Working fire on Ferdinand - 1 firefighter reportedly injured

I put the story and some more pictures up on VAFireNews.com. Click the picture for the article. Also note that Firefighters around the Country are interested in Scott's story and hope that he is resting comfortably and recovering. I understand that the family would not like visitors to Scott's room, however they can visit with the family on the 7th floor of RMH.

Listen to Jay Lowry's Podcast on FirefighterHourly.com where he talks about the incident.

Firefighter Scott Hetherington was injured today while working at a structure fire with a report of occupants trapped. Firefighter Hetherington went down while in the structure and a mayday was called.

He was transported to the hospital and is awake and talking. His family is by his side.

Scott works on Quint 7 and has been a firefighter for 9 years.

Update:

Here is the story from what I have gathered talking to those on scene:

Engine/Ladder 7 was toned out to a fire at 1101 Ferdinand for a structure fire with other units. Engine 7 arrived and began interior suppression with a crew of three - Captain Rorrer, FF Zimmerman, and FF Hetherington (I do not know who was driving). Lt. Simmons met the crew at the front door to begin positive pressure ventilation by placing a fan at the front door. Upon entry by the crew of three, Simmons started PPV. The crew had a report of occupants inside. Shortly after the crew entered, Captain Rorrer came back to the door and signified to Lt. Simmons that something was wrong. Lt. Simmons retrieved FF Hetherington from just inside the door where he had collapsed. Hetherington was dragged to the front yard where firefighters began a fight to save his life. Apparently, Hetherington had suffered a cardiac emergency. Deputy Chief Altman, FF/PM Pfister, and FF/PM Murphy (all Paramedics) transported Hetherington to the hospital and were able to revive him. Shorty after, Hetherington was awake and oriented in the hospital.

Great job by all involved. I find it hard to believe that this was short of a miracle. If the situation were just the tiniest bit different, the outcome might not have been the same.

According to the comments:
Book keeping note: Although Altman did run the resuscitation at the scene, Dave Pope rode in and maintained Scooter's airway througout. Brady McDonald drove M4.Gator, who was right in the middle of it, pulled the truck closer to Scooter. Chief Bishop was right there too. Fine job done by all!

Here are links to the story:

Updated: Firefighter, family OK, but dog dies in Roanoke fire

House Fire in Roanoke

Station 3 will be sold

I got a call at the Union Hall on Wednesday from the Interactive Design Group. They are purchasing Fire Station #3 to be used as their offices. Unless something comes up, the deal will go through.

Apparently, the woman I spoke to is looking for the fire pole for the station. I told her that it is now the legs to the table at #1. So she was interested in finding another one from Roanoke. I told her that I would look around, but I doubt she would have any luck.

The plan is to restore the station and keep the open floor plan. They also plan on putting overhead doors in place of the current ones which replicate the original doors. That will be neat.

It is good to see that it won't be torn down.

RIT training - training at its finest

I attended the RIT training today at the Troutville VFD RIT building. I must say that the evolutions were great. I love no bullshit, no nonsense, get in and get it done training. Especially with decent instructors who don't have the "I am better than you" and "I will teach at a 2nd grade level" attitude.

The training today was proctored by Lt. Mark Brown, Captain Chuck Swecker, Captain Scott Mutter, Captain Matt Dewhirst, 1st Lt. Ellen Bender, and FF Jeff Oliver. They were very interested in the companies getting out of the training what they wanted. There wasn't any hand holding or "Your Doing it Wrong" attitudes.

Instead, the training began with some classroom. Enough of an update to new understanding of RIT implementation, reasons for having an RIT, and when to call a MAYDAY.

Captain Mutter did some housekeeping of the utmost importance. He delved into what the hell happens when the orange emergency button is pressed on our portable radios. He went to dispatch to look at it at their end, and then reported his findings to the class participants. We learned a lot, and any day you learn something is a good day.

After the classroom, we had a series of 3 short "Firefighter Down" evolutions. The hands-off approach by the instructors was appreciated by myself, and it seemed as though no one else had issue with it. The hands off approach offered the opportunity for the companies to work through the incidents as they would if we had just hopped off the truck and were in a real situation.

The RIT disipline is very loose. Basically, as Captain Swecker explained (my interpretation and poor memory of exact word usage) you just have to be ready, competent, and willing to think outside the box. You never know what cards you will be dealt.

All in all, this was some of the best training I have had in a long time. A hell of a lot better than most certificate, resume padding, and poorly taught classes we have been accustomed to.

Special thanks to all involved.

If you haven't had the training, be sure to make it. It is well worth it.

If you didn't like it, you might rethink why you are a firefighter and hope that everyone else enjoyed it in case they have to save your ass.

You just can't beat Fenway Park

I am not a huge baseball fan, but I have been to many MLB games living in Cincinnati, Kansas City,and Baltimore. Mostly I went when I was younger with my brother and dad. Recently, I went to a Boston Red Sox game with my wife and I realized that you just can't beat a game at Fenway Park.

Check out the fan participation on this video clip below.

oh yeah...and eat your heart out Zuga.

Crowd Helps Disabled Guy With Anthem - Watch more free videos

The Bennington House got the Certificate of Occupancy

My...Our...Jeremy's house has received the Certificate of Occupancy. This morning, Jeremy met with the building official out in Eagle Rock in Botetourt (Bot - it - tot) County and successfully got the CO. Rumors are coming in on what he had to do to get the CO and they mimic the tactics he used to get promoted...just kidding. Hell he is probably half drunk by now...kidding again.

There are many people who need to be thanked for helping out with the house. This is from me off the top of my head, so if I forget about anyone take it up with the Rod.

I guess we should all thank Doug Hurd for building the house. Doug was kinda like the crew who worked behind the scenes while Bob Vila (Jeremy) was on camera (sarcasm). Actually, Doug is a contractor and assisted Jeremy in building the house to specifications. His expertise and anal retentiveness kept the roof on the house that Jeremy built mostly with his blood and ours.

All kidding aside, Jeremy put a lot of time and hard work into that house, as did many of us. There are still cosmetic projects which need to be completed. But hopefully we will get his family moved in soon.

Here is a list of the firefighters who helped in some way or another in no particular order. Kelcey Branch, Chuck Sharp, Scott Mutter, Scott Boone, Scott Bradford, Todd Stone, Willie Wines Jr., Craig Sellers, Matt Dewhirst, Lynwood English, Sam Stump, Chris Elmore, Matt Wheeling, Phil Dillon, Jeff Beckner, Travis Meador, Brian Wray, David Wray, Nathan Foutz, John Burrows, Rob Joiner, Tim Cady, Daniel Murphy, Jeff Oliver, Travis Simmons, Chris Franklin, Tom Mougin, Jeff East, Eric Mulford, Dale Barker, Greg Fulton, Tim Brown, and whoever else I missed. If you leave a comment with names I will update it.

I also want to thank another firefighter. Dana Potter is a firefighter with Logan International Airport up in Boston. He called me after the initial S.O.S. for help for Jeremy's house was posted on the blog. Apparently, his parents live down here in the Roanoke area and he just happened to come across the blog. He read about Jeremy's predicament and called me to offer his help. I was amazed that a firefighter from Boston wanted to help out on his vacation, but he did. Dana then visited us at Station 13 the following day and sent us some t-shirts when he got back. I always like talking to a visiting firefighter, but this one takes the cake. Thanks so much for your help Dana.
Pictured from right to left are: David Bishop, Jeremy Bennington, Willie Wines Jr., and Dana Potter.

Roanoke Recruit School Final Burn

I posted pictures from the final burn today. Click the image to see more.

Also check out an MVA Engine 6 and Medic 6 ran last night here.

Santa rescued by who else...Firefighters

Check out this video sent in by Gavin Miller over in Troutville.

Roanoke Fire EMS in the News

HTR Training
including pictures
Wreck on 581
including pictures
Fire on Spring Hollow Avenue

Check them out and be sure to send in your news!

Also, click here for a deal on the promotional reading list books. Save over $100.

Gary Fisher leaves Roanoke for Iraq

Gary Fisher is leaving the Department to work in Iraq for a year. Currently working at 10 C-shift, Fish had worked at 13 A and 5 C during his career in the Department. Fish plans on coming back to the department once he fullfills his 1 year contract in Iraq. He will be working as a firefighter on base just as Todd Reighley and B.T. Butler have. I had the enjoyment of working with Fish at 10 when I was on the ARFF crew. Fortunately, Fisher will be making big money when he is in Iraq. Unfortunately, there is a war going on. I guess someone needs to make the cheese. I just don't get why we don't make 100k+ a year here in Roanoke (sarcasm).

Fisher is no stranger to war, he spent several years overseas in the Marines including Iraq. Apparently he liked the area enough to go back. Maybe he knows something we don't. Then again, maybe we know something he doesn't.

His last day at work is today, Sunday the 18th. Stop in and say goodbye if you get a chance.

Have fun and be safe in Iraq. You know where to check in on us.

Promotional Reading List - trying to save you guys a dime

I took the liberty of trying to save you guys some money on the books for the promotional reading list. If you were to purchase the books from the Firefighters Bookstore you are looking at spending almost $400 before shipping and handling. Good luck finding the study guide for Fire Department Company Officer. The 4th edition is already out and the 3rd edition can pretty much only be found used. Once you click on one of these, you can easily search through Amazon for other titles. I have just placed a link to each one. To get these great prices, many of the books are used, be sure to see what wear and tear the books have. With these prices you will save up to $110. However, I could not find Fire Officer's Handbook of Tactics in the 2nd edition, but I did find the 3rd edition and there aren't any used 3rd edition available.

The biggest savings is the Principles of Fire Protection - save over $80.

Don't hold me to this being the exact books. I did my best to figure out the correct books and matching up the ISBN numbers. The only one that didn't match is the Fire Officer's Handbook.

Firefighter Safety - wear your seatbelts

Recently I attended on-duty training put on by the department. I cannot remember what the class was or everything that was discussed. That isn't important either and my memory sucks. However, it was some of the best training I have ever had. Does that make sense? Not yet, but it will.

I learned something in that training, and the way I see it if I learn something then the class was worthwhile.

What did I learn? To wear my seatbelt all the time in fire apparatus.

Yeah I know what you are saying "You just learned that". The answer is NO, but this time it stuck. I wear my seatbelt ALL of the time in my POV, however not all the time in the firetruck.

But that all changed. Now let me explain.

When I came to the department we had open cabs, no not topless, but the back of the jumpseats were open. I usually stood up if the weather was good and faced forward to see what was going on. To and from the scene I was rarely buckled in. The rare exception was if the driver scared me with their skills (or lack there of).

The one exception to wearing my seat belt in apparatus was when I was driving, I always wore it then.

Now that I have outed myself, let me explain why.

Ever since I had children, I began realizing that I was not invincible and that if I was hurt because I was being stupid I wouldn't be the only one effected. I have learned that all this "Safety" stuff has a purpose: To save Firefighter's Lives.

So there I was, if I was driving I wore it, if not I didn't. Then I started riding the seat as the officer occasionally.

Once you go from driver to riding the seat you loose the control of the wheel. This is not very easy to do, especially with an inexperienced driver. I can always tell when I scare my officer when I am driving, because they frantically reach to put on their seatbelt.

I have seen picture after picture of apparatus accidents where firefighters die because they weren't wearing their seatbelts. What made me feel that I would walk away in a similar circumstance. I have been in close calls. I remember one close call, due to a citizens stupidity in trying to outrun an engine, that I almost killed him with the ladder truck. If I hadn't of seen him at the last minute he would have died. I am certain. After the investigation, it would have been found that I had the green light and he wasn't paying attention to me while trying to outrun an engine coming from the other direction. Both us and the engine were running lights and sirens and were going to the same call. Would I have been hurt if I didn't have my seatbelt on if we had collided? Probably, but he would have taken the brunt of the force of the accident. Luckily, no one was injured.

So there I was in that class which I don't remember and I made a pledge to myself that I would always wear my seatbelt and make sure to be a positive role model to my brother/sister firefighters and encourage them to wear theirs as well.

At my station, we have a poster encouraging seatbelt use. Although many firefighters have added a little artistic touch to the poster, it still gets the point across.

With all of the added danger of responding to emergencies, it only makes sense to wear your seatbelts. NO EXCUSES...WEAR YOUR SEATBELTS.

To read more on the National Seatbelt Pledge, visit the website here.

Kazim Shriners

Hey all, I totally dropped the ball on this story below. I apologize to the guys involved that I left it off the site for so long. The truth is that I get around 50 emails a day (after the spam filter). So if I forget to go back and mark it as unread it just falls to the bottom. I usually catch this sort of thing and post it, but this one fell through the cracks. I will post the story unadulterated. The story was submitted by Captain Willie Wines Jr.

October 6, 2007

Rhett,

With so many negative things happening around the Department this week, I thought I’d share a more positive story with you. We had a visitor at station #9 last week by Roy Lane. Roy belongs to the Kazim Temple’s Fire Brigade here in Roanoke. He told us a story of the Lexington, Va. Fire Department donating an Engine to the Temple. He said the guys of the Brigade worked endlessly to refurbish the Engine and had it in great condition. He was really excited to tell of how Captain Brown’s men ( Roanoke Fire / EMS Station #1-C ) had donated some 2 ½ hose and even went as far to load it into the bed for them. He continued to detail their work and said all they really lacked was to find some axes for the holders already mounted on the Engine. Roy and I know each other pretty well, so he knows I have a pretty large collection of Fire equipment etc. and thought I may have an axe or know where to get one. He also knows me well enough to know that my dad was once a volunteer Firefighter for Lexington (before being hired here in 1971) and knew I may have an interest in participating. Well, in particular, he was looking for a flat head axe, feeling it would be safer for the kids that often climb on and play around their equipment. Well, as my luck runs, of all the axes in my collection, none are flat head. So, I contacted Vince Stover at Fire Administration to see if he could help. Vince was happy to help and even offered to donate a new axe from our supply closet. That’s the good news, the bad? We only have fiberglass-handled axes and we just didn’t think that would be a good fit for antique apparatus. So, more calls were made. We contacted Chief Adkins at RTC to see if he had any wooden handle flat heads and as unbelievable as it is, he didn’t. Not to be stonewalled, we kept searching and were finally able to locate 2 axes on Reserve Engines (904 @ #10, and 901 @ #14). The Officers at both stations had the axes sent to # 9 where my guys worked most of the day refinishing and painting them. Lt. Richard Alley led the work and despite my opinion being biased, they turned out GREAT. Well, the timing was perfect because the Brigade was heading to Lexington this morning in that Engine to lead in a Parade. They left a few minutes early to stop by our station and thank the guys for their work and allow us to present them with the refurbished axes. The ironic thing here is that they wanted to thank us, yet they are the ones deserving the thanks for all they do! My hat is off to them and all who helped in this project (Roanoke Fire / EMS Dept., Vince Stover, Chief Teddy Adkins, Captain R.T. Flora, Lt. Stacy Booth, and the men from stations #1, and #9 C-shift).

In closing, I would encourage everyone to stop by the Shriner’s building (located on Rorer Ave behind the old # 3) to look at the Antique Fire apparatus they have. They have a really neat Ladder Truck, complete with wooden ladders that even have American LaFrance carved into them. Better yet, sign on to help these guys out in a really deserving cause.

Fraternally,
W.W. Wines Jr.
Captain, # 9-C

Smokey Shelton

Read the letter below regarding Smokey Shelton -

The Shelton Family would appreciate anyone who might have a few minutes to spare to come to the Roanoke City Courthouse on December 13th at 2pm on the third floor to help us support Smokey Shelton in the sentencing hearing for the individual who attacked him in his home and stabbed him 6 times and cut his throat. The Court Representative advised us that the more people we can get in the Court Room the better chance he will receive a sentence that he deserves for the attack on my Dad (Smokey). We would again like to thank all the people for their support during a time we needed it the most. Again please help us get this man off our streets so no other family will have to go through the situation our family had to endure. Again thank you all.

Lt. K.W. Shelton

Promotions

I noticed that today was a lot busier traffic on the Roanoke Fire Blog than usual. I figure it is because you guys are looking for who got promoted maybe. I know that unofficial word is circulating the department. Maybe the memo listing the promotions is lost with the memo announcing the promotions (was I the only one to notice that there wasn't any notice?). Anyways, I don't want to hurt anyones feelings if I am wrong so I won't list the unofficial list of promotions.

The promotions are official:

Captains
Clayton Martin
Phil Dillon

1st Lt.
Ellen Bender
Clarence Turpin

Lt.
Robert Reid
Dan Goodwin
Greg McCoy
Brian Adkins

Congratulations to all.

Danville Fire Blog

Hey guys, the Danville Firefighters are having a blast with their new blog. Ken Jones, whom I have hung out with through VPFF and IAFF functions, recently bet another firefighter $20 to dance for 10 seconds. Through a little coercion, the firefighter finally takes the bet. Check it out here: http://www.danvillefirefighters.blogspot.com/. Also there is another hilarious video they link to from The Bravest Online.

Firefighters get together before the Brad Paisley Concert

This past weekend, several firefighters got together at Logan's Roadhouse to enjoy a meal before going to the Brad Paisley Concert. The firefighters received tickets to the concert for free. Roanoke Fire-EMS was given a bunch of tickets, which they distributed on a first call basis. I am not sure how many tickets there were available, but I do know that several firefighters were able to go. While I did not go to the concert, it seems as though everyone had a great time.

Left to right are: Back row: Matt Wheeling, guest of Travis Meador, Travis Meador, Willie Wines Jr., Scott Boone, Ben O'Baugh. Front Row: Wheelings Guest, Randi Wines, Reba Wines, Robin Wines, Boone's Wife, Rhett Fleitz. I apologize for not remember the guests/wives/girlfriends names.

Engine 9 A-shift makes a save on Milton Street

On November 3, 2007, at 17:53, Engine 9, Engine 5, Ladder 13, Medic 2, Medic 101, Battalion Chief 2, and RS1 received a call for a structure fire at 605 Milton Street Northwest. Engine 9 arrived at 17:56 hours to find heavy smoke showing from all sides of the dwelling.

Firefighter Jerry Franks started a primary search and found a victim in the hallway just outside the bedroom where the fire was located. This patient was found unconscious and barely breathing. Firefighter Franks with the assistance of Captain Kevin Weeks removed the patient from the heavily smoked structure to the front yard where the patients care was transferred to Firefighter Duane Noell. At this time, the appropriate care was rendered to the victim until the arrival of Medic 101. The patient suffered moderate smoke inhalation with burns to one leg. The patient is expected to make a full recovery.

After removal of the patient, crews from Engine 9 remade entry into the structure with members from Engine 5 to extinguish the fire. The fire was quickly knocked down and under control by the units on scene at 18:07 hours.

Quick actions and decisive decision making by the first arriving company not only prevented further injury to the patient, but was most certainly the decision that saved the patients life. On top of saving the patient, the crew also played a big role in stopping the damage that the fire would have caused if not attended to in such a timely manner.

A congratulations is in order to the members of Engine 9 for the roles that they played in the rescue and extinguishing of the fire.

The account above was written by Firefighter Duane Noell. The interpretation exemplifies how teamwork accomplished the save and further extinguished the fire. I commend all units on scene for the job they did. While I have been on numerous fires, I have not been a part of a viable rescue from a fire.

I apologize for not getting to this story earlier. However, the press release that was given did not talk about the rescue, and I only learned about this a couple of days ago. In the future, if you guys have a story/incident to share, be sure to let me know about it.

Good job guys/gals. Below is the press release from the fire.

On November 3, 2007, Roanoke Fire-EMS responded to a fire at 605 Milton St. The call came into the E-911 Center at approximately 5:53 p.m. The response of 3 engines, 1 ladder truck, 3 medic units, the EMS Captain, the Investigation Unit and a Battalion Chief for a total of 21 personnel responded to the scene. The fire was under control by 6:07 p.m.

When crews arrived they found heavy smoke coming from all sides of the building. One of the occupants stated someone was still inside. Crews gained entrance and assisted an occupant from the home. The fire was quickly extinguished.

There were 2 people in the house when the fire started. They were helped out of the house by Fire-EMS personnel and transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for smoke inhalation. There were no injuries to Fire-EMS personnel.

The fire started in a bedroom and was contained to the house. The house sustained some heavy smoke damage. The cause of the fire was due to a match being accidentally dropped on the bed. Damage estimates are approximately $18,000.

Robert Guthrie celebrates his 80th Birthday

Retired Captain Robert Guthrie celebrated his 80th birthday today at Saint Timothy Lutheran Church. His family threw a small celebration to mark the milestone. His birthday is actually on November 13th, although they celebrated it today.

Captain Guthrie has been a source of a lot of historic information during my quest to learn as much as possible about the Department. Thanks to FF Barry Kincer for the pictures.

Boston's Fire Trail: A Walk through the City's Fire and Firefighting History

I received the news about this new book about Boston's Fire History. I have enjoyed reading about the rich history the City has to offer. I have read two other books by Stephanie Schorow related to Boston's Fire History.

I suggest you check it out.

Purchase it here and read the information on the book below.

The History Press Releases
Boston's Fire Trail: A Walk through the City's Fire and Firefighting History
By The Boston Fire Historical Society

BOSTON: From the Cocoanut Grove nightclub disaster to the Vendome Hotel tragedy, Boston has been singed by a string of unforgettable fires that have torched more than a thousand buildings and burned through the city center more than a dozen times. In the new book Boston's Fire Trail: A Walk through the City's Fire and Firefighting History, author Stephanie Schorow and members of the Boston Fire Historical Society trace the history of fire in the Hub, and create an intriguing retrospective of this compelling facet of the city's past. The book- and how it came to be published-would make for a timely and significant feature.

To mark the release of Boston's Fire Trail, a public reception will be held at the South Boston Branch Library, 646 East Broadway, Boston, on Wednesday, November 28 from 6-8 p.m. This event coincides with the 65th anniversary of the infamous Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire of November 28, 1942, in which nearly 500 people died.

Since the massive Great Boston Fire of 1872, which destroyed almost eight hundred buildings in the heart of downtown, fire has irrevocably altered the city's appearance, fortunes and psyche. The recent tragic deaths of two firefighters in West Roxbury have, once again, focused the city's attention on the risks faced by firefighters and controversial issues regarding public safety. Such controversy is, however, nothing new in the long, colorful and significant history of the Boston Fire Department, as Boston's Fire Trail makes clear.

Arson, accident and human courage-all are depicted, along with historic details of the circumstances, locations and impact of more than forty-five fires throughout Greater Boston. By following Boston's Fire Trail, readers will witness the greatest fires in Boston history firsthand, experience the perils each fire presented, and discover a Boston few now know existed.

To request a review copy, contact Katie Parry. Members of the Boston Fire Historical Society are also available to talk about the impact of fire in the city's history.

Additional book signings will be held at the Barnes & Noble, 800 Boylston St. (Prudential Center) in Boston on December 5 at 12 p.m. and at the Barnes & Noble, 96 Derby St., Hingham, Mass., on December 8 at 12 p.m.

The Boston Fire Historical Society (BFHS) was founded as a Massachusetts non-profit corporation in 2006. Currently it consists of a nine-person Board of Directors whose purpose is the preservation and interpretation of the history of the Boston Fire Department.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Paul A. Christian retired as Fire Commissioner/Chief of Department of the Boston Fire Department on February 15, 2006 following a 38-year career. Appointed to the Boston Fire Department in January 1968, Christian has held all ranks in the organization and achieved the rank of Deputy Fire Chief earlier in his career than any member in the department's history. He was awarded the department's Roll of Merit and Distinguished Service Award for rescues performed in 1971 and 1972.

Theodore Gerber is an independent insurance and investment broker living in Somerville. Born and raised in Boston, he developed at an early age an admiration for the skill and bravery of the Boston Fire Department and later, an appreciation of the department's history. He is a member of various fire service support organizations, a past chairman of the Boston Fire Museum, and founder and President of the Boston Fire Historical Society. He is also a former U.S. Army captain and combat veteran.

Michael W. Gerry, a Braintree resident, is treasurer of the Boston Fire Historical Society and dispatcher for the Massachusetts State Police Troop E. He is a fire historian and a past president of both the Boston Sparks Association and the Boston Fire Museum. He is a veteran of submarine service in the U.S. Navy and a grandson of a late Quincy, Mass., fire department lieutenant.

William T. Murray was born and raised in Boston and currently lives in the Hyde Park district. He is the retired Director of Fire Safety/Emergency Management for the Boston Public Schools, Chief Master Sergeant, Military Fire Chief, 102nd CES, Otis ANGB, of Cape Cod (retired) and has been affiliated with several organizations that support the Boston Fire Department.

Bill Noonan has been a firefighter with the Boston Fire Department since 1971, when he was appointed to Engine Company 3 in the South End. He eventually transferred to the Fire Prevention Division as a department photographer. He has authored four photo books: Flames & Faces: A Photographic Essay of the Boston Fire Department (2004) Wooden Sticks and Iron Men (2000), Jakes Under Fire (1997), and Smoke Showin' (1984). He is a U.S. Army veteran, who served one year in Saigon, South Vietnam.

Stephanie Schorow is a writer and reporter living in Medford. She is the author of Boston on Fire: A History of Firefighting in Boston and The Cocoanut Grove Fire. Her newest book, The Crime of the Century: How the Brink's Robbers Stole Millions and the Hearts of Boston will be published in February by Commonwealth Editions.

James Teed, a lifelong Boston area resident, was a member of the Boston Fire Department from 1970 to 1999. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1976. He has been interested in fire history his entire adult life.

A portion of this book's proceeds go to the Boston Fire Historical Society.

Roanoke Firefighters in the News

Local Heroes Receive Awards

WSLS NewsChannel 10
Nov 7, 2007

The Roanoke Kiwanis Club recognized four Roanoke Fire-EMS workers for their heroic deeds. David Lucas, Jeff Proulx, Alan Mitchell and Adam Fleming came to the rescue when an ambulance burst into flames at the Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital last June.

Proulx said, "As soon as they pulled in, you could just hear a loud, bang, explosion. Turned around and the back doors were opening up, and you could just see smoke coming out."

Read the entire article

The news coverage of the awards was great. All four firefighters were interviewed at the old station 1 did a great job on camera.


Elsewhere,

Captain Willie Wines Jr. wrote an article that I think all of you should read. It is up on VAFireNews.com and the direct link is here.

This is an excerpt:

Today, despite all we’ve learned and all our advancements, we are still killing firemen due to temporal distortion, reluctance to relinquish control of ones situation, channeled attention, loss of situational awareness, fear of the unknown, fear of retribution, lack of procedural knowledge, attempting to fix the problem, pride or denial. What makes this problem even worse is the fact that situations constituting a MAYDAY have expanded as well (or these situations just haven’t been seen as MAYDAYs all along). My Department was very recently hit with the tragic loss of a young Captain....

Read the entire article

Lastly,

Engine 13 and 5, Medic 4, and RS-1 ran an overturned vehicle yesterday. Click the picture for the story.

Engine 5 takes a break...and I will probably end up broke

Check this out from E-5. Apparently, they took a few minutes to have some fun this evening. That is all I am going to say about it. Use your interpretation. Meanwhile, I will be hiding under a rock.

Heartache

A few very well written words about firefighters

Rarely Forgotten, Always Respected

Every fire department has it's legends. Chief among them is the firefighter who stood up for what was right despite the cost in personal stature or promotion. When talking about these people firefighters smile because these people are the bedrock on which any department is built.

Read the rest of the post on Firefighter Hourly here
Sorry, I put up a bad link, however I have corrected it.

Roanoke Recruit School Vent Class

Roanoke Recruit School Vent Class pictures thanks to Firefighter Dan Goodwin.

Click Image to see more.

Help at Bennington's House this weekend

Jeremy is looking for help this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I will be going out on Saturday to help. We are working on trim work inside and outside currently as well as hanging doors and numerous other things around the house. If you can help, call me at 540-537-8158 to make sure what time guys are working. There is a map below to Bennington's house.

VPFF and Local 1132 endorsements

I have been hanging around the house today fielding phone calls from politicians hoping to win in the November 6th elections. I just had some guys from the AFL-CIO come by the house to talk about a candidate. I will be posting the endorsed candidates from the VPFF and Local 1132 tomorrow hopefully. This will help you in deciding on November 6th.

Even if you do not vote for the endorsed/suggested candidate, I advise you to at least go and vote. It is up to you to vote to make a difference whichever what you see fit.

The link to the Local 1132 website is here.

Another Milestone for Local 1132

Did you know that IAFF Local 1132 (Roanoke Fire Fighters Association) runs a nearly complete listing of IAFF Locals call the IAFF Locals Listing (http://www.IAFFLocals.com). If you didn't, now you do.

I digress...I realized today that the IAFF Locals List has achieved excellent status on Google. That is right. If you search google for "IAFF", with or without the qoutation marks, that the website is #2 just behind the IAFF website (http://www.IAFF.org). Let me just say that it has taken about a year and a half to reach this status.

I just thought I would pass along the news. You can view the search here.

By the way, we get about 10 additions each week for the site and I update it about once a week.