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Climbing out ….

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The good news is that I’m back in my “boots”. I’m back in bunker gear and pulling regular tours.

The bad news is that I’m still not 100% and I know I never will be again. I’m still working through the grieving process and searching for my “new normal” (read my previous post “Searching for a New Normal” by clicking HERE) .

In another previous post (“Melt Down”) , I told ya about the “stages of grief” and how grief is as individual as the person suffering through it. We don’t necessarily go through the stages in order and by no means in the same way.

I’m currently working through the “depression” stage (and, I believe; suffering through PTSD).

I was expecting it but have never fully understood exactly what “depression” was. I’m learning the hard way.

My thoughts continue to wonder with every waking moment and it’s difficult for me to focus.

I still can’t eat. I just don’t have an appetite … I’m  not hungry. When I try to force myself to eat, I throw it back up so I figure why bother.

I’m sleeping some at night now but I’m not REALLY “sleeping”. I’m tired all the time and can’t motivate myself to get out and do anything. I try to make myself go “somewhere” or do “something” but I don’t. I know I need to.

I haven’t even been able to write (evident in my recent lack of postings and absence from Face Book).

I’m not getting along well with others … I just want to be alone.

All these things seem so petty and easy to fix but they’re not.

That’s the hardest part for me. I know what’s happening and what I need to do ….. I just can’t muster the energy or motivation to get it done.

I have to start climbing my way out of this hole … I thought I have been but it doesn’t feel like I’m making much progress. I can’t stay here (like this) forever.

One of the folks I’ve been seeing offered a prescription for anti-depressants. It’s not for me. There’s a small part of me that almost took her up on it just so I could learn for myself (and share with you folks) if they (the pills) “really” work or not. Unfortunately,  I’m not the “pill” taking kind ( I hardly even even take an aspirin) so I won’t be able to tell you “first hand” about anti-depressants. I can tell you that depression is REAL . It’s an illness that can be crippling.

I see a lot of it in the firehouse for one reason or another. Not just in situations like mine (the loss of a loved one) but also over financial issues, marital problems etc. If you want to learn more about depression and take your “Depression IQ quiz”, take a minute and CLICK HERE .

The best thing for me has been talking about it. Getting “it” out of my head and off my chest. I’ve wrote about them a lot here lately but once again, I want to share with you some folks who you CAN TALK TO. People who understand and that do MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

These folks are not just for you or me either. They are there for our Brothers and Sisters as well and it’s up to us to let them know that help is available. PAY ATTENTION … look around you. If someone in your company, your Battalion, Department or whatever is needing help, point them in this direction. You know … firefighter “so and so” whos wife just left him. Ol “what’s his name” from Engine whatever who just took a 3rd mortgage out because he lost his 2nd job.  That S.O.B on the Ladder who we all know has been drinking too much …. all these Brothers have someone to turn to. Let them know before it’s too late. Here are the links ….

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

I had a bad day yesterday. Like most everyday, there’s always something that will remind me of Jackson.

I pulled a tour Saturday (we work 24hr shifts) and when I got home yesterday morning, the Buckaroo was waiting for me. It was 8am , he missed his “Paw-Paw” and wanted to play.

He got his motorcycle toy out. It’s like the old Evil Knievel wind up toy. If you’re a boy and anywhere near my age (44), I’d bet you had one.

I showed him how to use some books / magazines to make a ramp so we could make some jumps down the hallway. It was just how me and Jack did it when we were kids.

I could see us like it was just yesterday. Then the thought hit me (as it always does in situations like this) …. I wanted to call Jackson and tell him what we were doing. He would LOVE it! Knowing that me and the Buckaroo were doing exactly what he and I did as kids. I know he’d remember our ramps … our jumps…. fighting over who went next…. he’d understand and know EXACTLY what we were feeling / doing. He’d have that unforgettable smile on his face just thinking about it.

I’ll never get to make “those” calls again … not to Jackson and it’s killing me. This grief … the depression…. it keeps knocking me down but I won’t let it keep me here.

Like I said in the beginning of this post, I have to start climbing my way out of this hole.

“CLIMBING”…… Seems I wrote about that one time …. back in July of 2011 actually in a post titled “We are all Climbing” (Take the time to hit the link and read that post … I think you’ll find it worthwhile). Stairs,  ladders or whatever obstacle, it seems we all are indeed “climbing”.

Me? I’m gonna find my way out …. I’m gonna find that “new normal” because I’m going to keep climbing …. it’s all I know to do.

I’m gonna start by getting out of town again. I’m going to head up north and spend a little time in NYC and out on Long Island.

I’m going to attend the Long Island Fire, Rescue and EMS Mega Show on Feb. 23rd / 24th. I’ll be working the booth with my MN8 FoxFire family but I’ll also be doing what I love best … meeting, spending time with and talking to all the Brothers and Sisters in attendance. I think it will be just what I need to get “moving” again …. to “re-engage” and get “back in the game”.

I’ll get ya more details in the next day or so …. until then, thanks again for all the support. Thanks too for allowing me to share all of this with you …. I LOVE YA ALL!

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by on February 18, 2013 • Filed under: administration-leadership, ems-health-safety, ems-topics, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Buckle up!

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I really haven’t checked in with a “full” post since our 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb in Greenbelt, Md back on the 11th. I received a TON of e-mails, text messages and comments on the site from that post ( I Cried ) … THANKS!

I was hesitant to hit the “publish” button on that post. I had so much I wanted to say and share that I thought it came off as “rambling” and maybe even kinda “cheesy”.  Those of you who follow me regularly know that YES .. I do get emotional because I am passionate about the job. Sometimes, it’s difficult for me to control those emotions. The bad thing is that I type like I talk (and think ) and always say whats on my mind. Sometimes ( in my postings )  it comes across ok … other times not so much.

The message I was trying to deliver was how honored and proud I was to have participated in this climb. It was the 3rd climb this year for Rhett ( Fire Critic ) and I and,  our  2nd with Kevin Totten and Tommy Warshaw. I got to climb with my dad who is retired from the job with right at 30 yrs while Rhett climbed with his 8 yr old son!

More than telling our story, I wanted to inspire you to experience  your own.

I’m sure these climbs will hold a different meaning for each climber while Im just as sure that you’ll have to climb to find it. Other than climbing on the rigs everyday and performing our duties with PROFESSIONALISM, PRIDE and HONOR I can’t think of a better way to honor the 343 FDNY fallen.

I had mentioned in my post how we were planning to climb in Richmond before Chief Bashoor invited us to Greenbelt. What I failed to mention was that 4 of our brothers from Roanoke did attend the Richmond climb! You guys may remember a past Lieutenant of mine  from back in the Melrose Misfit days … Rob “Bugg” Reid. If not,  CLICK HERE  for a great post and the chance to meet “Bugg”.  He had wanted to organize a climb here in “The Noke” but couldn’t get the details worked out with the “powers to be”. They represented us well and even climbed with their SCBA !  THANKS …. CONGRATULATIONS and WELL DONE men!

So, obviously, Im back to work. Laast cycle was a mess due to my being off for the climb, Boots being on vacation and Georgie off sick. Little Randy stayed at Lucky #13 one day but would ship out to ride the Medic on the last day of the cycle.

He ran out of Station #5 and had a pretty busy tour.

He continues to see and hear things that aren’t an everyday occurance down in Max Meadows, Va.

He was almost involved in a fist fight and bitten. Yea …. BITTEN (he said she was tougher than she looked..LOL)

We also managed to squeeze in a little SWR (Swift  Water  Rescue) training …. just wait till little Miss Dana sees him in his new vest and fancy hat!

So, we took a 4-day break and returned to duty this morning. It’s gonna be a long cycle! Once again, I’m riding as the “North Side” Battalion Chief. For some reason, whenever I ride “the car”; we’re busy. This cycle has already started out that way!

Last time I rode the Battalion … see 1st arriving pics and post from a 2nd alarm fire

I rolled into the Chief’s Office this morning with a full schedule. Every Captain and 1st Lieutenant on the shift had manditory “Harassment in the work place” training …. WooooooHooooo !!

We also had “night training” scheduled for Station #5 at our Regional Training center beginning at 19:00 (7pm).

Take the busiest company in the Battalion out of service for a while and “something” is bound to happen..right?

 

The call went out as a stove on fire.

Boots got Georgie and Randy in first for a quick save.

This one could have turned bad QUICKLY.

There’s also a quick and simple PSA from this incident … NEVER leave pots / pans unattended while cooking.

A 2nd PSA is to install smoke detectors and assure they have working batteries. The detectors in this house  alerted the two occupants and allowed them to exit the home safely before our arrival.

The night is young yet and I sure hope things quiet down a bit. I have a busy day on the farm tomorrow and the next two days  here is looking full as well. Tomorrow evening, Rhett and I will get to meet another reader / follower of our sites. Captain Joe Lyons from the Westfield Fire Department  in Indiana will be stopping in town.  Rhett and I will give him the nickel tour of our city, make sure he gets a good meal and share a few stories over a cold adult beverage. I believe the Capt will be in town to visit our local ladder truck manufactoring company.

On Thursday, when I return to duty; we will be holding our 4th Annual Officer’s Seminar. This year, our featured speaker will be Retired Deputy Chief James P. Smith from the Philadelphia Fire Department !

This is a GREAT OPPURTUNITY for our area firefighters.

The Chief’s topic will be “Strategic and Tactical Considerations on the Fireground” This is one of many topics that Chief Smith lectures on across the Country.

Click HERE for more topics offerd by Chief James P. Smith

Click HERE for Chief Smith’s 2nd edition book “Strategic and Tactical Considerations on the Fireground”

This will be a 2 day seminar (same presentation, Thursday and Friday 08:30-16:30) and there may still be space available. If interested, contact one of the Chiefs listed on the registration form above / left.

Saturday will be the last day of our cycle but another full one as well. I have an Airport Mass Casulity Drill scheduled in the morning and our “Fired Up For A Cure” event that evening.

Not only will I be there, I’ll be wearing a pink shirt. YEA … a PINK shirt!

I’ll post more on the shirt deal tomorrow or next day.

In the meantime, Rhett has more details on the event over on Va Fire News … CLICK HERE .

Like I said … it’s gonna be a wild cycle … you’d better BUCKLE UP!

I’ll check back in as soon as possible. Until then, Stay Safe and In House!

Captain Wines

Posted by on September 21, 2011 • Filed under: fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We are all climbing

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Tomorrow, Rhett (The Fire Critic), Kevin Tottin ( Salem Fire / EMS ) and I will arrive in Baltimore, Md for Firehouse Expo 2011.

We have a very busy work schedule through Sunday. We will be there working with Firefighter Netcast  and will be set up in Booth #743 with the likes of  Bill Schum ( Fire Geezer) and Dave Statter ( Statter 911 ) … Stop by for a visit!

We also have several meetings to attend and people to meet with. You will of course find us with the crew from the Fire/EMS Blog Network, Go Forward Media  and Go Forward Fire.  Bosses Dave Iannone and Chris ” hey buuuuuddy” Herbert always take pretty good care of us.  Bill Carey, Paul Andrews and Mary Velline are another 3 folks from the Go Forward team who have always made me feel right at home.  You may also find us hanging out with Zach Green and his crew from MN8 Products / Fox Fire.  Despite all the work, we’re gonna have a good time!

We (Rhett, Kevin and I) will also be participating in the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb on Thursday at 2pm.  We will climb 110 stories of stairs in full turn out gear (I’ll be the skinny guy with a big mustache carrying Rhett).

Someone asked me the other day why in the world would I want to do that?

That’s easy … because my brothers of the FDNY couldn’t !  They weren’t allowed the time. The towers came down before they could complete their job and maybe,  in some small way; this will allow me to finish it for them.

343 members of the FDNY were climbing those stairs for the people pictured above right …. now, I’ll climb for those 343!

At the sign up, we were asked if we’d like to climb in honor or memory of a particular Firefighter. I choose Joseph “Joey” Angelini.

That’s Joey pictured to the left. Years ago, I used to go to the city for St. Patty’s Day. I’d always stay at a firehouse and catch a ride. One of my first rides was with Rescue 1. Joey was on that tour and went out of his way to spend time and talk with me. He made a lasting impression.

He was the oldest member of the FDNY still in company and he was on one of the busiest rigs !  Talk about Wooden Ladders and Iron Firemen!

His love for the job was evident in his every word …. the pride and honor. It doesn’t seem like we see a lot of that any more.

Like my dad, Joey must have passed his passion on to his son. Joseph Angelini Jr. followed his father’s footsteps but, regretfully; was also killed in the towers that September day ( assigned to Ladder Company 4).

My climb wont be easy. Their’s was worse!

I haven’t been to the gym nor have I practiced for the event. They didn’t have that luxury. The alarm sounded and they went.

This climb  has been on my mind a lot lately. I feel honored to have the opportunity.

As I was thinking, it hit me … I’ve been climbing stairs all my life. Most of us on the job have.

Not necessarily stairs like I’ll climb on Thursday, or the ones they climbed that day; but stairs none the less.

Give me a minute or 20 to explain.

Rhett had a post up last week about the final season of Rescue Me. See that post HERE . In it, he says …

“I think that many may agree that Rescue Me was a decent show in the beginning, but as the seasons progressed dysfunctional lives and too often nearly impossible heroics in conditions which are not indicative of normal firefighting lost real firefighters along the way.”

I have to disagree. I LOVE the show. I can relate to the character Tommy Gavin. The show hasn’t “lost” me and, despite what others may think; I consider myself to be a “real firefighter”.

I’m as dysfunctional as Gavin. Hell, maybe more so! Most of the old or “real” firefighters I know are as well. WE HAVE TO BE! Is that a good thing? Healthy? Probably not but that doesn’t change the facts.

Are we all as messed up as Gavin? No…. it’s TV. They just rolled all (or most of) our problems into one character.

You can’t see what we’ve seen and do what we’ve done and think yourself normal. Do dead people talk to me from inside my locker? NO. But there are faces I see often and will never forget. Memories I can’t loose. I would bet that true statistics within our profession for alcohol and spousal abuse would amaze you. Whats the divorce rate in your Department? The stress of this job can be overwhelming. Wonder why heart attacks are so prevalent?

Talk about stairs to climb …. try working a 24 hour shift away from your family. Get off tomorrow morning and go to you’r 2nd job. Screen a few calls from the wife about where you have to be when to pick up the kid or kids for this or that. Fire Officer class is tonight 6- 8pm … that promotion test is just weeks away and Firefighter “Joe” from the truck could use a hand building his deck for the company cookout next week.

Don’t forget to stop by so and so and drop off a check for whatever lesson or sports club and we’re out of milk.

By the way, the dishwasher quit working,  the grass needs mowed and my car is making a “funny noise”.

Do you have enough hours in the day? Enough days in the week? Are you making enough money? Yea… all the firemen I know are filthy RICH! How about your runs?  Seeing anything that bothers you? Hungry, low income children. Do ya see people you want to help and cant?

Get closer to home How many games have you missed due to pulling a tour? How many birthdays, holidays etc? How many times have you been pulled between you’re “firehouse family” and your family at home?

It’s an up hill battle…. “stairs to climb”  and it comes with the job. Over worked, under paid, seeing people in the worst conditions, sacrificing ourselves and our families for complete strangers . .. why? Because it’s a calling … It’s OUR CALLING!

 The bad news is that there are plenty of steps. They keep going up and up. My good friend and West Coast Brother Joe Schmoe must feel like he’s on an escalator. He called last week and I knew something was heavy on his mind. He didn’t get the chance to tell me but I know what it is. Cold feet. Schmoe is nearing retirement (as in about a month away). He’s been climbing those stairs so long, he doesn’t know how to stop. He’s not sure if he wants to. I hope he finds a peaceful landing to catch his breath. I know he will but I also know that his heart and soul is in that stairway. The same one we are all climbing. Not unlike the ones that collapsed on our brothers back in 2001.

That’s why I’m climbing Thursday. Because of firemen before me like my dad and Captain Joe Schmoe who have made their climb. I’m climbing because  if any of those 343 Brothers lost on September 11, 2001  were here today, I’d guarantee they’d miss or sacrifice whatever to be right there in those stairways again.

Thursday, they will be. They will be in a stairway in Baltimore Md. They will be in my mind and I WONT MISS A SINGLE STEP !!

I’ll update ya from the road… until then, stay safe and in house!

Captain Wines

Posted by on July 19, 2011 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Too big for their britches

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I had to cancel my trip to the   Pa. Fire Expo   this weekend but that doesn’t mean that YOU can’t go.

I’ve been getting some pics and updates from the floor in Harrisburg and it looks like I’m missing a great show.

I had intended to spend some time in the  FoxFire  booth with Zach Green and his crew. They are setup with  The Fire Store  in the North Hall, booths  817-826. Speaking of  The Fire Store, be sure to check out their link above. They now have all the FoxFire products on the front page as well as many other great fire service products. You can find my recent “Product Review” of the FoxFire Products  HERE .

If you guys get the chance … stop by and take in this Expo. Be sure to swing by The Fire Store and FoxFire booths and meet Zach and the crew. Tell em Ironfiremen.com sent ya … oh yea .. it’s also Zach’s birthday today .. wish him a happy and successful one!

While you’re there, also take the time to pay a visit to some other good friends and family of Ironfiremen.com (all in the North Hall) ….

Fire Rescue Magazine  Booth N 726

Go Forward Media  Booth N 722-724

The just introduced  Go Forward Fire   Booth N 722-724

 

 a Brotherhood Instructors  Booth N727

Wall Shields  Booth N725

FD Live In  N 725

The big guy pictured on the far right is one of my two favorite “Nicks” from FDLiveIn.com.  He’s also the one that I won $50 from arm wrestling while in Indy for FDIC 2011. .. Yea .. he’s “THAT” big and I took $50 from him..LOL

Again, take the time to visit the Pa. Fire Expo this weekend in Harrisburg, Pa and be sure to visit all the folks I’ve just mentioned … trust me … you wont regret it!

The reason I’m not there is two fold. First, I couldn’t get today’s shift covered. The prettiest day we’ve had in months and I’m stuck here at the station …uggggg.  The second reason is that I simply have too much going on around the farm this week. The break in weather means the beginning of hay season etc.

We’ve also been having some Fire Department training on the farm….well HazMat training anyway. (see a previous post  HERE ). 

Roanoke City and Salem both have “local” HazMat teams for their respective jurisdictions and then combine to make a “Regional” team covering a much larger area of the State. This week, the “Regional Team” has been training on the farm.

Yesterday ended the 3 days of training with A-shift.

That’s where the title of today’s post comes from … “too big for their britches”.

You see, all of our guys are good. I explained that in an earlier post. They HAVE to be good. They mess with the stuff that kills ya before you even know you’re dead.

Some of them though .. just “some of them” mind ya are a little “too big for their britches”.

Well, too big for those HazMat britches anyway … LMAO

Those holes are NOT supposed to be there. You shouldn’t be seeing their uniform pants under the suits ….LOL

They literally ARE “too big for their britches”

They do make a happy couple though … just look at the two   little   fellas … two peas in a pod … or two bears in a sack! LMAO

Look at the “little” one on the left … notice the yellow stripes at his waist line?? Tape to hold the suit together … LOL

They thought they were going to get out of the “decon” detail by trying to explain that the suits didn’t fit. The IC thought they were just making excuses. Turns out, they were right but obviously, the IC held his ground as well …LOL

All kidding aside, I think the guys received some really good training over the past 3 days.

Training is always better when you’re out in a more realistic situation / conditions etc.

For the City guys, I’m sure it was also nice to get outside of the city limits and take in a little clean country air.

Thanks to Battalion Chief Teddy Adkins (Roanoke) and Kevin Tottin (Salem) for allowing us to be a part of this training by providing the location ( The Catawba Sustainability Center …aka.. The Tech Farm and myself)

And, while the guys were hard at it training, the Buckaroo and I were just as busy.

We had equipment to unload and hook up in preparation for our evening chores plus we had a load of square bales to deliver that morning.

Loading the hay turned out to be quite the experience. It seems as though a nest of snakes had taken up residence in our loft. Now, they were just black snakes but they were also mean and feisty. They thought that since they had moved in … they owned the place.

 Had they have went on about their business somewhere else, everything would have been fine. Oh no … they figured to say and fight for what they thought was theirs … little did they know that they were fightin the famous Buckaroo!

We had to shoot 4 total and this one was the baby of the lot. The biggest (and meanest) was near 6 foot long and  about 3 inches in diameter. One of the biggest I’ve seen. Somehow or another, the two largest of the 4 made their way onto the HazMat team’s ATV…. LOL …. I don’t know how they got there.

 I didn’t have my camera then but one of the brothers on the team (Mike Elliston from Salem) took some pics and will be sending em my way shortly … I’ll get em up when I get them.

We also had some garden work to do in the evening.

This was the first dry day we’ve had in about 2 weeks or more and if we don’t soon get a crop in the ground, planting season will have passed us by.

Despite, the dry day, the ground was still SOAKED. A muddy mess is what it was but good friend and partner Kevin Tottin had just the trick.

Kevin just bought a smaller “compact” tractor. At 30 hp she has plenty of “pepper” and she’s also light enough that we could get her into places where the bigger tractors are just too heavy.

Like most of em, it was a long hard day we survived. I’m not sure what good it done us because some are saying that 6pm tonight is the  ” End of Days”.  If it is …I’m ready to go and will be standing my post here at Lucky #13. That said, I also hope they’re wrong … I got too much stuff to do tomorrow!

I’ll check back with later on tonight …. until then, stay Safe and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by on May 21, 2011 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, hazmat, news, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

People you don’t want to see …

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Dentist, doctors, morticians, the health department nurse after a Friday night at the local strip club … you know, all folks you don’t necessarily WANT to see.

How about your local Hazardous Materials Response Team ??

Usually not … but in my case today, they were more than welcome.

This morning, our local / regional Hazmat team was out on the farm bright and early for something very serious …. TRAINING.

Our team consists of  members from Roanoke City and Salem Fire Departments and these guys are on top of their game. The best of the best. I sometimes kid and call them “glow boys” but I also have to give credit where it’s due.

I call em “glow boys” because they take care of hazardous materials / waste that will make you turn a pretty shade of bright green if ya get any on you. The “bad” stuff. 

 Stuff that will actually kill ya before you know your dead !

Yea …. the Fire Department does THAT too.

Well, when you deal with this kind of stuff, you have to be on top of your game and the only way to get and stay there is through training. 

My Battalion Chief, Teddy Adkins; is also our HazMat Chief.  Kevin Tottin holds that position in Salem. Tommy Crozier (pictured left)  is our State Officer from VDEM (Va. Department of  Emergency Management).

 You folks should know / remember Kevin from here on Ironfiremen.com. He is a great personal friend and has partnered and helped out on the farm for the past few years. Tottin and The Buckaroo are “thick as thieves” ..LOL

Tottin came up with the idea to use the farm as a location for some Regional Team training and we were happy to oblige.

He came up with a pretty good scenario. The local FD was out for whatever reason, found an old barn / shed full of pesticides / herbicides and called in Hazmat.

Not an unrealistic situation.

Kevin used water and food coloring to fill several containers and placed them inside one of our old run down sheds. He placed real labels on the containers and he decided to make some of  this stuff    BAD…. REAL BAD.

The members of the team had to approach this stuff. Identify it and then decide how to handle, remove and dispose of it.

Of course not all of the containers were in tact. This IS a farm you know. They had spills, leaks etc to content with on top of everything else.

All kinds of equipment … staging areas, decon, etc. Those big yellow suits, SCBA’s, 55 gallon drums … GEESH!

Good thing they had enough help!

Oh yea… there was NO WAY that the Fire Department was gonna be at the Farm and The Buckaroo not be right in the middle of it all!

He was in heaven! His 3 favorite things combined … The Fire Department, the farm and his 4-wheeler.

Now, we was very quiet around the guys. He has never net most of them and is quite shy. But, as soon as they pulled out …. OMG! It was like one of em slid him some crack or something. He’s STILL talking about the day!  JACKED UP !  LMAO

Of course, the firemen seemed just as excited to see the little fella riding around on his 4-wheeler checking everything out. I didn’t say it (or write it) in a recent post titled   “Family“   but it was very evident today. In that post, I spoke about having a “Fire Department” family and without a doubt … should anything ever happen to me … the Buckaroo will have 100 “Paw-Paws”.

Just knowing that makes it easier to do the job!

The team will be out on the farm for the next 2 days so each shift can benefit from the training. I’m on duty tomorrow but I’m sure the Buckaroo will have his “Nana” up and out early so he can be down there to help with the setup and keep an eye on the daily operations.

I hope the weather holds out for em like it did today.

While the team was on site, it stayed dry. Of course, they had wet, high grass and mud to contend with but the rain held off. Held off until the team returned home and we had work to do!

%$^^%$#%#^&  …. I can’t seem to get ANYTHING done here lately! We had hoped to mow some grass and clean up a bit so the place would look nice for the boys … DIDN’T HAPPEN ! We had to just park all the equipment and seek shelter.

We hung out in the barn waiting for the rain to stop but as soon as it did, it would start right back up. The good news is that the forecast is for clearing conditions over the next several days. The bad news  …. I’m not gonna be here to get any “catching up” done.

If everything works out, I’ll be hanging out at the   Pa. Fire Expo   with Zach Green and the folks from FoxFire.  I’m excited about the trip but still need to cover my shift at Lucky #13 on Saturday.

Regardless if I make it or not, if there’s ANY way you can … TAKE IN THIS EXPO. While there,  be sure to stop in  The Fire Store   booths (located in the North Hall, booth 817-826) to meet Zach and see all the great FoxFire products.

While in the “North Hall”, also stop in and visit some more of  Ironfiremen.com’s friends and family  between booths #122-127. Go Forward Media ,   Fire / Rescue Magazine ,  Brotherhood Instructors  , and   Wall Shields  .

Ok .. I’m gonna wrap it up for the night. I’m back on duty in the morning and will check in as soon as I can. Until then, Stay Safe and in House!

Captain Wines

Posted by on May 19, 2011 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, hazmat, news, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Christmas Eve update

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Yea, I know…. a much needed one. In my defence, I have been busy and still managed to get a “Sexy Santa’s Helper” up every day as promised. Like everyone else, I’ve spent the last 4 days shopping. Well, I assume everyone else waits until the last minute because I ran into em everywhere I went. For me, shopping is a struggle. I’m not good in crowds and I am not very patient. All in all, I held up pretty good. It wasn’t all shopping though, I did get to spend some time with friends and family along the way … I’ll fill ya in

After the feeding and farm chores, the Buckaroo and I embarked on what I like to call our “scouting” day. We hit the stores and “scout” for gifts that may meet our needs. I dropped in to one of our local “sporting goods” type stores and the Buckaroo was in AWE. I don’t know if you guys know who this “Lightning McQueen” or “Tow Mater” are but the Buckaroo sure does. They are characters from the 2006 movie Cars. Now, there is going to be a Cars 2 and he knows it … I missed  True Grit  but you can guarantee I wont miss Cars 2. If you really didn’t know about  the Cars characters, here’s the link.

Anyway, at the Sporting Goods store, the Buckaroo scouted out a possibility for himself ….

For his sake, I sure hope Santa’s knows that this store had one in stock…. hummmm.  We moved on to Victoria Secretions and several other stops (the gals working in Victoria Secretions sure latched on to the Buckaroo .. wink wink). As you can imagine, all that shopping…errrrr “scouting” can make a fella thirsty so we met up with Boots and Pop for some refreshment…

Special thanks to our bartender (server or whatever you call em now) Stacy.. She tolerated us… they were cold and she kept em coming..

We had to drop in by Station #3 (A-shift) for a bit as well. We had to pick up their new kitchen table to have a little custom work done. If everything turns out as planned, this will likely be the top table of the “Noke”. I can’t wait to see the finished product! The guys at #3 have been busy as elves making all sorts of items for in and around the station. One of the most notable is the fireplace they constructed for the dining / living room area. They also put up a tree and hung their stockings with care …. the place looks GREAT!

Later in the break … I also got together with some more friends and family. My dad …. ”Pop”  always fries up a bunch of oysters for a Christmas Breakfast. We usually try to do this on Christmas Eve but, since I’m working today; the schedule got bumped forward just a bit. It was a good crowd and fun gathering … just what Christmas should be .. shared with friends and family.

 I had a brother from Salem (Kevin Tottin)  helping me on the farm that morning and I couldn’t work him that hard and not feed him. 1st Lt. Brent “Lumpy” Berry, currently assigned to “The Deuce” on B-shift was there along with 2 retired members. Riley “Big Joe” Petersand now twice retired Jimmy “Jimbo” Jennings. Here they are …

Pop and his brother (my Uncle Chuck) did a bang up job behind the aprons and there wasn’t a crumb left..

Of course, between the eating, drinking, shopping and scouting, I did have to get some farm work accomplished. A lot of it was regular stuff … feed, checking cow / calves, busting frozen water etc. But, as you’ve come to know with me … I usually don’t do much of anything that’s regular or “normal”. Ever seen an “Outhouse” that’s in house? No??? I though everybody put em inside..

I called it an “outhouse” but you may also know it as a “johnny house” or “sh## house”. You may remember a post a little while back where I talked about the Buckaroo and I spending the evening at the Cabin on the mountain behind the house. If not, catch up HERE . Anyway, the outhouse will soon make the trip up the mountain to it’s resting spot beside the cabin. How’s that for a Christmas gift?

So, as you can see, I have not been ignoring you folks … it’s just that time of year. I should be back on a regular type of schedule now so keep checking back with me.

I need to give a quick shout out and big THANKS to Brother “Firefighter Sonny” who gave me a heads up the other night as to Spike TV’s Hooter’s Snow Angel Special … grrrrrrrrrr…. now that’s quality broadcasting .. pay attention Statter

In case ya missed it … check out the link  HERE.

Ok, I’m gonna stop here for now but I’ll be back in a bit with a little more. David “The Hammer” Lucas is pulling an “OT” tour with us today and thus far, we’ve been busy enough. See ya in a bit, until then, don’t forget those “stocking stuffers” .. stay safe and in house.

Captain Wines

Posted by on December 24, 2010 • Filed under: news, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mustache envy runs wild, a busy day, visitors and day 10 of Santa’s Sexy Helper

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OMG … the “mustache envy” around this place. My site gains a little popularity and now everyone wants to look like me? I’m serious .. mustaches are showing up everywhere … look ..

That’s big ol lovable Captain Mac Craft from #3-A

Even our messenger truck driver Donnie Foutz has been caught up in the obsession

Yea.. that’s Rhett (Fire Critic) but I’m NOT gonna call that a mustache … it’s more like a shock absorber for a high speed ass kisser (LMAO). Heck.. the Buckaroo’s Halloween stache was better …

Even our Emergency Management Coordinator is sporting a traditional stache.. check him out in this video from our local news following a train derailment here in the “Noke” this past week.

The point of the video was if our Department is prepared for a derailment where “Haz-Mat” is involved. Wouldn’t you know it… Haz-Mat training today … WooooHooo! All kidding aside, the training has been on the schedule for some time now. Kind of a refresher for Haz-Mat Awareness … another much needed and well presented class. Good job and THANKS guys.

It’s been kind of a hetic day around here. I walked through the door and caught a run for a MVA with extrication. Ladder 5 and Medic 5 filled the ticket and the boys on the truck made quick work of the driver’s side door of an F350 pick up truck. I had command and snapped a few shots from my phone (sorry for the poor quality / size).

No life threatening injuries and a job well done by everyone on scene. The rest of the day has been just as busy. The forecast is for snow tonight so traffic and the stores etc have been a mad house! I guess since they’re calling for snow, I may as well throw up a “snow bunny” pic huh?

Let it snow, let it snow, LET IT SNOW! … Yea.. I know … that’s why you guys love me (LOL). Ok, so we also had several guest drop by the house today. A good friend and Brother from Salem stopped by for a cup of coffee and chat. Newly promoted Captain Kevin Tottin …

Kevin run the Salem end of our regional Training Center. A strong worker and damn good fireman .. a “good Jake”. He’ll do very well out there and the recruits are lucky to have him. We also had a visitor from all the way up in Crawfordsville, Indiana. I’m not gonna mention his name or why he was here but somehow or another, he got hooked up with the FireCritic and came down for a visit. He joined us last night at Buffalo Wild Wings for a few “adult” beverages and some good conversation.

Some folks in attendance but not pictured were Tim and Christene Cady, Kevin Tottin, and Gavin Miller. We had a good time and even solved some FD issues (as most firefighters do when out drinking). We found out that “J.G” (pictured front left) and girlfriend Hanna are expecting a baby girl on Valentines Day! We heard tales of  ”don’t ask, don’t tell”  situations at station #5. Gavin eluded to who was voted in as the new Chief for Read Mountain Fire / Rescue … he mentioned something that began with “Ho”  but quickly changed up and confessed that it’s now Chief Chesson who holds the position. We investigated the “disappearing pike pole” from station #9 and even got to see a few phone photos of “Atilla’s” girlfriend Britney (boy was he smashed! ) LOL .. just kidding there… he wasn’t smashed but we did see the pics!

Ok, so I was talking about our visitor from Indiana. He had a BLAST. He even dropped by the station this morning for a tour and to say thanks for the hospitality…

Despite today being busy or a little hectic, it was better than the day I had yesterday. NOTHING went right. Fighting the cold and wind! If you don’t think it’s windy here, just look at whats left of one of my barns …

Yea.. it was one of those days!  What are ya gonna do? Anyhow… moving on.. my last post revealed the winner of  my Firefighter Tattoo contest. See Chris Sterrickers submission and tat  HERE.

I guess I also need to introduce Day 10 of Santa’s Sexy Helper … here she ..errrrrr … they are..

You’re welcome. So I’m also doing another “product review”. I just received a copy of “Red Flag Warning”, a serial arson mystery by Kurt Kamm ..

Rhett over at Fire Critic has done a earlier review of one of Kurt Kamm’s books One Foot In The Black. See how he fared with the Critic  HERE

Ok, to wrap things up … don’t forget to tune in to Firefighter Netcast tonight for Chris Naum’s Taking it to the Streets. Tonight’s episode is Looking Forward Through the Rear View Mirror.

Join us on Wednesday night December 15that 9:00 pm EST for an insightful look back at 2010 and forward into 2011 and beyond with a stellar line-up of fire service leaders.  The lineup of Scheduled guests include, Deputy Coordinator Tiger Schmittendorf (NY), Chief Glenn Usdin (PA), Captain Willie Wines (Va), Bill Carey (MD), Chief Doug Cline (NC), Lt. Rhett Fleitz (VA), Lt. John Mitchell (IL), and a few others on the invite list who might just drop in on us.

Ok, that’s it for now…  I’ll talk to ya later from Firefighter Netcast’s East Coast Headquarters … yea.. I’ll be on the show so don’t just tune in … CALL IN!

Until next time, stay safe and in house!

Captain Wines

Posted by on December 15, 2010 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, hazmat, news, Uncategorized, videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,