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Forward thinking Chief vs. the “good ol boy system” … who has Public Safety’s best interest in mind for Botetourt County?

Botetourt County’s Emergency Services has made our local news again. Just over a year ago, the County hired Carr Boyd to serve as their Emergency Services Coordinator. It was a HUGE debate and met with a lot of criticism.

Several of the County’s Volunteer Chiefs ( two, more so than others ) were very out spoken and did not support the hiring of this position. At the time, it seemed as if their main argument against the position was that the Coordinator would have the authority to assume command of an emergency incident if necessary. One Chief (now former) was even quoted as saying ….

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

They were using terms like “my scene” and saying things like they didn’t need anyone coming in “here” and telling them how or what to do. There were a lot of egos flying around and it seemed to me that the only people who could get hurt were the ones whom Botetourt’s Emergency Services were there to protect … it’s citizens and visitors.

Here’s a quote from an article I posted back when this all started … “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 !” Read that entire article in the link below …

VOLUNTEER VS. PAID …RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH !!!

Well, it took just over a year for them to accomplish their goal. I hope they’re happy.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Carr Boyd will resign from the position effective at the end of the month. Some local coverage and video in the links below …

From WDBJ 7

From Roanoke.com

Above, I said it took “them” just over a year to accomplish their goal. By that, I meant the group that opposed the position in the first place…. YEA …. they never went away (well … one of em did). Some are actually still serving as Volunteers within the County (some being Chief and/or Company Officers).

More “hurt feelings and busted noses” for Botetourt County’s Emergency Services.

First off, I’m EMBARRASSED. I’m embarrassed and ASHAMED. There’s a WHOLE lot more to this story than is being told (in the “main stream” media anyway).

I’m embarrassed and ashamed because it seems as if Chief Boyd has been hung out to dry. The only person stepping out in support of him is, the newly appointed (and former) Buchanan Volunteer Fire Chief; John Manspile. In an article on Roanoke.com Cheif Manspile said …

“He’s been exactly what this county needed,” Buchanan Volunteer Fire Chief John Manspile said. “He’s been doing what was practical, what needs to be done. … I can’t see where he’s done anything wrong.”

Chief Boyd has yet to comment publicly on the issue. He’s showing a level of tact and restraint I don’t think I myself possess.

I’ve been looking (waiting) for someone to EXPLAIN. To tell us the details. Why would Chief Carr relocate his family all the way from NC to work a single year and then retire? Because he was FORCED OUT … that’s why (or that’s my opinion anyway).

I’m getting reports (off the record) that some members of the group that initially opposed the position and Boyd’s hiring never gave up their fight.

Reportedly lead by one of the Volunteer Fire Chiefs, who is himself a convicted felon; this group set out to rid the County of Boyd and apparently they have succeeded … BUT AT WHO’S COST?

It’s rumored that the group discovered an issue with Boyd’s training. I say “rumored” because I haven’t confirmed it as of yet. We know he was a Captain (and “Acting” Battalion Chief) in Charlotte, NC before coming to Botetourt County. He must have had some training.

The rumor continues that the group took the issue to the Board of Supervisors and gave the option … Boyd’s resignation or the resignation of several of the volunteers. If that is indeed the case, and how it “went down”; then the Board made the WRONG decision.

Read “Volunteer Leadership” Click HERE

Is this a “paid vs volunteer” or a “good ol boy club” issue? The County has already said that they plan to fill the position. I wonder if the same group opposes that? Or maybe it was just Chief Boyd they opposed? I wonder who they would support for the position …. one of their own?

Someone who wouldn’t have to make the tough decisions. Someone who wouldn’t have to enforce policy? Ahhhhh ….. the ol 2 steps forward, 6 steps back game!

Read some of the comments from Roanoke.com Click HERE

Just recently, the Botetourt’s Board of Supervisors heard the story of Volunteer Companies being unable to staff units while citizens were on scene performing CPR for extended period of time.

Like many other Departments across the Country, Botetourt needs to find new ways to meet the needs of their citizens. They need to find a new way of doing business in relation to providing Emergency Services. Carr Boyd was doing just that.

I’m not sure if the answer is through a Combination , Career or all Volunteer System but I do know they need to become “forward thinking” rather than taking leaps backwards (like it appears they just have). I also feel that whatever direction they decide to go, convicted felons and those who place personal gain over Public Safety shouldn’t be a part of it. The past Buchanan “issues” in Botetourt should have proven that point to the Supervisors.

I have spoken to Carr Boyd recently. Although he would not comment on the current issues, he did share that his main concern at this point is assuring that the members of Botetourt’s Emergency Services are taken care of (career and volunteer members) through this ordeal.

I’m sure he could have “thrown some stones” …. he didn’t. Instead, he took the road of a good Officer … of a good Leader … even after all this, he’s “looking after the men” (and women). Carr Boyd is a CLASS ACT. I wish some of remaining Officers in Botetourt County were more like him.

I wrote this post a couple days ago and have had it awaiting publishing in my que. Apparently, someone was looking over my shoulder as I was typing. I say this because of a comment I received last night. If you missed it, I posted it in a short stand alone post late last night.

Use the link below and take a look… it may help you understand just a little more of some of the challenges (and types of people) Carr Boyd faced over the past year…

Read CHRISTINE PADERICK … STOP READING THIS SITE!

I say instead of the Director of Emergency Services, Botetourt should rid their Department of Felons and allow the professionals (volunteer and career) to do their jobs and perform their duties.

I have a LOT more to say on this issue and will continue to gather the facts for a follow up post.

Stay Safe and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on May 18, 2013 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, ems-topics, fire-rescue-topics, funding-staffing, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, Botetourt County Director of Emergency Services, Botetourt County Va, brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Carr Boyd, Christine Paderick, Dave Statter, FDNY, Felon firefighters, Fire Critic, firefighter pics, firefighters, house fire, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, MN8 products, Scott Paderick, Social Media, Statter 911, Troutville VFD, Working fire

Opening up

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For those of us “on the job”, it’s a fairly common term.

We use it when talking about forcing entry into a structure or cutting a ventilation hole in the roof. Sometimes it’s even used for vehicle extrication (using the “jaws of life” to cut open a car).

More often than not, it’s a “Truckie” term ( a firefighter assigned to a Ladder truck) although sometimes, due to today’s staffing issues; an Engine Company can be assigned these tasks.

I’ve been thinking about “opening up” and the various meanings of the term a lot here lately …. as related to the job and emotionally.

Today, I’m working an extra shift. I’m paying back a Brother (Tim Cady) who worked a day for me last week.

I’m pulling the tour at Station #1 (aka “The Big Show”) on A-shift. I’m riding the seat of the Ladder.

It’s a brand new Pierce, 100′ tiller and with a price tag of 1.2 million, she’s a sweet ride.

I spent my younger years in the Department assigned to a Ladder ….. it was good, honest work. I’ve learned a lot since then. Truck work made me a good fireman. I’d like to think I’m older and wiser now but some will argue that.

I’ve been assigned to an Engine Company since I made Captain back in 2000. On the Engine, I’m thinking about size ups, water supply and getting to the fire.

Riding the Ladder, my thought process has to change just a bit. Today, I’m thinking about placement, forcible entry, search, rescue, ventilation, salvage, overhaul and even extrication.

“Opening up” is a priority for me and the A-Shift crew today. Opening up so so the Engine guys can get on the fire. Opening up to ventilate. Opening up to make our searches or opening up vehicles for extrication purposes.

The rig I’m riding is perfect for the job. It’s a 1.2 million dollar tool box. Everything we need to do our job … to “open up” is stored away nice and neat inside her.

It sounds difficult but it’s not. It’s all we know … it’s what we do. The other type of opening up however … the emotional opening up … that’s not so easy.

My absence from postings and social media has been pretty obvious lately. In a recent post, “Climbing Out”; I shared with you that I am just reaching the “depression” stage of my grief (or PTSD) and it’s been a difficult journey.

The honest answer is that I just haven’t felt like writing. I still can’t seem to focus or get motivated.

I had the chance to travel up to Long Island New York last week for their Fire, Rescue and EMS Mega Show.

I got to spend the weekend with my MN8 FoxFire family. I call them “family” because they are … it was an easy decision to go.

I thought it would be “A Needed Distraction”.

In some ways, it was. I was hoping it would open some doors for me and it did …. it also slammed a few in my face.

Most of you know that Rhett (The Fire Critic) and I very seldom travel without the other but he was unable to make this trip.

Not wanting to drive alone, I figured I’d ask my sister, Marci; to tag along.

If nothing else, we’d get to spend the weekend together and that’s never a bad thing (or it shouldn’t be anyway). She was excited! We both were.

What I didn’t figure on was how emotionally difficult it would be for me (and maybe her too).

She reminds me so much of Jackson. I’ve never looked at or thought of her that way.

She looks like him. She acts like him. Her mannerisms. How she uses her hands when she talks, how she crosses her legs. How she talks. Little things but everywhere I looked, every time I turned around, she reminded me of Jackson and it breaks my heart. My stomach stayed in knots … that “sick” feeling all over again … the hurt.

I may have the same affect on her. Everyone always said that we all looked exactly alike (dad, me, Jack and Marci). I’m sure Dad sees Jack in us and I know it hurts. So here’s another door I’ll (we’ll) have to figure out how to “open up”. I’ve got to learn to be around things (including people / family) that remind me of Jack. I need to figure out how to make these “reminders” trigger the good memories and not rekindle my pain and sorrow.

I’m not sure how to do it. How to open this door.

I don’t think it’s one that can be “forced”. I think I’ve been doing too much of that lately … “forcing” the issues.

Today is two months since Jack took his life. Everyone is still asking “how” I am … how I’m “doing”.

My reply has become standard … what everyone wants to hear. I’m “ok”. I’m “hanging in”. Making it “day by day” or “one step at a time”.

I’m not so sure that’s 100% true. Click that photo to the left. Do you ever hide your true emotions with replies like that? Are you telling those around you what they “want to hear” or how you’re truly feeling?

I have to admit again that “opening up” here on the blog (as difficult as it has been to do) has been therapeutic. I think it’s been my best therapy so far. I wasn’t so sure in the beginning.

“Opening up” for all my readers to see was a huge decision for me. I wasn’t sure I even could (or should for that matter). I’m glad I have.

While in Long Island (and many times before, via e-mails etc) several Brothers and Sisters approached me with not only sympathy and condolences, but with THANKS as well. They actually thanked me for sharing my story. I don’t think I was expecting that.

Some say it’s uplifting, a source of inspiration and that it’s even helped them through their own struggles with grief. Others say they miss the “old Willie” and that they are patiently awaiting the return of my “regular” postings while they understand and support my latest directions.

I met several GREAT Brothers and Sisters while in Long Island but one in particular will always stand out in my mind.

A true BROTHER and Captain Daniel Purcell of the Scarsdale Fire Department paid me a VERY special visit. He said he has been following my site (and Rhett’s) for a while now. When he seen I would be in Long Island, he had to come meet me.

We had a GREAT conversation. I wont share the details but it was very humbling. He brought gifts and even asked about the Buckaroo. I don’t think he was even interested in the show …. just delivering his message to me. THANKS AGAIN CAPT ! I hope you know how much that visit meant to me.

If it helps you to know, I’m not the only one talking about stress and “Behavioral Health” these days. “At an international conference on Friday, March 1, the NFFF introduced a new Behavioral Health Model that changes the way the fire service assists firefighters and others on the path to healing. It is based on the concept that no two firefighters will necessarily have the same reaction — not even to the same call”.

Learn more about what they’re doing / saying in the links below ….

“Helping Firefighters Deal with Psychological Stress from Job’s Routine and Extraordinary Events”

Life Safety Initiatives

And once again I’ll add my standard links / resources for grief, stress and PTSD …

Grief.com, Recover from Grief.com , The Sweeney Alliance,Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, North American Firefighter Veteran Network

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on March 2, 2013 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, ems-health-safety, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: brotherhood, Buckaroo, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, emotional health, Fire Critic, Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, firefighter health and wellness, Firefighter mental health, firefighter pics, firefighters, grief, house fire, ladder ops, Long Island Fire Rescue and EMS Mega show, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, mental health, MN8 products, NFFF, North American Firefighter Veteran Network, Roanoke Fire/EMS, Scarsdale Fire Department, stages of grief, Statter 911, The Sweeney Alliance, Willie Wines Jr, Zach Green

I need a “do over” …

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I need several “do overs” actually. Unfortunately, I know that I can’t have a second chance at many of the events in my life over the past few months.

I’d give anything to be able to go back and save my brother from the dark place he found himself in on December 30, 2012. A place so dark it enabled him to make the decisions he made … the decision to take his own life. Even though it’s too late for me to change those circumstances, it’s not too late for me to bring something positive from this tragedy.

Follow me on Face Book by clicking “HERE”

I’ve learned so much about emotional / mental health and wellness since Jack’s suicide. I’ve learned first hand what PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is and how it affects us. I’ve learned about grief and it’s various stages. I’ve learned that although their are many similarities in how it affects us all, it’s also (and often) very much so different for those of us “on the job” (Fire, Rescue and Police).

I’ve learned that “talking” about it helps. I’ve learned that showing and sharing emotion (as raw as it may be) is also not just “ok” but can also be therapeutic. I’ve learned that “we” , as a Fire Service; need to come to know and understand that. We NEED more education on these types of issues … our bosses do too. We need to understand that our “role model” firefighter is also HUMAN.

I’ve learned that there are some GREAT resources out there for us to “reach out” and talk to. “Sucking it up” and getting back to work is not acceptable anymore … not in my book. It shouldn’t be in yours either. I’m going to work to bring a lot of this to light. If you continue to follow the site, you’re gonna see and read a LOT about our emotional / mental health and well being…. I hope to decide to stay with me…. you deserve to know what I’m learning. YOU’RE WORTH IT…. everyone of ya.

For now, with that said; if you find yourself wanting or needing to talk to someone who will truly understand what it is you’re going through or feeling, I’ll add a few of the links I’ve been using in recent posts. Check them out and USE THEM….. they HELP.

Grief.com, Recover from Grief.com , The Sweeney Alliance,Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, North American Firefighter Veteran Network

There’s another “do over” however that I may can arrange (if they’ll allow me). You guys may remember that back on January 26th, I was invited to speak at the Lexington Fire Department’s (Va) Annual Awards Dinner and Banquet. Just the invite was a HUGE honor!

I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to. I was still “lost” in my grief and unable to focus on the simplest of tasks.

Lexington’s Chief, Ty Dickerson; is not only a close and personal friend, he’s also a great mentor and leader.

Ty told me to come anyway (if I could … to speak or not). He said that if I felt like it and could, to attend so at least he could hug me again and assure me that I (and my family) were not alone (he also wanted to make sure that I was eating). If I couldn’t attend, he and his members fully understood. THAT in itself speaks VOLUMES about Chief Dickerson and the Brothers and Sisters of the Lexington Fire Department.

I had prepared a couple speeches. I arrived empty handed …. my thoughts and words seemed to “scattered”. I decided to speak, but would do it from the heart. That usually works out good for us but this time, I’m not even sure what i said.

There was so much I could have and wanted to say but it just wasn’t the “right” occasion. This was their (The Lexington Fire Department’s) first banquet as a “combined” Department and it should have been memorable.

I decided to speak about “Brotherhood” and how alive it is within their Department. So many times we hear Brothers and Sisters complaining of how “the Brotherhood” is dead in the Fire Service today but I can tell you for certain IT’S NOT.

I had just been witness to a HUGE act of Brotherhood from all across the world. Good friend and Brother Firefighter Nate Camiford. After my post “A Firefighter’s Boots”, Nate started a campaign where hundreds of Brothers and Sisters from all over the world sent me pictures of their “boots” in support of me getting back into mine. It was very humbling to say the least … I was honored.

Often times, Department’s such as Lexington just need a little “outside” reminder of how the Brotherhood is alive and well within their own Department. Like with “the boots” I had witnessed the Brotherhood at work within the Lexington Fire Department many times and wanted to share my experience with them. Here’s what I should have said…..

Usually, I don’t speak alone. Most of you know that Rhett Fleitz (The Fire Critic) and I are very seldom seen apart. We are more than a “team” … more than “partners” … more than Brothers even. I can’t explain it …. it is what it is …. you don’t get one of us without the other (most times).

Whenever Rhett and I speak about Brotherhood, we always include the values which we believe make it up …. TRADITION, PRIDE, HONOR and RESPECT.

The Lexington Fire Department (and City) has a rich history full of tradition. The banquet that night was just another example. Many new traditions were started that night as well as in some of the awards and recognition’s made. They will see many new traditions made and kept as they move forward with their new “combination” Department.

What a HUGE undertaking that in itself is. Moving from an all volunteer Department to a Combination (career and volunteer). It shows care and a concern for their community and a PRIDE in being able to overcome obstacles. Pride in being able to serve their community … to do the job we signed up to do. It takes a special group of people to make that model work. It takes strong leadership and members working together towards a common goal. It takes patience and understanding to say the least … give and take. These Brothers and Sisters are setting the standard.

I wanted to tell them about the picture I had (and shared with them at the banquet). A picture of my dad as a member of the Lexington Volunteer Fire Department from back in the late 60′s. A picture of their entire Department standing in front of their 59 Mack Fire Engine. I wanted to explain how that picture exemplifies PRIDE for a Department … for THEIR Department.

I wanted to explain how their donating that truck to the Kazim Shriners shows, HONOR and RESPECT. I wanted to explain how that was evident to me (and the members of the Melrose Misfits) when we had the honor and privilege of helping to restore some of the equipment on that truck. Seeing the name “Lexington Fire Department” spoke volumes to my members.

I seen more examples when one of their members invited me down for a birthday party. Actually, Cassie Potter (wife of Chris Potter) invited me down for a “surprise” party for Chris. She explained how he was a loyal follower of the site and how excited he’d be to actually get to meet and spend some time with me. I was again humbled and honored.

I made the party and many new friends in Lexington. The best part was getting a personal tour of their house that night. It’s a new station and one that I hadn’t been in before (I remembered the old one downtown as a kid).

You could see the PRIDE in the eyes of their members as they showed me around. I seen it on the floors …. in the corners. NO DIRT. The equipment, station and members were IN ORDER and ready to roll. I look for that … the little things. They offered me a cup of coffee right off …. I felt at home.

They showed me their history and again I was flooded with a sense of Pride, Honor, Tradition and Respect. A full trophy case. Banners and ribbons. Wooden ladders. Hand pulled ladder trucks! I hope the Brothers and Sisters of Lexington know just how “rich” they are…. I do.

Rhett and I witnessed even more of the Brotherhood at work through the Lexington Fire Department while attending the 2012 National Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial Weekend.

There, we meet a member of the Lexington Fire Department (Michelle) who was volunteering her time to serve as an “escort” for one of the families of our fallen. There is no batter way to HONOR our fallen than to take care of their survivors. Talk about RESPECT and PRIDE!

I could go on and on. I should have back on the 26th. The City Manager, Sheriff and many other dignitaries were present and I hope they know what a valued asset they have in the Lexington Fire Department, it’s Chief and members.

I say I need a “do over” because I think it was an important message (although one that I didn’t get across). They need to hear it …. they have EARNED and deserve to hear it. The Brotherhood is alive and well in Lexington and it’s all because of their members. They have, are and will continue to make an impact / difference. Maybe Ty can find a spot to bring me back ( along with Rhett) so we (I) can deliver the message in person.

Sorry for the lack in postings …. obviously, I’m still working on getting to my “new normal”. Thanks once again for all the messages and support …. I couldn’t have made it without you all!

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 11, 2013 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, funding-staffing, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, Fire Critic, Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, Firefighter mental health, firefighter pics, firefighters, health and wellness, Honor, house fire, Jack Wines, Lexington Fire Department, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, National Fallen Firefighter Foundation, National Fallen Firefighter's Foundation memorial Weekend, NFFF, Pride, Respect, Roanoke Fire/EMS, Statter 911, Suicide, tradition

I dont know ….

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I’d like to make this a “regular” Ironfiremen.com post. I’d like to bring ya some controversy, some training thoughts or at least a picture of some half nudity ( I was called the “titty blog” earlier this season you know?). I can’t do that …. not yet …. I’m not “normal” at this point and I’m not sure I’ll ever be.

I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. I also know that you, my readers and followers; will only follow so much of my “preaching”. I have got to get back to somewhere close to what made you follow the site. It’s difficult to do. I WANT you to continue following because now I know that I have something very important to tell ya …. I wasn’t always sure of that…. I am now.

We’ve hit most every subject here on Ironfiremen.com over the years. It’s most often a topic around firefighter safety and/or saving our own…. that’s where my heart lies. To me, there’s not a more important issue to speak about. I’ve spoken of the “typical” MAYDAY on multiple occasions. As in when a firefighter finds him or herself in danger. Knowing where, when and how to call for help and to not be ashamed of it. We’re getting better at it.

I’ve added to the topic and written about a “personal” mayday in that we also need to call for emotional support. We need somewhere or someplace to “vent”. Someone to tell what’s on our minds. A place to share our emotions and feelings. The good and the bad. I’m not sure you understood what I was saying at the time but … PLEASE … read em again by hitting the links below….

“A BAD day for Randy gets worse … “ and “Time for a MAYDAY”

My support following Jack’s suicide has been phenomenal. I’M LUCKY ! I know that. Not all of you have the “reach” or support group that I’m subjected to. I wish you did …. we ALL deserve it.

Jack’s death has not been easy on me …. it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever encountered. I LOST MY BROTHER! Dad lost a son!

He killed himself in my dad’s home …. I was there. I seen it. I worry about what dad seen and had to do before I got there. I worry about the brothers and sisters who responded to our home for this type of incident. What they had to see and their knowing that it was “our” house and family member (Dad and myself).

I knew how to respond … as a first-responder but never thought I’d be there as a brother. Never thought about having to care for dad being there. My wife, my sister, my cousin …. friends and family. This was personal …. it was FAMILY.

I assisted in the arrangements. We took visitors, smiled, hugged and shook hands …. I didn’t want to. It’s what I was taught to do and what needed to be done. I had to “hold it together”. I slept in the basement, just feet from where Jackson slept every night. Feet from where he eventually took his own life. I say I slept but the honest answer is that I laid awake there every night … unable to sleep. Pondering, waiting for him to walk into that room.

Today / tonight is NOT all that different. I re-live those moments (many of which I can not share yet) with every breath. I think of it as “ground hog day” …. it will never end and forever haunt me.

I didn’t think I could but last week, I took a step forward. I returned to duty and I’ve never been so scared in my life!

Within 10 minutes of entering the station, we received a call (run). We were tones for a possible house fire. My mind was racing (for reasons yet divulged) . What would I do? How could I focus on the task at hand when my mind was somewhere so far away? Was I placing my members in danger? Could I make the right decisions? Would I do the right thing?

Luckily, the house was not on fire. The basement had flooded due to the rain and snow, The occupant had several cans of gasoline (and other flammable liquids) stored down there which had overturned due to the high water. The home had gas hot water and heat but luckily, the water level had snuffed out the pilot lights. We secured the utilities, pumped the water and vented the home/ It was an otherwise “routine” run but my mind was in a million places. It could have gone so bad so quickly.

We continued to run that day. One call after another. We caught a 5 vehicle accident involving an ambulance (with a patient on board) form a neighboring agency and ended the night with a 2nd alarm at a 1st due 9 story apartment complex. My nerves were shaken to say the least. It wasn’t an easy tour.

How do I talk about it? Who do I tell?

Can I talk to dad about it? About my fears? He retired with 30 years of service and the title of one of the best firefighters on the job. How about my Chief? Which one? Which has REALLY been there? Which would understand? Maybe they’d seize this opportunity to find the reason to get rid of me once and for all? No ….. I couldn’t share any of this with them.

E.A.P (Employee Assistance Program) …. what do “they” know about what I’ve seen? What I think and / or fear? They aren’t firemen …. they don’t know what we’ve seen …. what we’ve done. I had nowhere to turn. OR SO I THOUGHT.

Brothers and Sisters I’m telling you NOW ….. we DO have somewhere to go … somewhere to turn to … someone who’ll listen. I’m going to start talking about it a lot. I’m going to because I want YOU to know that they are there. THEY …. someone who UNDERSTANDS, and they are there for US!

I’m in a deep, DARK place in my life but I also know that I will pull through. I KNOW I WILL because of the support I have received … the support WE have.

There’s NO SHAME in it. TALK ….. SHARE YOUR FEELINGS. Your pain, sorrow, hurt and even joy. SHARE IT. …. LET IT OUT, it’s therapeutic. TRUST ME.

It doesn’t make us “less” of a fireman … it makes us STRONGER. It makes us BETTER!

I’m getting there … little by little. There’s not a day goes by that I don’t think about or miss Jack. He was my little brother … I’m supposed to think about him. I was here to take care of him. I may have failed.

I watched the Super Bowl last night … I don’t watch football …. Jackson did. I pulled for the Ravens. They were the “home” team and from what I can tell, the “underdogs” as well. That sums us up ….(me…you… Jackson) the home team AND the underdogs.

Well, we won. We won yet I’m still here. I’m still lost.

I’ll keep searching till I find what it is I’m looking for. Maybe one day, I’ll share it with you … I’m not ready yet. I’ll keep looking. Digging, scratching. I may never find it but I’ll look. My dad and mom found it …. it came to them … I should be so lucky.

Until then, I’ve realized that I have chosen to live. I had to. There’s no life without it and unlike Jackson, I realize how many people love, think about and depend on me. I’m in it for the long haul. The Paul Harvey commercial reminded me of that …. we ( I ) have a purpose….

The support I’ve received through this trying time has been overwhelming. The phone calls, e-mails, messages etc. The comments and concern about me and my entire family. What really got me was when they asked about the Buckaroo. How he was doing. Well, the honest answer is that I haven’t been here for him. We haven’t explained whats going on to him. All he knows is that his uncle Jackson is gone to be with Jesus and that his Paw-Paw isn’t around much anymore. It has to be confusing.

That’s another reason to get back into shape. So that my family can get back to “normal” as well. Of course, when I say “my family” I mean you as well. I sold most of my cattle. When I say most, I mean that I still own those that nobody else would buy … my long horns.

That means that the Buckaroo and I still have some obligations to fulfill. Our animals come first. So for all of you asking ….. THANKS. It hasn’t been the best of circumstances for him but he’s doing OK. I haven’t been “there” for him but I will be. Here’s a short video of us heading out to feed / water yesterday. I hope you enjoy it.

My other family …. I’ll be reaching back to them as well. Closer to my firehouse family … to the Brotherhood and to my wife and children. It’s ok to need and want to lean on each other in times like these. I know none of you will let me slip … much less fall.

Also please don’t forget to reach out if and when you need someone to talk to, WE ALL DO. Once again I’ll add some links that have been helpful for me … USE THEM.

Grief.com, Recover from Grief.com , The Sweeney Alliance,Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, North American Firefighter Veteran Network

I’m back on duty tomorrow and will update ya as soon as possible …. THANKS again for the support!!!

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on February 4, 2013 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, ems-health-safety, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: brotherhood, Buckaroo, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, emotional health, emotional health and wellness, Farmer, Fire Critic, Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, firefighter emotional health, firefighter health and wellness, Firefighter mental health, firefighters, grief, Ironfiremen, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, mental health, NFFF, North American Firefighter Veteran Network, Paul Harvey, Roanoke Fire/EMS, stages of grief, Statter 911, Super Bowl, Super Bowl Commercials, The Sweeney Alliance, Willie Wines Jr, Working fire

Wytheville finds some water!

2 comments

Photo by Jeffery Simmons

I don’t have many details yet but, apparently; the Wytheville Fire Department and Chief Ron King have abandoned their recently discovered “new firefighting technique” and resorted to fighting fire like the rest of America … by putting water on the fire.

The Wytheville Fire Department, along with the Rural Retreat Volunteer Fire Department responded to a house fire on West Lee Highway on Thursday December 27, 2012.

Chief King, and the Wytheville Department made the local news back in November when he opted to conduct salvage operations vs extinguishing a fire in the Crocketts Cove section of Wythe County, Va. Chief King took full credit for this “new technique” saying that he had never studied the technique in his “thousands and thousands of hours of training”. He also said, “we plan on using it again”. Find the entire article in a previous post below…

READ “New Firefighting technique developed in Wytheville, Va?”

Photo by Jeffery Simmons

My post on the issue resulted in several comments and e-mails (use the link above for that post).

My favorite comment was posted to my Face Book Fan Page by Jacob. He never came right out and asked but I think he wanted to marry me. Yea… out of the blue, this kid wanted my address so he could send me some rope and a vibrator! Yea … a vibrator LMAO! Read that post below.

Read that post by clicking HERE

Well, I never received the vibrator or the rope and, judging by the pictures of the most recent fire, Chief King has changed his mind as well. At least they are flowing water and the local news even said they were using an elevated master stream.

Full story from Tricities.com found HERE

I raised several valid questions out of the previous Wytheville issues and have yet to receive a valid response / argument. I even requested the audio files of the fire ground audio from the Crocketts Cove fire through the Freedom of Information Act and never received them.

I gave them the benifit of the doubt thinking that maybe they didn’t know what the Freedom of Information Act was. With that in mind, I posted a portion of the Act for them.

“Any public body that is subject to this chapter and that is the custodian of the requested records shall promptly, but in all cases within five working days of receiving a request, provide the requested records to the requester or make one of the following responses in writing:”

It also says “Failure to respond to a request for records shall be deemed a denial of the request and shall constitute a violation of this chapter”

I guess I should have also included portions of the Act that discuss the violations or failure to disclose requested information.

“ 2.2-3713 for a violation of § 2.2-3704, 2.2-3705.1 through 2.2-3705.8, 2.2-3706, 2.2-3707, 2.2- 3708, 2.2-3708.1, 2.2-3710, 2.2-3711 or 2.2-3712, the court, if it finds that a violation was willfully and knowingly made, shall impose upon such officer, employee, or member in his individual capacity, whether a writ of mandamus or injunctive relief is awarded or not, a civil penalty of not less than $500 nor more than $2,000, which amount shall be paid into the State Literary Fund. For a second or subsequent violation, such civil penalty shall be not less than $2,000 nor more than $5,000.”

More and more details are being brought to my attention every day. The Virginia Department of Fire Programs was apparently brought in several years back to preform a “study” of Wytheville’s operations. Obviously, the findings from that study have been totally ignored.

It also seems that there could be some “conflicts of interest” involved with the person whom I requested the information from in the first place (involving an ex-wife and her current relationship).

It now seems the problems in Wytheville reach deeper than first suspected. Again I’ll say that I can’t understand why the Board of Supervisors accepts this liability. I’ll keep ya posted as more details surface.

So, I trust and hope you all had a VERY Merry Christmas and I wish you all a prosperous, healthy and SAFE New Year.

My Christmas couldn’t have been better. It was spent surrounded by family and friends and I even managed to get a few awesome gifts.

Pictured right is the gift Rhett (FireCritic.com) gave me. It’s a custom leather radio strap made by Wolfpak Leather Works .

This strap is AWESOME. The detail and craftsmanship are second to none. It not only has my name on it, it also includes the Buckaroo and Ironfiremen.com THANKS Brothers!

I still haven’t got a good picture of it yet but, I had Rhett a custom apron made.

I have to admit that it too was a pretty awesome gift.

It’s made of PBI (just like our turnout gear) has striping, pockets d-ring snaps and his name. He LOVED it.

The apron was made by our good friends over at Blue Ridge Rescue Suppliers .

We’ve already received several comments and e-mails asking where the aprons can be purchased. So far, this is a “one of” but if they receive enough interest, more will be made. Use the link above ( or just CLICK HERE )to contact Blue Ridge Rescue Suppliers and inquire about the aprons. Actually, check them out for any and all of your equipment needs. Call or e-mail and be sure to tell em we sent ya!

Tonight, I’m covering a shift for Rhett.

I’m working at Station #3-A. His Captain, Mac Craft; is on duty and we decided he’d make the better driver / operator so I’m riding the seat and Mac is driving.

It’s been a while since I’ve been behind the wheel so I’m sure everyone is safer this way….LOL

Thanks to Captain Mac for letting me have his seat today.

Rhett’s down in Nashville with family but will be home in time for the New Year. 2013 is shaping up to be our busiest year yet and I’m sure it will also be our best!

Be sure to keep checking back for our 2012 Year in Review posts …. if you haven’t been following along, you’ll never believe where we’ve been and what we’ve gotten ourselves into!

Do you guys remember little Hunter Moseley?

I first introduced you to him through a post back in November (linked below)

Read “PRIDE … Going the extra mile and making a kid smile”

Well since that post, Hunter has made several new friends and had some great experiences.

He now has “Team Hunter” shirts and his own Face Book Fan Page. Take a moment to visit and “LIKE” Hunters page … your support makes a difference for him and his family!

Visit and “Like” Team Hunter on Face Book HERE

My regular shift has me back Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week. I’ll check back in as soon as possible. Until I do, stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on December 29, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: Blue Ridge Rescue Suppliers, brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Custom Leather Radio Straps, Dave Statter, fire, Fire Critic, Firefighter Aprons, firefighter pics, firefighters, house fire, Hunter Moseley, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, WolfPak Leather Works, Wooden Ladders and Ironfiremen, working house fire, Wytheville Fire Department

The Newtown, Connecticut murders and Firefighter Stress

2 comments

I haven’t talked about the murders here on IronFiremen.com yet. Like many, I’m still trying to understand this horrific event. I’m not even sure what to say yet … what can you say?

I’ve watched a lot of the news and read several of the articles / stories. I was glad to see that tonight, at least some of the media got it right. Tonight, they quit interviewing kids and parents. They quit with the unbearable questions.

For what I’m sure will be a short lived period, they turned the cameras off the survivors / mourners and listed the names of those murdered.

To me, this should have been done much earlier (with respect to the families etc). I say that because the name of their murderer was up quickly. Every station had it up in bold. His name and picture.

I could care less about him. He’s not important to me. We will never know his motive or reasoning and there’s no reason to speculate. We can’t ask or beat it out of him. He took the cowards way out and died a much too easy death.

Here’s the thing … he will be remembered. His name and face was imprinted into our heads before we knew the victims. It’s still happening. They (mainstream media) are already posting his picture and making comparisons with other recent mass murderers ( Virginia Tech, Denver etc). His name could (and likely will) become more recognizable than his victims and that’s sad.

THAT’S WHO WE SHOULD BE REMEMBERING … THE VICTIMS.

Here are the names (and ages) of those we should remember. Don’t forget or lose them in the ensuing media circus ….

Mary Sherlach, 56; Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, 47; Lauren Rousseau, 30; Victoria Soto, 27; Olivia Engel, 6; Emilie Parker, 6; Rachel Davino, 29; Anne Marie Murphy, 25; Charlotte Bacon, 6; Daniel Barden, 7; Josephine Gay, 7; Ana Marquez-Greene, 6; Dylan Hockley, 6; Madeleine Hsu, 6; Catherine Hubbard, 6; Chase Kowalski, 7; Jesse Lewis, 6; James Mattioli, 6; Grace McDonnell, 7; Anne Marie Murphy, 52; Jack Pinto, 6; Noah Pozner, 6; Caroline Previdi, 6; Jessica Rekos, 6; Avielle Richman, 6; Benjamin Wheeler, 6; Allison Wyatt, 6.

I also hope the first responders are not lost or forgotten in the media’s search for “who” and “why”.

The Police, Fire and Rescue members who responded to the scene.

I don’t even want to imagine what they encountered. I can’t. Dave Statter had Police and Fire radio traffic up early. I’ll add the link …

Sandy Hook radio traffic HERE

I’m certain their lives will be changed forever. I’ve thought of their pain everyday since the shootings.

What I haven’t seen or heard about yet is how those Brothers and Sisters are holding up.

I’m sure there are Counseling Units / Services on site and that they will remain for some time. I’m not sure it will be enough.

Again I’ll say that this was a life altering event / incident.

From what I can tell, Newtown is a relatively “small” town / community. It is the 5th largest “Town” in Connecticut at only 60.38 sq miles.

Newtown Connecticut web site HERE

Sandy Hook is a Borough within Newtown. It was the Sandy Hook Fire Station that was shown so much in the media coverage.

Early in the incident, the station was used as a staging / assembling area. I would imagine that like with most small town Departments, the station was a familiar, comforting place for the community.

Sandy Hook has 2 Stations, 8 pieces and over 60 members. I haven’t heard how many member’s children attended the elementary school if any.

Sandy Hook Vol. Fire & Rescue Co. web site

Please keep these Brothers and Sisters in your thoughts and prayers as well. I would imagine that the population of Sandy Hook and Newtown has tripled with the sudden influx of media etc. That means that the possibility exists for the call volume of Fire, Rescue and Police to increase as well. They could be busier now than ever before and at a time when they can least afford it.

While I’m on the subject, let me say that this season (Thanksgiving / Christmas) is typically the worst for us on the job.

For whatever reason, we seem to see a lot of fire in these months and we tend to see an increase in suicides as well.

It’s supposed to be a time for family. A time of peace and joy but that’s not always the reality we see out here in the streets.

We never get called out because something “good” is happening but, at this time of year; it’s maybe a little more difficult see and deal with.

FireChief.com is reporting that Firefighting is the second most stressful job in the Nation and I think this is our most stressful season.

READ Firefighting the Second-Most Stressful Job in the Nation, White Paper Reports

As Company Officers, it’s our responsibility to take care of our members and that includes AFTER the call. Make sure you understand and recognize the signs of stress. Also make sure your members know that they have a place to “go” … someone to confide in and “talk” to.

Here are some links that may be helpful ….

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on December 16, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, Emergency Communications, ems-health-safety, ems-topics, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident, news, patient-management, special-operations, Uncategorized • Tagged: brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, EMS, EMT Suicide, fire, Fire Blogs, Fire Critic, Fire Department, FireCritic.com, firefighter, Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, firefighter pics, Firefighter Suicide, firefighters, Firefighting, house fire, IronFiremen.com, mass shootings, Newtown Connecticut, Paramedic Suicide, Rhett Fleitz, Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Co., Social Media, Suicide, sweeneyalliance.org, Willie Wines Jr

WTF ! Rookie Randy leaving Lucky #13

1 comment

In the words of Chief Billy Goldfeder … WTF !

Well Trained Firefighter … and I hope that’s how our little “Rookie Randy” is leaving station #13… well trained.

It’s been a good ride and I’m gonna miss him. Yesterday was Randy’s last tour assigned to Station #13C. Next day, he’ll report to Station #5C.

I hate to see him go, but it will be a good move for him.

I never agreed with a “rookie” being assigned to our house in the first place. We are not the busiest company in the Battalion nor do we have a Medic Truck (ambulance). All new hires are required to become ALS providers within 3 years so assigning them to a station with an ambulance only makes sense.

Anyway, on July 10, 2011 Randy Armbrister was assigned to Station #13 C.

Read “Our new Rookie … “ by clicking HERE

Even though he had just completed our 16 week Rookie School (Class #14), we still hit the streets on day 1 to assure he had the “basics” down.

We spent that first day catching hydrants (snap and screw), stretching and advancing lines and learning to stick with the Captain.

We also worked a lot with SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus). Some of my readers / followers of the site thought I had gone crazy.

I had Randy sweeping, mopping and even mowing the grass while wearing his air pack.

It may have looked crazy from the outside looking in but I wanted to be sure he was familiar and comfortable with his SCBA … he life depends on it.

He did well with it … VERY WELL. Come to find out, Randy actually received an award from his Recruit Class related to SCBA. It didn’t matter to me because we were going to go over it again and again and again anyway.

We tried to teach him everything he’d need to know for a 30 year career.

We covered everything from making his bed, brushing his teeth, washing cloths, showers, cooking etc. We even talked about girls … yea … GIRLS.

Ya see, Randy is not from around here and one day I caught him in a “stare” .. “transfixed” even so I had pull the book.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, PLEASE take the time, use the link and read the post from that day… it’s funny as hell! Read “I had to Pull the Book” by clicking HERE .

LMAO … Randy was progressing just fine …. his mom would have been so proud. Read “Randy’s Moma” by clicking HERE .

Of course safety was our TOP priority as is evident in this picture. There had been heavy rains with a good chance of flooding so we had Randy wear his PFD (Personal Flotation Device) all day … the Chief was VERY impressed! LMAO

All kidding aside, we worked very hard with Randy of things such as ROAM (Rules Of Air Management), MAYDAY, RIT (Rapid Intervention Team), self rescue and more.

It’s a good thing because before too long, Randy caught his first job.

We were 2nd due but got the nozzle. A 2nd floor bed room, well off extending into the attic.

I got to the top of the steps and closed the bedroom door until Randy was in position. When I opened her back up, the fight was on and Randy had it darkened down in no time!

We also got to do a little salvage and overhaul operations. A good learning experience for a Rookie Firefighter. Randy put in some SOLID WORK.

Of course there was a lot more of burning up the books than our customers homes around Station #13.

Don’t get me wrong, Randy has seen some work over the last year and a half but we’ve kept him in the books more than anything.

It takes a lot of discipline for a young firefighter to keep his nose in the books.

If you don’t have an assignment from the Officer, you should be studying or looking over something.

Mouth shut, ears open is a good rule of thumb for the Rookie firefighter.

Randy did a good job at that. Of course he always had that Max Meadows smile on his face and knew to ask questions whenever he had em (other than on the scene).

I’d say he learned a good bit just by watching and listening. I hope he did anyway.

We made a lot of progress over the last 17 months and logged some valuable training.

Hands on, on the job, book, computer, simulators and more.

We trained just about any and every way I could think of and Randy passed every test.

Of course sometimes it took more than one try …LOL

Just look at the windshield of the driving simulator …. LOL

I wish we had just a little more time with Randy because we were just starting to work on pump operations and driving the Engine. That may have him a little behind the others in his class but I felt as if there were more important things to focus on. Im not 100% sure that a 1 yr man should be driving anyway. Let em learn the job of being a firefighter before worrying about friction loss and all that.

So you can tell that we stayed busy but we also have had a lot of fun along the way.

Our Company is more than a group of firefighters … we’re a family and we’ve watched Randy grow into Well Trained Firefighter.

We’ve watched him grow into a husband, having married the love of his life… Mrs Dana.

And even watched him grow into a mustache! If you can call that think on his lip a mustache ….LMAO

Our Lieutenant, George Perdue and Senior Firefighter Todd Harris have both worked equally as hard to ensure Randy received the training he needs.

We’ve done our part and now he’s “leaving the nest”.

He’s not excited about going but we’ve told him that in no time, he’ll realize that there’s more out there than Station #13.

It’s a chance to learn, to grow and to become a better firefighter. We told him to hold his head high and maintain the work ethic etc that we taught him. I’m sure he’ll make us proud because he already has!

Roanoke’s Bravest face another heavily involved structure fire

1 comment

The Brothers and Sisters of B-shift had another busy night.

Lucky #13, led by Captain Phil “Triple D” Dillon was first in on a well involved 2 story residential structure fire.

It took firefighters about 40 minutes to get the fire “under control”. All searches were found to be “all clear” as the house was unoccupied and under renovation. The cause remains under investigation while damages are estimated at $80,000.00
Captain Dillon and his crew made a quick knock down and stretched inside while the 2nd due companies protected the exposure and performed other vital tasks.

You can tell by the photo above right that these Brothers and Sisters faced a pretty substantial amount of fire. The photo (above right) is actually a screen shot from video footage captured on the cell phone of a WDBJ 7 news reporter. The picture to the left is what they managed to save.

It’s obvious that the Brothers and Sisters of B-Shift, North Battalion put in some solid work. Nobody, civilian or firefighter; was injured in the blaze although Captain Dillon (#13-C … left in the photo right from 2007) said at shift break this morning that he hasn’t faced that much heat in quite a while.

Captain Dillon is an “aggressive” firefighter who has seen more than his fair share of work. When he says it was a “hot” one, what he means is that it would have melted the paint off the gates of hell …LOL.

When I say he’s “aggressive”, I should add that it’s a calculated aggression. An educated aggression …a cautious aggressiveness even though the two words contradict themselves (if that makes sense). How do you define aggressive? My good friend and Brother Bill Carey has a great post on that exact topic over on Backstep Firefighter. Click the title below to view that post …

Defining Aggressive, Part I Tasks and Identity

So anyway, I know that Captain Dillon follows my site and what I can’t figure out is why he didn’t deploy the newest firefighting technique recently discovered in Wytheville, Va by Chief Ronnie King. If you haven’t heard of this revolutionary technique, don’t worry. I covered it’s discovery right here in the pages of Ironfiremen.com. Read that post by CLICKING HERE .

I don’t know what Captain Dillon was thinking when he decided to put WATER on the fire! Maybe if he had “thousands and thousands of hours of training” his strategies and tactics would have been different? Anyway, you can see the entire video from WDBJ7 (where the screen shot, top, right photo came from) in the link below. I’ll also add the video from WSLS and the story from the local paper.

MUST SEE VIDEO from WDBJ7. Well involved structure fire Roanoke, Va

Story from Roanoke.com

Today has been just as busy around “Lucky #13″.

We even got to do a little work with our Brothers from Roanoke County.

We’re kind of “out on the border” here at #13. We are right at the line for Roanoke County on one side and the City of Salem on the other.

We have both mutual and automatic-aid agreements with both agencies and it goes both ways. We run into the County and City of Salem and they in turn respond into the City when needed.

Today, we caught a small fire contained in a very confined space above an entrance way.

The job took more overhaul than extinguishment but the members (City and County) did a good job of getting to it.

The location was actually a fairly large church.

Had this fire gone undetected, it could have resulted in a huge loss.

We were first in on this one.

Well, we were the first piece of fire “apparatus” on scene anyway.

Little Brandon Sheppard was actually first on scene and established command.

Yea … Brandon had command and ordered me to work! LOL

My long time followers may remember Brandon from back in our “Melrose Misfits” days. The “powers to be” worked it out where Brandon was allowed to spend a tour with us in the City. He was actually “assigned” to the City as a Roanoke County Firefighter. I’m not sure it had ever been done before.

It was actually an awesome idea and proved to be a great experience for Brandon. Take a moment and read my post (and the comments) from January 25, 2009

Roanoke County FF/Medic assigned to City Station for a day

I have a lot more to share with ya but I’ll stop here for now. Just for a teaser, I’ll tell that I received some AWESOME upgrades for my Phenix TL2 Leather Helmet. Tomorrow night is our Union’s Annual Banquet (IAFF Local-1132) so I should have some good pics for the next post. Saturday, we sign up for vacation and Father Sandy is scheduled for a visit. Lastly, I have some BIG news concerning our beloved “Rookie Randy” … you’re not going to want to miss it.

We’re also trying to boost my Face book presence. If you haven’t done so already, please visit and like my “Fan Page” Let’s see if I can get to 5,000 by Christmas … I promise to keep ya entertained.

“Like” Ironfiremen.com on Face Book. Click HERE

Until I get back, stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on December 6, 2012 • Filed under: command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, Uncategorized, videos • Tagged: Automatic aid, brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, fire, Fire Critic, fire video, firefighter pics, firefighters, firemen, fully involved, house fire, IAFF, IronFiremen.com, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Melrose misfits, Mutual-aid, Overhaul Operations, Randy Armbrister, Roanoke County Fire / Rescue, Roanoke Fire/EMS, Statter 911, Working fire, Wytheville Fire Department

Fire truck roll over, working fire, a strange rescue, some rope and a vibrator

2 comments

Where else, other than Ironfiremen.com can you find a title like that? LMAO Ok, first off, let me update ya on the roll over accident involving Bedford Engine 1 yesterday. The accident happened as the Engine was responding to a brush fire on Peaks Road. There were 4 members on board and all were transported to local hospitals (at least 1 was air lifted). Initial reports were of 2 members having serious injuries. The good news is that none of the injuries sustained were serious and all 4 members were released from the hospital by late yesterday evening. Bedford’s Engine 1 is a 2007 Seagrave Marauder II. Rhett broke the story yesterday over on FireCritic.com you can read his post HERE . Read some local news coverage HERE and HERE.

Find Bedford Fire Department’s Web Page HERE or on Face Book HERE

Yesterday was a busy day in “The Noke” as well.

This picture is from Ladder 7 as they are responding in with smoke showing.

The fire was located in the 2500 block of Johnson Ave.

It was actually a storage building / warehouse for CMC Supply (plumbing supplies).

Members arrived to find heavy fire and smoke conditions. Damages are estimated at $300,000.00 and was the result of arson.

This is not the first time Roanoke’s bravest have battled a fire at CMC.

Back in the mid to early 90′s it took multiple alarms and a Department call back to control a blaze at this same location.

The buildings were (and are) full of plumbing supplies… PVC’s, plastics etc.

Yesterday’s fire occurred on B-shift and took the Brothers and Sisters only a few hours to control.

Members broke shift and remained on scene for days following the fire back in the 90′s.

No injuries were reported and by all appearances, the Brothers and Sisters of B-Shift put in some solid work.

One juvenile has been charge with arson while charges are pending on two others.

Find local news coverage HERE.

(more pictures in the link above)

For some odd reason, it seems as if arson is on the rise in Roanoke lately.

Earlier in the week, Roanoke Police arrested a man for ransacking a local Church. 21 year old Nathaniel Alan Lutz has been charged with breaking and entering as well as arson. It’s reported that several items inside had been set on fire. Church members became aware of the break in the following morning and called police. The fires had apparently burned themselves out and the Fire Department did not respond. Read some local coverage HERE .

Here’s a pretty cool video for all our animal lovers out there ( Smurf should REALLY love this one). One of my readers, Pat sent it in for us to take a look at. The video was loaded to YouTube by Jack Hillmann. His description says that while driving, he hit 2 falcons. One was killed and the other trapped under his vehicle. Apparently, Jack stopped at a local firehouse for assistance. I can see “Moline Fire Department” on the side of the rig and will assume it’s Moline IL. If you guys know who these Brothers are, please let me know so I can give them credit. I’m sure their efforts made a lasting and positive impression on Mr Hillmann … a positive public image. WELL DONE Brothers!

Speaking of positive publicity, my last post, “Pride .. Going the extra mile and making a kid smile” has received a fair amount of attention.

Apparently, you guys jumped into action and the cards etc have been rolling in to make little Nathan Norman’s Christmas wish come true.

Nathan is 6yrs old and lives in Rustburg, Va. He is battling terminal cancer and had a special request / wish for Christmas. He’s a huge fan of Firefighters, Police, EMS, and Hospital workers. He wanted (hoped) to receive some Christmas cards / pictures from those of us serving in those positions. Rhett and I sent a shirt, Challenge Coin and card …. apparently a lot of you did as well! THANKS! Here’s a post / update his mom recently posted to Face Book …

“We want to once again just thank everyone for your love and support!!!!! There have been so many cards/gifts/emails/visits from police, fire, ems, border patrol, secret service, etc from all over the country. The entire family is so grateful and humbled by the response of everyone. Just to update: Nathan is still on chemotherapy for hopefully up to 18 months. He is doing well on the chemo and as of last month the tumors were stable (cancer was there just not growing). He is still fighting strong while we pray for a cure!”

Follow Nathan’s Christmas: The Page on Face Book. Click HERE

Another previous post of mine has drawn a lot of attention as well. If you missed “New Firefighting technique developed in Wytheville, Va?” you need to take a minute and read it. Be sure to also read the article from SW Va Today as well …. you’ll LOVE the quotes from Chief King and it’s also what prompted me to write the post (find that article HERE). I did a follow up on the original post and that article can be found HERE . I did the follow up because a few comments I had been receiving. They were obviously from people within or close to the Wytheville Fire Department (or their Auxiliary) and were attempting to defend Chief King and the actions of the WFD.

What still amazes me is that in all of their comments, nobody has offered a rebuttal. They simply continue to question my training, credentials, character and more (including my mustache). They rant about how my information / facts are incorrect yet they fail to offer “their side” of the story.

They still fail to see the seriousness of the issues that were raised and the effects they could have on their Department and community … everything from liability to insurance, ISO ratings and more. Their silence and/or lack of a rebuttal also somewhat implies my information is correct. I also trust my sources to be accurate (one of which being the SW Va Today article where Chief King was quoted). I have spoken directly to at least one of their members over the phone. I even requested a transcript (and/or audio recording) of the incident from their 911 center under the Virginia Freedom Of Information Act . I made the request through Mr Davidson who is listed as “Emergency Mangager/911 Coordinator/Haz-Mat Coordinator” on the County’s web site under the Department of Emergency Management. I believe he is also a member of the Wytheville Fire Department.

My request was made November 21st and on the 26th Mr Davidson responded saying that the incident in question was actually a “Town” call and that he had forwarded the request to the necessary people (their PIO, Chief Dispatcher and Director of Public Safety for the Town). I haven’t received a response from either of these folks as of this post. I added a link to the FOIA a few paragraphs above. To save you the hassle of reading it all, page 5 is where it talks about requesting information and the time frame a Public Body has to respond to a request. Here’s an excerpt .. “Any public body that is subject to this chapter and that is the custodian of the requested records shall promptly, but in all cases within five working days of receiving a request, provide the requested records to the requester or make one of the following responses in writing:” It also says “Failure to respond to a request for records shall be deemed a denial of the request and shall constitute a violation of this chapter”.

I mentioned in my update post that the Wythe County Board of Supervisors has earned faith in being able to make the right vs popular decision on issues such as this. I maintain that faith and hope they work quickly to resolve some of these issues before someone gets seriously injured (or worse). Ok, so back to the comments. I’ve actually stopped replying to many of them. Trying to debate the issues with some of these folks is just a wast of time. It’s like playing cards with my brothers kids or something. Some of them are quite interesting though … like this one posted to my Face Book page from “Jacob” (I’ll need to censor some of it …you’ll understand)

“Wow I am very sorry to say that all your info on Wytheville FD is false. I have 2 presents for you so if you could send me your address you will kindly recieve a rope and a vibrator. GO FK YOURSELF AND HANG YOUR ASS WHEN DONE. Ron King is a great man and the 2 houses that are now a loss is not his fault. One was a fully involved structure fire when they arrived NOT “room and contents fire” like you mentioned. I do not hear the family complaining about the house being gone to the county or even the town. The fd did what they needed to do and thats it. Chief King was smart not to send them inside with hoses and yes you are correct about ONE thing. they used small diameter hoses….. DUH did you really think they were going to drag the 5″ out and carry it into the house. Your eyes must be in your mouth and that mustache is affecting your vision. You also said that you have not heard from the 911 dispatchers or the department.. HMMMMM So where are you getting your information on repsonse time and the fact that they had to call for a tanker. Maybe you should get all your facts together before you start running your damn mouth. OR in this case your fingers. If you are going to bash a fd do it to one that actually has problems like * Springs FD in NC or * cnty FDs since they dont let women in the departments and that ***** Springs has someone in the dpt just a year after he sexually assulted a female in training there. You are a disgrace. Iron firemen my ass. You panzy ass looking shit. Remind me to never live in your departments area. It would take you even longer to get to my house fire because you mustache would slow your asses down”

Rope and a vibrator?? …. WOW! This guy is going all out. He must be rich!

I wonder how he knows about my back ache? I’ve always heard that vibrators can do wonders for a sore back but I’ve never tried one.

I’m so excited in anticipation of these gifts that I researched them on the internet… who knew there were so many options? Different colors even! Decisions …decisions!

I actually though they were called massagers and I would have never guessed that you don’t have to plug them into an outlet anymore? You gotta love the power of batteries.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank Jacob for his comment (and gift offer). It was obviously very well thought out, to the point and very articulate. By simply pointing out that the family is not complaining about their house burning down, or that the WFD members didn’t stretch 5″ in for an attack, he has already educated me beyond my expectations on the issues surrounding these incidents. Maybe I should offer him a “guest post” here on Ironfiremen.com so others can share in his knowledge and experience. Of course, some of the other comments I’ve received are just as good as Jacob’s so I may have to allow for more than one.

I’ll think that one over and meanwhile, you folks stay SAFE and in house!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on December 2, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, Fire Dispatch, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, news, rescues, Uncategorized, vehicle-operations-apparatus, videos • Tagged: animal rescues, apparatus accidents, Bedford Fire Department, brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, fire, Fire Critic, fire truck, fire truck crashes, fire truck roll over, firefighter pics, firefighters, house fire, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Nathan Norman, Roanoke Fire/EMS, Statter 911, Working fire, Wytheville Fire Department

Follow up on Wytheville … Damn that evil Captain Wines and his mustache!

5 comments

The comments etc are heating up following my last post surrounding several issues in Wythe County Va. … more specifically, the Wytheville Fire Department.

Some are even trying to make me out as the “bad guy” here.

It’s been suggested that I am untrained and lack the intellect to publish my opinion or comments on Fire/EMS related issues pertaining to communities that I don’t live in (For some unknown reason, apparently; my mustache is also partly to blame …lol).

Read my previous post HERE

There are several issues here and, if you’ll stick with me; we’ll go over them.

First off, this is MY site. The views and opinions published here are MINE. They are in no way connected to, approved by or endorsed by my employer. With that said, I would hope that my 25+ years in Fire/EMS (paid and volunteer) along with my certifications, experience etc does allow for me to form an educated, valid opinion on such issues. This site is merely an outlet for me to voice them. With all due respect, if you don’t like the stories I publish … don’t read them. I value your opinion and your right to disagree with mine. My comment policy is open as long as it’s kept civil. There are a few words / phrases that will cause your comment not to be “approved” but it has nothing to do with whether or not you agree with or speak positive of me or this site (very few comments have NOT been approved … none pertaining to the Wytheville post).

I’ve been asked … why “pick on” Wytheville, their Fire Department and the Chief?

I’m not “picking on” any of them. I’m publishing information related to issues that I see as problematic for the Fire Service and the communities we serve.

They are not small issues either …. there are some very serious problems exposed in my post and many more questions left unanswered.

I see myself as an advocate for the Fire Service. Like my father, I too am a firefighter and I take a lot of PRIDE in that. I have that same PRIDE for the Brothers and Sisters who came before us … the ones who helped build the American Fire Service and bring us to the level at which we are today … the best in the world! That’s why I titled this site as I did … a reflection back to the days of “Wooden Ladders and Iron Firemen”.

I’m an advocate for firefighters, paid and volunteer alike. “Everyone Goes Home” is not just a “catch phrase” for me. I work extensively with multiple organizations to directly support Departments and their members in need. I am fortunate enough to be able to do so on a level greater than just the community I serve.

I’m also an advocate for those we protect …our citizens … our communities …. large and small. Part of our duty as firefighters is public education and I believe it goes deeper than fire prevention. I think we also need to educate our customers on acceptable levels of service. What SHOULD they expect from their Fire Department? They also need education on what’s needed to meet those standards as far as funding, staffing, training, equipment etc. In some communities, our firefighters need that same education.

So, back to Wytheville. I’ve been posting about Wythe County for some time now. It all started back when I posted about the issues in Botetourt County and convicted felons serving on Fire/EMS agencies. Several months back, Wythe County made a bold and smart decision (in my opinion) in not allowing felons to actively serve. They also faced issues within the Speedwell VFD and were forced to make another bold decision that closed the doors “in the interest of Public Safety”.

The Wythe County Board of Supervisors has earned my faith in being able to make the right vs popular decision. I think they acted appropriately in both of the previous situations. Find Wythe County’s web site HERE.

Now, they’re facing issues within the Wytheville Fire Department and I believe they can all be traced back to poor leadership / management. These issues are not new, nor were they “made up” by me. Where is the first place to look within a Department when you have issues such as these??? The Chief. In this case, The Wytheville Fire Department’s Chief is Ronnie “Ron” King ( find his Firefighter Nation Bio HERE )

I don’t know Chief King personally, nor do I have anything “against” him. This is NOT a personal attack. For all I know, Chief King is a great person and an upstanding member of his community.

I’ll just add that it takes more than that to be the Chief of a Department. Among other things, it takes responsibility. Responsibility for his members and the community they’re sworn to serve and protect.

Most recently, the Wytheville Fire Department has had 2 fires within a week. The fires were just miles apart and approx 5.8 miles from their station. Both homes were a total loss. Now don’t get me wrong … houses burn down … urban and rural. I’ve made plenty of vacant and parking lots over my career. What troubles me is some of the details involved in these fires.

A secure, well established water supply seems to be at least one of the issues on both incidents. Was the Wytheville Fire Department not aware that water is an issue in this area? Have they not Pre-Planned this area and made preparations for water? Why are neighboring jurisdictions not automatically dispatched to these areas to assist with tankers? Do they not have automatic and mutual aid agreements within their own County? Is this a Department or County issue?

Are all the tankers in the County outfitted the same? Do they have the same diameter hose, type of couplings etc? Are they compatible with each other? If not, are the members aware and do they carry the necessary adapters? All this information should be worked out well in advance of a fire.

It’s been said that there were “issues” with a dry hydrant on one of the fires. Was this a training issue, equipment failure or something else? What exactly was that problem and who is working to correct it?

The Chief was quoted in an article talking about the “new technique” he deployed on the Crockett’s Cove Road fire. They basically preformed salvage efforts as opposed to extinguishing the fire (members did enter the Chase Lane fire for interior attack and searches). It made no sense. I’m not alone in my thoughts here … watch the video (just for a good laugh) and then read the article and the comments from SW Va Today in the link below….

Full article from SW Va Today found HERE

(Also read comments from my Face Book pages HERE and HERE)

I’d love to know more details and the thought process here. If the house was too well involved to enter for suppression efforts, then what made it safe enough for salvage operations? I’m pretty well versed on strategy and tactics yet I still can’t make sense of this operation ( “new technique”). Maybe instead of cutting the exterior walls, they could have cut a hole in the roof for ventilation? Knocked it down from the exterior before pushing in (transitional attack)? I don’t want to “Monday morning quarterback” this one to death but there just seems to have been so many more options. BASIC options that may have resulted in the saving of more than a few guns, some cloths and an x-box.

I’m sure there were factors on scene that I’m not aware of … after all, I wasn’t there. I’m curious as to the minimum level of training within their Department. How many of their members are “certified” for interior operations? How many of those were on scene of the Crockett’s Cove fire?

How often to they train? What are the topics and who are the instructors? Do they have a Training Chief (Officer)? Do they ever train with their neighboring Departments?

How many members do they have on the roster? How many were on scene and in what time frame? Do they use the Incident Management System and if so, how are they accountable for those members? What is their policy on responding in personal vehicles?

I believe the town staffs a single paid member at the station who acts as a Driver / Operator (engineer). Do they allow this member to leave the station with a staffing of only one?

So many of these questions/factors could have fatal consequences if not answered / addressed. Do they have the “it will never happen here” mentality? I hope not…. the results can be devastating…FATAL.

Can you imagine the NIOSH report should something ever happen when tactics like these are being deployed on a regular basis? Who would they hold accountable? The County? The Town? The Department? The Chief? The Training Officer? It doesn’t matter because it wont bring back the dead. Death is not an “illusion” … it’s VERY REAL and never pretty.

Read a previous post “The Illusion of Death” click HERE

Again, more and more questions arise. Minimum staffing. Just how effective is a single member responding on a piece of apparatus? Did you watch that video above … YOU NEED TO. Yea.. but our members live close and can get there quick. Really? How quick? How fast will they have to drive to do so? There have been 73 Line of Duty Deaths so far this year. 46.6% of them were volunteers. 15.1% of those were while responding (find the entire report and more details HERE).

Again, I think I’ve raised some legitimate questions and concerns. If the members of the Wytheville Fire Department have become complacent, they need to WAKE UP. Firefighting is NOT a hobby! Maybe the residents of Wythe County don’t expect more .. if they don’t, they’re being cheated and the Wytheville Fire Department is doing their community a disservice. From what I’ve seen, the money spent on turnout gear and suppression equipment could be better spent somewhere else. They could run a salvage crew (related links HERE and HERE) and do the same as what they appear to be accomplishing now.

I should add here that I’m certain the Wytheville Fire Department, as well as Wythe County; has some GREAT firefighters. These Brothers and Sisters have a response area that includes 2 major Interstates (I-81 and I-77), urban / wild land interface, industrial complexes etc. I hope they have a Chief capable of leading them in the right direction … Im not sure they do and if I’m right, I hope they find one. Their lives (and those of their community) depend on it.

I hope that by shedding light on these issues, the Wytheville Fire Department will emerge a better trained, safer and more efficient Department. That’s up to them and their leadership. I’ll extend an offer to these Brothers and Sisters to help in any way possible … all they have to do is ask.

I’ll remind those who commented stating that my facts in the original post were wrong that I attempted to contact the parties involved before publishing. I even requested transcripts from their 911 coordinator (who I believe is also a volunteer with the Wytheville Fire Department) through the Freedom Of Information Act so I could assure my timelines were accurate and read the communications first hand. So far, I have only been contacted by the Auxiliary and a member of the WFD who was pictured in the post.

Instead of following my site, maybe these folks should keep up with our good friend Dave Statter (Statter911.com) …. ok … they should follow us both.

Dave would have told them to reply to my requests and “get out in front” of the “issues”. That’s always better than playing “catch up” in these type of incidents .

Had they have replied, I would have been able to publish their “side” of the story. The side that despite all the comments etc, I still haven’t heard. Some of the comments are saying I have it all wrong but nobody is telling me what’s right.

As always, the comment section remains open. I’ll be back on duty tomorrow and check back in with ya as soon as possible. Until I do … stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on November 24, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, Dispatch & Communications, Fire Dispatch, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, funding-staffing, news, Training, Uncategorized • Tagged: brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, Fire Chief, Fire Critic, Fire Department tankers, fire video, firefighter pics, firefighters, fully involved house fire, house fire, leadership, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, NIOSH, NIOSH Reports, rural water supply, Statter 911, Volunteer firefighters, Working fire, Wythe County, Wytheville Fire Department

New firefighting technique developed in Wytheville, Va?

17 comments

I’ve heard a lot of troubling news out of Wytheville, Va lately. The latest reports just shine more light on how bad the situation in Wythe County, Va really is.

You may remember back in August 2012 when I posted about the County (Wythe) closing the doors of the Speedwell Volunteer Fire Department. They cited ”a lack of formal training” as just one of the reasons for the closure.

I later learned that they also had some trouble surrounding the former Speedwell Chief, Michael Hale; who had been convicted of felony embezzlement.

Read those previous articles HERE and HERE

Apparently, the County’s Chief Officer problem is not isolated to Speedwell.

In less than a week, the Wytheville Fire Department has had 2 house fires less than 4 miles apart in the Crockett’s Cove section of the County. Both homes were a total loss … burnt to the ground. The incidents happened just 5.8 miles from their station.

A lot of the reports I’m getting seem to point to poor leadership / management within the Department. In my opinion, some of the stories even border negligence.

Before I go further, let me say that I attempted to contact many of the parties involved. I even requested a transcript of the latest incident from the Counties E911 director, Mr Davidson. I explained that I was working on a story surrounding these incidents and wanted to assure the information I have is as accurate as possible. I have yet to receive a reply from any of the people / agencies I contacted.

The latest fire occurred at 214 Crockett’s Cove Road on Friday, November 16, 2012 @ 2:15 pm (5.8 miles from the Wytheville Fire Department).

The home was a “TOTAL LOSS” with damages estimated at $75,000.

One of the sad things surrounding this incident is that they (the Wytheville Fire Department) are almost bragging about it!

The Chief, Ronnie King ??? He’s taking FULL CREDIT.

A local paper, SW Va Today; even used the headline ”Firefighters try out new technique in fire“.

“King, who thought of the idea, said he had never studied the technique in all of his years as a firefighter. I’d never heard of such a thing in all my hours of training, and I’ve had thousands and thousands of hours of training,” he said. “We plan on using it again.”

Chief King boasts 24 years in Fire / EMS. Read his Firefighter Nation Profile HERE

My first question is why Chief King didn’t name or title this new, revolutionary technique? He could have easily dubbed it something simple … maybe the “watch us let your house burn down technique”.

You see, instead of fighting the fire, which started in the living room and was “room and content” upon arrival; King directed his members to go straight to salvage operations.

Yes … SALVAGE. I don’t know how Chief King never learned that term in his “thousands and thousands of hours of training”. It’s such a simple term .. SALVAGE.

They cut a hole in an exterior wall on the opposite side of the home from the room of origin. They then formed a human chain to pass out firearms, clothing and even an X-Box. (click on the picture to enlarge it and you’ll see the members operating at the “hole”)

I need to get on the phone to Bobby Halton, Ray McCormick and a few other Brothers because apparently we’re going to have to change the technique of VES (Vent Enter Search) to Vent Enter Salvage.

Full story from SW Va Today HERE

When the Chief finally decided to try the technique the rest of American Firefighters use, putting water on the fire; he pulled small diameter hoses, attempted an exterior attack and quickly ran out of water…. IMAGINE THAT.

It’s my understanding that the Chief (Department) has a strict policy on interior firefighting. It’s very seldom attempted and then only at the discretion and orders of the Chief. The same policy applies to calling for mutual aid or additional resources such as a TANKER (Reports are that it was 45 minutes into the incident before mutual aid tankers were requested).

Egos, power struggles and a lack of training all seem to be prominent issues within the Wytheville Fire Department. The “good ol boy” system at work again as the Chief is elected by the members.

Here are some questions for the Chief …. Why did you not enter the house and attempt to extinguish the fire? Why did you not enter to “search”?

His reply is going to be that it was more than “room and content” upon arrival (it wasn’t). That the fire was too heavily involved.

Why then did you enter for salvage operations? Why did the members performing this “new technique” not have on proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus)?

What if the room you opened up was the bathroom? What would you have salvaged then? Did you know it was a bedroom in advance? Did you use a chain saw or rotary saw? Was the power company on scene, did you pull the meter or cut cut through the live wires?

Why waste water on a pile of rubble? If you let the house burn down, why not just let it burn itself out (note the small diameter hose line still in use in the picture above left)?

Did your members run out of pizza? Yea … PIZZA. Apparently, the Wytheville Fire Department has a VERY supportive Auxiliary. Several pizzas were delivered to the scene and consumed while the home continued to burn. Yea .. a house burning party in celebration of Chief King’s new X-box saving technique and it all happened in front of the residents!

Now, I’m all for salvage operations and firefighter rehab but COME ON…. pizza! Salvage is a vital part of our job but the best way to perform salvage is to extinguish the fire! Maybe then, these residents would have a TV to play their X-box on. Maybe they would have a home to put it in?

Apparently, Chief King is not a quick learner because he faced similar problems on the fire at 193 Chase Lane just a few days earlier on November 12th.

Once again, members ran out of water and there was a delay in requesting mutual aid tankers.

The use of small diameter hose lines was also reported.

The fire was said to have started “in the chimney” and the results were a total loss with damages estimated at over $70,000.

Smoke detectors alerted the residents of this home who all were able to escape without injury.

Chief King said “They are fortunate to be alive”.

That’s one thing he’s said that I’ll agree with.

Read the fully story HERE

The Wytheville Fire Department protects approx. 13,400 residents.

They cover a response area of 91.14 square miles.

Their claim an average response time of 3-7 minutes to their approximately 200 calls per year.

The Town of Wytheville has an ISO rating of 6 while the County’s rating is 9.

Here are some of the members giving a “thumbs up” at the Chase Lane fire. I guess they’re thankful to be alive.

Note the clean dry gear, the lack of SCBA and the small diameter hose line.

We can only hope Wythe County Administrators get a quick handle on this situation before there is a LODD (Line Of Duty Death) or the loss of civilians.

They seemed to have handled their Felon problem as well as the Speedwell issues rather swiftly. I believe that some of the Council members are actually volunteers themselves (hopefully that gives them a better understanding of the severity of these issues). They should at least start by dispatching additional tankers (or more) on all reported structure fires.

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I’ll keep ya updated on the situation as best possible. I hope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving Holiday and remembered to think about our Brothers and Sisters out there pulling a tour away from their families.

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on November 22, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, Fire Chief Ronnie King, Fire Critic, firefighter pics, firefighters, firefighting operations, fully involved house fire, house fire, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Ronnie King, salvage, Statter 911, Working fire, Wythe County Va, Wytheville Fire Department

A couple small fires, audio of Captain Wines establishing command and some firehouse fun

1 comment

I guess I should catch ya up seeing as how I haven’t posted since Halloween.

Not only was Halloween a busy shift, it was a busy cycle. We worked Monday, Wednesday and Friday last week. I HATE that cycle. This time, I even managed to squeeze in Hurricane Sandy, her aftermath and Halloween into the mix. You can read my Halloween post HERE .

My “black cloud” followed me the entire cycle, Friday was no better than Monday or Wednesday.

We had two small fires, one on the North Side, the other South Side.

The common denominator with the two seemed to be Engine Company #4, They were first in on both incidents (Smoke and More … running 4 !).

The first was a report of smoke inside and apartment. Members arrived to find a moderate smoke condition inside a second floor apartment.

The trouble was, there was no fire. Their investigation continued to the floor below where they located the source of the smoke. With the assistance of Ladder 5, the fire was quickly knocked down and the structure ventilated. Nobody was displaced and damages were minimal.

Later in the evening, Engine 4 would arrive to a single story ranch, residential structure to find a chimney fire in progress.

It’s funny how at this time of year we always see something like this incident. October is Fire Safety Month and our Department does an excellent job of educating / reminding our citizens about smoke detectors, batteries, chimney inspections, E.D.I.T.H (Exit Drills In The Home), Having 2 ways out, Meeting places, Stop, Drop and Roll etc.

All this work and effort yet we still see fires / incidents that could have been avoided.

Anyway, once again; the members on scene did a great job. Engine 4 was assisted by Ladder 7, Engine 1, Engine 8 and Medic 4, Battalion 1 and RS1. They got the fire out of the box (stove), used a dry chem, chimney bombs, PPV and chains to clear the flue. The better news is that they performed these operations without causing damage to the home (smoke etc) so once again, nobody was displaced.

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While we’re talking about fires, I’ll back up to the small one I had Halloween evening. I managed to be first in with the Chief’s buggy and established command. All members on scene, as always; did a GREAT job. I have some of the audio from the fire and will share it with you. It’s nothing spectacular. I’m not sure it sounds as smooth as it ran because a lot of my orders etc were done face to face. Everyone seemed to arrive at the same time (which is a good thing). Again I’ll remind you that, in my Department; our Incident Command model works toward 3 Bench Marks … “All Clear” on Primary and Secondary Searches, “Under Control” and “Loss Stopped”. You hear use make all three in the audio below…

Click HERE for Working Fire audio

Again, the good news was that we had no major incidents over the cycle (Monday’s post found HERE). With that said, the calls seemed to keep coming in … one after the other. I managed to throw my helmet up on the dash and turn on my FD Cam during one of our runs, If you’re not familiar with FD Cams, check them out by CLICKING HERE.

It’s a GREAT camera! Rhett and I both have one and should have a review up very soon over at Fire Product Review.com . Take a short ride with me while responding in the Battalion buggy by watching the video below ….

So that was some of the work that went on last cycle but, there was also some fun squeezed in as well.

The North Battalion runs out of Station #5 and C-shift has a great crew, Three of the members were adopted from The Melrose Misfits so it’s almost like being home again when I work out of that house… ALMOST.

They’re a strong crew. They work and train hard but they also play hard. You never have trouble finding a good laugh around this bunch!

Since it was Halloween, the boys figured to get some candy for the Trick or Treaters. Of course, they had to get some of those super sour tarts for themselves as well.

It wasn’t long until the shenanigans began.

Who could eat the most of em at one time?

Who could tolerate them the longest?

Who would be the first to give in?

Of course the only thing funnier than watching Wheezy suffer through a mouth full of em was watching him convince Carlie that it wasn’t “that bad”…

LMAO … yep … She tried it!

Poor gal. Actually, the pictures don’t do it justice… you had to be there.

I do have to say that she took it like a Champ. Had I have been the Judge, Carlie would have been crowned the winner. She’s tougher than she looks … that is until the “Boogie Man Mask” comes out. Then she screams like a… well…. she SCREAMED! LMAO

The boys caught her heading to the bunk room. The put the Boogie Man Mask on and met her (unexpectedly) at the door. I think they took about 10 years off her life! LMAO … I know … they used to get me ALL THE TIME with that damn mask! Check it out…

Ok, the wind everything up, I’ll just add that between chores, the Buckaroo and I did get out and vote .

I’m not going to say which way I went, nor will I bitch or gloat about the results. I will say that I’m honored to live in a Country where I have that choice. My voice was heard, regardless of the results.

With that said, I hope to now be part of the solution … not the problem. I will support our government anyway I can in hopes of improving our way of life.

I hope you can find a way to do the same.

In closing, please continue to keep our Brothers and Sisters on the Northeastern Coast in your thoughts and prayers and they continue to recover and rebuild.

Stay SAFE and in House … I’ll check back in as soon as possible.

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on November 9, 2012 • Filed under: command-leadership, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, Fire Dispatch, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, Uncategorized, videos • Tagged: brotherhood, Buckaroo, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, chimney fire, Dave Statter, Fire Critic, fire ground audio, fire photos, firefighter pics, firefighters, house fire, Incident Command, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, response video, Roanoke Fire/EMS, Statter 911, video, Working fire

A busy Halloween in “The Noke”

2 comments

Yesterday was Halloween and I jinxed myself with my last post. I had hoped that like with Hurricane Sandy, we may be spared.

It wasn’t too bad (as bad as it could have been or as bad as others had it) but in our line of work, even one call is too many.

I’m riding “the car” as the acting Battalion for the North side and, that’s never good news for our Brothers and Sisters of C-Shift.

It was a typical tour until around 5pm…. then it started.

Our first notable call was for a possible house fire. I was first in with the Chief’s buggy to find smoke showing from the attic (sides Delta and Bravo) of a single story, wood framed, family dwelling. I gave the size up, marked it a working fire and established Command.

Engine #2 was close behind, pulled past and was assigned Division 1 (offensive attack).

I had been met by the occupants, stating that the fire was in the kitchen but extending through the walls / ceiling. I relayed that info to Captain Graham (E2) as his crew made the stretch and I made a 360 degree walk around. My initial size-up held.

Engine #5 was next in and would lay a line from E2 to our closest hydrant just a block away. Ladder #2 took the address and was assigned “search” and “ventilation” and set portable ladders to sides Delta and Bravo at the gable vents.

Next in was E3 who made the stretch into the attic for extension, while Medic 2 established RIC (Rapid Intervention Crew). Medic Unit 101 was assigned as the Medical Division and Medic #5 was attached to interior crews.

Our EMS supervisor, RS1; was assigned Safety and took position on side Charlie. Engine #1 was held in staging while the South Battalion assisted me. All members on scene did a great job of bringing the fire under control very quickly.

In our system, Command (and the members) are working towards three bench marks. “All Clear” on the searches, Primary and Secondary. “Fire Under Control” and “Loss Stopped”.

This fire was small but had gotten into the walls and made its way to the attic.

The boys did a great job of getting above it, cutting it off and extinguishing it.

Walls had to be pulled both interior and exterior as well as some ceiling. Everything was wet down, checked and double checked with the TIC (Thermal Imaging Camera).

Crews had 3 lines off (all 1 3/4″). One on the first floor, another to the attic and the third on the exterior where they had to pull siding etc near the point of origin / extension.

Again, quick work and a job well done by all members on scene!

After this job, the calls continued to roll in. Just as we sat down for dinner, we were toned out for a commercial alarm a nursing home. This is one of our “regular” runs, 99% of the time a false alarm or system malfunction.

Dispatch called radioed me while en route to advise that employees had called 911 to confirm smoke from one of the rooms….. GEESH!

I marked another “working fire” before the first unit even arrived. I’d rather have em on the road and not need them than need them and have to wait. Especially at a nursing home.

As it turned out, most of the “smoke” was from where employees had discharged several dry chemical extinguishers. The incident was easily handled by 2 Engines and a Ladder so the assignment was downgraded.

The evening continued with MVAs (Motor Vehicle Accidents), Automated Alarms and Medical runs. Thankfully, we had no major losses and all our members went home this morning. All considered it was a good night.

There were plenty of Brothers and Sisters all across the Country who were not as fortunate.

There was both good and bad news out of Detroit.

The good news is that they didn’t see an increase in fires this year. The bad news is that they still had 93 fires over the 3 days they consider Halloween.

More from AP news HERE

Rhett also has some raw video of fires in Detroit over on Fire Critic.com … CLICK HERE .

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There were also Brothers and Sisters up and down the Eastern seaboard still working in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Members in New York, New Jersey and many other States were still going door to door today looking for folks in need of assistance.

They found more than that. The death toll from Hurricane Sandy has now grown to over 80 across 9 states… 38 of those were in New York.

Gas mains are broken and burning, buildings are unstable and collapsing. Raw sewage is draining into water systems (the few remaining anyway). Electrical systems remain under water and cluttered with debris. Like I’ve said before, the situation my look better for the public, simply because the winds have died and the water receded; but for us the conditions are just as hazardous.

Fire stations were flooded and much of their equipment lost.

Members were working to save people they’ve never met while their own families and possessions were in danger.

Several members ended up fighting fires in their own homes and neighborhoods. Sandy was DEVASTATING to say the least.

These Brothers and Sisters represented our profession well. A true display of Tradition, Pride, Honor and Respect.

Now, they need our help … a show of BROTHERHOOD. How will these Departments rebuild? How long will it take? Where will the money come from? I want you to consider donating through the National Firefighters Endowment (NFE).

The NFE has set up a Relief Fund to provide immediate assistance. They have already received requests for an Engine and Ambulance and the NFE is close to filling the order.

If you can donate .. anything, use the link below. If your Department was affected by Sandy and needs immediate assistance for equipment replacement, use the link below. If you’re a company or business that would like to partner with us in our efforts, also use the link below.

NFE First Responder Relief Fund

Share and Post it to Face Book, Twitter and whatever Social Media you may use. Help get the word out and these Brothers and Sisters the equipment they need. ANYTHING you can do … ANYTHING you can send, we’ll take. If you’re not sure how to help or what you can do, call Shane Parkins, President of NFE @ (916) 572-1502.

TOGETHER, we can and will make a difference. BROTHERHOOD will prevail !

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on November 1, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, Fire Dispatch, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, funding-staffing, major-incidents, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: Broad Channel VFD, brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, Detroit Fire Department, Detroit firefighters, Devils Night, FDNY, Fire Critic, firefighter pics, firefighters, First Responder Relief Fund, house fire, Hurricane Sandy, Incident Command, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, National Firefighters Endowment First Responder Relief Fund, NFE, Roanoke Fire/EMS, Statter 911, Willie Wines Jr

Fortunately spared

2 comments

Hurricane Sandy didn’t hit S.W. Virginia as hard as expected. We were fortunate. Not all of the East coast was.

I would not have bet on her missing us. Like the hurricane, everything was in place for “the perfect storm”. You see, I’m riding as the acting Battalion for the North Side this cycle. The last time I rode was back on June 29th when a “Derecho” blew through town.

At the time, I didn’t even know what a “Derecho” was. Now, I’ll never forget. We were right smack in the middle of it …. a living HELL. Read my post about that night by clicking the title below.

A Vision of Calm in the midst of Hell

I say we were fortunate yesterday because as bad as I thought we had it back in June, it was NOTHING compared to what our Brothers and Sisters on the North Eastern Coast (and inland) faced last night.

Sandy made landfall in New Jersey but caused havoc from South Carolina to Maine. She was devastating to say the least. Reports are of at least 48 dead (including a LODD) and millions without power. In New York City, entire blocks burned. Houses were washed away in New Jersey, businesses destroyed and more, much more and worse.

The damages and rebuilding costs are sure to be overwhelming. The loss of life, 10 fold.

Lt. Russ Neary of Easton, Connecticut has been identified as the Firefighter who died in the Line Of Duty. More details in the links below …

Easton, Connecticut LODD Lt. Russ Neary (FireCritic)

You can also find more coverage of Hurricane Sandy and her after math in the links below …….

Raw Video of FDNY in action (Dave Statter)

Hurricane Sandy coverage from The Fire Critic

Fox News.com

For many of the millions in the path of (and affected by) hurricane Sandy, those hours she devoured the East Coast may have very well been the worst of their life.

On the other hand, I feel as if it may have been “our finest hour” for first responders (I say that with all due respect to the affected …. allow me to explain).

You see, those Firefighters, Police Officers, Medics, National Guard, Coast Guard members etc. pulling a tour also lived in Sandy’s path. They knew all to well that their personal lives / property would be affected yet they “stood their post”. It’s what we do !

They stood their post and performed BEAUTIFULLY!

I’ve read reports of members swimming to burning building to make searches / rescues.

Fire trucks loaded onto tractor trailers to better handle the high and rising water in the streets.

Rigs drafting flood water to knock down heavily involved buildings.

Swift Water teams making countless rescues.

Much like those members guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the actions of our Brothers and Sisters in response to hurricane Sandy scream of PRIDE and HONOR.

I should also mention the dispatchers (telecommunicators) on duty during the storm. WOW ! There’s no way we could do what we do without them.

I tried to listen to FDNY’s live dispatch between our runs and they continue to amaze me with their proficiency.

If you’ve never listened in, you should. You’ll be shocked. Take a listen and see what I mean, thanks to our Brothers over at The Bravest.com

There were several individuals (on the larger scale) who stood out in my mind as well.

Folks like Mike Brooks of HLN, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, NYC Mayor Bloomburg and a few more.

I know Mike Brooks personally and he had one hell of a segment on HLN yesterday. I haven’t been able to find it yet so I’ll wait until tomorrow to tell ya why these folks stand out in my mind.

I’ll also give a tip of the hat to my administration. Although we weren’t hit as hard as most (or as expected), we were prepared.

Unlike when the Derecho hit, we were not caught off guard. We were kept informed, given up to date projections / information and provided the necessary resources.

Fortunately, we only faced high winds and cold temps. Apparently the clean up from June’s Derecho was effective because we didn’t see near the number of downed power lines.

The Brothers from Stations #6, #11 and #1 made quick work of a residential fire over in South East. Other than that, we were spared any major incidents.

Just a quick post to say WELL DONE to everyone who pulled a tour during hurricane Sandy. STRONG WORK ! As power is restored and the water recedes, our duties will be just as hazardous. Situational and Positional Awareness !

Stay SAFE and in House … I’ll check back in tomorrow night.

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on October 30, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, Dispatch & Communications, Emergency Communications, Fire Dispatch, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident, news, rescues, special-operations, Uncategorized, videos • Tagged: 2012 LODD, brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, derecho, FDNY, Fire Critic, fire dispatch, fire video, firefighter pics, firefighters, FOX News, house fire, Hurricane Sandy, IAFF, live dispatch, LODD, LODD Lt. Russ Neary, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Lt. Russ Neary, Mike Brooks, perfect storm, Roanoke Fire/EMS, severe weather, Statter 911, The Bravest.com, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Working fire

Some clarification before I retire (or at least before my next post)

2 comments

My last post drew a lot of attention….. both positive and negative. I knew it would and it’s why I choose the title I did. I asked our Network (Fire/EMS Blog Network) to push it to some of our bigger audiences. I was putting my neck out there but that’s what I do. I was asking a question, posting some of my observations and asking for comments / debate. If you haven’t read it yet, please take the time and use the link below (but you can’t read JUST the title)…

Read “Is the Medic Mentality what’s actually killing the Fire Service?“

Judging from some of the comments, I am a condescending, egotistical, CLOWN who knows nothing about Emergency Medical Services and should retire (WOW … somebody actually knows me …LOL). By some accounts, I am actually the root of the problem I was attempting to expose (me and “my kind” anyway).

I’ve never claimed to be a great writer. I know that I’m not and, quite frankly; I’ve never understood the popularity that this site (and my writings) attracts and enjoy. With that said, obviously; I must be doing something right.

I’m not the most articulate person. I write too much like I talk and I’m about as Southern redneck / cowboy as they come. I’m also a 2nd generation firefighter who speaks just that … “firefighter”. I walk, talk and breath “firefighter” but for many, that definition in itself my vary.

You see, for me; the term “firefighter” is a “catch all”, “do it all” phrase if you will. To me, for example; the term “firefighter” should automatically encompass Emergency Medical Services. When someone encounters an emergency, they call the Fire Department. ANY EMERGENCY. House fire, stroke, vehicle accident, wires down, grass fire, chest pain or subject unresponsive, the Fire Department is expected to respond and mitigate the situation. I take PRIDE in that.

I’ve never understood why so many Departments these days call themselves “Fire and EMS” or Fire and Rescue”. The two terms should go hand in hand but instead, the name alone indicates two separate functions and it shouldn’t be that way.

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In my previous post, I guess I also didn’t give enough of my personal background. Typically, I don’t write about in detail or mention the name of the Department I work in. I still wont but I will say that I am an IAFF (International Association of Firefighters) member. I work for a career, urban Department in SW Virginia. I was hired into a “Fire Department” in 1991 who then merged with an “EMS Department” in 1995. I have held the rank of Firefighter, Lieutenant, 1st Lieutenant and made Captain in 2000. I’ve tested and been ranked 1st on the Battalion Chief’s promotional list. I am currently an EMT-B but have also held certifications as Shock Trauma, Cardiac Tech and as a Nationally Registered Paramedic. As an EMS provider, I’ve worked in both the public and private sector, paid and volunteer.

It’s been my experience that most of these “mergers” I spoke about were not well thought out. They came up with the idea from the results of some study and then simply threw the two very different groups together (Fire and EMS). As far as I can tell, many never even considered the differences in cultures / mentalities of the two groups they were about to combine. They never thought about the effects such a merger would have on the members. I say this from personal experience and/or from e-mails, comments and conversations with friends, fans and readers. It’s my observation and I’m sure its not the case with every merger or with every Fire based EMS Department in the Country.

For those of you who presume to know me or think that I’m anti-EMS, you couldn’t be more wrong. Despite my youth, I was one of the more outspoken members in favor of the merger involving my Department back in the 90′s. It was an unpopular position at the time. I was a young cocky firefighter assigned to the busiest Engine in the City. Although the City (my Department) didn’t recognize it, I was also a Paramedic at the time. My favorable feelings toward the merger had nothing to do with my certifications though. To me, it was all about our “customers” .. the citizens we were sworn to protect and serve.

Ok, back to the previous post. In that post, and the earlier one ( How to kill a Fire Department ); I was attempting to make a point about poor leadership. Poor leadership often results in low morale (among other things) which could equate to a lower work ethic and ultimately to poor customer service. Although I didn’t point them out specifically, many of the examples I was drawing from had Chief Officers who came from a strictly EMS background. I wanted to point out how Medics (or EMS personnel) are trained and conditioned (for the most part) to work alone. How I thought it was difficult (not impossible) for those same people to now lead a group of Firefighters who are trained / conditioned in a totally different manner. The exact opposite is also true. It would be equally as difficult for a Fire Chief with no EMS experience to effectively lead a group of EMS personnel.

My plans were to talk more in depth about Fire based EMS in a future post (kinda of tying all these together). I personally think that it’s an unfinished “project” here in the United States. I also think it’s one we need to complete. In many cases, our Medics are treated as 2nd class employees. Some of the comments were dead on … sitting in the truck for 12 hours. Assigned to a street corner rather than a house. Eating off your lap or out of a bag rather than at the table. Sleeping sitting up or on a stretcher. Poor working conditions and it’s all UNACCEPTABLE in my mind.

What kind of customer service do you think these folks provide? Good I hope but how much better could it be if they were treated differently? If they were in a better, more comfortable situation / work place environment. What kind of leadership places them in that situation in the first place? What “numbers game” are they playing? It’s obvious that they don’t realize that their employee is their greatest asset.

I think Fire based EMS offers a positive alternative and can be successful when instituted properly. Now I understand that there are firefighters who want nothing to do with EMS and there are Medics who want nothing to do with fighting fires etc. Can we change that mentality in the future? I don’t know. Why aren’t we working toward doing that right now?

A merger or Fire based EMS system also has to be done for the right reasons and it’s NOT money. EMS does not generate funds for a Fire Department …. not in the public sector anyway and I will debate that with ya all day long. The reason for such an undertaking should be CUSTOMER SERVICE and /or SERVICE DELIVERY.

As far as some of the comments in the last post, THANK YOU. At least you took the time to write down and share your thoughts. It’s what I asked for. As far as the criticism, I can take it but I’d ask you to step back and take a look at what just happened. We have a saying around here … I threw a rock and you barked! In a way, you almost validated my point. It seems like some of you actually drew the “line” that I said once existed. Again, maybe I didn’t do the best job of getting my point across. I don’t expect everyone to agree with my opinions and I’m thankful to have this platform to voice them.

Strong leadership is what will build the next generation of firefighters and that’s no easy task. It’s important to remember that leadership begins from the ground level up. Without the respect and support of the members, a leader may very well become ineffective. There are many changes on the horizon for the Fire Service and I’m excited to see what direction they may lead us in. We are fortunate to have a vast array of great leaders already in place within our profession with many more in the waiting. What kind of leaders do you have?

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on October 15, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, ems-topics, fire-rescue-topics, funding-staffing, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, EMS, Fire / EMS, Fire Critic, Fire Department Administration, fire rescue, Firefighter / Paramedic, firefighter pics, firefighters, IAFF, leadership, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Roanoke Fire/EMS, Statter 911

Is the “Medic Mentality” what’s actually killing the Fire Service?

20 comments

I slammed out a pretty decent post last week. I say I “slammed” it out because I was frustrated as hell when I wrote it. I also say it was “pretty decent” because of the number of “Hits”, “Shares” and “Comments” it received… and they’re still coming in! If you haven’t already, please take the time to read it before going further in this post (just click the title below)

read ”How to kill a Fire Department“

Ok, so I’m guessing that the title of this post captured the attention of many. It may have even upset a few of ya. Now, before you start gathering a posse, or tone out the lynch mob; give me the chance to explain my thought process here. Also try to keep in mind that this is a question. I’m asking because I want your opinion. It may or may not be mine … these are just some observations I’ve made.

In the previous post (How to kill a Fire Department) I threw a lot of the “blame” on low morale. In turn, I equated low morale to poor leadership. It must have “hit home” for a lot of Brothers and Sisters out there. The majority of those leaving comments and e-mails not only agreed, but also felt as if I was writing about their very own Department. It was almost like I could have put one of those boxes in the post … you know … something like ”Insert your Department name HERE”.

I’d like to say that I was shocked at some of the responses I received but I can’t. We are all facing the same challenges and fighting the same battles. It’s the same story town after town, city after city. The same ol story, a Nation wide problem with different names and faces.

I found several other similarities in the stories and responses I received as well. To me, it all makes sense and is actually something I’ve felt for some time. You see, most of the Brothers and Sisters complaining of poor leadership and / or low morale are from Fire Departments who have either merged with an EMS department or hired a Chief from the “EMS side” of things (again …HOLD ON and allow me to explain).

First, I know there shouldn’t be “sides” when speaking about Fire and EMS. We’re all on the job for the same reason right? We’re supposed to be Brothers and Sisters, watching each others back. We’re on the same streets, running the same calls, seeing the same heartaches day after day…. right? Right.

I think that many of the newer / younger members of today’s Fire Service may not even realize it but, as early as just 15 years ago; there were definite lines drawn between Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

Mergers were happening all across the Country. “Medics” were walking through doors of fire houses making more money than members who had time on the job. That’s understandable until they say that the firefighter has to ride the ambulance for a tour so the medic can get some “Engine time”.

You can guess what the feelings were and what was said in that house can’t ya? … Engine time? I though they were making more money because they rode the ambulance? Now, with less seniority and experience; he ( or she) wants to do my job, to make me do his (or hers) and all because he or she needs a break or wants to play fireman!?!

Many across the Country even received “rank” in these mergers. The “magic wand” was waved and they entered the door as Lieutenants, Captains, Battalions and even Deputies. In many’s eyes, it HAD to be that way. How could a “Fire Department” Officer supervise a Paramedic? How many “Fire Department” Officers understood the functions and needs of Emergency Medical Services or how their system works? The reality was that some Medical personnel would HAVE to be placed in those positions and many went straight to administrative Chief positions.

Maybe not a bad idea at first, BUT what happens when original or “Fire Department” administration begins to retire? After the Department begins to “settle in” to the new organization? Will these folks remain in their positions or be allowed to advance up the promotional ladder?

I received several comments and e-mails explaining (and complaining) how many current Chief of Departments came from “EMS”….. that they were never a firefighter nor did they have to climb through the ranks. It was also said that they didn’t understand “the job” or it’s members (“paper” education vs. street experience was also frequently mentioned ).

It was obvious to me that there is not a lot of respect for these Chiefs. How could there be?

In that previous post (How to kill a Fire Department), I mentioned a story that a previous Chief once told me. He attempted to explain that the pilot of a 747 never had to work in the position of loading the baggage. He (tried to ) explain that the pilot didn’t need to know and understand that job to do his ( this is the same Chief that told me that I couldn’t be a Boss and friend to the members ).

Now this may be true of a Pilot , but I don’t think it applies to the Fire Department. How can you lead men and women you don’t relate to? How can you understand their thinking? Their methodology? How good of a leader can you be without knowing and understanding their history and traditions? How can a person who has never sat on the tailboard for a bullshit session, ate at a firehouse table or slept in the bunk room understand firefighters?

So that brings me to my point. Many of the Chiefs leading these “troubled Departments” are Medics ( or at least previous medics). I guess this is a good spot to tell you that I was once a medic. YEA … a National Registered “glitter patch” Paramedic. That said, I was and always have been a firefighter first. I am NOT anti-Medic or EMS and I don’t think the problems I’m referring to is simply because these Chiefs are / were “Medics”, I believe it’s deeper than that .

I think it may be due to what I call the “Medic mentality”. It’s something that has been en-grained in them … from their first day of training. They think nothing at all like a Firefighter and now, somehow they’ve found themselves managing an entire Fire Department.

Many of them either have, or will fail ….. and it’s NOT THEIR FAULT.

They were taught (trained) to do everything by themselves (much like Police Officers). They spent a large portion of their career ALONE in the back of that ambulance. Nobody there to make decisions for them. Nobody to give direction, to assist with drug calculations, administration etc. It was a TON of responsibility on their shoulders. Theirs and theirs alone.

Sure, they had a partner but his/her job was to drive and clean up after the Medic. They even put a wall between the front and rear of the ambulance (hows that for separation and the reality of being on your own?)

They stayed on the street …. they didn’t have a “house” and if they did, it wasn’t the same as a firehouse. Often times, their partners changed with each shift. There was nothing “grounded” or regular for them. A “house” with a different partner every shift was just a place to hang out and watch TV with someone they really didn’t know … there was no sense of “ownership”.

In a lot of these cases, the medic had to out perform his co-workers to have even a remote chance of promotion or transfer. It was a dog eat dog world and they did whatever necessary to make themselves look better than the next guy. It was easy to screw the other guy over because there were no ties to each other. In that type of work environment there was no Brotherhood, there couldn’t be. Without a doubt, these Brothers and Sisters were on their own…they were alone. Alone in the ambulance, alone in quarters, maybe even alone at home because of it all.

For the good ones, it became 2nd nature. It HAD to. They couldn’t be taught to depend on anyone else because there was nobody else. They were on their own, they knew it and if they were to survive, they had better be good at it!

Then, when someone decided to throw them into a firehouse, they didn’t fit in. Some adapted, for others it took longer and many never did.

They couldn’t understand things as simple as meals. Cooking? Why don’t we just jump on the rig and run down to Burger King for a biscuit? Wendy’s for lunch and maybe a pizza or something when we get hungry later tonight …say around 2 am. Nobody has to cook OR do the dishes! Cleaning? Toilets? “But I don’t use that one”. Station dues / taxes? “I don’t drink coffee or read the paper”. When you told em to find a rack and make it they looked at you like they were lost. A bed? They wanted to just sleep on the couch … after all, that’s where they were used to eating and sleeping.

It went right over their heads … all of it. A firehouse is just that…. a home. It’s our home, albeit our 2nd home; and the members inside are FAMILY.

How can they respect something they’ve never had? Something they don’t understand or have any ties to? When they became Chief, closing that station was an easy decision … station life meant nothing to them. They’d never worked at that old house. They never knew now deceased or retired ”Captain so and so” who did ‘this and that” and taught your recruit class.

I also think that back when “the lines were drawn” there was some animosity between us (Fire and EMS). I think they seen what we had over in the firehouses and wanted to be part of it… they were envious The bad part again is that they didn’t truly understand what we had and how to get it. They figured that by just backing into the firehouse, they would automatically join our ranks.

That is the type of “mentality” most of us faced back then. Now, many of these members are in Chief positions all across the Country. Judging from the comments / e-mails I’ve received, several (not all) have maintained that mentality throughout their career. If true, then THIS is the mentality of our leaders. Agian I’ll say that it’s not their fault … it’s simply ALL THEY KNOW.

I should also add that I think (and hope) this type of mentality will phase out (hopefully sooner than later). Today’s Medics are coming onto the job and reporting straight into the firehouse. They are introduced to “firehouse life” from the beginning and I don’t think that is a bad thing.

Let me know your thoughts BUT keep em civil .

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Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on October 11, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, ems-topics, fire-rescue-topics, funding-staffing, news, Uncategorized

2012 National Fallen Firefighters Firefighters Memorial Weekend

1 comment

Although Rhett and I are no longer “physically” in Emmitsburg, there will always be a part of us that will never leave the Memorial grounds.

Rhett and I (along with hundreds of Brothers and Sisters from all across the Country) have just returned home from the 31st Annual NFFF Memorial Weekend.

This year, 85 names were added to the Memorial (80 from 2011 and 5 from previous years).

The Mission / Purpose of the NFFF and the Memorial Weekend is to not only Honor our fallen, but to also provide SUPPORT for the survivors (the families). It’s the kind of support that I don’t believe can be found in any other place.

You’ve often heard Rhett and I speak (or write) about “Brotherhood”. It comes in many different forms and can be found in the least expected places. With that said, I can honestly tell you that I’ve never seen “True Brotherhood” at work as I have on the grounds of the Memorial. It’s Brotherhood in it’s rarest form … UNSELFISH, TRUE and PURE.

Past survivors return year after year to assist new survivors with the challenges and hurdles they are facing. Who knows these challenges better than a past survivor? Knowing they are not alone, new and lasting friendships are made through mutual understanding and the healing process.

Brother and Sister Firefighters from all across the Country volunteer their time during the Weekend to serve as “Escorts” for the families. Every family of a fallen firefighter (being honored that year) is assigned a fire-service Escort to assist them while they are on-campus during Memorial Weekend. While on campus and attending Memorial Weekend, their every need is taken care of (learn how to become an Escort by CLICKING HERE ).

The families are greeted with a warm welcome. Special events are held for the survivors throughout the weekend as well, some public and others private.

There is a “family day” full of activities for both the adult and child survivors. There are even grief counselors on hand for private sessions with the families. A candle light service is held on Saturday evening / night as well as many, many more activities / events leading up to the Memorial Service on Sunday.

The entire weekend is sponsored by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. With help from private donations, the Foundation is able to provide lodging and meals for the immediate survivors and assists with their travel expenses.

Learn more about the NFFF Memorial Weekend HERE

Rhett and I were honored to once again be part of the Memorial Weekend. This year, Rhett led the Social Media Team while I assisted Dave Statter with Production. As awe inspiring as the Weekend itself is, it is twice as amazing to be in a position to see and realize everything it takes to make it happen.

HUNDREDS of volunteers are needed and, Brothers and Sisters from all across the Country come together to fulfill the various tasks. In essence, it’s like running a small city or a very large incident. Housing (on site as well as at various hotels), food, logistics, transportation, operations, Honor Guard, Fire / Rescue, communications, escorts, production etc. it could easily become overwhelming.

Managing all these areas and being able to focus them toward a common goal / direction could obviously be a nightmare….but NOT at Memorial Weekend. Obviously, the National Incident Management System (NIMS) is utilized and that in itself is amazing to see in operation on this scale. Chief John McGrath of the Raleigh, NC Fire Department served flawlessly as our Incident Commander.

Production of the Memorial Weekend is never without obstacles and this year’s was major. For only the 2nd time in 31 years, Sunday’s Memorial Service had to be moved to an indoor location, off campus; due to the weather.

The decision was made and following Saturday night’s Candlelight Service, EVERYTHING was moved and setup inside Knott Arena at Mount St. Mary’s University (just a few miles away). The logistics alone could be overwhelming not to mention production of the Service. Communications, video, audio, live streaming etc… EVERYTHING had to be relocated. The Honor Guard, speakers, performers and readers were all prepared to execute their duties on the grounds of the Memorial….. every step rehearsed. Now, in less than 12 hours; the venue would change.

The move and Sunday’s Service went off flawlessly and that speaks VOLUMES about all members involved. I personally wondered if not being “on site” at the Memorial would take away from the Service … it didn’t (see pictures HERE)

The Memorial Service and the entire weekend is, after all; about the Fallen and their Survivors. In the very least, the families were warm and dry. With every seat taken and Honor Guard lining the walls, the feeling I found inside Knott Arena was no less spiritual than what I’ve experienced outside at the Memorial. As soon as the Pipe and Drums began playing, we all knew we were in the right place.

If you’ve never attended Memorial Weekend, YOU SHOULD. I guarantee that after the first visit, you’ll return the following year. I’ll also bet that you’ll want to become more involved.

Please take the time to watch the videos and use the links in this post(above and below) to see and learn more about the 31st Annual and future NFFF Memorial Weekends. Also, start making plans NOW to attend the 32nd Memorial Weekend to be held on October 5-6, 2013.

Follow The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation of Face Book HERE .

Find more photos of the 2012 Memorial Weekend HERE

More info and photos on the NFFF Web Site HERE

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on October 9, 2012 • Filed under: command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, news, special-operations, Uncategorized, videos • Tagged: 2012 NFFF Memorial Weekend, brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Chief John McGrath, Dave Statter, Emmitsburg Md, Fire Critic, Firefighter Memorials, firefighter pics, firefighters, house fire, LODD, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Mount St Marys, NFFF, NFFF Memorial Weekend, NIMS, Pipe and Drums, Raleigh Fire Department, Statter 911

31st Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend

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The Fire Critic (Rhett Fleitz) and I are in Emmitsburg, Maryland for the 31st Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. This is our 3rd time attending the Weekend together. See a post from out 1st trip by CLICKING HERE and our 2nd time HERE

Learn about the Memorial Weekend from their web site by CLICKING HERE

Once again, we left work and family behind but our sacrifice would soon pay off. Actually, I shouldn’t even have said it “THAT” way because those that we are here to HONOR have made a much bigger sacrifice.

This weekend, Firefighters from all across the Country will HONOR 80 of our Brothers and Sisters who lost their lives in the Line of Duty in 2011 (as well as 5 others from a previous year). Not only will we HONOR our fallen, we will also continue to build the SUPPORT NETWORK for the survivors. That’s really what this weekend is all about … THE SURVIVORS.

We left home at 06:30 this morning and headed to Arlington National Cemetery .

Every year, during the Memorial Weekend; The Sentinels place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on behalf of the NFFF and the survivors of our fallen. It’s an emotional and humbling experience to witness.

If you’ve never attended / visited the NFFF Memorial or attended the Memorial Weekend, YOU’RE MISSING OUT! Paid or volunteer, rookie or Chief, EVERY MEMBER of the Fire Service needs to experience what happens here. You need to walk these hallowed grounds. To experience the emotion.

My visits here have always been life altering experiences. I’ve often referred to them as being even “spiritual”. This year, more so than others.

This was this first time I’ve attended the wreath laying. It was also my first visit to the Arlington National Cemetery.

I still can’t explain the feeling I had seeing all the graves. The tombstones (markers) in PERFECT formation.

It was a silent SCREAM.

A silent scream of PRIDE, HONOR, TRADITION and RESPECT. It painted a true picture of BROTHERHOOD between the living and the dead. I held back tears and pulled for a breath as I read the names and dates of men I never knew. Men who gave their lives for folks like us …. for guys like me.

Then I learned the story. The story of The Sentinels and why they stand guard over the Tomb (use the previous link to learn more).

Again, those words resonate .. Pride, Honor, Tradition and Respect.

The Soldiers were amazing to watch. I got to see them stand guard. I got to see The Changing of the Guard. I seen them change the wreath. All done with precision … with discipline .

Not only was I honored to have been witness, I was equally (actually more so) honored to have shared the experience with Rhett. We have see and been through so much with each other that each new experience continues to amaze us.

There were several members of our Honor Guard on hand as well. In the video, you may notice them lining the front rows of the viewing platform. I also failed to mention that the lady assisting in placing the wreath is a survivor.

More PICTURES from the Wreath Laying Ceremony by clicking HERE

The weekend is just beginning and there’s a lot left to be done (in several aspects). That said, if you can attend, GET HERE ….. anyway you you can.

If not, we will have plenty of outlets for you to view and participate from home. Keep checking here, FireCritic and the NFFF web site as well as on our Face Book pages.

Find Ironfiremen.com on Face Book HERE. Click “Like”

I’ll try to keep ya updated as much as possible. Until I get back, stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on October 4, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, news, Uncategorized, videos • Tagged: 31st Annual NFFF Memorial Weekend, Arlington National Cemetery, brotherhood, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Changing of the Guard, Dave Statter, Fire Critic, firefighter pics, firefighters, IAFF, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, NFFF, NFFF Memorial Weekend, Statter 911, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Augusta County (Va) working, Fatal fire takes the life of 11 yr old boy

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A Dooms, Va. boy is dead following a fatal house fire early Sunday morning (September 30, 2012). Dustyn Fitzgerald was 11 years old and had just started attending Wilson Middle School.

The family was awakened by their 5 year old son’s screams for them to wake up. His room was on fire. The parents and 5 year old’s bedroom were both located on the first floor. Dustyn’s room was on the second.

The home reportedly had smoke detectors in place. The mother stated that they had been recently checked but they were not operating at the time of the fire.

The husband, wife and 5 year old were able to make it safely outside, despite the rapidly deteriorating conditions. The mother, Michelle Gibson; then made several attempts to alert and reach her elder son still trapped on the second floor.

“We were yelling for him and all he kept saying was, mama, mama, I can’t breathe, mama.”

“I kept hollering for him. I thought I heard him coming down the steps but he never came down.”

Meanwhile, a neighbor heard breaking glass and noticed the blaze next door. Flames were shooting from every window as he called 911.

The call was received at 08:31 and the first unit arrived at 08:37.

The picture to the left was taken just moments after their arrival.

A good friend and well respected Chief from Augusta County sent me this photo and a description of the valiant effort and heroics the Brothers and Sisters of Augusta County Fire / Rescue performed that morning.

Volunteer agencies Dooms, Wilson and New Hope along with career units from Augusta County Fire-Rescue Engine 111 and Waynesboro Fire Dept. were assigned to the alarm.

Waynesboro’s crew quickly stretched a line to the Alpha side in a effort to make a knock on the fire and protect the members from Augusta’s E-111 who were entering from the Delta side to perform a primary search. Dooms quickly established Command while Augusta’s Duty Officer had “Operations”.

Despite heavy fire conditions, extreme heat and extension to the floor above, two members from E111, who were described as two of the youngest; pushed to make the 2nd floor where they were able to locate the downed victim. The child was quickly removed from the structure and turned over to awaiting EMS personnel where he was pronounced dead.

Approximately 30 minutes later, the fire was reported under control.

More from WHSV.com by CLICKING HERE or from The News Virginian HERE

THIS IS WHY WE TRAIN. It is why we are here. Why we do what we do. Although the outcome was tragic, these Brothers and Sisters did everything within their power to change it. They were obviously “Battle Ready”. They were prepared and responded quickly. They were well trained, properly equipped, and disciplined.

Take another look at the picture above left (taken moments after arrival). What would your size up have been? With “confirmed entrapment” reported, would you have taken time for a walk around? What about the Rules of Engagement? How about Survivability Profiling? With only seconds to sum it up and decide, and that much fire showing upon arrival; would you have made the push ?

It was refreshing to read the Chief’s e-mail. The PRIDE he holds for his men, for his Department and the job was evident in his writing. Like him, I too commend the efforts of all members involved. WELL DONE Brothers … keep up the good work!

Learn more about Augusta County Fire/Rescue by CLICKING HERE

Stay Safe and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on October 2, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, rescues, Uncategorized, videos • Tagged: Augusta County Fire/Rescue, brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, fatal fire, fire, Fire Critic, firefighter pics, firefighters, house fire, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Statter 911, Working fire

How to kill a Fire Department

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The sad truth is that it happens everyday. All across the Country.

What’s even worse is the fact that I’ve seen it first hand. I’ve watched from the cheap seats and, unfortunately; from the front row as well.

In my opinion, it all boils down to leadership. ISO ratings, National Accreditation Stickers or any other achievements for that matter have no bearing on the morale or the “state” of a Department without strong, true LEADERSHIP.

I’ve had to try to take some time to calm down and collect my thoughts prior to attempting this post and, I’m still not sure if I’ve reached that point. Lately, several issues have continued to grow and fester in my mind and the more I think about them, the madder I become ( I’m not sure if I’m more mad or disappointed … I guess maybe my expectations are just too high).

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There have been some serious local issues around me lately and, quite honestly; their outcomes have had me feeling like I could “puke in my mouth” (this statement will come back up later in the post … you’ll understand more at that point). I feel sick to my stomach.

I know of a Department here in SW Virginia that is sinking FAST. From my personal knowledge and conversations with it’s members, it’s obvious that Department morale is at an ALL TIME LOW.

It’s a SHAME. This Department was at one time (in many’s opinion) the most well respected and desired employer in the area. Today, it’s simply an “option”. It’s better than being unemployed and will at least look good on an application to anywhere other than there. It’s become a “stepping stone”. A vast expanse for what Scott Mutter and I used to call “tumble weed employees” blowing through to bigger and better places.

The demographics don’t seem to offer any logic either. “Playing the numbers” just doesn’t work. Employees are MORE than a number … more than a statistic. NOBODY wants to work or stay in workplace environments such as these. Even closer to home for me, the Roanoke Times recently published an article on the diversity of the Roanoke Police Department. In that article, they spoke of the hiring and recruitment practices of the City and their desire to become more diverse. Read that article by CLICKING HERE .

What they failed to mention in that article is the problem within the City as related to RETENTION of their members.

In my mind, you can’t talk about one without the other … they go together …recruitment and retention.

Rhett had an excellent example involving the City over on the FireCritic.com just the other day. The “Junior Member” of his company, who happens to be a “minority” left the Fire Department to become a Police Officer within the same City.

Read about Jason Gardner’s last shift HERE

This is a young member … a good, desirable employee. Do you mean to tell me that a Department that used to boast 30+ year careers now can’t keep a member longer than 5 years? Not even the minority members whom they actively recruit?

J.G is not the first young member to leave either (minority or not). The “turnover rate” within this Department since (approx.) 1995 to the present has far exceeded the same numbers from its inception to that date. I wonder why nobody is looking at these numbers? Is this a “generational effect” or the result of low morale …. poor management / leadership?

Another local example can be found in last week’s Officer Seminar held in Roanoke. I’ve spoken several times here lately about Chris Naum being the featured speaker at the 5th Annual Southwest Virginia’s Officer Seminar for 2012. Chris is a great speaker with a remarkable resume. How many times do you get a speaker of this caliber in your area? One who travels the “National Circuit”, well educated, published, a contributing writer to Firehouse and Fire Engineering Magazines, founder or contributor to various websites such as The Secret List, Firefighter Close Calls and Everyone Goes Home.

Visit Command Safety , Company Officer and Buildings on Fire

The event was open to the entire region yet only approx. 160 members attended (approx 160 over 2 days, 80 each with the same presentation). It’s EMBARRASSING. Do the members of Southwest Va know it all? Do we NOT need training such as this…. a different view or perspective? Have they become complacent or is it simply a lack of motivation? Or, could this too be related to low morale and poor LEADERSHIP / MANAGEMENT?

I spoke with a Chief of one of the larger Departments eligible to attend. This was a career Department who’s members could have attended AT NO COST. They had less than 10 members in attendance (that’s over BOTH days of the 2 day Seminar… 10 members!). In the past, this Department has even sent “on duty” companies down to listen in …. NOT THIS YEAR.

I asked one of the Chiefs if the turnout was embarrassing to him and/or his Department. I asked his thoughts on the poor attendance. His reply was no, it was not embarrassing. The explanation he gave was that his Department had instructors of this caliber “in house”. His members didn’t need to attend functions such as this to receive quality training.

REALLY? My mouth must have hit the floor. I know this Department. They have some GREAT members. Some GREAT instructors, motivators and leaders but I haven’t seen them offering classes. I found myself quickly racking my brain in an attempt to remember if I had overlooked any training opportunities offered by this Department. I hadn’t. I couldn’t help but think … where are these great instructors? Why isn’t this Chief promoting them and offering their knowledge and talents to our Valley? Why were these instructors not at the Seminar to support Naum?

I wonder if the thought of low morale ever crosses this Chief’s mind. I wonder if he has ever considered that morale in his Department is so low that his member are not going to spend their day off in a class that they are not going to be compensated for (even though compensation shouldn’t matter when it comes to quality training… there were plenty of Volunteer members in attendance at the Seminar).

I wonder if he even realizes what an insult his statement was. An insult to Chris Naum, to the members of the committee that has put this Seminar together over the last 5 years and an insult to the Fire Service in general.

I wonder if he even knows that this type of attitude towards training (if it is indeed the case) should be a HUGE WARNING FLAG for the Command Staff of his Department. Members not motivated to attend training at this level. It doesn’t matter if it’s due to the lack of compensation or for other reasons. Even if you don’t agree with the entire presentation, at least you’re likely to come away having learned something! Even this Chief revealed a mind set of not needing “outside” help. Maybe it’s more like not “wanting” outside help / influences (what if these “outsiders” made him look bad? What if they revealed his short comings?). I doubt he even understands what he said. It’s the culture that’s been bred into this new generation of firefighters / Departments. It’s the mind set of many of our leaders today.

Nobody is looking after the members anymore. It’s not about the men … it’s all about the numbers. Yea … we’ve heard so much about the “Culture of Extinguishment” vs. a “Culture of Safety” that we haven’t even noticed the development of the Culture of “ME”.

Chiefs are seemingly too busy making their bosses happy. Cutting budgets, station closures, manpower cuts, consolidations, brownouts …. anything to balance a budget, save money and make themselves look better in the eyes of whomever. It’s easier than having to stand up and justify their needs.

Cover ups, misdirection, deception and even outright lies are not unheard of anymore. Yet we (the members) are held to a seemingly higher standard … MORALES AND ETHICS.

In a lot of cases, the members are no better….stomping on the backs of their Brothers and Sisters just to get ahead. Forget right and wrong … in today’s Fire Service, it’s whatever it takes to make yourself look good in the eyes of the bosses….. even when / if they’re wrong. Some of these members are the exact ones that you would have never thought of having this attitude.

It’s the age old tactic of divide and conquer. As long as the members buy into this management style, their voice will never be heard. If it is, it’s a single voice … not the collective. As long as there are Chiefs out there who haven’t EARNED their position, it will always be an uphill battle for the boots on the street. These types of managers can’t understand the challenges we face … they’ve never been in our boots.

I had a Chief tell me one time that the reason I was skipped for promotion was that I was too close to the men. His rational was that you can’t be a Boss and a friend. I say you can. You can IF you also have their respect.

If the members respect you, they will never put you in a position or test Boss vs friend.

As far as earning your position / rank, this same Chief once said that a pilot of a 747 airbus never had to learn the job of loading baggage to become the pilot. His relation of this to the fire service was that a member doesn’t need to work as a Firefighter, a Lieutenant, Captain or Battalion to serve as a Chief Officer. A manager is a manager … big business or small Fire Department.

Again, I disagree. By “coming through the ranks” a Chief (hopefully) EARNS the respect of his members. Even when coming from the outside in, knowing that a Chief has walked the same path we have earns him the benefit of the doubt.

I’m kind of getting off point here but it also brings me to it. LOW MORALE is what kills a Fire Department and the morale of any Department starts at the top.

Low morale leads to no confidence in an administration. High morale motivates a Department to perform to higher standards. That said, leaders who are well respected, who have worked through the ranks and understand the feelings, needs and sacrifices of their members are better equipped to motivate those members. They understand that even the little things can make a big difference. They know that it’s better to tell the hard truth rather than leading the members on with misgivings, deceptions and lie after lie. They understand that as firefighters, we can handle the bad news …. we see it everyday!

Motivated members make a Department prosper. A Department that shines makes its City, County etc shine. Somewhere along the lines, we’ve made a wrong turn … we’ve got it backwards. It’s not a Chief or his hand picked administration that makes a Department …. it’s the members …. from the newest recruit up.

Have ya ever heard the saying that it’s the Company that makes the Captain look good? Well, it’s true. Keep em happy and they’ll do a good job for ya. Be their friend but LEAD them. Give direction. Listen to their needs and concerns. Be there for them. Be strict but fair…. open and honest. Set goals … have high expectations and share them. Meet them … hell EXCEED them but do it TOGETHER! If you got there “right”, then they’ll know it and that your intentions are true. They’ll follow you … after all, you’re one of them … you’ve been in their boots.

Chief Rick Lasky says it best in his Pride and Ownership presentation. If you’ve never heard Chief Lasky speak, you’re missing out (and to the local Chief I spoke of earlier, I guarantee you’re Department doesn’t have many speakers of this caliber “in house”).

It just so happens that Chief Lasky is presenting Pride and Ownership in Staunton, Va this weekend; October 6th. Whats even better is that the cost of admittance is simply a donation of canned food which will to donated to a local food bank….. now THERE’S and Administration that GETS IT!

Learn more about the Staunton Va Fire / Rescue Department by clicking HERE .

also visit

Agusta County Fire and Rescue HERE

The event is to be held on Saturday, October 6th from 8am-5pm at Robert E. Lee High School (1200 North Coalter Street, Staunton, VA 24401).

For more information, contact Chief R. Scott Garber @ 540-332-3884 or via e-mail at …. GarberRS@ci.staunton.va.us

Rhett and I will not be able to attend due to our obligations at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, Md that weekend. If you are ANYWHERE, this weekend; I hope it’s at either of these two events.

Thanks for indulging the “rant” ….. Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on October 1, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: brotherhood, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Chief Lasky, Chris Naum, Dave Statter, Fire Critic, firefighter pics, firefighters, leadership, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, motivational speakers, Pride and Ownership, Statter 911, training

Is simply “Remembering” enough?

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Face Book is loaded with the messages today. “Never Forget” … “I remember” … “Where were you” etc. Every post I see has something to do with the events that took place 11 years ago today.

Although these statements have merit, I’m not sure they carry the necessary weight.

“Never forget” …. HOW COULD YOU? How could any adult who was alive that day forget what happened? How COULD you forget the images? People jumping, citizens pouring out while firefighters rushed in. The impact of that 2nd plane. The towers crumbling like piles of ash.

“I remember” … I HOPE SO! Citizen or public servant, I hope you remember the sacrifices made. I hope you remember how vulnerable we were and still are as a nation and who stepped up to the “front lines” as we were under attack. I hope you remember what they did to us that day …. what they took from us…. and those they murdered.

“Where were you?” … GLUED TO THE TV … that’s where you were unless you were on scene or responding in to either of the 3 sites. Where ever you were, hopefully; your mind, thoughts and spirits were in Pa, Washington DC and NYC. I know mine were. I’ll tell ya where you were …. In the same place we all were. In a state of disbelief and confusion. Scared, mad and searching for answers. I know EXACTLY where you were because like so many others, I was standing there beside you!

I’m not sure how to express or say what I’m feeling tonight. I’ve been thinking about it all day. I don’t want the words to become “catch phrases”. Something “cool” to say but without meaning or purpose. “Never Forget” should be way more than a slogan on a tee shirt. Saying it is NOT enough. Remembering is not either. Not just once a year when September 11th rolls around.

I met Lee Ielpi almost a year ago now, back in October of 2011. He is the strongest man I’ve ever met. He’s retired from FDNY’s elite Rescue 2 in Brooklyn. His youngest son (Brendan) is on the job today and currently assigned to that same company. His eldest son, Jonathan; was murdered in the attacks of 9/11. Jonathan was also on the job and assigned to Squad 288 in Queens. They lost 19 members that day … more than any other unit in the FDNY.

Lee now runs the 9/11 Tribute Center. “9/11 Tribute Center offers visitors to the World Trade Center site a place where they can connect with people from the September 11th community. Through walking tours, exhibits and programs, the 9/11 Tribute Center offers “Person to Person History,” linking visitors who want to understand and appreciate these historic events with those who experienced them”.

Lee gave Zach Green and I a personal tour of the center. I posted about it HERE . In that post, speaking of Lee and ground zero; I said “he hasn’t left yet”. I feel the same way about me and the Center. A part of me remains there.

You see, one of the exhibits is a set of turn out gear. Not just any gear mind you … Jonathan Ielpi’s gear. It’s like he’s standing right there and Lee has to walk by it every day. What do you think “never forget” means to this man? His son’s turnout coat and helmet! He walks by it everyday to share the story with us. To educate us and the generations to come.

THAT Brothers and Sisters is the meaning of NEVER FORGETTING. I guarantee you that Lee Ielpi REMEMBERS and he knows EXACTLY where he was not just that day but for months following … he was on that pile searching for his son!

Not as Lee does, but I too remember EVERY DAY. I have mentioned (and shown you) here on the site how I have photos of the fallen hanging near my bed. I see their faces every morning as I wake up.

I carry photos from our 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs in my turnout gear. They are part of my daily / morning check and remind me of the sacrifices made by others as well as of the one I may one day be called to make.

I’ve made the climbs. I even climbed in the shadows of the new Freedom Tower with Rhett and the founding members of the Stair Climb Committee.

I assist the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation anyway I can.

I support and work on behalf of the National Firefighters Endowment.

I leave my family to travel and deliver motivation speeches. I teach classes, promote life saving technology and try to do my part in making a positive impact on the fire service.

It’s more than a t-shirt, helmet sticker or catchy slogan for me. I hope I don’t need any of that crap. I’d rather you know that I remember EVERYDAY and would hope you can tell that by my actions and not by the slogan on some shirt or hat that I’m wearing.

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on September 12, 2012 • Filed under: command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: 2001, 9/11, brotherhood, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, FDNY, Fire Critic, firefighter pics, firefighters, Ladder 49, Lee Ielpi, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, MN8 products, never forget, NFE, NFFF, Rescue 2, September 11, Squad 288, The 9/11 Tribute Center, where were you, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen, World Trade Center

How to “shock” a porn star

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Apparently, all you need to do is give her an application to the Cave Spring Volunteer Fire Department.

You may remember back in June when we broke the story about, an ex-porn star volunteering at the Cave Spring Volunteer Rescue Squad. Read that post HERE .

It caused quite a stink in and around the Roanoke Valley and you heard it first right here on these pages. Although they failed to link to or even mention Ironfiremen.com, the Huffington Post even picked up on the story! Read their coverage HERE .

Well, as big as a “shock” as the Harmony Rose story was; now the Cave Spring Volunteer Fire Department has “one upped” the Rescue Squad and delivered an even bigger shock…. yea get ready for it …. ”the shocker”

Since my days as a Melrose Misfit, the boys have been telling me about things such as “the Shocker”, “the Rocker” and even “the Show Stopper”.

With the help of a freaky fireman down at #5, they’ve even tried to educate me on terms such as the “The Bat Wing, “The Eyeball” “The Goat” and many other terms.

I’m still not real sure what they were talking about but the one thing I do know is that there are several members of the Cave Spring Volunteer Fire Department that are VERY LUCKY to be alive.

On Thursday, September 6, 2012, the Cave Spring Volunteer Fire Department was conducting some training on Commonwealth Drive in South Roanoke County. The on duty crew utilized both a Wagon and Ladder Truck for their training evolution (equipment and members from the Cave Spring Rescue Squad were also in attendance).

It is still uncertain what the objective of the training evolution was but it is certainly clear that it didn’t end as planned.

The Wagon was apparently connected to a hydrant and supplying water to an elevated master stream from the Ladder truck. It remains unclear at this time whether or not the Ladder was flowing at the time of the incident.

At some point in the evolution, the ladder either came in contact with or became close enough to a high voltage power line to cause the equipment to become energized. The result was devastating, yet amazing in that nobody was injured or killed . The incident could also become very costly to Roanoke County and their fleet of fire apparatus.

The damage was significant. It is believed that both pieces of equipment could be a total loss. That could add up to somewhere around $1.5 million dollars of damage. The Ladder was a 2000 Pierce while the Wagon was a brand new 2012 model ( Story and photos HERE ). It’s believed that the County’s insurance will access the damages later this week.

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It’s been reported that the jolt even blew out every tire on both trucks. That’s 16 tires in total! Rumors are of the electrical systems being blown out of their panels and the inability to turn systems on and/or off following the charge. Members on scene (or having witnessed the aftermath) report an obvious path of current down the ladder and through the out-riggers.

Due to the hydrant flowing, there was water on the ground, reaching to and beyond the Wagon and surrounding area which could have easily allowed for the flow of current from one piece to the other.

At least one member was atop the turntable at the time of the incident but it remains unclear where the remaining members were located at the time of the incident (reports are of up to 12 members on scene). How they were not injured remains undetermined and under investigation. THEY WERE LUCKY!

At the least, this incident is a “Close Call” or “Near Miss”. Chief Goldfeder even ran it on Firefighter Close Calls (view that story / link HERE ). I have spoken with Officers of both the Cave Spring VFD and Roanoke County Fire / Rescue and they all say it’s a miracle that nobody was injured or killed.

There are some very basic lessons to be learned from this incident and quite honestly, I’m shocked that neither party has been eager to share them with the Fire Service as a whole. As embarrassing as it may be, at least; others can learn from whatever mistakes were made.

I’ve asked for pictures of the damage just so you all can see how serious this incident actually was. I’ve been told that they either don’t exist or that I can’t have them (depending on who I talk to). Our own local news reporters couldn’t even get a shot of the carnage.

Apparently, the trucks are now in a secure, remote location with no access from the public or press.

I wonder what they’re hiding?

Are the damages worse than previously reported?

I’ve talked to my contacts. I’ve told them … get out in front of the issues. Show what you have and tell what you can. ..”this” is what we know, “here’s ” what it looks like and the rest is being investigated…. we will share more as it becomes available. People are asking and we want and DESERVE an answer ( I am a Roanoke County tax payer).

Dave Statter will tell you that this is the correct way to handle such a situation. Rhett, Dave and I even offer classes on this exact subject but apparently, those closest to us are turning a deaf ear. That’s what upsets me the most. Both Roanoke County Fire/Rescue and the Cave Spring VFD are first class organizations. I expect so much more from both of them.

Again, I’ll say it’s like they’re hiding something. It’s just like all the incidents happening in a nearby City.

Rumors are ABUNDANT! We are hearing of a member having either resigned or haven been fired, a Captain on or off of administrative leave, inappropriate text messages, pornography, a DUI, revoked licenses, a picture of a moose with 2 assholes and even that there is no such thing as the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus! WTF? I wish I could elaborate more but apparently, a “gag order” has been issued and nobody can tell me exactly what it is that I’m not supposed to talk about.

My point here is this. Without FACT … the “rumor mill” grows. Even IF an incident is under investigation and all details are not yet known, put out what you know, and where you’re going with it. Keep your members, the public and press informed UP FRONT and it will save you a lot of work and explaining on the back side.

When the photos and “full story” of the Cave Spring incident are worthy of our attention, I will share them here on Ironfiremen.com. Until then, feel free to use the comment section to voice your opinion, concerns or point of view … I look forward to hearing them. Don’t forget to follow and “Like” us on Face Book by using the link above.

ALWAYS CHECK FOR OVERHEAD OBSTRUCTIONS …. stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on September 10, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, news, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized • Tagged: brotherhood, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Cave Spring Volunteer Fire Department, Cave Spring Volunteer Rescue Squad, Chief Billy Goldfeder, Dave Statter, Fire Apparatus, Fire Critic, firefighter close calls, firefighter near miss, firefighter pics, firefighters, Harmony Rose, IronFiremen.com, Ladder Truck, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Porn Star, Roanoke County Fire / Rescue, Statter 911, training, training accidents, Wagon, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen

Some sad news, a little more emotion and a day at Lucky #13 with The Fire Critic, Captain Wines and Rookie Randy

6 comments

My last post, “The Calls you just can’t shake“; has drawn a lot of attention and several comments / e-mails.

First, allow me to say THANK YOU for your concern. With that said, also allow me to assure you that I am doing fine. I realize that the post was personal and very emotional but that’s who and how I am.

You can’t be 100% committed to this profession and not become emotionally attached. My Pride in and for the job sometimes allows my emotion to spill over to my writing. I allow it to happen in hopes that the honesty in my stories may have a positive impact on another Brother or Sister out there somewhere. We all share the same emotions /stories, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have an outlet to share them as I do here at Ironfiremen.com. I hope we’re making a difference.

Having said all that, I have some bad news to pass along. Rhett and I learned this morning of the passing of our good friend and Brother W.D. Patterson.

His death came as a HUGE shock to us as I’m sure it did to many others.

Rhett and I have remembered W.D and discussed his passing all day but it still hasn’t “sunk in”.

I’m sure many of you are in the same position. When I said above that “not everyone is fortunate enough to have an outlet to share them (re: emotions / stories)” that’s not entirely true. You see, we have each other … The Brotherhood!

Don’t be afraid to go to your Brothers and Sisters … your Company Officers, your peers when something is bothering you. When little “Rookie Randy” was assigned here I explained to him that as his Captain, I’m now his priest, his banker, his marriage counselor, his therapist or whatever he needs. I have built and gained a trust with him that hopefully assures him that he has somewhere to go …. someone to talk to. As Brothers and Sisters, we all have that. We are never alone because we have each other!

For me, it’s like calling an “Emotional Mayday” and like the fire ground Mayday, calling it should be second nature.

Read a previous post “Time For a MAYDAY” by clicking HERE

Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of W.D. He will be missed by many. Should you need a shoulder to lean on or an ear to talk to, please remember that Rhett and I are always available. I will pass along the details of arrangements as soon as they become available.

Ok, on to a lighter subject. Obviously, from my comments above; Rhett is working here at Lucky #13 again today.

I can’t believe we keep ending up together or that the “powers to be” even allow it.

Rhett is paying back some time he owes to a C-shift Brother over at Station #14. As it turned out, I was a man short and needed a driver. Station #14 had a “full boat” so it was up to them to send a man over …. they sent Rhett instead! LOL

Yea… Rhett is driving, I’m in the seat and good ol Rookie Randy aka “Rocket Randy Armbrister from Max Meadows Virginia” is in the bucket of Engine Company #13!

Now don’t worry your self Dave Statter …. me and “Rookie Randy” will be just fine.

I fitted the Engine with some special equipment so that Rhett could easily see over the dash and get us safely to our destinations.

Yea … not one, not two but THREE phone books! LMAO

The poor little fella pouted all day. I’m not sure if it was because he thought I was fretting him or because the phone books actually worked.

All kidding aside, Rhett fits very well into our team. He’s both a great driver and pump operator. He hasn’t had to display his pump skills as of yet but we have logged several runs today.

For us, keeping busy helps the day pass. We started off with an Incident Management / High Rise class this morning. It was an excellent class. Randy even got to run a scenario … it was his first and he did really well.

We got out at lunch time and have been pretty much on the road since.

We did manage to make it back to the station a few times so Randy got to put in some time on his map books.

Well, some may call it “map work” but it’s more like arts and crafts or coloring time if you ask me ….LOL

I’ll share more of his work in a future post because he’s doing an excellent job with it. He is actually color coding his streets and index to make them easier to locate should he need to go “to the book”.

Of course I’m old school and expect him to know his territory and not be dependent on the map but I also know how easy it is to draw a blank or simply forget a street from time to time.

Later, we even convinced Rhett to cook!

Flat Iron Steak, medium rare, seasoned just right and prepared on the grill! Becky is one lucky gal. I hear he can even run a vacuum cleaner and that he does laundry and windows…. LOL

I can’t wait to get him out to South Dakota next week and show him off to Bob Gard and all the Brothers and Sisters out there!

THAT’S RIGHT … next week, Rhett and I will be touring across South Dakota in a Spartan ERV Fire Truck!

We’re headed out for the South Dakota Firefighter’s Benefit and we have plenty of stops scheduled along the way. We arrive in Rapid City and will end up in Sioux Falls for the event on September 15th.

If you are anywhere near South Dakota, you will not want to miss this event! Also be sure to hit us up and we will do our best to meet up sometime before and along the way …. it’s going to be a BLAST!

The Benefit will support both the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation and the National Firefighters Endowment .

If you’re not in the area or will be unable to make it out for the festivities, don’t panic. You can still support the event by making a donation. For each $10 donation, you’ll receive a chance to win a custom Phenix 9/11 Memorial Helmet !

Click HERE for your chance to win !

Ok, I’m going to wrap it up here for tonight. I’ll check back in tomorrow some time. Until I get back …. stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on September 5, 2012 • Filed under: command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, brotherhood, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Dave Statter, emotional health, FDIC, FDIC 2012, Fire Critic, firefighter health and wellness, firefighter pics, firefighters, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, MAYDAY, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, National Firefighters Endowment, NFE, NFFF, Randy Armbrister, Roanoke Fire/EMS, South Dakota Firefighter Benefit, Spartan ERV, Statter 911, Va Fire News, W.D.Patterson, Wooden ladders and Iron Firemen

The calls you just can’t “shake”

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It’s like scoring the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. Like hitting the home run with bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, game 7 of the World Series. The play of all plays if you will. If only we were playing a game.

In our line of work, the consequences are much more severe. Here, in the real world; people die. We never want to see these tragedies happen but if and when they do, we want to be there. We want to be the one to find the victim, “make the grab” and save a life. It’s what we train for and why we’re here.

Read my post The Illusion of Death HERE

Many of us will work our entire career and never have the opportunity. These are the “lucky” ones. There are a lot more of us who will see more than our fair share of these types of incidents … house fires with entrapment, severe burns, fatal fires, arson / murder etc…. the kind of calls you never forget.

There’s a difference in the calls you never forget and the ones you can’t shake…. I have them both.

I hadn’t been on the job no time when I caught my first fire with Ladder 2 (I believe it was actually less than a month). The Captain had knocked on the window and yelled back to tell us (me and Scott Mutter) that we were going “work”….a “10-71″. Once there, we got off the rig, grabbed our tools and headed to the house to make our searches.

We were met in the front yard by a man pleading for help. He was burned. BAD. His skin was hanging off his body. He was almost “zombie like” in his movement and sounds… arms outward, walking stiff legged. I almost didn’t realize what I was seeing. I want to say “erie” but it was so much more than that … it was scary.

I had never seen a burnt person before much less one walking around pleading for help. We were already masked up and luckily, the Medics were right behind us to render aid. Because it was a “first” for me, this call is one that I will never forget but, in all honesty; it’s not one that I think about or remember often… I have those too.

I also remember my first “grab”. It was January 13, 1994 and I was driving the Battalion Chief.

We got there with smoke showing from a single story brick ranch and people screaming “he’s in the basement”. The Chief (Patton) took the basement door and I went in. I remember hearing him before seeing him. It wasn’t words I heard, it was his struggle for breath. A sound I hadn’t heard before.

Still, I found him quickly. At only about 110lbs, I grabbed him by the wrists and pulled with everything I had. I degloved him in an instant. I then got under his arms and around the chest to place him in a fireman’s drag. I made it back to the basement door where the Chief and others helped get him up the steps and to the yard for medical treatment. He lived for a few days before passing in the burn unit at UVA.

Not too long afterwards, I would move to Engine Company #5 and share the bucket with Scott Mutter ( one of the best firemen I know). At the time, #5 was arguably the busiest house in the City. We seen a ton of work. One year in particular, I believe we had 13 burn victims or fatalities. I remember one night, we were on our 2nd or 3rd fire of the shift. After locating a body in a 2 story, wood frame house fire, one of the guys from Engine #7 asked us about it. He wanted to know how we were always the ones finding the victims or bodies. How were we able to do it so quickly. I think he even surmised that we must have been setting the fires ourselves. Without missing a beat, Scott simply told him “we’ve never found one out here in the front yard” (That statement would not hold true for very long). Having already changed our bottles, we headed back inside the house to finish the job while leaving the inquisitive fireman in the yard to ponder our reply.

I made the 2nd “grab” of my career while assigned to #5, it may have even been the year that we had so many fatalities ….I’m not sure. This one was much like the first in that I heard her first, only time; I knew what the sound was and located her quickly back in the kitchen (1st floor).

I managed to drag her to a front room where other companies had took a window. I passed her out to the boys from Engine #3 and the awaiting Medics. I later learned that she was somehow related to one of our EMS supervisors and that she had lived. Although I’ve never seen or spoken to her since, I will never forget that night and the pride I felt in not only ”doing the job” but “doing it right”.

Again, there are so many things we see and do but will never forget, so many experiences…. good and bad

Read my post “Ramblings” and the subsequent ”Update“

Of course, like in the link above; even the “good ones” have a dark side. At the other end of the spectrum, try crawling through pitch black darkness reaching out for a sign of life and fearing what it may look like when you’re all of the sudden mask to face with it. The smell of burnt flesh. How severely burnt flesh contorts a body as it shrinks…. drawn lips and melted ears.

As bad as all that sounds, it gets even worse. Although we never forget calls like the ones above, others almost haunt you. Not only do you not forget them, you think about them often … even dream about them. Well, it’s more like a nightmare than a dream and I have those too.

I guess it’s kinda like PTSD . Mine had actually gone away for awhile until triggered by a recent event. Now don’t panic here folks … I’M FINE but the topic etc has been on my mind for a few weeks now (thus my lack in postings) and I figured what better therapy than sharing it with ya.

Scott and I had both made Captain. I was at Station #3 and he was back home at #5 (neighboring houses). We were both on the same shift. The early morning call came in as a house fire in the “projects” just between our two stations. It was May 5, 2002.

I got there first with smoke showing in the street but due to the weather, it was hanging low to the ground and spreading. We were going to have to look for this one.

Both crews scrambled for the source and finally we found the apartment. It was only a minute but seemed like an eternity. My firefighter had the line and made a knock on some fire on the 1st floor while I took Scott’s firefighter to the 2nd floor for a search ( Captain Mutter had established Command).

Because of the apartment layout, I did a left hand search and stuck to it. That meant I passed some doors thinking I’d get back to them on our way out. The fireman with me was fairly new and I didn’t want to separate us.

Our pattern took us to the master bedroom where we found a female victim. I don’t know the legalities involved so I wont give too much detail. I will say that very soon after finding her, there was no doubt that she was dead and that something much worse was going on.

By now, the acting Battalion had arrived and assumed command from Scott. I radioed that I had located a victim but was not bringing them out. Captain Mutter then made his way to us to see what we had found. In the room, I was focused on nothing other than the body and the circumstances in front of me. We were trying to “figure it out” …. what we were looking at…. what was going on. I told Scott and the boys that I was going to do a face to face with the Chief and explain why we were leaving the body. I didn’t know how to nor did I want to say it over the radio.

Scott realized that this was where our (my) search had ended and began making his own (and completing mine/ours). Soon after, he located 2 children, both without a pulse and neither breathing. They were down between the mattress and wall, inside the first room to the right at the top of the steps. It would have been the 1st room I searched had I have done a right hand pattern vs. the left.

They were babies …. just babies. So small that Scott carried (ran) them both out to the ambulance at the same time. The 3-year-old Jaide and 2-year-old Marcasite, were later pronounced dead due to smoke inhalation.

As it turned out, Askia Na’im Tahriq Shabazz, also known as Jermaine Donell Poindexter had set the fire in an attempt to cover up a murder. He set the fire knowing the children were in there. I’d love 5 minutes alone with him!

He made the “15 Most Wanted” list and evaded police for months after. His father and brother, Anthony Duane Poindexter, 29, and Robin Leon Smith, 50, both pleaded guilty to one count of being an accessory to arson after the fact.

Read the story from Roanoke.com HERE

That’s one of the calls that haunts me still today ( I have another ). I see their faces. They often wake me from my sleep. I see her body. The look on her face and what he did to her. I remember trying to figure out what I was looking at. I see the lifeless bodies of those two children in Scott’s arms. The look on his face as he rushed them to the ambulance. I still feel the hurt of knowing I failed those two children.

I often wonder “what if”. What if I had went right instead of left? What if I had finished my search instead of staying with the adult body and what I was sure was a crime scene? What if we had gotten there quicker? What if Scott and Engine #5 had been 1st in? Would any of it have changed anything?? I’m not sure but at least they may have had a better chance… I’ll never know.

I haven’t had those dreams or woken up in a panic for a couple years now. That is until a few weeks ago anyway. I had a similar incident (not involving children) just a few weeks back and apparently it has rekindled all these old memories. Once again, I find myself unable to sleep or awake in the middle of the night checking to make sure the Buckaroo is not between his mattress and the wall.

I missed another one. I entered the structure as “search group 3″. The initial searches were negitive but the IC was almost sure someone was still inside the home.

I sent George left while I went right. Because of the previous story, I always go right now . The house was full of clutter and visibility was near zero. We entered the basement. In the middle of a back room, I moved off the wall to investigate something my tool encountered in the center of the room. Unbeknownst to me, when I went back for the wall; I had moved forward enough to completely bypass the bathroom door. I missed it completely.

We searched our way to the 1st floor and found nothing. We were then reassigned while yet another crew (Ladder 5) began their search as Search Group 4. Ventilation was beginning to taking affect and allowed the Brothers from #5 found the body.

There are a TON of lessons here in my ramblings and again that’s why I’m sharing it with you. We’ve been put into a position where Engine Companies are doing Truck work while the Truck Company is doing Engine work. That’s not an excuse. We have to know each others job and we have to know it well. I don’t care what your assigned to or riding. You never know what task may be assigned to you or your company any more. Practice your searches because YOU NEVER KNOW. Then … PRACTICE em some more. It’s all about technique …. even with my experience, we sometimes miss something.

Like Ladder 5 did with me, back your Brothers and Sisters up. Double check that they double checked. Expect the unexpected and do it right the first time.

Remember the jobs that will help you. Move past the ones that wont. We have so many outlets in today’s Fire Service to help us through these issues … USE THEM! Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Department Chaplains, your Brother and Sister Firefighters, your wife (or husband), write a blog, keep a diary …. whatever or whoever …. utilize the resources available to you. Also remember that Rhett and I are always available. You can vent to us or we can point you in the right direction for the assistance you need.

That said, THANKS for letting me vent! I’m back on duty tomorrow and will try to get back on a regular posting schedule. Thanks as always for reading and following. Don’t forget to “Friend request” Share and ”Like” us on Face Book and Twitter. As soon as we hit 5,000 “likes” we’re going to do a HUGE give-a-way!

Follow Ironfiremen.com on Face Book HERE

So, until I get back, Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on September 4, 2012 • Filed under: command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, funding-staffing, news, rescues • Tagged: arson, Askia Na’im Tahriq Shabazz, brotherhood, building fire, Captain Willie Wines Jr, EAP, Fatal house fire, Fire Critic, Fire Department Chaplains, firefighter pics, firefighters, house fire, Ironfiremen, Jermaine Donell Poindexter, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, murder / arson, PTSD, rescue, Rescued from fire, Roanoke Fire/EMS, Scott Mutter, Statter 911, Va fatal house fire, Working fire

2 Great events and a miracle in Roanoke

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There are several GREAT events coming up and 2 of them will be here in Roanoke.

The 1st I want to remind you about is our 5th Annual Fire Officer Development Seminar to be held at the Roanoke Civic Center on September 20th and 21st.

This year the speaker will be Christopher J. Naum, SFPE. Chris has a long list of credentials which includes Chief of Training for the Command Institute in Washington DC. You may also know Chris from some very popular sites such as Command Safety, Buildings on Fire and The Company Officer .

This years topic will be “Five Star Command; Redefining Fire Officer Training for Operational Safety & Excellence”. You DO NOT want to miss this event! Winchester to Bristol …. anywhere within 100 miles (or more) needs to be here. I honestly don’t think that there is a firefighter or Department in Virginia that will not take something away from Chris’ lecture.

Rhett and I will also be on hand and helping with the event. That said, you know we’re going to end up somewhere drinking a few beers and talking over all the latest happenings in the Fire Service…. that alone is worth the trip..LOL.

Registration is still open and we have plenty of room so bring your entire company. The presentation is the same both days so you only need to attend 1 day. The classes last from 08:30-16:30 each day with lunch and “break” snack provided . We also have some great items to give away and raffle.

The 2nd event is FIRED UP FOR A CURE and Roanoke’s Bravest will be out in force to help extinguish Breast Cancer!

“The goal of this event is to prevent, educate and advocate about the importance of self breast exams, mammograms and also to remind citizens to practice their fire safety plans”.

The event will also be held at the Civic Center on September 22, 2012 (the day after the Officer Development Seminar).

It’s a family oriented event with TONS of activities.

The day begins with a 5 & 10k run.

Even if you don’t participate in the run / walk, be sure to show up and cheer on those who do … you never know who see.

Yep … that’s Rhett ( Lt Rhett Fleitz of FireCritic.com) and his beautiful wife Becky after last year’s 5k.

Rhett and Becky ran as a couple last year. They finished 67 & 68th @ 32minutes and 27 seconds… VERY RESPECTABLE!

They are planning on running again this year.

You may also find …. The Roanoke Fire-EMS fire safety house and fire trucks, Free food, Roanoke police department displays, Live DJ, kids’ activities, raffles and door prizes, Breast cancer awareness displays and much more!

Visit Fired Up For A Cure’s Web Site or find them on Face Book

Ok, there’s the events … here is the “miracle”…

That’s Roanoke City’s Engine 8 parked inside of Historic Fire Station #1.

Now, to many of you; this is no big deal but for those of us who were around for Station #1′s closing … it is.

You see, among all the “smoke and mirrors” a previous Chief used to “sell” shutting down the station there is one statement I haven’t forgotten.

That Chief gave the main reason for closing stations as that they could not accommodate “modern day fire equipment” … they wouldn’t fit. I guess he was thinking it was easier to build new stations rather than put a little extra thought into out truck specs.

After all, that is a 2012 Pierce Engine backed into the station (psssst … look past the gals fellas … there IS a fire truck behind them..LOL). Read more on the closing of Fire Station #1 HERE .

LOL … so that’s the miracle and I couldn’t let the opportunity to share it pass by.

Ok, so today is the last of our cycle and Rhett is working for Randy.

I think Randy’s brain needed a little rest. Our Lieutenant, George Perdue has started working with him on driving / pumping. Those of you have follow the site regularly will know that our little “Rookie Randy” just made it off probation last month. Learning to drive and pump is just the beginning of what he now has to learn.

Read “And NOW, the hard part begins..” Click HERE

We’ve had a busy morning but this evening hasn’t been too bad.

Rhett seems a little excited due to the fact that he’s riding backwards. He actually thinks he may get on the nozzle tonight. What I haven’t explained to him is that I plan on stopping at the hydrant so he’ll be out doing the “Hydrant Wrench Shuffle” while I make the stretch …LMAO.

Here’s a shot of us posing with the newest addition to our Challenge Coin and patch collection.

They were sent to us by Brother David Lee Pfeil Jr of the Fort Detrick, Forest Glen Fire and Emergency Services Station #54 in Maryland.

He is also IAFF Local F-151

Both the coin and patch are AWESOME … THANKS Brother!

Send us your coin and you too can have it proudly displayed on Ironfiremen or FireCritic.com

Gonna wrap it up for tonight and try to get a little rest. The pace has kinda “pick up” around here … we just took in a bad one (EMS run) but I can’t give details yet. I will give a helmet tip to the Brothers and Sister from Medic #4 and RS1 … good job guys!

Ok, until I get back, stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by Iron Firemen on August 23, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, news, Training, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized • Tagged: 5k run, brotherhood, Captain Willie Wines Jr, Chris Naum, Fire Critic, Fired Up for a Cure, firefighter pics, firefighters, IAFF, Lt. Rhett Fleitz, Officer Development, Officer seminar, Randy Armbrister, Roanoke Fire/EMS, Roanoke Fire/EMS Station #1

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