Qaeda cohorts have been making  a mockery of Democracy all week. They have been smiling, reading books, ignoring questions  and even gave a “thumbs up” during their hearing.

9/11 trial: Al Qaeda’s court tactics anger families of victims

They never should have made it to trial in the first place and I hope that they too ROT IN HELL. Is it personal for me … YES.  I knew several of the men they murdered and I will not forget the sacrifice they made.

One of the ways I remember and honor those lost is by participating in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs. Rhett and I have posted about our climbs many times. We’ve completed 5. If you haven’t participated in a climb yet …YOU SHOULD.

Can’t climb? No problem. Register and another Brother or Sister will carry the name and memory of one of our fallen for you. Register, show up and support those who are climbing…. you WILL make a difference.

Learn more and find a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb near you

Ok .. enough with that rant for now … let me move on to the 2nd day of celebration I missed . A BIRTHDAY !!! Not just any Birthday either … Statter911.com turned 5 years old this week! ( that’s just 1 year older than the Buckaroo …and Statter calls Rhett “young”…LOL)

CONGRATULATIONS Dave! Congratulations and WELL DONE!

Statter’s 5 yr post HERE

Raise a glass Brothers and Sisters … he’s earned it.

Trust me … keeping these sites up and going is not an easy task and Dave Statter sets the standard.

I say that with all due respect and seriousness. For Dave to have been able to keep it up this long is unbelievable ( just ask Hilary …LMAO) All kidding aside, 5 years at the top is one hell of an achievement.

Despite what Rhett says, Dave Statter IS the King of Blogs!

King of blogs
by: Capt

Dave, Rhett and I have had a BLAST over the last few years and I’m honored to call him a friend.

We always give each other (the three of us) a hard time on our sites and it’s all in “good fun”. You’d be shocked at how many people  ask me if the “feud”  is actually real or not…LMAO

OF COURSE IT IS !!!! Rhett and Dave HATE each other… I’m the one caught in the middle!

We’ve been fortunate enough to travel all over the Country together and Dave has impacted members (good and bad) from coast to coast through his writings / reporting.

That said, his greatest impact on me has been a little closer to home.

Forget the trips. The dinners, ball games etc. Dave (and his family) have opened their home to me. To me, Rhett, my step mother and Dad actually. When Dave learned that we (Rhett, Dad and I) were going to climb in the Greenbelt 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb on the 10 yr Anniversary of the attacks, he wouldn’t hear of us staying in a hotel….WOULDN’T HEAR IT!

He opened his home and the 4 of us stayed at the 5 star “Hotel Statter”. It was a very generous offer and a true act of Brotherhood.

Read my post from that trip HERE 

Dave has also impacted me through his work with the NFFF (National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation) . He is the reason I attended my first Memorial Weekend back in 2010 and  the reason I wont miss another.

Read those posts HERE  HERE and HERE 

Become involved with the NFFF and attend the Memorial Weekend … it WILL change you!

So, congratulations on 5 years once again Dave!

Thanks for the guidance, support and friendship.

Most of all, thanks for the child support checks (you’re late for last months payment by the way) over the years. Im sorry about the “deadbeat dad” lawsuit but, at the time; I felt like my hands were tied.

Hello to Hillary and Sam … keep up the GREAT work … see ya in Ohio!

The rest of ya … stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by on May 7, 2012 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Alive and well

3 comments

Good news for some, not so good for others BUT … I am alive and well. Thanks to everyone for the e-mails, texts etc. As it turns out, I was a lot sicker than I thought when we returned from FDIC.

I’m not the kind to run off to the Doctor with every little ache and pain plus … I’m just a wee bit hard headed.  My wife decided that if I wasn’t going to go to the doctor then she’d  have Father Webb come out and at least administer Last Rites.

For whatever reason, she couldn’t find him but later, I did manage to drop by station #2 ..aka.. “The Deuce”.

This house has had many nick names throughout my career. Back when the North Side Battalion ran out of there, it was know as “The Palace” and it’s members the “Palace Guards”.

Apparently, these members have received quite the promotion and / or they are recruiting with a much higher standard than they were when I was assigned there as a Private.

Do ya see it? They are posing in likeness of “The Last Supper”

Actually, their pose is fairly accurate.

I am a little confused as to why they chose Jayson Anuszkiewicz (yes.. that’s his REAL name and why we call him “alphabet”) to sit in Jesus’ position. We have a member whom everyone has nick named Jesus but he’s a Captain over at #5 … not a Firefighter/Medic at #2.

I don’t know but it must be something to it because after visiting Station #2, I’m now much better.

The worse part about being down sick was that I also infected my computer. I figured it either got the virus from me or from the Buckaroo watching all that porn…LMAO. I don’t know how I did it or how long it will last but, obviously; I got her back up and running today. I should try to make this a quick post (in case she goes down again) but I have a TON of catching up to do.

So… where to start???  FIRE !

The Brothers and sisters here in “The Noke” have been earning our pay here lately.

Forget about the shootings and stabbings every night … now it’s fires. I don’t know the exact numbers but our last 2 weeks have been BUSY.

The picture to the right was from a few days ago on Patton Ave. The fire resulted in a civilian fatality and sent another to the burn unit at UVA Medical Center. The Brothers and Sisters of B-Shift put in some SOLID WORK on this one. You won’t believe some of the details ….

More details of Fatal Patton Ave fire HERE 

Just last night, we had a fire that displaced 10 residents. I don’t have a lot of details for ya on this one but, from the news video and pictures; it looks like the Brothers and Sisters from “The Big Show” put in some solid Truck work.

More on that fire from WDBJ 7 HERE

On a brighter note, one of our newest members Shawn “Chum Lee” Sloane of #7 B-shift got the first “grab” of his career Thursday.

Shawn graduated our last Rookie School ( the same class as my own … and now famous “Rocket” Randy Armbrister) and had been on the job less than 1 year.

Once again, our members logged some solid work. A quick and solid knock down allowed Sloane to rescue the family pet ( dog … pictured center left in his arms).

More on that fire HERE

 

The bad news in all the fires here ( beyond the fatality, injuries and loss of property) lately is that a lot of them have been arson.

From the outside, it almost looks bad on us. We’ve been putting a lot of houses on the ground (making “parking lots”) but, from the inside; we’ve been doing one HELL OF A JOB … let me explain.

Ya see, here in “The Noke”; we take a LOT of pride in being an “aggressive” Fire Department.

We have a LOT of2-3 story,  balloon framed, older construction that has now been divided into multiple apartments etc. They key to our success has been the fact that we are on scene in 4 minutes or less 90% of the time. Our members are well trained, equipped  and disciplined and the result is that we get water on the fire QUICKLY.

The fact here lately is that these houses simply have had too much of a jump on us. We are rolling up  to houses FULLY INVOLVED and our Officers are having to go defensive.

Details on the Hanover fire (above right) HERE

TRUST ME … it’s NOT an easy thing to do. Especially in a Department like ours.  I’ll go back to those two words…. TRAINING and DISCIPLINE. I applaud the effort and calls our guys are making out here on the street … they’re getting it RIGHT and our members are going home the next morning.

As a Company Officer, first in; do YOU have the training, knowledge and ability to make the Offensive vs Defensive call? What factors do you use to determine which way to go?

Do your members have the discipline needed  to follow your direction or will they try to push in?

Holding firefighters back … IT AINT EASY. It’s something to think about. As the situation worsens, how easily can you and your Department transition from offensive to defensive?

If you need some help figuring it out, my good friend, Brother and Fire Service Leader Chris Naum can help. If you haven’t already, check out his web sites … THEY ARE MUST READS !

Visit Command Safety.com  The Company Officer.com and  Buildings on Fire.com

 

For those of you close by, I believe that Chris is going to be the speaker for our 4th Annual Officer Seminar held here in Roanoke. If he gets the job … this will be our best seminar yet and you wont want to miss it! The event is held in September. Rhett and I will post more details as soon as they are final.

So, big fires most often mean big water … or bigger than our typical 1 3/4″ anyway.

That’s been our focus of training here at Lucky #13 this week.

We’ve been putting our Rookie … “Rocket” Randy Armbrister  through the paces of deploying a 2 1/2″ for exposure protection this week.

The weather hasn’t been perfect as it’s been near 90 degrees and hot but the little fella LOVES it. He’s always got that grin on his face and never complains.

We actually got a couple evolutions out of this drill. We got a little hydrant work in before moving to the 2 1/2″.

We carry 1,000 gallons of water and I very seldom take a hydrant with us ( meaning he doesn’t get a lot of practice catching em ). Like Chief Billy Goldfeder, I believe in getting in there and getting water on the fire as quickly as possible. If successful, 1,000 is is MORE than enough water (most of our Engines carry 500).  That said, we typically have the 2nd in Engine lay the line.

It works well for us and we try to train on even the routine operations as often as possible.

We carry and Randy deployed a pre-connected 2 1/2″ line with an adjustable fog nozzle. I like the fog because it allows us options.

In a wide pattern, it make for a great water curtain between the fire building and an exposure. You can also dial it down to a “straight” stream (not “solid”) and advance it inside if necessary.

Keep in mind that I said it’s an “option”. Personally, I don’t advocate advancing a 2 1/2 ” inside a structure (residential structures anyway). I think we (my company) make up for fewer gallons per minute in having the maneuverability and ability to put the water exactly where we need it.

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While out at the training center, we got to see a few Brothers that I haven’t in a while.

Pictured right are Captains Mac Craft ( Rhett’s Captain, seen on the left) and Todd Stone.

Captain Stone is on crutches due to an injury he sustained while playing football in the National Public Safety Football League.

Captain Stone is the founder and President of the Roanoke Rampage. As if that’s not enough … Todd also plays (or he did anyway).

I wasn’t able to play this year but the boys look REALLY good. Their final game is here at home on May 19th against Southern California at 3pm. Help fill the stands of William Fleming High School and show our support for these Brothers as they play full contact football for charity.
We also had a few visitors (well… one anyway) drop by the station this week.

Chief Scott Morrison of the Knotts Island Volunteer Fire Department was in town and Rhett was able to give him a tour of our city.

They hit a lot of our stations (new and old) and ended up here for lunch.

Boots (Firefighter Todd Harris) whipped up an “old style” firehouse lunch of cowboy beans, fried cabbage, squash and fried potatoes. My dad even stopped in to eat with us!

I think (and hope) Chief Morrison enjoyed the visit. Rhett and I always enjoy when our fans / readers drop in to say hello. We take a lot of Pride in our job and our Department and have a blast sharing our history with our Brothers and sisters.

Speaking of taking PRIDE in what we do …. have you seen our new challenge coins???? THEY LOOK GREAT ! The folks over at NM Coin did a fantastic job for us. If you’ve been thinking about getting a custom challenge coin, badge or patch made …. these are the guys to go to!

Rhett and I will try to keep a small supply to pass out but they go QUICK. We ran out in no time while at FDIC.

We are NOT going to try to sell them ourselves. The honest answer is that it’s simply too difficult for us to handle with everything else we do. The good news is that you can purchase our coins direct from NM Coin individually or in  a package deal. Find all your options on purchasing our Challenge Coin by CLICKING HERE .

The even better news is that the coins are currently being run at a special discount price on Daily 911 Deals.com ! For just $14.40 …( THAT’S 40% OFF ) you get our Challenge Coin, our Custom Patch and a stock NM Coin Firefighter Challenge coin!

CLICK HERE for 40% off our Ironfiremen / FireCritic Challenge Coin

 

Speaking of Challenge Coins, the National Firefighters Endowment should be announcing and presenting their new coin very soon. This will be another “MUST HAVE” coin for your collection!

The National Firefighters Endowment is accepting video submissions for a grant process currently underway (separate and different from the Challenge coin mentioned above). Simply create a video, upload it to Youtube, and your department could be the recipient of a $5,000-$6,000 grant from the Endowment!

Visit the Endowment Web Site HERE

Find, Like and Follow them on Face Book HERE

 I’ve got a lot more cool stuff to share and pass along to ya but I had better get this one posted while the computer is still up and running.

Although I have a GREAT rehab routine, I don’t think the Hot Tub and totties will work for my computer…LOL

Hopefully, I’ll have a new one in a week or so and wont have to worry about her crashing on me.

I’ll get back to ya with more as soon as possible (assuming this laptop holds out) … until then, stay SAFE and in House!

Thanks for following!

Captain Wines

 

Posted by on May 6, 2012 • Filed under: command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, rescues, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,