John T. Sweeney Retires after 31 Years of Service

Captain John Sweeney is retiring from the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department after 31 years of service in the Department. John spent more than half of his time in the department at Station #2. John was hired by the Roanoke Fire Department on February 23, 1976 and is retiring with almost 31 years on the job. John is retiring from Station 11 C-Shift, where he has been stationed for the past several years. John has been a Haz Mat Specialist on the Regional Haz Mat team since it's inception in 1985. He is a wealth of knowledge and will be missed. The Roanoke Firefighters wish him well in his retirement. John's sons Benjamin and Brad recently graduated from the Roanoke Regional Recruit School, hired by Roanoke City. Photo left - John is seen working a fire on Ladder 2.

(above) Chuck Wells, Ronnie Renick, Brent Berry, John Sweeney,
Ricky Trout, and Kevin Bell on Ladder 2 A Shift in the early 1990's.
Picture from Maurice Wiseman

John Dubose and John Sweeney pack up hose after a fire.

Did you know that...

Over the years some things have changed. Here are some of those things in no particular order.

In Roanoke the Firefighters used to...

Wear black helmets. Now Firefighters and Lieutenants wear yellow, 1st Lieutenants and Captains wear a dark red, and Battalion Chiefs and Chiefs wear white.

Use trumpets to give commands on the fire scene

Have all red fire trucks, now they are white over red
The trucks were lime green for several years as well
And don't forget the grey ghosts

Fire Station 5 used to be lime green (So I hear, although I do not have a picture)

Ride tailboard, holding onto each other as they dressed, now considered unsafe.

The gold leaf on the fire trucks is reminent from an era where looks were almost important as performance. Gold leaf has been replaced by gold paint or gold striping. Some has vanished for ever.

The District Chiefs, Battalion Chiefs now, used to have their own drivers.

The 1st Lt. rank used to be a Captain's position. In an effort to save money, the ladder captains became 1st Lt. which equated to a lesser pay grade.

The Roanoke Fire Department (now Roanoke Fire-EMS) has been fully paid since 1907, except for a short while after the Garden City area was annexed around 1970 (don't quote me on the year).

While the engines have always been numbered by the station they were housed, the ladder trucks were originally labeled as 1-4 and with the exception of Ladder 1 were not numbered by the station where they were housed.

Prior to 1936 there was only one shift, up until 1972 there were only 2 shifts. In 1972, the third shift was added creating shifts A, B, and C which are still used today.

Roanoke Fire-EMS consists of stations 1-14 with the exception of 12 which was closed when the new station 4 was built across the street from the old one. Rumor has it that the new fire station proposed on Williamson Rd. to replace the Airport station will be numbered 12 due to the fact that the Airport station 10 will remain open with the ARFF company in it.

Engine 3 is the oldest unit in the department, originally being a chemical and hose company. Engine 1 would have beat it, but that unit was taken out of service when they opened station 14 and the positions were used to staff engine 14. Ladder 1 is the oldest ladder company.

The Battalion Chief's bedroom at station 1, the halfway house at station 1, the raised concrete area in the bay at station 1, and the kitchen at station 3 have all served as communications for the Roanoke Fire Department. Currently communications are handled by dispatch at the Municipal building downtown.

The original station 4, 5, and 6 were the same and opened the same day. Station 5 is all that remains open, 6 is a police substation, and 4 was torn down.

The fire stations used to have stores in them where the firefighters would sell candy and other stuff.

Firefighters used to have numbered badges much like the police department.

Just thought I would share a few tidbits. Feel free to leave other factoids in the comments.

Come on out and Vote

As many of you Roanoke Firefighters know, there is an election tonight and tomorrow night at the Union Hall. If you need to see who is running for which positions check out the Local 1132 site. I am running against Richard Lipes, and I appreciate your vote. The voting will be tonight from 7-10 pm and again tomorrow night at the business meeting at 7 pm.

Sorry I haven't posted much recently. I have been busy. It was interesting when someone asked me that if I lost the Secretary/Treasurer election, would I still do the RoanokeFire blog. The answer is yes. This blog has nothing to do with me being the Sec/Tres, and furthermore it is unofficial to the RFFA.

I have been busy with all sorts of things. Recently, as some of you know by now, I started VAFireNews.com. The website is growing still, and I have enjoyed the fact that the Roanoke Fire Blog is regional, mostly regarding Roanoke City. VAFireNews.com is Statewide. It has gained a lot of interest across the state and is continuing to receive more and more local articles from firefighters and freelance writers.

I am getting to the point now, where I can juggle the two sites and I hope to revamp the posts on the blog soon. But fear not, the blog is still alive and kicking.

Roanoke Firefighters Flag Football

The Roanoke Firefighters have established a flag football team. Headed up by the guys at 2 C Shift, the team has practiced several times and played one game. The team consists of somewhere around 20 firefighters. Roanoke County has also established a team and they were our opponent for the first game. Unfortunately we lost. I am not sure of the score, but I do understand that all of the guys really had a good time. I also heard that there was a pretty decent crowd on hand to watch the first game.

Why flag football, you might ask. Because if it were tackle football it would more than likely turn into a bloodbath, and because we are not able to work if we are injured.

I was able to practice with the team at one of the practices although I could not make it to the game. It is always good when the guys get some time away from the job and their part time jobs and get together for some good clean fun.

If anyone has pictures of the event, send them in so I can post them.

Look for the Roanoke Firefighters flag football team to play again sometime soon. I think that Salem is planning on getting a team together.

Shooting in Roanoke on Thanksgiving Day

Yesterday, the crew at Station 10 had a great Thanksgiving Feast prepared by Fellowship Community Church. We ran two calls on the engine. One was an oven fire, which was out by the time we got there. The other was for a drive-by shooting on Edinburgh. It wasn't very exciting though, luckily for the victim. The victim was shot twice in the lower back (according to the paper * I don't want to cross the line with the HIPPAA laws that exist).

Let me tell you though, for someone who hasn't run many EMS calls or any other calls for a long time, you learn really quick what you have forgotten. I don't mean you remember all the stuff you forgot, you just remember you forgot it.

It has been a while since I have run a shooting, since we don't have many in Roanoke, luckily. I do remember the days of the quadruple shootings in the "not so upstanding" places in Richmond. Those will keep you on your toes.

That is all I got. Some of the rookies have already got to see some fire. It seems as though it is becoming the busy time of the year. It resembles the first three months of the year with all the fires occurring.

Stay safe.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all. If you are a turkey hunter and are working today, you might want to try and improve your skills with this game. As for the Roanoke Firefighters who are working todya, this is what you have to look forward to:

The volunteers from Fellowship Community Church (located on Red Ln. in Salem), will be dropping off your meal on Thanksgiving morning before 11am!

The meal will consist of:

• Turkey
• Mashed Potatos & Gravy
• Sweet Potatos
• Vegetables
• Stuffing
• Bread & Butter
• Cranberries
• Dessert
• Cool Whip

Thanks to the kind volunteers who are cooking for us. I think I can speak on behalf of all the firefighters working today by saying THANK YOU and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Pics were added to the Clarendon Fire post below. Check them out.

Fire at 702 Harrison Avenue

On November 23, 2006, Roanoke Fire-EMS responded to a structure fire at 702 Harrison Ave. The call came into the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 7:32 a.m. The response of three engines, one ladder truck, three medic units, one EMS Captain, one Battalion Chief and the Investigation Unit for a total of 22 personnel.

When crews arrived they found a single family dwelling with fire and smoke coming from an upstairs window. Crews assisted a person from the home and quickly began to extinguish the blaze. They also conducted a search to make sure that no one else was inside of the home.

One person was inside of the home when the fire started and escaped without injuries. There were no injuries to civilians or Fire-EMS personnel.

The cause and origin of the fire is under investigation. Damage estimates at this time are approximately $40,000.

Fire at 1428 Campbell Avenue

The Roanoke Times has an article: Fire destroys Roanoke home Wednesday night

On November 22, 2006, Roanoke Fire-EMS responded to a structure fire at 1428 Campbell Ave. The call came into the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 7:35 p.m. The response of three engines, two ladder trucks, three medic units, one EMS Captain, one Battalion Chief and the Investigation Unit for a total of 23 personnel responded to the scene. The fire was ruled under control at 8:30 p.m.

When crews arrived, they found a 2 story structure fully involved from the ground floor to the top of the residence. Crews extinguished the blaze and protected exposures that were beside the residence. Two additional homes were damaged due to the immense heat.

The home that was fully involved was under renovation and no one was living inside. Three residents from one of the exposures were displaced from their home. There were no injuries to citizens or Fire-EMS Personnel.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage estimates are approximately $80,000.

Update on the Clarendon Avenue fire

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to a structure fire on November 20, 2006 at 2921 Clarendon Ave.

The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately
9:26 a.m. The response of three Engines, one Ladder truck, two Medic Units, one EMS Captain, one Battalion Chief, and the Education/Information Specialist for a total of 24 personnel responded to the scene.

When crews arrived, they found a two story apartment building with smoke and flames coming from the second floor of one of the units.
Crews immediately gained entrance and began to extinguish the fire. A primary search was conducted and was ruled all clear.

There was one person in the home when the fire started. She escaped without any injuries. The resident is being assisted by the Red Cross. There were no injuries to Fire-EMS personnel.

The fire started in the upstairs bedroom and was contained to the bedroom. The fire was caused by improper disposal of a cigarette.
Damage estimates are approximately $10,500.

Fire on Clarendon Ave.

Roanoke Fire-EMS responded to a fire on Clarendon Avenue this morning. There were no reported injuries and at least one person was displaced by the fire. E10, E2, L2, E14, M10, M2, RS-1, BC-2 responded to the fire. More information to follow.

Roanoke Fire-EMS Release the cause of Lafayette fire

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to a structure fire on November 19, 2006 at 1529 Lafayette Blvd.

The fire started in the bedroom and was contained to the bedroom.
The fire was caused by a child playing with a lighter.
Damage estimates are approximately $20,000.

Roanoke Fire-EMS Release Fire Victims Name

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department has an update to the fire that occurred on November 19, 2006 at 927 5th St.

71 year old Carolyn Perry died from injuries sustained in the fire.
The cause and origin of the fire are still under investigation.

Fire at 1529 Lafayette Blvd.

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to a structure fire on November 19, 2006 at 1529 Lafayette Blvd.

The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately
5:49 p.m. The response of three Engines, one Ladder truck, two Medic Units, one EMS Captain, one Battalion Chief, and the Investigation Unit for a total of 20 personnel responded to the scene.

When crews arrived, they found smoke and flames coming from the structure. Crews immediately gained entrance to the home and began to extinguish the fire. A primary search was conducted and was ruled all clear.

There were five people in the home when the fire started. They escaped without any injuries. The residents are being assisted by the Red Cross. One firefighter was transported to the hospital and is doing fine.

The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation. Damage estimates are approximately $20,000.

Fire at 927 5th Street

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to a structure fire on November 19, 2006 at 927 5th St.

The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately
7:07 a.m. The response of three Engines, one Ladder truck, two Medic Units, one EMS Captain, one Battalion Chief, the Fire Marshal and the Investigation Unit for a total of 23 personnel responded to the scene. The fire was ruled under control at 7:50 a.m.

When crews arrived, they found smoke coming from the structure.
Crews immediately gained entrance to the home and began to extinguish the fire. A primary search was conducted and one victim was found inside of the residence. The victim was taken out of the structure and transported to the hospital. The victim later died. The name and age of the victim is not being released at this time pending notification of the family. There were no injuries to Fire-EMS personnel.

The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation. Damage estimates are approximately $35,000.

Fire at 602 Elm Ave.

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to a structure fire on November 15, 2006 at 602 Elm Ave. Apartment 2.

The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately
12:25 a.m. The response of three Engines, one Ladder truck, two Medic Units, one EMS Captain, one Battalion Chief, and the Investigation Unit for a total of 21 personnel responded to the scene. The fire was under control at 12:47 a.m.

When crews arrived, they found fire showing from the side of the two and half story woodframe residence. Crews immediately gained entrance and searched the structure which was ruled all clear.
Firefighters aggressively extinguished the blaze.

There were two people inside of the structure when the fire started.
They escaped without any injuries. There were no injuries to Fire-EMS Personnel.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage estimates are approximately $22,000.

Suzanne Hanks

Suzanne Hanks, 57, of Hardy, died Friday morning November 17, 2006 as the result of injuries received in an automobile accident. Suzanne was a paralegal with Woods, Rogers. She loved life and bluegrass music, and gardening. She is survived by her husband, Michael Hanks; son, Joshua Hanks of Blacksburg; daughter and son-in-law, Shannon and Adam Waldron of Roanoke; grandchildren, Destiny and Rusty; parents, Russell and Virginia Yingst of Lebanon, Pa.; brothers, David Yingst of Lebanon, Pa. and Rusty Yingst of Jonestown, Pa. The family suggests memorial donations be made to the Red Valley Rescue Squad, 3017 Burnt Chimney Rd., Wirtz, Va. 24184. A memorial service will be conducted from Flora Funeral Chapel 4 p.m. Sunday. Her family will be receiving friends 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Flora Funeral Service, 665 S. Main St., Rocky Mount.
Published in the Roanoke Times from 11/18/2006 - 11/19/2006.

Our Sympathy goes out to...

It is with deepest regret that I am informing you of the death of Suzanne (Sue) Hanks, Wife of Captain Mike Hanks (retired). Sue was killed in a single vehicle accident this morning around 7 am on the way to work. Sue will be missed by her firefighting family and our thoughts and prayers will be with Mike and the rest of the Hanks family in this time of sorrow.

For those of you who are newer to the department, Mike Hanks retired as a Captain in 2002 and was the Secretary/Treasurer for Local 1132 for 10 years. He is currently the Secretary/Treasurer for the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters Association. Mike has been a strong voice for Firefighters across the State for many years.

Mike and Sue were a team. He would not have had time for half the stuff he accomplished without the strong support and help of his wife Sue.

Recently, I got to spend time with both Mike and Sue in Toronto during the IAFF Convention. We all had a great time, and it was neat to get to know Sue after knowing Mike for many years.

I will update as more information is announced.

WDBJ7 story on Suzanne Hanks

"Firefighting in Roanoke" the advanced copy arrives

Guess what I have in my hands. That is right, I received the first copy of the book "Firefighting in Roanoke" today. Becky, my wife, brought it to the station. I have to admit that it is pretty darn cool to see the book finally. The rest of the books will arrive in about 3 weeks. I will be sure to let you all know when they get here.

Becky brought our children with her and we all sat down and watched the movie Cars with the rest of the crew. If you haven't seen that movie, it is pretty cool.

Recruit

This is an open letter to the Recruit Class which have joined their Brother and Sister Firefighters of Roanoke Fire-EMS this week. First of all, I would like to welcome you to one of the best Departments in the United States. I hope that you enjoy a safe and healthy career.

You are about to embark on one of the most honorable professions in the World. While you may not experience a Hollywood “Firefighter” career, I can assure you that the script is empty. None of us know what will be asked of us at any given moment.

You need to be quite sure by this point that you are willing to reach as far into the grey area of risking it all to save life. You may never be put into this situation, but if you are, you will not likely have the opportunity to ponder the situation long.

Running into burning buildings is only a small part of the job these days. Gone are the days in the 70’s and 80’s when America was burning. The decrease in fires has been replaced with a different kind of structure fire. Now we have fires that burn hotter, buildings that crumble faster, and older buildings which have been cut-up for uses they weren’t designed for. However, technology has been our advantage the past quarter Century. We have been equipped with better turnout gear, SCBA, Thermal Imaging Cameras, and directives on saving our own.

This day in age we are more often tasked with making crucial decisions at the scene of EMS calls. The legal responsibilities of being an EMT, EMT-Intermediate, or EMT-Paramedic are not to be taken lightly. You will have to find the ability to perform at your best all hours of the day even after running the “nonsense” calls in the wee hours of the morning. You will have to be able to perform at your best, while the people you are caring for are experiencing their worst. You have to be unbiased to everyone, including criminals, as much as we would love to be the jury. We have to walk away from our worst calls intact, both mentally and physically, so that we can answer the next.

Do not expect a thank you, a job well done, or an at-a-boy. They are few and far between. Rest easy in knowing you did the job to the best of your ability and always learn from your mistakes, experiences, and triumphs.

Always strive to learn more, and be willing to listen when someone is teaching you. Some of the best knowledge I have learned has come from someone telling me of their experiences. You haven’t done everything, you don’t know everything, and you never will. Once you realize this, you will understand firefighting.

Honor your brother/sister firefighters as family. Do not take someone else’s opinion as your own, take the time to form your own opinions. Develop your own style, and learn the better things from your acquaintances. You will meet others you don’t get along with, or don’t agree with. There is still something to learn, everyone has a story.

Remember that when you come across a firefighter at the end of their career and they are not as gung ho as you, they were your age once. They did their time. They have been there and done that, hell they might even have the t-shirt still. They have a lot to teach you. You have a lot to learn.

I wish you well in your career and I look forward to working with you all.

Welcome to THE ROANOKE FIRE-EMS DEPARTMENT and God Bless.

- Rhett Fleitz

Roanoke Valley Regional Recruit Academy 8

Please join Roanoke Fire-EMS in congratulating the graduates of the Roanoke Valley Regional Fire-EMS Recruit Academy #8.
29 Recruits graduated from the academy today at the Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre. These recruits had attended the academy which started on July 31st at the Roanoke Valley Regional Fire-EMS Training Center on Kessler Mill Rd. in Salem, VA.

19 candidates from Roanoke Fire-EMS, 5 candidates from Lynchburg Fire-EMS, 1 candidate from Salem Fire-EMS and 5 candidates from Roanoke County Fire & Rescue went through the 16 week long academy.
During their training, these candidates learned firefighting skills such as Firefighter 1, Ropes, Vehicle Extrication and Heavy Technical Rescue. Candidates also earned their Emergency Medical Technician Basic Certification (EMT-B).

The following is a list of all of the graduates:
Roanoke Fire-EMS: Joseph Boswell, Aaron Brooks, Bobby Caughey, Josh Compton, Jeffery East, Lynwood English, Bradley Glidden, Collin Humphries, Todd Inserra, Aaron Murray, Jacob Palmer, Roland Reynolds, Jr., Benjamin Sweeney, Brad Sweeney, Michael Upham, Brandon Vaughan, Brad Wheeler, James Williamson

Roanoke County Fire & Rescue: Jared Butts, Brandon Carroll, Ryan Crush, Russell Hurt, Ronald Kovar

Salem Fire-EMS: Ernest Haynes, IV

Lynchburg Fire-EMS: Alan Briceland, Joy Byrnes, Jason Frederick, Joshua Morton, Christopher Spencer

Traditions

I began reading a second book by Stephanie Schorow "Boston on Fire". I finished the first one "The Cocoanut Grove Fire" recently. Stephanie contacted me about a book that Charles Kenney is writing titled "Rescue Men" and it's a memoir by Charles Kenney whose father was a Boston firefighter and grandfather was a Boston firefighter (who fought at the 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire) and whose brother Tom was a firefighter and a FEMA team member sent to NYC on Sept. 12 to help with rescue/recovery efforts. The book also tells the stories of many other Boston "rescue men" and firefighters.

The point of this post is something that I thought of when I read the introduction and forward of "Boston on Fire". A firefighter wrote that he thought some of the traditions that Boston Fire has were rumored and possibly just hear say until he read the book and believed them after Stephanie's careful research of the topics.

Which brings me to my point. Roanoke Fire-EMS has traditions. We have things that we do everyday, some make sense, some don't. We know why we do some of them, and others we have to ask older firefighters for reasons why we do them. These traditions give us a sense of ownership among our department. Ownership of our job. Others lose the meaning of these traditions in the translation when escalating the ladder of promotions, or moving from department to department, or being unwilling to learn about the department where they work. I believe some of these simple traditions keep the morale upbeat in the department. I also feel that these traditions keep the firefighters with a feeling of uniqueness in relation to other departments.

We have many traditions, most have been brought up in posts in the past. What are some of the traditions you know of? If you are from a different department, what traditions do you have?

A Retirement Dinner for a Heroes Hero

VAFireNews.com - A Retirement Dinner for a Heroes Hero


Last night, over 100 firefighters, friends, and family members of Retiring Battalion Chief Billy Obenchain packed the Roanoke Fire Fighters Association Union Hall to celebrate the career of their Brother. (Read the entire article with pictures at VAFireNews.com)

Bristol Virginia Fire "C" Shift

Bristol Virginia Fire "C" Shift

The Bristol, Virginia Firefighters on "C" Shift created a blog to showcase their Department and Shift. Shawn Roark, who worked for Roanoke briefly, is the "webmaster" and sent the link in. It looks as though they are off to a great start. It is good to see all more and more Firefighter "Blogs" entering the WORLD WIDE WEB.

Technorati tags: Bristol Virginia

Update on the new Fire Station

Above - View from Elm Avenue - 3 bays

Above - View from Franklin Road

Here is the new Fire Station. From what I hear, the exterior should be nearing completion soon, so they can keep going on the interior for a Spring 2007 opening. Just thought I would show some pictures for those of you who don't frequent that area. From what I hear, the station will incorporate poles which is not very common in newly constructed fire stations.

Southwest Virginia Blog Search

One of Roanoke's Bloggers has created the Southwest Virginia Blog Search. This useful tool gives you the opportunity to search the blogs of SW Virginia for content. The search is powered by Google. You can use this tool to search for content in this site as well as the many other blogs in the area. I will add a link in the sidebar for you to use. If you are a local blogger and would like to be included, there is an email link to ask to be incorporated.

International Firefighting Weblog

Check this out. I was asked to join bloggers from around the World in writing for the International Firefighting Weblog. This is a unique opprotunity for me in getting the word out about Roanoke across the Globe. If you have any suggestions for articles or if you want to write an article for the blog, let me know. I can post it, giving proper credit to the author. Check back often to see what is blogged from around the Globe. I will have a link to the site on the sidebar soon.

International Firefighting Weblog:

A brief introduction
Rhett Fleitz on November 6th, 2006

Hello to all the firefighters (and other readers) of this brand new blog. It is great to see the World of Fire/EMS Service collaborate with the Blogoshpere once again. I am honored to be incorporated in this blog and to offer the view from Roanoke, Virginia and across the U.S. I look forward to reading what other authors on this site have to offer and I hope that I can live up to your expectations. (Read More)

Technorati tags: International Firefighting Blog

E10 runs a Car Fire at Best Buy

Engine 10 ran a call for a car fire at Best Buy at Valley View today. Lt. Dean Russell and FF Gary Fisher are shown attacking the fire in the engine compartment. FF Travis Collins was pumping the fire.

Main Street Newspapers: Kaine appoints county fire chief to board

Main Street Newspapers:

Kaine appoints county fire chief to board
By Gene Marrano
Fire and Rescue Chief Rick Burch

Gov. Tim Kaine announced his appointment of Chief Richard E. Burch Jr. to the Virginia Fire Services Board.

Burch is the fire chief for Roanoke County Fire and Rescue and will be representing the Virginia Fire Services Council, of which he is a board member. Burch will serve a four year term that began July 1. (Read More)

Technorati tags: Rick Burch, Roanoke County Fire, Virginia Fire Services Board

VAFireNews.com - Virginia's Premiere Fire and EMS News Site

There are two stories including pictures featured on VAFireNews.com today about Roanoke Fire-EMS. Check them out. Thanks to Travis Collins for writing up the events.

VAFireNews.com - Virginia's Premiere Fire and EMS News Site:

Roanoke - Roanoke Fire-EMS Responds to Regional Haz Mat Call. On Monday October 30 2006 the Roanoke Fire EMS Haz Mat Team was called upon to response for a tractor trailer wreck on Rt 220 Southbound just south of Rocky Mount Virginia in Franklin County.

Technorati tags: VAFireNews.com, Roanoke Fire-EMS