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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Captain Wines

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

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

Visit Roanoke Firefighters.com  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

20 Questions with Shane Parkins of National Firefighters Endowment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read my post “GUILTY“ 

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

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

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

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

40% off Ironfiremen / Fire Critic Coin-patch combo 

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

Captain Wines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONGRATULATIONS Dave! Congratulations and WELL DONE!

Statter’s 5 yr post HERE

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

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

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

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

King of blogs
by: Capt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read my post from that trip HERE 

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

Read those posts HERE  HERE and HERE 

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

So, congratulations on 5 years once again Dave!

Thanks for the guidance, support and friendship.

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

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

The rest of ya … stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

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

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

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

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

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

Actually, their pose is fairly accurate.

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

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

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

So… where to start???  FIRE !

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

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

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

More details of Fatal Patton Ave fire HERE 

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

More on that fire from WDBJ 7 HERE

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

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

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

More on that fire HERE

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

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

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

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

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

Details on the Hanover fire (above right) HERE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow and “LIKE” Ironfiremen.com on Face Book

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visit the Endowment Web Site HERE

Find, Like and Follow them on Face Book HERE

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

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

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

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

Thanks for following!

Captain Wines

So anyway, when I woke up this morning; my mind wasn’t on being ill or all the things I should be catching up on around the house / farm. My mind was somewhere else … in a stairwell … in multiple stairwells actually.

I have several of the names and faces of the 343 fallen hanging on my dresser mirror by my bed. These are some of the badges I’ve carried during my 5 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs. I see them EVERY morning that I wake up at home.

Every morning I see these faces, my thoughts go back to that day and the great acts that these men carried out.

I think about the strength and courage it must have taken to pick up their tools and start up those stairs. The Pride and Honor these men carried  inspires me daily.

I have reminders everywhere … I still carry the tags from my first climb in my first out gear…..I WILL NOT FORGET.

So, my mind was in those NYC stairwells. It quickly turned to a stairwell in Washington DC.

You see, there were many Brothers and Sisters who took to the stairwells this morning at 08:30 inside the Washington Hilton. They were participating in yet another 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb during the  24th Annual National and Emergency Services Dinner and Seminars Program. The event is co-sponsored by  the Congressional Fire Services Institute  and The National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation.

If you don’t know already, these events are held throughout the year, all across the Country.

If you haven’t participated in one … YOU SHOULD.

Learn more about 9/11 Memorial Stair Climbs

You can find a climb near you or learn how to organize your own by using the link above. If you can’t climb .. REGISTER. Someone will carry a name / picture on your behalf .

The money is much needed and put to good use. Rhett and I heard it for ourselves directly from FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano . True to the NFFF standards, the money raised from these events supports the survivors. It helps fund the FDNY Counseling Unit.

I couldn’t be in DC this morning as bad as I wanted to. I know several Brothers and Sisters who were and know we were represented well. I hope they found what Rhett and I have inside that stairwell during our climbs. It’s something we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

For those who made the climb this morning … WELL DONE!

I posted this link to a previous post of my a day or so ago… if you didn’t hit it then … DO IT NOW. Even though I wrote it, it’s a good piece that kind of sums it up for those of us on the job ….

Read “We are ALL climbing”

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Well now’s the time. I think I’m going to have to go.

That said, I’ve been laying here, watching cartoons with the buckaroo; unable to get up and move around ( he leaves me that little spot to the left just above his head by the way…LOL). Anyway, being tied to this bed has given me the chance to do some thinking and I’d love to share this thought with ya … hang with me while I try to type it out.

It’s seems as though for so many, the meaning of the word “Brotherhood” has been lost. Not just the meaning either, when you think about it; you really don’t even hear the term used that much anymore.

That is unless you’re around me and Rhett.

For us, it’s all about Brotherhood. We define it as Honor, Tradition, Pride and Respect.

We even had “chips” made with those words on it.

It’s our business card if you will. We call them “Brotherhood Chips”.

It’s what we pass out when meeting Brothers and Sisters for the first time. It’s a pretty cool idea and they have been a huge hit!

Click HERE to get yours !

My point here is that it’s more than a “word” for us … more than a “term”.

Everyone asks us what the meaning of Brotherhood is, why it’s not as prevalent anymore and where it can be found. I’ve said it many times here on the site and will say it again … the Brotherhood is all around us!

It was everywhere at FDIC.

Take the Pipe and Drums for example. Did you folks realize that these Brothers and Sisters receive NO ACCOMMODATION?

FDIC doesn’t supply travel expense, hotel rooms or even event passes!

They are up there, on their own dime; because they WANT to be. Yet they ARE the opening ceremony.  They played before the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. They played at the FOOLS Bash. At every bar in the area. THEY MAKE THE SHOW and it costs them. They sacrifice their time and money for US. That my friend is BROTHERHOOD.

Read Renegade Pipes and Drums

As Rhett and I walked around the floor of FDIC, in our ALT Kilts …wearing Phenix Helmets with custom fronts from Box Alarm Leather and fire boots; all eyes were on us.

I don’t say that bragging but everybody in that exhibit hall saw us. At first it may have been “look at those two yahoos” but very soon those same people were trying to get our names, pictures with us and a chance to get us in their booth.

My point here is this. While walking, we noticed it. We seen you see us coming. I don’t know if it’s a “southern thing” or not ( shit… did I just put Rhett in a “southern” category?? I must be sick) but when you make eye contact with one of us … we speak.

Now, for us; it’s not “hello” or “good day”…. our response is almost  always “HEY Brother”.

It’s another “head turner”. It’s almost like we catch em off guard with the word “Brother”.

Some would (and have) argue the point of how do we know if that person is a “true” Brother / Sister or not. Maybe they’re a MUTT? For us, it’s simple. If you’re where we are, we share at least something in common. We’re at that same place for a reason right? And for us, it’s about the Fire Service. Until proven otherwise … we give ya the benefit of the doubt.

Read “Are YOU an undercover Brother“

I mentioned in my previous post how at the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, Brothers and Sisters were sharing and giving each other ( and me) words of encouragement. “Good job Capt”. “Way to go Capt”. “Keep it up Brother”….etc.  (Read that post HERE )

Hell …. just climbing is an act of Brotherhood!

What I failed to mention was the aid the the Brothers and Sisters taking a break were offered.

These climbs are NOT easy. Many members have to stop to rest and / or cool down along the way. In Lucas Oil Stadium it was easy…. you just grabbed a bleacher seat. I know that Rhett asked each and every member we passed 1.) if they were ok 2.) If we could help carry some of their gear back down.

Yea… he offered to take on more of a load just to lighten someone elses. Someone we didn’t know … but a Brother or Sister none the less.

Do you realize how easy it is / was to ask such a simple question??? Maybe the hard part is knowing to ask?

SIMPLE things. I’ve received a ton of phone calls, e-mails, texts etc with get well wishes etc. Some from Brothers and Sisters I’ve never met beyond Face Book, Twitter or my site. IT’S AWESOME !

“Thinking about ya Brother.. hope you’re feeling better”. WOW …. just a note that quick made my day.

“Brother”??  Am I a Brother??  Maybe just calling someone “Brother” will push them to become a better one. Maybe it will open their eyes that others view them as such?

Brotherhood doesn’t have to be something huge. It’s caring about and looking after one another. RESPECT for your fellow members. Pride in how you represent our profession. The Tradition of looking after and caring for our own and Honoring   those who came before us, those beside us today and all who will follow.

Sorry I got on a rant … THANKS for the get well wishes… I’m tougher than I look and just may live.

Stay SAFE and in House

Captain Wines

I don’t know what I picked up in Indy but I can tell ya it’s BAD.

I guess I shouldn’t have kissed that Mexican gal in the Mariachi Band … I think it was a gal anyway..LOL

The good news is that I’m tougher than I look so I will most likely survive (I guess that’s good news anyway…LOL)

Catch up by my previous post HERE

Photo by Andy Golz

So, on Friday; we opened the booth but Rhett, Andrew and I soon headed over to the Lucas Oil Stadium for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb.

This would be the 5th climb for both me and Rhett. We had vowed that our 4th was to have been our last and that we would concentrate all our efforts to supporting the committee.

I think we both knew it would be a difficult promise to keep.

We have so many Brothers and Sisters contact us wanting us to climb with them that we can’t possibly say yes to them all. Meaning no disrespect to those who have asked, it shouldn’t be about climbing with us in the first place … you should all climb for your own reasons and I can assure you that even if you don’t know what that reason is right now, you’ll find it while climbing.

Rhett and I do it for several reasons. We don’t climb just for the names we carry on that climb, we do it for the entire 343. We do it to honor their names and memory. To honor our profession and complete the job they weren’t allowed to. We do it out of respect for the men who defined what today’s fire service is all about. For the men who ran into that building knowing what they faced and made the biggest rescue in American history. Most of all, we climb for the survivors. The men, women, children and families this murderous act  left behind.

Read my post “We are ALL climbing”

I think that it’s important to know that the money raised from these events goes to the FDNY’s Counseling Unit. FDNY  Commissioner Salvatore Cassano told us himself back in December 2011 that the money raised from last years events was the only thing keeping this Unit in Service … WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

Brian Brush said at FDIC this year “if you can’t climb, pay the $25 donation and he will carry the card”. (meaning the name and picture of one of the 343 fallen). THAT Brothers and Sisters screams Pride, Honor and Respect. THAT’S Brotherhood!

So, climb #5. For us, they are all emotional. Rhett and I have written about them many many times. We have never known “what” we were looking for or “what” we would find but we have always come away as different people. Rhett had a great quote in one of his latest post …

“When we climb, it is emotional. The feelings I have felt, the thoughts I have had, the emotions have been engraved in my mind. They are my tattoos.”

I have to admit that I couldn’t get into the right mind set for this climb. We had said that we were done at 4 but when FDIC didn’t get 343 members signed up to climb, we had to go ( can you believe that?? 30,000 people in attendance at FDIC and we couldn’t get 343 of them to climb).

Read about our previous climbs HERE

Anyway I couldn’t get to “that place” that we are normally at before a climb. I don’t know if was all the lights, banners etc inside the stadium or the fact that we were not in an actual “stairwell”.

We were out in the open. Out there for any and everyone to watch if they wanted. Despite my reservations, once again I found something during my climb… HEART and Brotherhood.

I was sick and neither Rhett nor I had eaten since early the night before. Maybe it was that or just maybe I’m getting old. Either way, this was one of the hardest climbs I’ve done yet. Because of the layout, we climbed down just as much as we did up. It was almost like doing 2 climbs in one.

I was ready to quit before the end of lap one but somewhere found the drive to push on. I say “somewhere” but that drive was actually all around me. Having to go up and down the sections, we were constantly passing other members heading the other direction. I can’t tell ya how many “great job Capt” …. “THANKS Capt” … and “way to go Capt” that I got. I didn’t look up to see their faces… I couldn’t. Actually, I didn’t need to …. they were my Brothers and Sisters and in that sense, we are all the same. THANKS to each and every one of you who offered your support. Thanks also for participating … WELL DONE!

Read Rhett’s post on our Climb HERE

After the climb, Rhett and I continued our tradition of toasting the fallen over a cold beer.

This time, we were able to share our toast with Brothers Brian Brush, Andrew Catron, Jared Lindholm and W.D Patterson (not shown).

We were only able to continue this tradition due to one person … Brother Joe Lyons

Joe is a long time follower of our sites, a great friend and most of all … a TRUE Brother!

What he did for us at FDIC was VERY cool and something that I’m sure Rhett and I will “steal” at future events.

You see, when Rhett and I arrived at the MN8-FoxFire Booth that morning, everyone was excited that we had received a package… a delivery.

They figured it was more of our Challenge Coins since they knew we were running out and the box “rattled” when they shook it.

You can imagine our surprise when we tore her open … BEER … ICED DOWN BEER!

How cool is that?

Joe knew he wouldn’t / couldn’t catch / find us out on the town while in Indy and he was dead set on buying us a beer. With that in mind, he figured he’d buy em and send where he knew we’d be … in the booth.

I gotta tell ya … that was one of the coolest things we’ve had happen to us while on the road … and we’ve had a lot of cool things happen.

SPECIAL THANKS again Brother … not sure how we are gona pay ya back for this one but we’re gonna try.

So after the climb, we finished out the evening in the booth.

Afterwards, I went to bed while Rhett and the boys illuminated the town. I’m not sure everything they got into but it must have been good.

Saturday morning, we ended up the  show with our final 1/2 day in the exhibit hall. Everyone was EXHAUSTED.

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by the MN8-FoxFire Booth for a personal demo or to purchase product. For those of you who didn’t make it by the booth, Zach is honoring the “show prices” for 10 days after FDIC. Hit the link above for their web site or …

MN8-Fox Fire on Face Book

Again, THANKS to everyone who stopped by for a visit and picture .. it was an HONOR to get to meet each and every one of you!

We met Brothers and Sisters from as far away as Sweden and Canada. Chief Bailie even returned to the booth to give me one of his Department’s hats. THANKS Chief!

The one Canadian I didn’t see was Hydrant Gal and I actually figured we would have. If you folks don’t know who this pretty little canuck is, hit the link above .. I’ve followed her site for years now and REALLY enjoy it.

Our apologies to those of you whom we didn’t get to meet or spend a lot of time with …. we wish we had more time and hope to catch ya somewhere down the road.

Rhett put up a GREAT post (as are all of his) listing a lot of the folks we met and even displaying some 45 pictures! If your name or pic isn’t in that post, let us know and we’ll get it up.

Read The Fire Critic’s FDIC Wrap Up Part III

Like what you read? Leave us a comment, hit “share” and “like” …. tell all your friends. You can go one step farther and “follow” us on Face Book as well …

IronFiremen.com on Face Book

Gonna wrap this one up. Thanks as always for following. I’ll get back to ya as soon as I shake the “bug” I’m fighting. Until I do… stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Rhett ( The Fire Critic ) and I try to “step it up” a little at each event we attend and FDIC 2012 was a HUGE SUCCESS for the Fire Critic and Ironfiremen.com.

Our main reason for the trip was to help Zach Green and the  MN8-FoxFire  Team in booth #3026. It was an easy job because the product is so good that it sells itself.

Rumor is that this year set a record for attendance and sales at FDIC and I would bet that we were one of the top 5 busiest booths. Several of the staff members from FDIC even came by and asked me what all the “hype” was about around our booth. As soon as I got them in the tent … they understood.

Jacob and Troy from the TV show  ”Swamp People” were in the Ferrara Fire Truck booth ( I don’t understand the connection ) but it was the MN8-FoxFire booth that was SWAMPED.
I guess Rhett and I were kinda like the FoxFire “booth babes”. I say that for several reasons. One of the reasons is because we were wearing kilts. Not dresses … kilts (it’s defined by what you ARE or are NOT  wearing under em …lol). Not just any kilt either. We were wearing our custom kilts from ALT KILT.

ALT KILT on Face Book HERE

They wear a HUGE SUCCESS and the “hype” began as soon as we arrived.

We got into town on Wednesday evening and headed straight to the Fire Rescue 1 Meet Up and the FOOLS Bash.

Everywhere we turned, we were meeting and greeting Brothers, Sisters, friends and followers (new and old alike). I have to be honest with you … we were not expecting that.

Now don’t get me wrong … we LOVED it! Everyone there wanted to meet, talk to and get a picture with us. We didn’t make it past 20 foot into the gates.

In the past, whenever folks would come up to us and say  ” I love your site and read it every day”, we would always reply “so you’re the one” …LOL. Well, it was very apparent at FDIC that we now have at least a few more than “one” loyal reader / follower and if we didn’t get the chance to tell ya at FDIC, THANKS!

We  passed out every Challenge Coin, patch and Brotherhood Chip we had with us and needed a few hundred more! If you missed us at FDIC or wasn’t there to get yours, don’t panic…. you can still get one. For our Challenge Coin, patch and custom badges ….

Visit NM Coin Here

 Also visit The Chip Site to find where our Brotherhood Chips were made 

It was a fun night! The next morning, we opened the booth and was again over run. Folks were showing up to meet and visit with us and to get a personal demo of the MN8 FoxFire Products. We knew then that this would be a show like no other that we have attended.

We apologize to any of you that we didn’t get to speak to personally and wish we could have spent more time with those  who we did. Several times, there were folks waiting for a picture while we were giving product demos etc.

We made every effort to step aside real quickly and hope we got to all of you. We put a bunch of pictures up on our Face Book pages. Be sure to take a look at em and tag yourself if we didn’t already. Also, if you have one of or with us that we don’t … please tag us as well.

Find, Like and Follow us on Face Book HERE

So, after the floor closed for day 1, we have several dinners to attend. Our first was with Fire Rescue Magazine / Firefighter Nation  where we actually received some pretty cool recognition. If you’re not a subscriber of Fire Rescue Magazine or a member of Firefighter Nation … YOU SHOULD BE  (hit that link above). Here’s what they had to say about the award we received …

Fire Service writers, bloggers receive awards. 

Afterwards, we had a team dinner with the MN8-FoxFire Team. Zach gave us a special gift of a framed quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson…

“Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”  

Very fitting for MN8-FoxFire, The Fire Critic and Ironfiremen.com. I can’t wait to see where we end up on this journey.

That said .. I have to stop this post here. As I mentioned above, I’m sick and attempting to write this post from bed. I’ll do my best to follow up with a “Part 2″ as soon as possible. Sorry to make ya wait … thanks for following and be sure to hit that Face Book link above for more great pictures from FDIC.

You can also read a “FDIC Wrap up Part 1” post from Rhett 

Until I get back, Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

]]> http://ironfiremen.com/2012/04/22/booth-babes-fdic-another-911-memorial-stair-climb-and-more/feed/ 9 http://ironfiremen.com/2012/04/19/fdic-2012/ http://ironfiremen.com/2012/04/19/fdic-2012/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:17:01 +0000 Iron Firemen http://ironfiremen.com/?p=8731 We made it … don’t ask me how but we did. Rhett, Andrew Catron, Mike Elston and I are at FDIC 2012 and already having a BLAST!

We got in yesterday and met up with Zach Green and the MN8 FoxFire Team.

We made the Fire Rescue 1 Meet Up and the Fools Bash last night….. everyone says I had a great time.

Rhett and I even wore our new kilts from Alt Kilt and they looked AWESOME.

I’m not sure we are going to have a bunch of time for posting etc. but we are getting a lot of pics. We will at least try to get some up on Face Book so you folks at home can follow along …. here are a few to get ya started …

Ironfiremen.com on Face Book 

Don’t forget to hit “Like” and become a fan (follow) us on Face Book! Also check in with the Fire Critic  and  MN8 Fox Fire  to keep up with us while we’re in Indy. Speaking of MN8 Fox Fire … that’s where you’ll find us…

 MN8 Fox Fire FDIC  Booth 3026

Stop by for a visit and picture …. we can’t wait to see you!

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

I guess the best place to start tonight is with the Buckaroo. Today is his Birthday!  He turned 4 years old and I couldn’t be more proud.

I remember the day he was born like it was just yesterday. I was on duty with the Melrose Misfits at Station #9. I had the boys out doing Pre-Fire Plans when I got “the call”. I slid over to the Medic Unit with Ben “Tyrone” Obaugh, marked it out of service and headed to the hospital.

Tyrone stood guard by the door and within no time, the Buckaroo was born and I was cutting the cord. I think Tyrone was as nervous as I was. It was the first  (and only) time he had seen me cry. I was honored to have been able to share that moment  with one of “my boys”.

I can’t count the moments I’ve shared with the Buckaroo . That’s him at just a week or two old in the old “War Wagon” from Station #9.  I’m looking forward to a million or two more …. HAPPY BIRTHDAY little fella.

Speaking of being proud and sharing “moments” …. I went to church this past Sunday. I went and the lightning didn’t strike nor did the roof cave in. What’s more is that I didn’t go alone … there was a whole group of firefighters in attendance.

Our Battalion Chief (Theodore “Teddy” WENDALE Adkins) thought it was a good idea and invited us all to attend our Department’s Chaplain Father Sandy Webb’s Church ( St. John’s Episcopal Church). Without pressure, several members attended.

My entire Company was there and once again I found myself humbled. I say that because I don’t (can’t) talk a lot about faith / religion with my members. I do think and worry about it often …especially with our Rookie Randy. I hope and would like for him to get started in the right direction at this point in his life (new job, new home, getting married etc) and hope we are setting the right example. I’m not saying that Church is necessarily the “right” direction but I at least want him to know and understand that if that’s his chosen path then I support it. Not just me either … the entire company does… WE support it.

As a Company, we live, eat and play together. Because of that, we are united and that enables us to fight together (fire fighting). Now, we’ve added another level to our bond of Brotherhood and have attended Church together. We’ve prayed together and this past Sunday, even received Communion together. I could write an entire post on the emotions I felt knowing that George, Todd and Randy were knelt beside me. The look in Father Sandy’s eyes as he moved from one firefighter to the next. My eyes swelled with tears. Tears of Pride, Honor, Tradition and Respect. It is the sharing of these moments …. personal / private moments that make us stronger. It’s what makes us BROTHERS.

So, how am I going to go from Church with Father Webb to clean balls??? Kilts of course!

That’s right, The Fire Critic ( Rhett Fleitz) and I have just received our new kilts from ALT Kilt.

These kilts are AWESOME! 

I had no idea that they were so well constructed. The material is heavy duty yet comfortable. They fit perfect and look GREAT . I can’t wait to wear this thing at FDIC this week!

We tried the other companies and ALT KILT was the only one who came through for us. If you’re thinking about, wanting or looking for a kilt (and you will be after you see us in em) then TRUST ME … Alt Kilt is where you want to shop.Hit any of the links above for their web site or find, like and follow them on Face Book

Find Alt Kilt on Face Book Here

So, we now have kilts and are planning to wear em at FDIC this week. Good thing AXE  just sent us some of their newest products for a “review”. See that post on IronFiremen.com by clicking HERE . The good news for any and everyone who will bump into us at FDIC is that the good folks from AXE also included some of their existing products in our “care package” … ie: the Axe Detailer

LMAO … so anyway, look us up at FDIC … we want to meet ya! The easiest way to find us will be in the MN8-FoxFire Booth inside the exhibit hall.

Visit Captain Wines and The Fire Critic at FDIC in the MN8-FoxFire Booth #3026

Show us your “tets” and tell us your FoxFire story. Let us give ya a personal demo and make plans to meet up with and hang out after hours! We will have our new challenge coins, patches and a new “chip” to pass out.

Yep … patches and a new Challenge Coin from NM Coin .

Not going to be at FDIC???? Don’t panic. You can now purchase Ironfiremen and FireCritic merchandise directly from NM Coin!

Be the first member of your company to have our coin and/or patch …. CLICK HERE for some special offers and great DEALS on our collector items.

These guys do GREAT work…. Our coins ROCK!

If you’re in the market for badges, name plates, coins, patches etc you HAVE to look these guys up. Hit their link above or find, like and follow them on Face Book … tell em Rhett and I sent ya,

Find NM Coin on Face Book HERE 

We’ve got a full but GREAT schedule while at FDIC. We will be at the Fools Bash, The Fire Rescue 1 Meet Up, The Fire / EMS Blog Meet Up, The 5k run, The 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, Stop Drop and Rock and Roll and much much more! Like I said, FIND US …. hang out and tag along. We’ve already picked up two Brothers ( Mike Elston and Andrew Catron ) who will be making the trip up with us. We are going to have a BLAST!

Rhett has our itinerary in a Fire Critic post HERE.  We will take and have plenty of photos etc from our experiences and will try to keep you up to date through Face Book ( not sure we’ll have the time for a full post here).

Follow Ironfiremen.com on Face Book HERE

Hit the “LIKE” button and be sure to follow … you wont want to miss anything this week! Until we get back to ya … stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines