Captain E.E. Smith

Here is a good picture of me getting a schooling from Pete Smith at Station #8. Pete is the oldest living Retired Firefighter from the City of Roanoke. Pete worked here from 1942 til 1974 and is 93 years old. Next year he will have been drawing a pension for the same amount of time that he worked here. Pete lives near Station #8 and stops by just about everyday at least once. He is always welcome and likes hearing what is going on. If you ever have a chance to work at Station #8 find time to sit down and talk to Pete. If he doesn't stop by then ask the guys where he lives and go talk to him. He loves telling stories.

Pete's real name is Elmer Elijah Smith. He was a Captain and spent 20 years at station #3. He was moved from station #8 until station #11 opened and he was there the day it opened. When Pete came to the department he was filling a spot opened from a firefighter going to the War. When Pete was a newly hired firefighter he worked with a guy who was a firefighter when the horses pulled the steam engines (late teens).

Pete is a great source for information on the past, so if you get a chance then sit down and talk.

1918 Water Tower Fire Truck

I just got back from Cycle Systems in SW Roanoke and I have good news and not so good news. The good news is that I have found the 1918 Water Tower that was housed at Station #10 (now #2 on Noble Ave.) This truck was a one of a kind for the city and it still has the wooden wheels and solid rubber tires on it. However it is in bad shape. I am not sure what if anything was scrapped on it, however the body panels are gone and it is pretty much just the frame. It still has the motor, water tower, gears, even some hose on it, but it is completely covered in rust. Can it be restored? I am not sure, I am not in that business, however it is worth looking into. I would like to thank Pete Hristov and Jay Brenner at Cycle Systems with their assistance in showing me the truck. There is also the tractor part of a tiller truck also 1918 model next to it. I will attach pictures in the future hopefully.

Fire at 2618 Portland

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to an alarm for a structure fire on July 20, 2005 at 2618 Portland.

The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 2:35 p.m. and was quickly under control at 3:00 p.m. The response of three Engines, one Ladder truck, two Medic units, one EMS Captain, one Investigative unit, two Battalion Chiefs and two Administrative Chiefs were involved in the fire.

This is a residential structure. Upon arrival units saw heavy flames and smoke coming from a front bedroom window. The fire was quickly extinguished. The cause was a youngster dropping a lit candle into clothes. The fire was accidental. Damage was confined to the bedroom and the attic with estimates of approximately $75,000.

There were five people in the house when the fire started. All five escaped unharmed. There were no injuries to civilians or Fire-EMS Personnel.

New Fire Station being built on "Brown Field"

In an article in the Roanoke Times today Todd Jackson writes about the contaminated site that was chose for a fire station because it was unfit for residential use. I have news for the City Council, citizens involved, and everyone else : Firefighters live at the fire station. I think that sums up the building actually being residential. How would you feel if you were made to live under these conditions that City Manager, City Council, and the State Department of Environmental Quality say is a contaminated "brown field" that has a buried fuel tank from a former gas station and also contains solvents and chemicals from a past dry cleaning business. I know that this is not to appealing to me, and for the next 19 years I will spend a third of my life in a fire house. That is right, firefighters spend a third of their life at the fire house. We work 56 hours a week, 52 weeks a year = 2912 hours a year or 1/3 of the year 24 hours at a time. That is residential I don't care how you look at it. So how can the City Officials let this be? Well it seems as though they do not put very much stock in their loyal public servants. It seems as though they will close down station #1 and continue with the consolidation plan at any expense. Will it effect the firefighters? Who knows? I for one certainly do not want to find out 20 years from now that working at that station improved my chances of getting cancer. As you know firefighters are already at an increased threat of getting most common cancers. So this is GREAT news.

"So the city, as it often does in urban redevelopment projects, entered into a voluntary program with the state to prepare the site. It also agreed that the property will be used for an accepted public or commercial purpose - and not for residential development or a day care center. State and federal law provides for certain uses on so-called "brown field" sites while prohibiting uses that could pose a greater potential long-term health hazard."

-Todd Jackson "Tainted lot good for new station" Roanoke Times, Virginia Section Tuesday, July 19, 2005.

This makes me sick, to find out this is really what Officials think of the brave men and women(firefighters) who serve the citizens and visitors of Roanoke City and are willing to risk life and limb on their behalf.

And yes Brian Wishneff I think that the administration to poll the historic station's employees to gather their feedback on the issue.(relating to closing down station #1)

Maybe they should invest some money in getting proper exhaust fans in the station bays. I work at a station that has no exhaust fans at all. That means when we pull out of the station all of that diesel exhaust fills the station, then when we get back we get to live in it and breathe in it. So what is being done to combat that problem? Some stations have the equivalent of an attic fan or a box fan put in a window. Let me tell you, that really gets the job done.

It just goes to show you how the firefighters, who work for the #1 department in the city (voted on by the citizens), are being treated. It really makes you want to strive to be a better employee. Yet another step by the city that breeds mediocrity.

Check out the thread on Firehouse.com at http://cms.firehouse.com/forums2/showthread.php?s=214c4ea8eb2ef5f311bb0ea08d59cbe5&threadid=72006.

The new Engine 11

Here is a picture of Engine 11 that was placed in service about a month ago. This engine replaced the second to last open cab front line engine. Engine 13 is currently the last open cab front line fire engine in the City of Roanoke. This is the first truck built by M&W for Roanoke Fire-EMS. From what I hear this is a very well built fire engine. I guess only time will tell as with any new venture. Custom Pumper - HME Custom Cab; Detroit Series 60; Allison 4000EVS; 1,500 GPM Pump; 1,000 gal Tank; Foam System; Deck Gun; 6" Rear Suction; 8kW Hydraulic Generator, Cord Reel, Brow Light; (2) 1,500W Telescopic Quartz Lights; LED Light Pkg.. Job No. 10700

Fire Station #1 T-Shirts

If you all didn't know this is the building that is supposed to be built at Franklin and Elm. It will be the new Fire Department Headquarters which will include Ladder 1, Engine 3, Medic 3, Battalion 1, and RS-1. Fire Station 1 and 3 will be closed down signaling the end of an era. The era of 100 years of firefighting history in the City of Roanoke. The RFFA is currently making t-shirts of Station #1 then and now which will turn out great I am sure.

I was thinking of making a simple t-shirt, something not to expensive, that anyone could buy. The t-shirts would not be for any fund raising purposes and would be sold at cost. The idea behind them would be to raise awareness of the current plan to close down the station. I am trying to think up a good catchy phrase along the lines of "Keep Station #1 open". I am sure some of you can come up with something a little better than that. So let us here it.

If you do not know it anyone can post a comment and give their idea. Just click the comments button below the post and add your 2 cents and click submit.

Fire at 3204 Cove Rd.

Units responded to a residential structure fire at 3204 Cove Rd. NW on July 16, 2005 at 2120 hours. Engine 9 was incident command with Engine 13, Ladder 13, and Medic 9 working inside. RS-1 and Battalion 2 also responded. Engine 5 and Medic 2 were dispatched as the working fire units and were cancelled en route by command. I will add more information it comes in.

The Golf Tournament a HUGE Success!!!

I am pleased to tell you all that the 2005 Roanoke Valley Fire Fighters MDA Golf Tournament was a huge success raising a little over $3600 for MDA. Everyone involved should be very proud to have doubled the funds raised from last year. We ended up with 33 teams who were up early and began playing in the rain. However the rain did not wash out the enthusiasm of the golfers and it stopped 2 holes into the tournament. I would personally like to thank Rob Johnson and Charlie Adkins from Salem's Local for all of their hard work and determination. Those guys truly know what it is to be a brother and rise to the challenge of raising money for this great cause. I would also like to thank the sponsors:

Acute Designs Inc.
Advance Auto
AFL-CIO
ArringtonÂ’s Sports Awards
Authentic Construction
B.T.Â’s Tax Service
Back to Basics Family Physical Therapy, PC

Blue Ridge Rescue Suppliers
Circuit City
Classic Image Day Spa Clinic
Freedom First Credit Union
Garden City Grocery
GNC
HooterÂ’s
JordanÂ’s Custom Framing & Art
National City Mortgage
Play it again Sports
The Heart Team
U.S. Food Service
WalMart (Salem)
Westlake Heating & Air

Starline Medical

Applebee's

Outback Steakhouse

Firehouse Subs

Dick's Sporting Goods

Machine Magic

A special thanks to The Heart Team for coming out to the tournament and hanging out with all of us all day. We appreciate their presence on Hole #10 and hope to see them next year.

Through our sponsors support we are able to put on this great event. I hope that these sponsors return next year to raise even more funds for the MDA.

The teams were mostly groups of local firefighters, however this year we had our biggest turnout yet of outside teams. Some of these teams represent Companies dedicated to our cause and donate through sponsorship, a team, door prizes, food, personnel. The company's that were present as a team were:

Westlake Heating & Air

Hooter's

GNC

Arrington Sports Awards

Commonwealth Used Equipment

Dogwrestaurantaunt

Mitchell Service Center

The other teams were made up of Firefighters from Roanoke City, Salem, Vinton, Roanoke County, and Danville.

Thank you to all of the assistance we had from the non golfers who helped drive beverage carts, cook and take pictures. The Hooter's girls were an added bonus for us. They were unable to attend last years tournament and I heard about how I really needed to get them out there this year. Well they really pulled through for us this year. They raised about $400 in door prize ticket sales and seemed to have a really good time. We really appreciate thgenerositysity.

And so I will say that it was once again a blast to put on this tournament for everyone. I have to say that I did not hear a single complaint this year, which means that you did something right or the firefighters are eating or dead. So cheers to us, all of us, who get together each year to play a sport that none of us are good at and try to look professional.

Golf Tournament T-Shirts

Here is a picture of the Golf Tournament Shirt. The image on the left is the back, the one in the middle is pocket size on the front and the image on the right is on the left sleave. These are some really nice looking shirts and a lot of the players were asking where they could get them. They are being sold for $8 and can be ordered through me. They will probably be ordered once so let me know if you are interested. I will see if the RFFA will want to purchase several to have at the hall.

Station #1

Yet another excellent article written about the historical Fire Station #1. I hope that people enjoy reading about this Station, and that they know the plans are to change it into an EMS museum. That is right. Over the past 30 years there have been plans drawn up for several different scenarios. The history museum wants to get their hands on it to turn it into a museum, the EMS Museum currently at Tanglewood Mall wants to get a hold of it and turn it into an EMS Museum (It has never housed and ambulance in 100 years), and private developers would like to get a hold of it to turn it into a restaurant. Those are the ideas that I have read about in the articles the RFFA possesses. I will tell you what I think. I think that they should leave it alone. I think that it is perfect the way it is. For almost 100 years Firefighters have ate meals, slept, run fires, built fire engines (that is right), made hose appliances, kept horses, dispatched, rang the bell, painted the roof, fed squirrels, lifted hay into the loft, laughed, cried, and continued a tradition that needs to be kept intact. These Firefighters have answered every call, every question, every everything and only asked for a fair shake in return. The Firefighters of Roanoke City are asking for just that, a fair shake. Maybe we should sit back and look at the other options before making a hasty decision. I will be posting a picture of the new Fire Headquarters to be built at the corner of Elm and Franklin in the next week or so.

History to be continued

I apologize for being off topic and posting current events. This is new to me and I will continue my historical quest as soon as this Golf Tournament is played on Thursday. I have also put the Local's website on a little bit of a hold. Unfortunately my family is also feeling the pressure of this tournament this year. But it will be over soon. I would like to say that next year someone else will hopefully be putting on the golf tournament. I will still be the MDA Coordinator for the Local, however I will be focusing most of my time with the RFFA on Communications. As the Communications Chairman I will be keeping the website up to date and members informed. Hopefully this will curb some more enthusiasm and interest within the RFFA. If anyone is interested in assisting with the MDA please contact me. There are several other events which members have expressed interest in having with the proceeds benefiting the MDA. A Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction has been discussed over the past 2 years and is a very good possibility. There are several FD's in the U.S. that put these on and make some money for various Charities. Other events include a 3 on 3 basketball tournament, miniature golf tournament, Firefighter competition, softball tournament, and others. I can only do so much, however if there was a coordinator for each event we could put them all on.

The Fill the Boot Campaign will be in the end of August so look for more information to follow.

Oh yeah and don't forget about the MDA Cookout at the summer camp on August 3rd. Contact me for any questions and information.

Point Proven

This solidifies the point of the public being misinformed and not told the whole story.

"Just to clarify, the city had the money allotted to hire the 12 new firefighters to staff station 14. It was supposed to have been a package deal; new station, 12 new firefighters, new fire engine. They then diverted the money...They chose to hire 12 new police officers instead and used that as an excuse to move the engine 1 personnel to station 14. Another thing, maybe it does not make any difference whether an engine is stationed downtown or only responds to downtown, the fact is the citizens are not told the "whole story"."

I read on Jeff Artis website "For the past several years, Roanoke's Fire/EMS Chief Jim Grigsby, who should know better than anyone else about cost, fire stations and fire fighting efficiency, has also questioned the validity of the plan." I am not sure where he gets his information but this does not seem correct. If he is correct he might have something though.

Let me say again that I do not think the plan is racist. However the communities effected in #9 and #5's first dues need to know that the plan as I understand it might help them out. A brand new firestation that houses a Ladder Company, 2 Engine Companies, Medic Truck, a Police Substation, and a Community Center. At least that is how it was sold to me. What are the chances of them keeping 2 Engines in the same house? They might swap one of the engines for a dry squad(carries no water therefore there is no suppression value). Sure the Squad would be a nice addition to the fleet, and it is being built now, but at what cost. If you do not like the plan fine. But if it is going to happen then make sure that you know what you have now and demand to keep it that way even in the new station.

Continually Misinformed

I received an email from someone who reads this blog and he commented on the post I wrote about losing Companies in the consolidations. I referred to the 5-9 merge and questioned whether or not the new station will contain 2 engines, or an engine and a dry squad(which has already been purchased), or just a single engine. He reminded me of the fact that when Engine Company #1 was removed from Station #1 downtown the Citizens were told that there will still be a truck in the station. So the citizens bought into it. He stated that most people are under the impression that each truck can do the same thing. Well as firefighters know that isn't the case. When Engine #1 was moved to Station #14 instead of the City adding another Engine Company the downtown area lost their fire suppression and now relies on Engine 3 as the first due. Sure Station #1 houses Ladder #1 which perform many tasks, however engine companies perform different tasks. One of those engine company tasks is suppression. The engine is what carries the water, hose, pump, etc. to actually put out the fire. So there is some more information for you.

July 8, 2005

Ok so I have missed out on some incidents. I do not really feel like going into the vehicle fire/accident on 581. I was upset to see pictures on the news and in the newspaper of a woman being burned to death. I think it hit me wrong when one of the news channels aired a picture of the drivers side during the fire. I do not think you could see anyone inside, however I just think that it was wrong.

I think it is interesting that the Roanoke Times printed an article(Sunday July 3, 2005) on Homeland Security and its funding to fire stations in the area just a couple of days prior to the London Bombings. The gist of the article was why do all these FD's get all this money and for what. That "nothing is going to happen here" attitude is exactly what the problem is with America. I am not saying you should live your life in fear. The FD's are receiving funds to buy equipment that could help them in case of an attack or otherwise and people have a problem with it. Well I am sure they would change their tune if something happened here or even worse to them or a family member. Most of the money is Federally funded through grants. The one thing that I found interesting is that per capita Roanoke City received $14.90 while Radford, Giles County, Floyd County, Buena Vista, Bath County, Pulaski County all received about double. And most of the other localities in the area received more than Roanoke City.



I told you all of a big surprise coming our way. I have learned some more details and it looks as though I will be able to see the surprise for the first time later this month. I do not know what it is exactly or I should say what "they are" potentially. So we will have to wait and see. If anyone wants to go with me to see this I wouldn't mind getting a few people together to see this stuff. It is in the City however it is not easily accessible from what I understand. And yes we have permission by the owners of the land, as a matter of fact they are going to cut a trail for us if need be.

Oldest Station around

So there it is again, Station #1 in the paper. Guilliams, West, and Leonard were all shown in the paper and quoted on various snippets in the article. Good job guys. I thought it was interesting how it is mentioned that "Firefighters have read that the station is the oldest active fire station east of the Mississippi River." I have heard something similair however I do not believe it. I find it hard to believe that some of these bigger cities do not have older working stations. So I put it on the forums. Click on the header above to go to the forum at www.firehouse.com. Already I have been shown where Detroit Michigan has 4 older stations still operable as well as Belmar, NJ. I will see where else there are older and continue this post.

Fire Station Closings

Ok Ok. It is heating up. We have had several articles and editorials in the past week on the Fire Station closures. Now we have a rebuttal by a black columnist on the whole "Rasist" Fire Department. No I do not think that the plan is racist by any means. Nor do I believe that the department is racist. That being said I can understand why people feel that way. Maybe it is misguided anger at why the City would close down two stations in predominantly black communities and merge them into one. However I do not think that this is in any way racist.

Shanna Flowers you might know something about racism and what it is and what it isn't, however you know nothing about the fire department. You need to check your facts before you begin writing. Yes it is true that Station 9 once housed a ladder truck and that the Ladder truck for that area is now housed at Station #13. However it was not because it could not fit. The reason that the Ladder truck is at #13 is because a Medic truck was placed into service at station #9 so the citizens would have an ambulance closer to an area which has a lot of EMS calls. Medic 9 is one of the busiest in the city. Yes I believe the plan is to put Ladder 13, Engine 9, Engine 5, Medic 9 all at the new Station on Melrose and 19th because that is what we are told. However has that been set in stone. Will we lose an engine company? Will Engine 5 be replaced with a heavy technical rescue truck that carries no water? Who knows? Obviously the firefighters don't know, and the citizens don't know. So what is it going to be. These are the questions that need answers. These are the questions that the newspaper will not ask because they do not know the facts.

Another editorial in today's paper states that "The city needs modern-day engines in stations that can respond quickly to each neighborhood" I agree. So what does the new consolidation plan have to do with that. Currently 2 stations can respond to their 1st due for calls in the same engines that they will be responding from a new station where both will be housed. The plan does not call for "modern-day engines". Sure we have "modern-day" engines in service now. However 6 of our engines are 15 years or older. So what do you mean? Are you sure you know what you are talking about? Do you know what the suggested life span of a 1st line apparatus is? Why don't you look into that one and get back to me.

About the downtown Stations 1 and 3. There are many other possibilities for this consolidation. How much is it worth to the taxpayers to close these stations to build a 3 story building that will cost millions. Why not leave #1 open as a working museum. Station #1 is in very good shape for being 100 years old. Some of the other stations are in disrepair because that was part of the plan. For the past 4 years + the city has neglected these stations (3,5,9) so it would be easier to show how much it will cost to fix and repair them. That is politics at its worst. The citizens deserve better. The Virginia Historical Society has been trying to obtain Station #1 for over 25 years. Well let us look beyond our noses. They listed it as a historical landmark along with Station #6 which is now a police substation and community hall. So here this Society has a working station downtown that has real firefighters, real apparatus, real history and is being operated all of the time. Why don't they put a display in the station and call it an operating museum?

As for the new station #10. Bring it on. I do not know of any firefighters who oppose this new station being built. The current #10 is not in a good location for getting anywhere. It takes too long to get to the major arteries of the city. So a new station on Williamson Rd. will be beneficial.

If the city is to fully understand what this consolidation plan includes and excludes the newspaper needs to report the facts and demand the facts. We need to ask the right questions so we are informed on the plan and the proposed outcome.

There is an old saying that firefighters are resistant to change. Well if you ask me the firefighters of today are more willing to change if they know what the change is for and understand the change and have cause to change. In this case the firefighters have not been told much except that change will happen. What will change, when it will change, and how it will change is up in the air.

My words are free. So the newspaper can read and learn. Now go out there and ask the right questions for the people you write for.

What a Vacation!!

Well I am back from Northern Ohio where a lot of my relatives live. It was neat driving through Amish country again. No my relatives are not Amish. The Bellevue Fire Department was neat to stop in and see. Check them out at Bellevue Fire Department.

Anyways it seems as though I have been gone for a month. I will probably just post several incidents on this one thread. However that is not the big news. The big news is the RFFA in the paper. Oh yes right there standing up for the Historical Station #1. Chief still stands by his plan of closing and opening stations 1 and 3 = the new #1, 5 and 9 = the new #3, and station 10 will be opened on Williamson as #5. Oh yeah and they closed #12 a couple of years ago. What about the firefighters riding in open cabs. What about almost half of our fleet of engines being 15 years old. I don't see City Council voting on a plan to purchase 6 new engines. What would that cost. Well it depends on if they are going to get a $250,000 engine or buy some more of those tele squirts at $400,000. So you are looking at $1.5 to $2.4 just on updating our engines. Not to mention the Quints that are costing more and more each day. I wonder how long those will last. Oh and that is not opinion. I am sure if you bump into certain people maybe around the Service Center area and maybe mention those trucks they might fill you in. Then again they might not.

And they are going to close Station #1. Let us talk about that for a minute. They are going to spend how much on the Art Museum, something like $48 million(don't hold me to it). Yet they are going to shut down one of the oldest working museums in the State of Virginia found right here in Roanoke two blocks from this new museum. What this can't be happening. I searched National Registry of Landmarks for fire stations in Virginia and all I could find was Fire Station #1, Fire Station #6- both in Roanoke, and a Volunteer company somewhere else. This doesn't mean that it is the oldest working Fire Station in Virginia, however it is the oldest working Fire Station that is a National Landmark.

Now given this opportunity it could actually save Citizens money. Let us think about it.
Station #1 is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. People, children, field trips, etc. stop in day after day, all the time. You can go to Station #1 and be shown the Fire truck, an additional fire truck donated by the Kazim Shriners, the bay, the bunk room, the kitchen, along with other historical stuff like the pompier ladders, the jump net, the chew marks on the walls from the horses, all of this stuff for free. The tour guides(firefighters) are already there unless they are out on a call etc. What beats that. And the firefighters want to be there. They like seeing the visitors, they like everything about Station #1.

Station #1 represents the department, its members and its history. I do not know what more you could ask for out of a museum.

I have to stop now. I will post more tomorrow. The fires, the shooting, Daniel Goodwin on the cover of the paper looking like a pro., and all that other stuff like the land purchases and the supposed "Racist Department" that some of us work for according to some citizens.

A Week Off

So I am going out of town tomorrow to Ohio. I will be in Bellevue Ohio visiting relatives and attending a Family Reunion. And yes the family tree branches, ha, beat you to it.

I am working on some pretty cool things right now.

1. The Local's website. This site is going to be very informative. So look forward to it in the following month or two. I have been bogged down by the Golf Tournament and Fill the Boot etc. So you will have to wait. If you have any recommendations for the site please let me know.

2. The Golf Tournament- This is going to be the best one yet thanks to Charlie Adkins, Rob Johnson, Myself, and numerous others who have really helped out. You know who you are. We have 20+ sponsors and the door prizes include a DVD player, XM radio, Texas Hold em set, 12' x 12' collapsible party tent, car charger, IAFF custom made clock, Virginia Tech Prints, gift certificates, and a lot of others. You don't have to play to win. You do have to be present to win. So come on out if you aren't playing and buy some raffle tickets, help out a little, eat some food, drink some golden beverages, have some fun, and win some prizes. July 14th at Ole Monterey Golf Club.

3. A big surprise or not. I am working on a neat project that could fabricate into being a really, really, really big surprise. Or it could turn out to be not so big but still a surprise. I could tell you but then it wouldn't be a surprise. This might just be a hidden treasure here in Roanoke that has been hidden for almost a half a century and nearly a century old. Then again it could turn out to be something totally different, not bad but different. So I really don't know what to expect. If you have followed this site then you might have an idea as to what I am talking about. I might know something before I get home from my trip, and then again I might have to wait. So you will have to wait and see just like me. YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE LONGER THAN ME. This could be the find of the century.

So you will have to wait for more posts until I get back.

Don't forget about the Guns N Hoses Basketball game between the City Firefighters and the City Police Officers on August 5, 2005 at Roanoke Catholic. Contact

Georgette Asbury for tickets.

79 Calls in 5 hours

Yup that is right Roanoke Fire-EMS ran 79 calls in 5 hours last night June 27, 2005 between the hours of 1900 and 2400. That equates to about a call every 4 minutes. To put that figure into perspective we ran 63 calls in a 24 hour period on June 26, 2005 which is approximately one call every 23 minutes. I do not know if that is an average day or not, however it does show the work load that we are served when a big storm comes through the city.

I cannot believe the constant flooding that occurs in the City limits. Look at the Ramada Inn on Franklin Rd. They should be required to disclose to their patrons that if indeed it rains their vehicles will probably sustain flood damage. I do not know if flood damage is normally covered on motor vehicle insurance. Time and time again we see severe flooding in that area. Of course it probably isn't Ramada Inn's fault for the flooding, but possibly due to more and more construction, paving, and land grading that has occurred over the past several years. So who's fault or problem is it to be fixed and yes it needs to be fixed before someone is killed? So I wonder who will point the finger where when it happens?

So hopefully we won't get hit as hard today or maybe because the ground is saturated we won't need as much to have the same effect or worse. Maybe it will blow over and we won't see the same flooding conditions that are becoming a regularity for us to work in.

Station 10 in the 50's

This is station #10 which is now known as station #2. This picture was probably taken in the early 50's. The vehicle on the far right is a 1918 model as well as the water tower 3rd from the left. I am not sure but the 1st on on the left looks to be a little later than the 1918 models and the rest look to be newer possibly late 40's early 50's. Just thought I would give you a fix from the past. Jenkins at #2 got a pretty good picture of the water tower. I believe I had posted something about it in a past post. It had wooden wheels and might have even had solid tires. All of the 1918 models came with solid tires, at a later date the department replaced them with inflatable tires. I am trying to locate the water tower now. I understand that it was at cycle systems and last seen there about 10 years ago.

Combining Fire Stations

The year is 2040 Engine 1 is responding to its 10th call of the day. They will not Ladder 1 until later possibly for lunch. Medic 1 you can forget about. They will be running all day. Not the medic 1 you know of today though, this is a paid unit. The only remnant of REMS can be seen at the To the Rescue Museum located at 13 East Church Ave. If that address sounds familiar it now houses Ladder 1 downtown. Ladder 1 receives a call in SW although they just cleared up from a call near the airport. So it will be a long response, however they will make it eventually. It is only noon. Roanoke Fire-EMS is the busiest Fire Department in the Nation. Engine 1 runs an average of 35 calls a day, Ladder 1 runs at least 27, and Medic 1 runs every minute of the day turning calls over to Carilion that they cannot run because they are already on a call. You ask what about all the other apparatus. Well in 2007 station 1 merged with 3 and 10 merged with 2, 2008 9 merged with 5,2010 8 merged with 11 and Clearbrook, 2012 6 merged with 14, 2018 13 merged with 4. Then a new wrath of merges to 2040 where we are left with 3 apparatus. Minimum staffing 3 on engine and ladder and 2 on the medic truck. Where is the station you ask. Who needs a station. These firefighters are running calls all day. They got rid of the last fire station 2 years ago.

Ok this is not practical and it is extremely far fetched.

I understand that the Airport station has been sold to the Airport for about $750,000. Those funds were in turn used to purchase to parcels of land one around 19th street NW and another at Williamson and Birchlawn.

So I understand the purchase of the 19th St. land is to be used for the 5-9 combination station. And I can assume that the purchase of the Williamson Rd. land will be used for the new Station 10. Now the big question is will we have County personnel and apparatus in City Station 10? There has been talk of the County putting a Medic truck in stations 11 and 13. What will come of that?

So then I guess the Race is on. Which station will be built first? Station 1-3 at Franklin at Elm, Station 5-9 at 19th and Melrose, or Station 10 at Williamson and Birchlawn?

What apparatus will these stations have. Will we only be combining stations or will Engine companies disappear?

Firefighters help build Playground

Several Firefighters from Roanoke Fire Fighters Association/Roanoke Fire-EMS got together to help Kaboom and Home Depot build a playground for the Roanoke Valley Boys and Girls Club on Ninth Street SE. Kaboom is a non-profit organization that assists communities in building and repairing playgrounds across the nation. The event brought the volunteers together as one group to build a grand playground for the community. Although there is no mention of the Firefighters being present at the build, we were visible they even played a couple of songs catered to us. The majority of the volunteers were from Home Depot stores in Virginia and North Carolina. Wachovia employees, Roanoke City sheriff's deputies, and Lewis Gale employees were also among the volunteers. It is good to see Firefighters helping out the community. It can only help our cause when citizens and community leaders see us out there on our days off helping beautify the community and bring neighbors together. Maybe next time we will have more firefighters out there assisting. The firefighters present were Firefighter Josh Holmes whose idea it was to assist in the event, 1st Lt. Mike Rose, Firefighter Andy Foley, and Lt. Rhett Fleitz.

Fire at 3841 Garden City Blvd.

Engine 8, Engine 11, Engine 6 Ladder 1, BC-1, Medic 1, and Medic 6 responded to a reported structure fire at 3841 Garden City Blvd. Engine 11 marked on scene with a bus on fire. The fire was suppressed and Investigation 1 was called to investigate the fire. The bus was located near an abandoned house. The bus is owned by Bob Huffman who had used it in the 70's and 80's. The bus has not been used for several years. There were no injuries reported during the incident. Engine 11 was able to extinguish the fire with tank water. Engine 11 was recently put into service. It is an M+W built pumper-tanker that carries 1000 gallons of water. Engine 11 is built on an HME chassis, I will post a picture when I acquire one.

Forklift Extrication

Engine 10 and Engine 5 responded to Airborne Express near Roanoke Regional Airport for a forklift accident. Engine 10 arrived to find a man pinned between the forklift and the load he was moving at about 2:45 am. The forklift was partially disassembled and the man was extricated from the wreckage. The forklift fell off of the loading dock when he drove through the wrong door opening. The truck he was supposed to be loading was in another bay. The man is expected to recover and his arm and hand which were caught in the wreckage seemed to be salvageable. The extrication took about 45 minutes.

If anyone has anything else to add please contact me.

Fire at 1037 Stewart Ave. S.E.

E-6, E-11, Ladder-1, Medic 6 1037 Stewart Ave. S.E. for a reported house fire. Engine 6 arrived to find fire showing from side 4 and made it a working fire.

Additional units: E-3 and M-1. Fire was knocked down within five minutes of arrival. Ladder 1 searched/proved negative.

No one was home at the time of the fire.

Courtesy of FF Brad Creasy 6-A.

New Website

I will be recreating the local's website soon. It is located at www.local1132.org. If you have any opinions, comments, questions, or ideas then please contact me. It will probably not look as it does now and will be updated regularly. I look forward to this site being up and running in the next month or two, it just depends how long it takes to build. I hope that this will help inform the members on a regular basis.

So look for it in the future.

The website will include:

Department/Local news

Presidents page

Links

History

Legislative information

Events

Pictures

Incidents

and a lot more!!!!

By the way. If you have a team or sponsor for the golf tournament contact Rhett Fleitz ASAP.

Firehouse USA: Boston

Just to let you all know that there is a new show on the discovery channel tonight. It airs at 10pm. The shows title is Firehouse USA and it is episode "follow me". There is not much more information on the discovery website so we will just have to see what it is all about. I am not sure if there will be other locations in the future.

Rescue Me Season 2 (http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/rescueme/main.html) premieres on June 21st at 10pm on the FX network.

Fire at 3230 Orchard Hill Drive

Roanoke, VA - The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to an alarm for a structure fire on June 13, 2005 at 3230 Orchard Hill Drive. The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 3:32 p.m., and was under control by 3:45 p.m.

The response of two engines,one ladder truck, one medic unit, one EMS Captain,and one Battalion Chief, were involved in the fire.

This is a residential building. First arriving units found a fire in the kitchen in the area of the stove.The fire spread to the cabinets but was contained to the kitchen. The cause was unattended cooking.
There was one resident home at the time, but they escaped unharmed.

There were no injuries to citizens or department personnel.

Property loss was determined to be approximately $15,000.

Fire at 1801 Cove Rd.

Roanoke, VA - The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to an alarmfor a structure fire on June 11, 2005 at 1801 Cove Rd. The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 7:46p.m., and was under control by 7:56 p.m.The response of three engines,one ladder truck, two medic units, oneEMS Captain, and one Battalion Chief were involved in the fire.

This is a restaurant building.The fire started in the kitchen area ofthe restaurant.The fire was contained to the kitchen area. There wasone individual present at the time of the fire, but they escaped unharmed.

There were no injuries to citizens or department personnel.

Property loss was determined to be approximately $10,000.

Fire at 1534 Wellsley Street

Roanoke, VA - The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to an alarm for a structure fire on June 12, 2005 at 1524 Wellsley Street.The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 2:15p.m., and was under control by 2:25 p.m.

The response of two engines,one ladder truck, one medic unit, one EMSCaptain,and one Battalion Chief, were involved in the fire.This is a residential building.

First arriving units found a fire inthe kitchen in the area of the stove.The fire spread to the cabinetsbut was contained to the kitchen. The cause was unattendedcooking.There was one resident home at the time, but they escapedunharmed.

There were no injuries to citizens or department personnel.

Property loss was determined to be approximately $20,000.

MVA on Old Mountain Road

This is the scene of an accident on Old Mountain Road cross of Trevino. E-5, E-2, M-3, RS-1 responded for a head on collision with 3 vehicles involved.

Jennifer Waddell is leaving Roanoke

Jennifer Waddell is leaving Roanoke. Yes you heard me right. The Best looking News Anchor the Valley has to offer is heading to Arizona. I know that she is a favorite in every Fire Station in Roanoke. I first met her on scene of our Rookie School burn. I think that every firefighter in Recruit School 15 and the instructors at the burn remember her. She will be missed here in Roanoke and hopefully the Firefighters down in Tucson will embrace her as we did. We wish you the best Jennifer, thanks for bringing us the new for the past 6 years.

Firefighters Business Database

I am going to add a new page to this site. It will list the businesses that are operated, owned, or employ our fellow firefighters. Please email me at Firefleitz@adelphia.com with your name, Company, phone number, and shift. Look for this page to be added in the near future. Feel free also to page me, call me or contact me in person at station 8 C-shift or at the Credit Union.

Ok I have added the new page. You can get to it at www.roanokefirefighterspage3.blogspot.com. If you would like to see your site listed please contact me with the proper information and I will add it.

I really think that I will have to branch out to an actual website soon. I just need to find a host and I think the site will be RoanokeBravest.com. or something like that since Roanokefirefighters.com is already taken. I am itching to do this, I just need a little help in getting started. Like where to find a host and how to get the domain name I want. I could use my adelphia address, they give me web space, however I do not want to run over the limit and have to find a new home. So if anyone out there could help then hit email Rhett Fleitz on the right under links and let me know. I appreciate it. I also know that once I make the switch sky will be the limit. Of course I will keep the blog open. So who wants to give me a shove in the right direction?

Skippy's Custom Motorcycle

Here is a custom motorcycle built by 1st Lt. R.T. Flora (Skippy). Skippy works with Battalion Chief Ricky Trout at Iron Sports Custom Motorcycles.

1950 Panhead

Here is a 1950 Panhead that was restored by Firefighter Chip Johnston with Iron Sports Custom Motorcycles.

Iron Sports Custom Motorcycles

I hope everyone got to see the article (click Iron Sports above for link) on Battalion Chief Ricky Trout's motorcycle shop as well as his wife's love of the Dalmation Rescue. I thought that the article really showcased the shop well and brought positive attention to the Firefighters of Roanoke City. Unfortunately due to the paper being botched up because of the power outage the picture of Ricky and Skippy (R.T. Flora) was not very good. However we all know of the excellent work that those guys do. If you haven't seen Skippy's bike that he built you need to. I will try to get ahold of a picture to post for you guys.

You can go to Iron Sports Custom Motorcycles on the web at: http://ironsportscustomcycles.com/visitus.html

The Dalmation Rescue (www.dalmatianrescue-va.com) is another story. I got to see the guys at Station 2 A-shift in action with these dalmations at the St. Patricks Day Parade. They really take pride in the cause. There is a Calendar of dalmations with some of the Firefighters. If you haven't seen the calendar call the guys down at 2 A-shift and ask to see a copy or where you can get ahold of a copy.

Anyway it is good to see the Firefighters in the Paper.

Fire at 813 Kellogg Avenue

Roanoke, VA - The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to an alarm for a structure fire on June 7, 2005 at 813 Kellogg Avenue. The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 2:15 p.m., and was under control by 2:20 p.m. The response of three engines,one ladder truck, two medic units, one EMS Captain, and one Battalion Chief unit were involved in the fire.
The fire started in a closet near the gas hot water heater.The floor under the heater had deteriorated started to sag causing the heater to ignite some of the flooring in the closet. Six people were at home at the time of the fire. They all got out safely prior to arrival of Fire-EMS units. There were no injuries to citizens or department personnel.
Property loss was determined to be approximately $3,500.

Fire at 1305 Belle Aire Ln.

Roanoke, VA - The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to an alarm for a structure fire on June 6, 2005 at 1305 Belle Aire Ln. The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 10:04 p.m.
The response consisted of two engines,one ladder truck, one medic unit, one EMS Captain, one Battalion Chief,and one investigative unit.
As they arrived units noticed light smoke coming from the front door. Upon investigation the following was found: an elderly female was in bed and as she was lighting a cigarette she accidently ignited her nightgown. She received 1st and 2nd degree burns and was transported to a local hospital. There was no other damage to the structure or contents other than what she was wearing.

Leather Helmet Circa 1884.

Here is a picture of the helmet. I have attached the original posting of this helmet.

So today as I sift through the numerous articles that Captain Wiseman has left us I notice something, something unique, something I doubted, something I have in my possession. I acquired a leather helmet a couple of years ago from a Captain who was getting rid of some of his fire memorabilia. The Captain stated that the helmet was from 1884 he thought and that it was from Roanoke. He said he got it from a retired District Chief. I doubted the whole 1884 date. I mean how could this thing have made it that long. After all this helmet is not in the best shape. It is green, the leather is old, and the eagle on top is coming off. The helmet looks like it might fit a little child. I thought maybe it shrunk, maybe they were form fitted to the head instead of having any protection in them other than the leather. After all the original reason for the helmets was to shed water.

So here I find an article from August 19, 1972. The article is about, get this, the Roanoke Historical Society trying to acquire Station #1. Even back then they thought that it would only be a couple of years. They speak of an Eric Miller who was or maybe still is a Salem Firefighter. He is also a fire buff and let the Society use some of his memorabilia for a display at 17 East Kirk Ave. The picture is what caught my attention. There it was, the helmet, in the picture. My helmet, or at least the one that I received from that Captain along with a scale model of a steam engine. The caption under the picture reads "Model steam engine stands beside fire helmet worn by the late Joseph T. Engleby as assistant fire chief for Roanoke. The eagle topped helmet is on loan to the historical society from J.T. Engleby III, and dates to around 1884. WOW.

So the information passed on to me was correct. However I wonder how in the heck did that helmet end up in my hands. I mean this is a very historical piece of the fire department. I guess it is fitting that I ended up with it now that I have undertaken the history of the department.

Now I realize that someone out there might be missing this helmet. Maybe the Engleby family, maybe the historical society. If anyone else has information on this helmet please let me know. I will attach a picture as soon as I get the helmet out of storage.

Ladder 2 in Action

Here is Ladder 2 in action at the Roanoke Civic Center. They were doing some training so I thought I would stop in and take a few pictures. Ladder 2 is a Pierce and consists of a 2004 Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine, Allison transmission, 300-gallon water tank, 95' platform. Ladder 2 is stationed at Station 2 along with Engine 2, the HAZMAT unit, Medic 2, Service Truck 2, and Battalion 2.

Fire at 1429 Loudon Ave.

Roanoke, VA - The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to an alarmfor a structure fire on June 5, 2005 at 1429 Louden Avenue.The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 10:11a.m., and was under control by 10:22 a.m.The response of three engines,one ladder truck, one medic unit, oneEMS Captain, one Battalion Chief,and one investigative unit wereinvolved in the fire.

The cause was unattended cooking materials on a stove.Four people were at home at the time of the fire. There were noworking smoke detectors in the apartment, although there was anon-functional smoke detector present. Before leaving the scene Fire-EMS personnel installed a new smoke detector in the apartment.

There were no injuries to citizens or departmentpersonnel.The fire originated in a basement apartment in theresidence and was contained to the kitchen. Property loss wasdetermined to be approximately $2,500.

2005 FILL THE BOOT CAMPAIGN

The 2005 Fill the Boot Campaign will be held August 26(A), 27(B), and 28(C). The locations will be announced soon. If you don't already know the event benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) aka Jerry's Kids. The IAFF along with the departments of its members has supported the MDA for over 50 years now. Locals all over the Nation and Canada get out on the streets to Fill the Boot annually, usually around Labor Day. The totals from the previous year are then submitted to the MDA telethon on Labor day. The IAFF is the biggest single supporter of the MDA and last year raised 20.3 million dollars for the charity. This has been a steady increase over the years, 4 years ago the total was 9 million dollars collected by the IAFF. Yet our total amount raised has declined the past year to a little over $2,000 (most of which came from the golf tournament). The year before we were at almost $5,000. The difference was due to the fact we went from about 30 members helping with Fill the Boot to about 10 last year. This low turn out is disturbing. Sure we cannot collect on duty and we cannot collect at the intersections, but that is not cause for defeat. The more members we have to collect, the more money we will collect.

A little side note: The County and Salem both raised more money than us last year. To put that in perspective Roanoke Fire-EMS is about seven times as big as Salem and over twice the size of the County. Plus the County is able to collect at intersections this year. So we will have to try extra hard this year to beat them. Our goal is to raise $5,000 this year. I know we can do that. If everyone came out for a couple of hours we could easily raise $10,000.

We will have an MDA family at the Golf Tournament this year so you can meet them and put a face with the cause. The MDA picnic will be in August also and I will have details on that soon.

If you have any questions please contact me at Firefleitz@adelphia.net.

Single Vehicle MVA at Franklin and Reserve

This is a picture courtesy of Kent Mcilhany. The incident was on the bridge over the Roanoke River on Franklin Rd. at Reserve. It was a single vehicle accident, the driver lost control of the vehicle and hit the side of the bridge. Here you see Engine 5 on scene extricating the victim. Due to the amount of damage on this side of the car Capt. Kesterson, Lt. Brown, and FF Fisher had to cut out both doors on the right side of the vehicle including the B-post. Units on scene were E-8, E-5, M-1, RS-1. Oh yeah and I was on scene with E-8, it sure is nice to be back in the company seeing some of the action. E-8 responded to 3 MVA's in a row after midnight. L-1 extricated a victim on the 1st incident.

Roanoke Firefighter Exibit at the Transportation Museum

This is the exhibit at the Transportation Museum downtown. It encompasses the history between 1892 and 1932. I suggest everyone visit the museum and see the pictures, artifacts, and all of the other exhibits.

In the Spirit of Memorial Day

In the spirit of Memorial Day I have attached this picture. This picture is taken in the bedroom of Fire Station #1 in 1942. The event was a gathering of the firefighters who were leaving to go into the Military for the War. I will attempt to look at the Firefighter Roster and name certain individuals that this could have been. I do not have any further information. Notice the clock in the background in the middle. I believe that is what it is. I have heard that all of the older stations used to have the same clock in them. I wonder what became of these clocks. Anyone?

Golf Tournament July 14th, 2005

This is a reminder of the Golf Tournament on July 14th. I really need help with acquiring sponsors with this event. I would appreciate it if everyone would please contact any business's that you know of to see if they would like to sponsor our Golf Tournament to benefit the MDA. We are also in need of teams to play. If you are planning on playing or know of a team to play then have them contact me at Firefleitz@adelphia.net. You are welcome to give my phone/pager numbers out to any perspective sponsors and teams. We are trying really hard to make this the best tournament to date. We are also attempting to build this tournament into a well known local tournament in order to have the income to take it to different golf courses over the years. However at the state the tournament is at now we can only afford to play at a few courses. One of those courses is Countryside which will more than likely not be open next year. The tournament will be at Ole Monterey this year. Don't forget the reasons we have the tournament

1. To raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

2. To gather the firefighters of the Valley together with their friends and families as well as anyone else who would like to play and get to know the firefighters and support this great cause.

You can contact me on C-shift days at Station 8.

Roanoke Firefighters listed online with the Roanoke Times

I have finally arrived at www.roanoke.com. This blog is listed under columns/blogs in the online site of The Roanoke Times. See list profile on the right side of the page. Check out some of the other bloggers in the community. Most of them focus their blogs on the political issues and their opinions, however some are very informative. Roanoke Found's blog and website can be located in the links on the right side of this site, this is a sited dedicated to uncovering the past of Roanoke that has been forgotten. So there you go. The department's history is coming to the front.

Fire at 416 McDowell Ave.

Roanoke, VA - The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to an alarm for a structure fire on May 21, 2005 at 416 McDowell Avenue. The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 8:36 a.m., and was quickly under control. The response of three engines,one ladder truck, two medic units, one EMS Captain, one Battalion Chief,and one investigative unit were involved in the fire. The cause is under investigation. No one was home at the time of the fire. There were no injuries to citizens or department personnel. The fire originated in the basement of the residence and spread to the first floor. Property loss was determined to be approximately $85,000.

Fire Station # 3

Here is a picture of Station #3. I believe this to be a Davis photo. The interesting thing about this picture is first of all notice the hose tower and second of all notice the ornamental piece on the roof line. Both of these are missing now. The hose tower was removed and the ornamental piece fell off in the 1950's I believe. Pete Smith brought this to my attention and said that he was there when it fell off. I thought that it was interesting.

Alert Fire Company #4 circa 1893

Here is the Sanborn Map of the Alert Fire Company #4 located at 1219 Wise Ave. S.E. across from the Virginia Brewery. It is a little hard to decipher in this picture but the station is located on the corner of an alley way between/below the words (WISE and AVE.) on the map.

Junior Hose Company #2 circa 1893

Here is the Sanborn Map for the Junior Hose Company #2 located at the Northeast corner of 3rd and Campbell. The Juniors were located in the "Old Rorrer Hall" however I am unclear as to whether this is the location of the "Old Rorrer Hall". I am still researching this.

Vigilant Fire Company #1 Circa 1889

Here is the Sanborn Map of Vigilant Fire Company #1 located at Jefferson and Kirk. This station was built in 1888 and later torn down on April 22, 1977. However it had not been used as a fire station since the new Station #1 was built and put into service in 1906-1907(I am still researching the exact date due to a discrepancy in dates used in the past).

Station #2 at Fourth and East Ave. Circa 1903

Here is the home of Station #2 at 4th St. and East Ave. Former home of Friendship Fire Company #3.

Friendship Fire Company #3 Circa 1893

Here is the snapshot of the Sanborn Map locating the Friendship Fire station #3 in 1893. The station is situated in the Northwest corner of 4th St. and East Ave. It is unsure when this building was built, However it was sometime between 1889 (not present in maps), and 1893 as you can see here. The station was joined to a market building next door. This station was utilized by the Volunteers until the City took over the Fire Department in 1903 and the Friendship Fire Company #3 became Station #2.

1884 Leather Helmet

So today as I sift through the numerous articles that Captain Wiseman has left us I notice something, something unique, something I doubted, something I have in my possession. I acquired a leather helmet a couple of years ago from a Captain who was getting rid of some of his fire memorabilia. The Captain stated that the helmet was from 1884 he thought and that it was from Roanoke. He said he got it from a retired District Chief. I doubted the whole 1884 date. I mean how could this thing have made it that long. After all this helmet is not in the best shape. It is green, the leather is old, and the eagle on top is coming off. The helmet looks like it might fit a little child. I thought maybe it shrunk, maybe they were form fitted to the head instead of having any protection in them other than the leather. After all the original reason for the helmets was to shed water.

So here I find an article from August 19, 1972. The article is about, get this, the Roanoke Historical Society trying to acquire Station #1. Even back then they thought that it would only be a couple of years. They speak of an Eric Miller who was or maybe still is a Salem Firefighter. He is also a fire buff and let the Society use some of his memorabilia for a display at 17 East Kirk Ave. The picture is what caught my attention. There it was, the helmet, in the picture. My helmet, or at least the one that I received from that Captain along with a scale model of a steam engine. The caption under the picture reads "Model steam engine stands beside fire helmet worn by the late Joseph T. Engleby as assistant fire chief for Roanoke. The eagle topped helmet is on loan to the historical society from J.T. Engleby III, and dates to around 1884. WOW.

So the information passed on to me was correct. However I wonder how in the heck did that helmet end up in my hands. I mean this is a very historical piece of the fire department. I guess it is fitting that I ended up with it now that I have undertaken the history of the department.

Now I realize that someone out there might be missing this helmet. Maybe the Engleby family, maybe the historical society. I am not saying it was stolen. Maybe it was just passed along, rightfully so in the department. If anyone else has information on this helmet please let me know. I will attach a picture as soon as I get the helmet out of storage.

Fallen Retired Firefighter

Jackson T. Dews passed away on Thursday May, 12, 2005. Jackson Dews was a retired Captain of the Roanoke Fire department, he was 77 years old. Many of us know Richard Thomas Dews (Tommy) his son who is also a retired Captain. Captain Jackson Dews was hired May 1, 1949 and retired June 15, 1982 with 33 years of service. He also retired from APB Whiting. He is survived by his wife of 57 years Faye Glass Dews; son, Richard Thomas Dews; daughter, Kathryn Singletary and husband David; and grandson, Geoffrey Singletary.

The Original Station #2

Latest news on the old Station #2 that has eluded Captain Wiseman and myself. After talking to Pete Smith who lives down the street from station #8 (1942-1974) he easily picked out a picture and said that it was station #2. However I told him that it was actually a picture of the Friendship Fire Company #3, which was originally the Union Fire Company both former Volunteer Companies. He said that it was indeed station #2 located at East and 4th, where the main post office is today. So I did a little digging and saw that the information was right under my nose. The location that I have documented for the Friendship fire station #3 and the old Station #2 is the same. So there you have it. The best I can tell is that the City used it as a paid fire station and renumbered it after the Volunteers disbanded and the City took over the fire department. So here is a picture of it as the paid station #2. The Friendship fire company would not have had motorized equipment. If anyone has anything to add please leave comments or contact me at FireFleitz@adelphia.net. By the way this picture can be viewed at the Virginia Room of the Downtown Roanoke Library.

Pay Parity

So here we are, a couple of months in on this blog, website, historical archive, whatever you would like to call it and whether or not you enjoy reading it or not, and I have not really voiced my opinion about anything. As those of you who know me I do have an opinion right or wrong, whether you are in agreement or not. Others of you who know me call me to find out the scoop on rumors, lies, and the like. Yet most of the guys/gals who I come into contact with on a regular basis see me as their Union contact. They ask me what the Union is doing about this or what the Union is doing about that. So I have tried to make it a point to know what is going on in the Union, which can easily be achieved by going to the meetings.

Ok so I have laid out the reason why I am writing about the Pay parity.

The article in the Roanoke Times today by Todd Jackson spoke of the City Council's final decision on when pay raises would be dispersed and what the pay raises consisted of. There was talk of 4% across the board in Jan '06. This outraged most city workers because they thought, for good reason, that the delay was due to funding the sheriff's and Firefighters getting an additional 4% to match the 4% the Police Officers got in January. So City Council decided after many talks with various city workers and city organizations to give 3% in July.

The extra 4% that the sheriff's and Firefighters are getting is outraging many city workers. These other city workers do not know why they should not be getting the same money's, and wonder what separates them from the Sworn Public Safety Workers. Brenda Hamilton seems to think that every city worker is in a potential line of fire because they work in the public setting. BLAH. Brenda Hamilton is the elected Clerk of Circuit Court. Sheriff George McMillan responded to Hamilton's remark by saying that his department would be glad to work with her on security issues. I think that Hamilton's office should be outfitted with turnout gear, a ladder truck, and proper training. However I think that when a call comes in she should be told that only 3 people can leave on the truck and that they must perform search, rescue, ventilation, CO monitoring, forcible entry, and whatever anyone else asks of them.

Let me also state that I am very grateful in getting the 4% that the Police Officers got. I know that I received it because of the work of our Chief and Union President. I also know that if the Officers hadn't received it then we wouldn't have had a chance at getting it. The reason they got it in the first place is because the turnover rate is high and they were working about 30-50 people short. So it was used as a recruitment/retention tool. I think it is great.

So I just had to comment on this. Before you ask me what the Union is doing for you why don't you ask yourself what you are doing for the Union. The RFFA is only as strong as it's members and it's members are only as strong as the RFFA.

Horses in the fire department

Horses of the Roanoke City Fire Department now Roanoke Fire-EMS Department. These are the horse's names that have been extracted from historical documents by Captain Wiseman. It is very possible that there were other horses. I will be looking at other documents to see of this possibility.


Bail
Bert
Big John
Big John #2
Billy April 19,1904
Billy #2 – Raised by J.B. Bean May 16, 1904
Bob
Bob #2
Denny
Dewey – May 8,1904
Dexter
Frank
Frank
George
Jack – April 19,1904
Jack Cook
Jack Cook #2
Prince
Prince #2
Sandy
Sandy – April 1904
Tom
Virgie - The First Horse

Facts

1.There were 10 horses in the department in 1905.

2.There were 10 horses in the department in 1906.

3.The last fire alarm answered by horse drawn fire equipment was to box # 52 at Franklin Rd. and 3rd ST. S.W. May 18,1918.

4.You can still see the areas on the interior walls of station #1 downtown where the horses would gnaw on the bricks.

5.The horses would begin stirring and kicking when the alarm went off.

Roanoke Virginia Firemen Federal Credit Union

The Roanoke Virginia Firemen Federal Credit Union (RVFFCU) is operated for the Firefighters of Roanoke City, Virginia. The RVFFCU was started because the firefighters could not afford the uniforms they were required to wear on duty. On March 1st, 1935 the RVFFCU (charter #183) was formed by members of the department. The charter was signed on March 9, 1935 by Governor Myers of the Farm Credit Administration. "The par value of the shares of this credit union shall be $5.00" (article 4) which still holds true to today. When you open a savings account you have to put at least $5 into it and that $5 cannot be withdrawn until you close your account. So that is a little tradition/policy that still holds true and has not faltered. I do not know if the Charter Members who started the RVFFCU realized how big that it would grow. The membership continues to grow as well as assets held by the RVFFCU for the members. The RVFFCU is located upstairs of the Crystal Springs Firehouse #8. It serves the "Firemen of the City of Roanoke, Va., members of their immediate families, and any association of such Firemen."

The Charter Members are listed below:

(there had to be at least 7 names)

Last Name/ First Name / # of Shares

Daniel Ralph R. 1

Huff Page M. 1

Light Leroy 1

Via Chas J. 1

Barker W.B. 1

Mullins E.F. 1

Klinger E.H. 1

Adkins R.O. 1

Mills D.H. 1

Woodford M.D. 1

I have a copy of a note made on July 6, 1936 for $50. It is to be paid off in 10 monthly installments of $5 each at 1% interest. The collateral listed for this loan is "Character"Loan"".

You can access the RVFFCU's website at http://www.rvffcu.org/.

Salem Fire Department History

If you all are interested in the history of the Salem Fire Department then check out this site http://www.salemmuseum.org/guide_archives/HSV5N1.html#fire. It contains an article by Amber Rhinehart about the history from the mid 1800's to present.

It is titled:

Firefighters Had Heartaches, Triumphs

Department Started With Bucket Brigades
By Amber Rhinehart

This is a good read and a very good synopsis of the department over the last 150 years.

2005 Virginia Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service

2005 Virginia Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service

The 2005 Virginia Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service will be held at 12:00 PM on Saturday, June 4, 2005 at the Richmond Raceway Complex Horticulture Garden and Pavilion Building. Directions to the Memorial Service can be found at the link below.

If you are interested in being a member of the Honor Guard or bringing apparatus to the service please visit the VDFP website at http://www.vafire.com/ffmemorial.htm for updates.

If you are interested in being part of this please let me know at Firefleitz@adelphia.net or call me at 8-C. We would like to get about 6 members to go. Everyone is welcome, and any firefighter can be part of the HonorGuard. Do not miss out on this event.

MVA on I-581

Photo Courtesy of Kent Mcilhany. This is a picture of the MVA on I-581. Crews worked the multiple vehicle accident that closed portions of I-581 north and south bound for several hours. This is a Nissan Xterra in the foreground and an S-10 in the background. M-2 is pictured here with E-5 in the background.

MVA on I-581

Photo courtesy of Kent Mcilhany. This is a picture from the MVA on I-581 on April 28, 2005. Several crews worked to extricate the patient in this Chevy S-10.

The next Chapter

Ok so now I have finalized the first draft of the roster which includes every firefighter ever employed with the City of Roanoke. This also includes the brothers who served before the City took over the fire departments and formed a paid workforce. There were numerous firefighters who served only a day or a couple of weeks. Then there were the firefighters who were hired and left only to come back two, three, and even four times. Interesting differences in the way things are today. It is also interesting how back in the day firefighters were hired any day of the week all month long, of course this was possible since the only training of the day was on the job. Now firefighters are hired for formal recruit schools once or twice a year and the turnover rate is very low. Another interesting dissimilarity is the fact that years ago firefighters did not retire until 35-40+ years. Nowadays most firefighters leave at around 25-30, and I think that in the future we will see more and more firefighters leaving right at 25 years. It will be interesting to see the hiring that will occur 20-25 years from now. I guess the hiring surges from the addition of the 3rd battalion will continue.

The next Chapter

I think that I will begin focusing on historical events in the fire departments past. This will include the big fires, incidents, and any thing else that I might dig up. I might also begin documenting the apparatus of the department. So there you have it, I have mapped it all out.

I hope that the readers of this site find it interesting and informative. I am always open to feedback, ideas, concerns, or your own bit of history to add. If you have pictures you would like to see on the site I would love to add them. If you have pictures of an incident recent or not email them to me and I will see about adding them. If you ran an incident in the city and would like to write something about it then let me know.

FireFleitz@adelphia.net

Station #1 taken 1957, Left to right are 1918 Seagrave ladder truck 100' (Ladder 1), 1941 Chevrolet , and a 1950 Oren (Squad 1). I thought I would throw this picture in the mix because we often see the older pictures with horse and wagon.