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Wytheville finds some water!

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Photo by Jeffery Simmons

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

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

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

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

Photo by Jeffery Simmons

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

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

Read that post by clicking HERE

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

Full story from Tricities.com found HERE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tonight, I’m covering a shift for Rhett.

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

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

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

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

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

Do you guys remember little Hunter Moseley?

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

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

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

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

Visit and “Like” Team Hunter on Face Book HERE

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

Captain Wines

Posted by on December 29, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We’re at it again ….

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My postings have been few and far between here lately but don’t panic …. that’s normal for me around this time of the year.

Hay season has officially started so the Buckaroo and I are spending most of our time in the tractor.

The days are long and hard and the honest answer is that by the time we get in … I’m just too tired to post.

I only wish that I could sleep as sound as the Buckaroo.

So while the Buckaroo and I have been hard at work on the farm, the “busy season” has also began for me and the “Buckaroo #2″ …. aka Rhett.

This is the time of year that we typically hit the road for conferences,  teaching, speaking engagements etc.

Last week, we even teamed up with Dave Statter so he and Rhett could present “Social Media in the Fire Service” at the Ohio Fire Chief Association’s Leadership Seminar in Newark, Ohio. See my previous post HERE .

Follow Iron Firemen.com on Face Book Click HERE and “Like”

We had a BLAST in Ohio and met some really great folks.

It  seems as if these Ohio Chiefs “get it”.

Rhett and Dave presented what is most likely the most well rounded class on “Social Media in the Fire Service” in the nation. They were able to really engage the Chiefs. Actually, the class kind of continued later on that evening out on the dock over a few beers.

We even had the opportunity to share a meal with the members of Newark’s (Ohio) Station #1

They have a GREAT house and even better members! Thanks for the meal and the BROTHERHOOD!

 

This week, Rhett and I are at the Monmouth County Fire Academy in Howell, NJ teaching social media for Kean University .

I think this is like the 5th time Rhett has taught up here for Kean.

Once again, we’ve found ourselves on the Jersey Shore.

See previous posts  HERE  and  HERE

Rhett keeps talking about some kind of “situation” with this gal named “Snooki” or something. Apparently, she’s pregnant and they aren’t sure how it happened. He says they are even filming a TV show about it and he thinks we should be on it.

I don’t know how he talks me into all this stuff …… next thing you know, we’ll be paying child support to some Jersey gal who is already making 5 times my salary.

Well I don’t know about any TV show or it’s cast but I do know that we have met some GREAT folks up here.

Last night, Tim Mickens picked us up at the hotel and took us out for a pizza and beer.

Tim is a Brother firefighter from the Little Silver Volunteer Company here on the Jersey Shore.

Apparently, Tim has been following our sites (and on Face Book) and didn’t want to miss the chance to meet us in person.

I’m glad he didn’t …. Tim is a GREAT guy who obviously “gets it”.

He took us out to Zacharys  and we had a BLAST!

The food was awesome … the beers ICE COLD and the Brotherhood strong.

We shared a ton of stories and bonded new friendships.

Even our waitress, Amy; had a good time …. I don’t think she has ever met anyone quite like us….. LOL

She was a real cutie and yes Dave Statter …. she IS standing up and Rhett IS taller than her (he was so excited..LMAO)

The only thing in NJ hotter than Amy last night was the fire we missed in Long Branch….

 

See the related article HERE

I think Tim actually got the page for the fire but we were already too many beers into the night to go. And, while I’m talking about fires …. they have a couple going today here at the Monmouth County Fire Academy.

This is an amazing facility. I will try to get out and grab a few pictures during lunch break and update you on our trip later on.  It’s going to be a quick trip for us and we’ll be heading home this evening so I’m not sure if the update will come tonight or sometime tomorrow. At the least, we’ll be able to throw some pics up on Face Book so keep checking in with us regularly.

Follow IronFiremen.com on Face Book..click  HERE

Until we get back to ya … stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

 

Posted by on June 2, 2012 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, Training, Uncategorized, videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

OLD WOUNDS REOPENED AMID 3 LINE OF DUTY DEATHS

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Firefighter J. Davies

Like I said earlier, it’s difficult to get into the “Christmas Spirit” following today’s events. Rhett called me early this morning to make sure I was aware of what was happening in Worcester Massachusetts.

My phone was abuzz with messages and texts throughout the morning as we learned of the Line Of Duty Death of Brother Davies.

Our Brothers from Worcester responded to 44 Arlington Street around 4 am. Cold temperatures and high winds were already on scene. The Brothers arrived to find a working fire in a 3 story (“triple decker”) apartment and went to work.

A total of 12 people were rescued / evacuated from the structure before one of those occupants reported someone missing. Two crews re-entered the building for a secondary search in hopes of locating this missing occupant. Firefighters Davies and Carroll were one of those teams. The occupant was reported to have been in a upper, rear bedroom. About the time the members reached the area, a collapse of the rear of the structure occurred.

The result killed firefighter Davies and seriously injured Firefighter Carroll, trapping him  for nearly an hour.

Full coverage with fire ground audio and video from Statter911.com by clicking HERE

Worcester Firefighter B. Carroll

Any LODD is tragic but this Worcester loss comes just days from the 12th anniversary of the December 3, 1999 cold storage fire that claimed the lives of 6 other Worcester firefighters.

The members lost that day were  Paul A Brotherton, Timothy P. Jackson, Jeremiah M. Lucey, James F. “Jay” Lyons III, Joseph T. McGuirk and Lt. Thomas E. Spencer.

More details on the Cold Storage fire HERE

Visit Worcester Firefighter’s Memorial HERE

Worcester Firefighter’s IAFF Local 1009 HERE

Worcester  Fire Department  

Firefighter Davies was a 17 year veteran of the Worcester Fire Department. He was also the father of 3 sons.  I will keep you posted as more details and arrangements are released. Please keep the family and friends of Brother Davies in your thoughts and prayers. Hold a special place in your hearts and mind  for the Brothers and Sisters of the Worcester Fire Department as well as prayers, hopes and wishes for a full and speedy recovery for Brother Carroll.

I’m sure the Arlington Street fire was a sort of  ”mini- deja vu”    for the people of Worcester Massachusetts because we had something very similar right here in “small town” Virginia today.

There was another shooting on the campus of Va Tech today leaving two people, one of which was a Va Tech Police Officer; dead. The name of the officer (nor the 2nd deceased) has not been released at this time . It is believed ( but unconfirmed ) that the incident is a possible murder / suicide.

There were 2 active crime scenes (both on campus) following the shootings. Va State Police were also conducting operations at an I-81 rest stop in nearby Radford, Va.

The Va Tech campus was on “lock down” as was several nearby grade schools. Fire, Rescue and Police from  several adjoining  jurisdictions  responded to the incident.

Coverage, maps and timeline from CBS News HERE

photo from The Roanoke Times

Much like with the Worcester LODD, this incident opens old wounds and brings back unwanted memories. It was just back on April 16th, 2007  that Seung-Hui Cho murdered  32 people and wounded 25 on the VT campus before taking his own life. That incident is now often referred to as the “VT Massacre”.

Details of the 2001 VT Massacre HERE

I can only imagine the feelings and thoughts going through the minds of  the members on either of these scenes today … Worcester or Va Tech. I would guess several (and  I actually know of some ) of these members were on scene of the first incidents. I would also say and think that several folks (both civilian and on the job) relived those past feelings / emotions as today’s events unfolded.

I can remember the details of the Cold Storage fire coming out bit by bit. I also remember exactly where I was on the day of the VT Massacre. I was on duty. My daughter was in class … at Va Tech!

Today, many of those emotions returned for me. Following the news from Worcester, I thought … “oh no … not again!”. I also wondered how much more the brothers of Worcester can take? When I got the news of the on campus shooting, my thoughts went back to 2007 and how thankful I was that my daughter was safe and unharmed that day. My thoughts then turned to the murdered officer and the others who would be responding today.

You see, we are a small enough community down here that we still help each other out in times of need and know each other by name. I have several friends and Brothers on Police forces all around us. Dallas Leamon of the VT Police Department .. long time and good friend. George Jackson and James McClain also members of the VT Police Department as well as players for The Roanoke Rampage. Nathan Odell, Ben Machingo, and Sedrick Hayes also play for the Rampage while working for the Blacksburg PD. Travis Harvey is another player and works for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Dept. We also have several players who work for the Va State Police .. William Monteith, Richard Conley and  Corbin Brown.

These Brothers are safe and will return home at the end of their shift. They, as well as the slain Officer (who’s name has yet to be released) have my gratitude, sympathy and shall remain in my thoughts and prayers as well.

I wish it ended here but it doesn’t. There was another LODD this morning.

Firefighter Kevin Townes of the Mt. Vernon City (NY) Fire Department died on the scene of a working fire at about  2:45am this morning.

Members responded to 124 Lorraine Ave where they found a working fire in the basement. Brother Townes was on the 3rd in and collapsed of an apparent heart attack while donning his gear. Reports say treatment was quickly  initiated by members on scene but their efforts would not save Brother Townes.

More Details of the Mt Vernon, NY LODD from lohud.com by clicking HERE

Brother Townes leaves behind his mother, wife, three daughters and a son (children ranging in age from 12-24). He was a 25 year veteran of the Mt. Vernon Fire Department and the 1st LODD in the Department since 1995.

More on the Mt. Vernon, NY Fire Department HERE

As with all the members above .. please keep Brother Townes Department, friends and family in your thoughts and prayers as they move forward through these difficult times.

WELL DONE BROTHERS! We wont forget you .. and we’ll take it from here…

Captain Wines

Posted by on December 8, 2011 • Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents, news, rescues, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

KEEPING YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR A**

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In our profession, we can never afford to have “our head up our ass” …. you can’t see anything and don’t know what you’re doing. This time of the year, we need to be even a little more diligent.

In my last post, I talked very briefly about SITUATIONAL AWARENESS  and  DISCIPLINE .  Tonight, I want to quickly explain  and expand on those two terms a bit.

It’s Christmas  (If you don’t believe me, just ask  Tiger Schmittendorf   to tell ya “The Christmas Story ..LOL). In most homes, stockings are hung and Christmas trees are  lit. Some are even surrounded by gifts.

The bad part about December is that it’s also a heavy fire month( Click HERE … see page #14 ). Yea … Santa is not the only one putting in overtime in December.

The Fire Critic  (Rhett Fleitz)  and Dave Statter have been covering the most recent “cluster” out of Obien County Tenn. A lot of you have apparently been following the story and if you’ve taken the time to read the comments, you’ve noticed a common theme …. our “duty”.

South Fulton coverage from  The Fire Critic   and   Statter 911

Our “duty”.  That’s yet another post of its own and I’m not going down that road tonight. I will however talk just a little about protecting life and property and  YES …. THAT’S OUR DUTY.

Now I want you to look back up at that picture top / right. That’s my family tree from 2009. Easy to spot right? If you responded to my home, you could have spotted and recognized what it was pretty easily.

Take a look at this picture ….

How many of you would have knocked, kicked or tossed this stuff out of the way to get back to the seat of the fire or to make your search?

Do ya see it? Click the picture (then, after it comes up; click it a 2nd time for a larger view)

I assume the “child” or “children” of this house are the ones who drew the picture of their tree. Do you see it now?  That is this family’s Christmas tree and presents.

How about this picture ….

Their tree and presents are on top of the table.

Would you have noticed or detected this one???

My point here is this …. not everyone  is as fortunate as me, you or the next guy. Their tree my be as simple as a picture colored in school by their children. They may only have one or two gifts under it.

We all work in the same neighborhood (just different cities)… protect the same people.  For many of these folks, THIS IS ALL THEY HAVE  and it is as valuable or more to them  than the big lavish trees and gifts that are so easily found in the “higher” rent district.

We can’t let economic or social status (race, creed, color etc) affect how we do our job…. tunnel vision. The same care and service needs to be delivered no matter what “district” or “part of town” we are responding to.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS !  Aware of what a Christmas tree and presents may look like in my (or your)  house  vs. what it may look like in the home of a family less fortunate.

Maybe the  only gift those parents were able to buy is not wrapped and out yet. Where would they hide it until Christmas morning? Under the bed? In the closet?

How much care will you take when searching or overhauling these areas? The house  was most likely dirty and thinly furnished anyway right? Who cares?? They shouldn’t be living like this in the first place….. right?

If you are there, it’s already bad enough for this family. Slow down just a second .. keep your head out of your ass and pay attention to your surroundings. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. Want to know another duty of ours????  SALVAGE. Not just the “good stuff” or what YOU think is of value … salvage what is valuable to them. Know what that is??? ALL OF IT !

How about if you’re on the knob (nozzle)?? Are you going to push in a throw water everywhere? I hope not. I spoke in my last posting of my Department’s pride in quickly and efficiently getting water on the fire. Not just on the fire …. on the seat of the fire. We don’t spray smoke, nor do we wet darkness. STREAM DISCIPLINE .  Know where you’re putting your stream and make it count.

With budget cuts, under staffing, station closures, brown outs etc, the Fire Service is struggling enough. The sad thing here is that most of those whom we serve are in worse shape than we are. DO NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THESE FOLKS ….don’t make their situation worse …. most have nothing else to give / loose. Keep your head on your shoulders, take a deep breath and look around … THINK. Maintain your SITUATIONAL AWARENESS  and fire ground DISCIPLINE. Do the job that I know we are all capable of and that our customers deserve and expect … Protect their lives AND property.

Just a friendly reminder and “food for thought”. Thanks for following … I’ll have more for ya soon … until then, stay Safe and in House!

Captain Wines


			

		

	

	

		Posted by 
		on December 7, 2011 •
		Filed under: news
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HEAVY FIRE, JUMPERS AND JACKED UP ON MT. DEW

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Our Brothers of  B-shift  caught some work over the weekend … a LOT of work.


Here in “The Noke”, we take a lot on pride in holding a majority of our fires to “room and content”.  Despite older homes and balloon construction, we do a good job at getting water on the fire quickly and efficiently.


This job just had too much of a jump. What makes this fire odd is how it got such a jump …. it’s only a few blocks from Station #5 and it was occupied (up and down stairs).


The call was received around 01:43am with reports of people trapped. Heavy flames (above the roof line) made the fire visible to the 1st due companies from near their station.


Upon their arrival, the crews quickly learned that the two occupants from the upstairs apartment had jumped from the 2nd floor and lay injured on the ground. With all occupants now accounted for, operations became defensive.  Read brief local news coverage HERE.


The members of stations #5, 13 and 2 of B-shift did a GREAT  job on this one … SOLID WORK! What I’d also like to share with you is part of the reason that I believe it got such a “jump” on em.


The picture shown is of the front of the house. It’s believed that the fire may have started on the 1st floor, right front bedroom (Division 1, Alpha / Delta … but remains “under investigation” at this time). It’s reported that the occupants of the first floor escaped through the front door and left it open. One of those occupants then went to the rear of the structure and opened the back door to gain access to the stairs leading up to the 2nd floor apartment.


Having both the front and rear doors open allowed the heat, smoke and gases (Fire) to rapidly spread front to back ( Alpha to Charlie ). When the 2nd floor occupants opened the door at the top of the steps, they were pushed back and forced to jump.


HERE’S THE LESSON …. YOU’VE GOT TO DO THAT 360 WALK AROUND.


As bad as the front looks, the rear sustained even heavier damage. You can’t get “tunnel vision”, focus only on the fire you can see and push into jobs  like this…. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS  … have it or die!  If you’re on the job and don’t know what that means, you’re lucky to be reading this. That’s a post in itself but nobody teaches / preaches it better than my good friend and Brother Chris Naum from over at Fire Safety.com . If you haven’t been to his site before, HIT THAT LINK …. it’s worth your time!


I’ll also say that I (and many others) consider our Department to be “AGGRESSIVE”  ( I like to think “cautiously” aggressive). We are an interior Department who, like I mentioned above; take pride in getting water on the fire quickly and efficiently. We not only get water on the fire, we get it on the seat and do so from inside.


That said, it takes DISCIPLINE  for an “aggressive” Captain / Chief  ( Company Officer ) to go defensive. It’s like you’re giving up without a fight. Well, sometimes; it’s what has to be done and my hat is off to my brothers on B-shift for having the discipline to do so. IT’S NOT AN  EASY CALL  (although it should be). We could have got several brothers hurt or killed on this one. I wish I had more pics for ya … it’s amazing that it’s still standing at all.


Do YOU have that “Situational Awareness” and “Discipline” ? 


I hope so. Again, WELL DONE  to my B-Shift Brothers … solid work and sound decisions!


Ok, moving on …. “Jacked up on Mt. Dew” ! LOL …. well that fits both me and the Buckaroo here lately.




We’ve been very busy and the result has been sporadic  postings here at Ironfiremen.com. Obviously, the farm has kept the Buckaroo and I on the road but, beyond that; I’ll try to catch ya up on some Fire Department happenings of late …


This past Saturday was VERY busy. I was scheduled for duty and it was our “Vacation Sign Up Day” . For those that may not know, we have to sign up for our days off a full year in advance. It’s a long story that I’ll explain in a future post but will tease you with the fact that Rhett ( The Fire Critic ) and I already have a lot of trips scheduled for 2012 and I got all the days off I needed.


Saturday was also our Union’s Banquet ( IAFF Local-1132) . The Banquet is ALWAYS a good time and this year was no exception!


One of the best things about the Banquet is that you get to see so many of the Brothers and Sisters that you normally don’t get to because they’re on opposite shifts.


A lot of the retirees also return on Banquet night. The picture to the right is 2 of my favorite retirees … my dad ( aka “Pop” ) and Jimmy Jennings.


Firemen… good friends, cold beer, good looking gals and a live band all in the same room….. WooooHooooo!


Attendance was up this year and everyone seemed to have a good time. Mike Hank’s tie ended up tied around his head and someone’s pants hit the dance floor! LMAO … here are a few pics from the festivities ….














 


Rhett and I even had dates! Yea …. girls … REAL ones … and pretty too!


I found this one hanging out with a real “Grinch” and convinced her to trade him on a taller model …. ME …LOL


I don’t talk about her much and don’t think I’ve ever posted a pic but that’s actually my beautiful bride of 25 years Donna.


I think the gals have as much fun at the banquet as the guys do … and WHY NOT. Married to and putting up with all us firemen …. they deserve the night out as much or more as we do.


Donna is a fairly active member in our Women’s Auxiliary . These ladies do a FANTASTIC job of supporting our members and play a HUGE roll in pulling off our Banquet.


Visit the Roanoke Firefighter’s Auxiliary Web Site or find them on Face Book .


Special Thanks to Missy Mutter, Lori Compton and all the Auxiliary members for all their hard work and efforts year round!


Things have been just as steady around the station. Vacation sign ups, riding the Battalion and Randy nearing his 6 month evaluation.


We’ve also had a few visitors drop by….


Lexington Firefighter Chris Potter stopped by for a visit. Chris made his Ironfiremen.com debut back in July after his wife invited Rhett and I down to attend his suprise Birthday Party .


See that previous post HERE


We have remained in touch and became good friends … Chris is a GREAT guy! He was in town shopping for his wife’s birthday and dropped by with a bag full of hand cut steaks for me and the crew! They were FANTASTIC  brother!!! Steak and eggs for breakfast on the morning of and during vacation sign ups …. BEAUTIFUL !!!  Thanks again Brother!


I also got to meet another avid follower / fan of the site this week.


Brother Chris Gardner stopped in for a visit and to purchase several of our Ironfiremen / Fire Critic.com Brotherhood Chips!


Chris has been trying to catch up with us for a while now …. I’m glad he did. He actually works part time for our Department as a Fire Inspector. He is also on the job up in nearby Radford, Va.


Visit the Radford Fire Department web site HERE


We always enjoy meeting and making new friends … Chris was no exception. We had the chance to sit down for a few minutes and swap a few stories etc. I enjoyed the visit and hope he finds the time to drop by again for a cup of coffee and more story telling.


OK, so to wrap it up tonight; I’ll give ya another “tease” in that I will soon be kicking off my “2011 Santa’s Sexy Helper” postings. Those of you who have been following me for a while may remember that we counted down “19 Days” in 2010


See the kick off post “Working Fires and Santa’s Sexy Helpers” by clicking HERE


See how it all ended by clicking HERE


This year, I think I’m going to narrow it down to a 10 day count down so STAY TUNED … you’re NOT going to want to miss it!


As always, thanks for reading and following along. Don’t forget to follow, like and recommend us on Face Book / Twitter as well. We start 4 day break in the morning but I’ll check back in with another post in a day or so. Until I get back, stay SAFE and in House!


Captain Wines


 

			

		

	

	

		Posted by 
		on December 5, 2011 •
		Filed under: command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized, videos
		• Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 			



	

		
Could you have left him to die?

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Last week, a Wyoming man fell a couple hundred feet into an abandoned mine shaft just outside of Reno Nevada.


Rescue efforts were organized and operations undertook.


At some point (I hope early in the incident) a camera was lowered into the shaft. This was rescue vs recovery … the man was ALIVE.


What were the odds? What were his odds from that moment on? Who knows .. I guess it’s debatable but bottom line … he was ALIVE.


At some point, they attempted to lower a rescuer or rescuers into the shaft. Apparently, they knocked some rocks loose and a rescuer was struck by falling debris.  There’s a huge surprise … falling rocks in a mine shaft (it’s like heat in a fire … the two go together).  Anyway, the powers to be decided that the risk was too much. The risk was too much or the “reward” wasn’t worth the price.


Too risky? Wasn’t worth the risk?  We’ve all heard the sayings … ” risk a little to save a little … risk a lot to save a lot (a life) and risk nothing to save nothing”.  This is our job … it’s what we do!  Firemen go into fires … they’re gonna be hot. Cave / mine rescue people go into caves … rocks are gonna fall. At what point did that human life in the bottom of that mine become a “nothing”?


Check out a couple articles on the incident   HERE and   HERE


Who decided?  At one point it’s a life … living breathing (talk to any anti-abortion person as to when life is life or not). I don’t want to get into a life debate here but WHO decided this person is gonna die anyway? How did they do it from a few hundred feet away and did they make the right decision / call?


We often get reports of someone trapped in a house fire. We find the fire fully involved and know that nobody could survive the blaze. We never have to see that person trapped while alive … we never have video of them awaiting rescue. This had to be a difficult decision.


My good friend, fellow Blogger and Fire Service Leader Chris Naum has been talking about this for some time now… Rational Aggressiveness,  Survivability Profiling,  Tactical Patience  and more.  Read Chris’ article  Combat Engagement from his site The Company Officer. 


I can’t say if the call was right or wrong … I wasn’t there. What I will say is that we all need to be educated and prepared to make such decisions. Educated in many ways. Although I often agree in many ways with Chris, I always add that we need to maintain a certain level of aggressiveness. EDUCATED AGGRESSIVENESS.


If we don’t, then we serve no purpose.  Why even call the cave / mine rescue if it’s too dangerous for them to go into?  Why call the Fire Department if all they are gonna save is the foundation? Why give the Fire department more funding, staffing, new equipment etc for “surround and drown” operations?  Was Ray McCormick so far off ?  I think not.  We need to get back to not only a “culture of extinguishment” but to a “culture of rescue” as well. We just need to do both smart, aggressively and safely.


I’m not advocating killing members or putting ourselves needlessly at risk  but I will remind you that our job is dangerous … we save lives and property (and a lot more).


I received several e-mails on the photo I posted yesterday. This was a house fire that I was first due on from Engine #9 back in 2008.


My Lieutenant, Rob “Bugg” Reid somehow snapped these photos while performing his duties. The pic to the right was just after arrival.


I was met at the Engine by 2 citizens who stated that homeless people were staying inside this structure and that they were (or may be) still inside.


We stretched in. The members in the front yard are from the 1st in Medic or 2nd due company… we (the Melrose Misfits) are stretching up the attic steps at this point.


I took a 1 3/4 … not a 2 1/2. I needed to get there fast.  We carry 500 gallons on the rig and had a hydrant on the corner next to where we positioned.


I didn’t search … I wanted a line between where the people may be and the fire was. I wanted water on the fire to give the truck company a chance to locate and rescue any victims.


I knew the situation … the conditions .. evaluated, made a plan and put it into affect within seconds.


Who these people were was of no consequence to me. Their social or economic status had no impact on my decisions that night.


The good news is that they were not there. All searches resulted in “all clear”.


The even better news is that there were no firefighter injuries.


Why’d we go? It’s our job. That’s what we are expected to do .. what we’re paid to do. It’s why those folks came up to me and told me someone was still inside .. they knew we’d go get em.


Was it a wise choice??? Again … who knows? I didn’t have a video from the interior of the structure showing it empty or the victims screaming for salvation.


I had to take it all into account. The fire was in the attic. It was vented. The heat, smoke etc was going out the top. These homes are rough sawn construction … they hold.


If I put water on it, the smoke, heat and steam will go up and out … not down to the living space.


Hitting this fire gives anyone trapped a shot. All this was decided in SECONDS.


That brings me back to the mine rescue. These guys had DAYS. They had video of the victim ALIVE. Then … THEN … they decided it was too dangerous. Were they not trained to the level they needed to be? Some will say they were and displayed that by calling off the operations. Did they not call the needed resources? Pride? Again… I don’t know … I wasn’t there..


Maybe they should have called the Fire Department.


Just working your brain … or wasting mine.. LOL


Stay safe and in house!


Captain Wines

			

		

	

	

		Posted by 
		on March 9, 2011 •
		Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, news, patient-management, rescues, special-operations, Uncategorized
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Things that make ya go Hummmmm

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I happened across this picture over on Firefighter Nation.


It was posted yesterday by  John a munch.


It’s title is  “Hooking it” ….  now,  I’m no “Monday Morning Quarterback” (especially since it’s Saturday night..LOL) but I was just wondering…


photo from john a munch @ Firefighter Nation


Whadda ya think?    Stay safe and in house…


Captain Wines

			

		

	

	

		Posted by 
		on March 5, 2011 •
		Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized
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Fires, Fretting, more fire and Hazmat in “The Noke”

		3 comments
	

	
	











		



WOW…. What a past couple of days!


I worked and extra shift yesterday (the 2nd half of it anyway) at Station #3. Rhett needed the day off so he could go to some kind of dance contest. Now, he put on like it was for his daughter but I know the truth.


He loves to listen to old disco music and almost passes out around a pair of spandex pants or mens tights.


A little “closet dancer” … LMAO.


Anyway, Devin Turner and I split his shift. Devin worked the day shift and apparently stayed fairly busy. I had a little work to do around the farm, finished up and came in for the 2nd half of the tour.


The evening was fairly quiet but then we were up at about 3am.


The dispatch sounded like we were going to work. Drew had the wheel so I was riding backwards. Its funny how your thought process changes from the front seat to the back.


I was thinking hydrants, house size and construction on that block, who is running with us etc. Then it hit me …. I’m riding backwards … we’re 2nd due so I better start thinking about catching a hydrant.


Turns out that it wasn’t as bad as it sounded. Engine 5 got in first and gave a size up including a fully involved couch in the front yard with a trailer leading into the front door, side “Alpha”. Yea… only in North West Noke do you get a fully involved couch in the front yard… LOL (you can see what’s left of the couch in front of the steps).


The brothers and sisters of A-shift #5 made a quick knock down on the couch and checked the structure. Apparently, the couch had been drug outside to keep the house from burning. Very little fire inside made for a signal of “can handle” for Engines 5, 3, Ladder 5 and Medic 5. Engine #3 really wasn’t needed at all.


So, that was the “fire” from the title .. now on to the “fretting”.


Yep… it’s Clayton again (Captain Martin from Station #3-C).  I don’t know why or how he gets involved in so much controversy but I’m glad he does …. we all need a good laugh every now and again.


So, Clayton was thinking along the right lines … he had good intentions.


He invited the Brothers from County Station #1 up for breakfast. Engine, Medic and Battalion #1.


Steak and eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, french toast, home fried potatoes, fried apples, home made biscuits, fresh fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice, hot tea, coffee and milk!


Rumor has it, Captain Martin even covered the cost from his own pocket!


ONLY ONE PROBLEM….. our Chief dropped by for a Sunday morning visit.  Guess who Clayton DIDN’T invite???  LMAO .. yep … the Chief was stunned!


Speechless at first. Embarrassed that he was now a “party crasher”. Embarrassment turned to anger and quickly to sadness. How could Clayton do such a thing?? His own Chief.  WHY?


Didn’t even save him a plate … not a crumb!


There sat Clayton, jelly on his chin and a silly little grin.


Coon had begged him to invite the Chief but Clayton wouldn’t hear of it … just like in Forrest Gump … it jumped up and bit him on the buttocks! LMAO


Ok, more fire. I posted earlier about the  Roanoke County fire last night on Two Ford Road.


The fire cost an estimated $500,000.00 in damages and displaced a family who was home when the fire started.


Another one of our C-shift Captains is a “two hatter” who happens to be the vollie Chief for the fire’s first due (Cave Spring Vol. Fire Department).


I spoke with Captain Robert Perdue this morning about the blaze. He said it was unbelievable.


The fire apparently had a good jump on the guys before anyone decided to call 911. Captain Perdue said that he has never seen a structure so fully involved upon arrival.


Initially, they thought their placement was good but then the high winds decided to change directions! He said the radiant heat was near unbearable. Embers were carried throughout the neighborhood sparking multiple fires. The embers also found resting places inside their hose beds which cost them approx. 500′ of hose. He sent me a few pics (taken by another Cave Spring member Ray Potvin). The last in the series was taken just as the members were opening up the ladder pipe …








That’s about how hot the Chief was this morning when he walked in on Clayton’s little breakfast… LMAO. The good news from the County fire is that there were no injuries.


Moving on … so I leave #3 this morning and report right back to duty here at Lucky #13. We had just gotten our breakfast down when the runs began.


It started with a faulty electrical socket in a nearby apartment complex and then escalated to a multiple alarm (and Regional) Haz-Mat incident.


A rail car from one of our local yards was leaking   Molten Sulphur . The Railroad had called in a private company to stop the leak and contain the spill. While attempting to do so, 3 workers were overcome. At least 2 of the workers were listed in critical condition.


the incident triggered a large response from Roanoke City, the City of Salem and our Regional Hazmat Team. Some local coverage  HERE


I arrived just in time to establish a “stagging area” and act as the Stagging Officer for the incident.


Our system works fairly well. All in coming companies responded to my location on a separate Tac Channel than the one assigned to the incident. There, I would collect accountability tags and record resources.


Command would then contact me on our Tac Channel and request the needed man power or resources. We shuffled a LOT of members through staging.


Roanoke’s Bravest did a GREAT job of identifying the product, evacuating the area, locating, packaging and removing 3 victims and then securing the leak / spill. Of course, the victims and responders had to be decontaminated on scene prior to transport to the hospital.


Ambulances, equipment etc .. EVERYTHING went through decon. At the hospital, they went through it all again. Our members returned home in “scrubs”


It’s incidents like this that make using the IMS (Incident Management System) on “everyday” calls even more important. By using IMS on EVERY incident, you become more accustomed to it’s procedures. It’s like every “little” incident is practice for the “big” ones.


I think the first in companies today were a little overwhelmed to begin with but after they got “settled in” things began to run more smoothly. No injuries were sustained to Fire/EMS Personnel and our thoughts and prayers remain with the 3 injured workers.


I’m gonna wrap it up for the night …. I still have a few reports to complete and I’m gonna try for a little shut eye. If you’re wondering, I think Rhett took 2nd place in his dance contest, the Chief is still mad and I’d bet my next pay check Clayton is pouting!


Yall stay safe and in house, we start 4 day in the morning and I’ll check back as soon as possible.


Captain Wines

			

		

	

	

		Posted by 
		on February 20, 2011 •
		Filed under: command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, hazmat, news, rescues, Uncategorized, wildland
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Early photos … Roanoke’s Bravest battle house fire and a lot of catching up..

		1 comment
	

	
	











		



Yea … I’m alive and I know that I have a lot of catching up to do. All the “expressions” fit …. Busy as “a one legged man in an ass kicking contest” .. as  ”a cat covering up sh**” …. a ” two ….ummm … errrr well anyway … I’ve been busy LMAO!


Working multiple jobs, doctoring a sick “Buckaroo” , football and trying to post … GEESH … there’s just not enough hours in the day nor days in the week.


The best news is that I have fans and readers like YOU!  Thanks for hanging in here and waiting for me to get back on schedule. As the title says, I know I have a lot of “catching up” to do so settle in and relax … this may take a minute.


I received the winning banner for  Fire Blog of the Year  today, now all I have to do is figure out how to get it up on the site (LOL). I’m thinking I’m gonna put it on the main “banner” to the right side of the picture of me (right under the “search” box). That “space” seems to need a little  “sumpin  sumpin” but I’m not sure … any suggestions??


I got the banner but haven’t received the boots yet. I did talk to the Black Diamond rep today and they should be on the way. I’m also working on another “surprise” for you guys but don’t have it nailed down yet so I can’t make any announcements. Things are looking good though so hang in there and I’ll fill ya in real soon. Thanks again to Black Diamond, the Fire Critic for sponsoring and hosting the contest as well as to all of you folks for voting! It’s gonna be a good year!


Ok, so I’m busy at home and here at the station has been no different. I’m on my “middle day” of the cycle which means we’re working  Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I HATE THIS CYCLE!  Having just been off for 13 days, you’d figure they’d want to break me back in slowly …… NOPE.


This morning, we started off with a job over in #3′s first due. My pre-work farm chores had me a little dirty and running behind this morning so the run caught me in the shower.


We get asked alot but most people who are not on the job just don’t seem to understandnd. What do you do if you’re in the shower,  bathroom or bed when a call comes in? WE RUN IT!Yep … butt naked and all lathered up when the tones hit. You step out of the shower and straight into your boots.  The good thing about being naked, wet and soapy under your gear is that you are a little extra cautious..LOL. I wouldn’t want anything to happen where someone would be taking or cutting my gear off in the shape I was in underneath.


The fire made for decent work. Engine #3 got in first and made the stretch. It looked pretty nasty for a minute or two with smoke pushing out of the attic. Captain Martin gave a good size up so it was apparent going in that the fire had extended.


Our Brothers from the County (County Station #1) are also assigned to this section of the City on Auto-Aid. They got in quick, laid the supply line and took command. The photo’s here are courtesy of Captain Witt from County Wagon #1 (I still think “wagons” are used on the farm …. fire trucks are  ”ENGINES” LMAO)


 You folks may remember  Brandon Sheppard from Roanoke County Fire/Rescue. He is the “most posted about” County fireman on my sites. (Read about his “City debut”   HERE … be sure to read the comments as well  )


Brandon sent a little note or message with the pictures. He wanted everyone to know that the reason there are no “County” firefighters in the picture is because they were inside “doing it”. LMAO … I just figured they were up on the roof getting ready to cut a hole … I was in the attic (with all the smoke, heat and fire) and can’t recall seeing ANY of their yellow and green gear LMAO.


No… all kidding aside, our County brethren did a great job. County Station #1 is a well trained and aggressively SMART company under Captain Witt’s command. Well done and THANKS guys!


I hate to even mention it because I HATE CATS … but apparently, a rescue was made on the job.


I’d call it a “grab” but it just doesn’t seem right. It takes away from true “grabs”. It was a CAT. Most of the time, cats and dogs get out of burning homes before the humans do. If they don’t, you don’t have to “grab” em … you either catch em or get out of their way. Well, apparently one of our rookies from Station #2 (The Deuce) caught his first cat today. Jason Anuszkiewicz  (he’s Polish) .. yea .. pronounce that!


LMAO … ahhhh the headlines I could have used. Statterwould have had a ball with this one….


“Pollock finds pussy—(cat) “   ….LMAO …..


L-R Lt. George Perdue, Billy White, Captain R.T. Flora, Captain Willie Wines Jr, and Donnie Foutz with back turned


When it was all said and done, Roanoke’s Bravest had another quick knock down saving property damage and dollar loss. Well done guys!


You can also see some brief local coverage  HERE


The knock down was quick and the “North side” of the City was “dumped” so we got Lucky #13 back in service pretty quick. Good thing because as soon as we got back to the station and I got back in the shower …. another fire!


This time it was just a vehicle fire which was pretty much out on arrival but that was just the beginning of things to come. We ran our butts off this morning! Of course if nobody gets hurt, I don’t mind staying busy … it makes the day pass.


Another thing that makes the day pass …. FRETTING.  Now, you all know that there are a lot of things that I can tolerate around the fire house but, FRETTING is NOT one of them (LMAO).


Apparently, that rule doesn’t apply to everyone.


Captain Perdue (from Station #14) apparently has a higher tolerance than I do. It seems as though he called Captain Martin today after the fire. You see, this was Clayton’s first fire since he and I switched stations (#13 to #3). Clayton is an “Old School” aggressive type Captain. If there’s a fire in the City, he wants to be on it! It kills him to sit over at the “Hippie Hotel” and listen to me catching jobs in his old house.


Well, Captain Perdue called to tell Clayton how happy he was that he finally caught some work from Station #3. He added that the sad part was that “Captain Wines had to run all the way across town to put it out” … LMAO!! They said Clayton blew a gasket! Hahahahahahaha … BEAUTIFUL!


OK… so it’s been a busy day and we fretted Clayton … moving on…. FOOTBALL!


The Roanoke Rampage have been practicing and our season opener is just around the corner. For those of you who don’t know, the Roanoke Rampage  is a full contact, semi-pro football team comprised of local Fire, Rescue and Police members. We play in the National Public Safety Football League  for CHARITY. Our Charity of choice honors one of our fallen Battalion Chiefs, Billy Obenchain. The Charity is  Steps4Billy. View a past post on Chief Obenchain  HERE   (it’s a “must read” about the Chief).


It’s a GREAT cause and League and we NEED YOUR SUPPORT! 


Our first game is March 19th here at home against The Chicago Fire Department!   How cool is that? There is a lot that needs to happen for us to pull this off. The home team “hosts” the away team. We have to put them up and have a dinner like “get together” for the team (when we travel, we get the same hospitality … except when we go to Orlando). Anyway, as you can imagine; this takes a lot of money and we want / need to have funds left over for our charity.


In order to raise funds, we are holding a   GUN RAFFLE. Tickets are only  $10 each! You must be 21 yrs old to enter and the winner will be drawn during half time at our 2nd home game vs. The South Carolina Commanders on April 2, 2011. We NEED to sell these tickets!


We will be raffling off 3 guns….  1st Prize is a BUSHMASTER MOE M4 223,   2nd Prize will be a GLOCK 19 9mm. and the 3rd Prize will be a WALTHER P22 LR!


Use the “CONTACT” link at the top of this site to get my e-mail. Drop me a note if you’d like to buy a ticket and we’ll work out the arrangements.


Speaking of needing help, Hydrant Gal can still use our support. I posted on her making the Canadian Blog of the Year  ” The Bloggies” finals  HERE. The voting is still open and she could use the VOTES.


I follow Hydrant Gal’s site regular and in my mind, she’s already a winner!  There she is posing with a checkered flag so she must have won something…


Doesn’t she look like a “winner”?


Just look at how she has that little leg kicked up ….. the smile …dark glasses and the flag …. (sniff  sniff )  smells like a champion to me..


I know that she has won things in the past.


I think she must be like “Mrs Muffler” at her local race track or something.


Look at her in this shot holding the trophy above her head ….


I think she’s even doing a “victory lap”… and in turnout gear no doubt!


So the point is …. take a minute, read her site and then go vote for her in the   BLOGGIES


 


Ok, moving back to more of a “local” topic, I want to hit our local Firefighter’s Auxiliary. They are hosting a  “COUPLES SWEETHEART DINNER” this Saturday night (2-12-2011) at Corned Beef and Co. in downtown Roanoke. They have reserved a room for the event at  6:30 and have also secured a discount price of $10 per ticket for access to the comedy Club later that night at 9:30 (the Star City Comedy Club   is also located inside Corned Beef). You will need to RSVP so they will know who and how many to expect. Check out the Roanoke Firefighter’s Auxiliary  site   HERE.  The link to their Face Book page is  HERE  or simply search Roanoke firefighters Auxiliary.


Ok, that’s enough for now …. I have a few reports to finish up and then I’m gonna try to get a little rest. I hope things quiet down a bit tonight. The forecast is for light snow but who knows?


We’re back on Friday, football practice tomorrow night so if I get a post up it’ll be late. Anyway, until I get back to ya… stay safe and in house!   Thanks for reading!


Captain Wines

			

		

	

	

		Posted by 
		on February 9, 2011 •
		Filed under: fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, news, Uncategorized
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