Back in the Saddle

This cycle was a little different for me than the usual. Day one I rode the engine most of the day then switched to the ARFF crew due to the Haz Mat call on I-81. Middle day I rode the Engine the whole day, first twelve as officer and second half as driver. Third day, today, I split the day on the ambulance riding the first twelve and riding on ARFF the second half.

But that is just the explanation of where I was riding and when. The interesting part is coming up.

Last day on the engine we ran a code (cardiac arrest) and unfortunately the patient did not have a positive outcome. This being the first code I had run in about a year. That was one of two or three calls we ran. I hadn't even been in the hospital in probably over a year.

Then today on the medic unit we had another code. But this one did have a positive outcome and when we left the hospital the patient was on the way to the cath lab.

It is always fun getting some time on the engine, or medic truck for that matter. Of course most of my coworkers reading this out there probably think I must be crazy to say that I enjoyed the medic truck. I actually took a patient in the back. It was a BLS call so I said what the hell. The last time I took a patient in the back of an ambulance was years ago. It is hard to keep your skills up. You would think I would check myself for a pulse most days I am on ARFF. Ha.

Now that I have been re acquainted with the EMS side of things, I sure could go for a fire. The last fire I was in was an apartment fire at Ferncliff Apartments. That was over two years ago. Throw me a freakin bone.

I guess the good news is that I will be paroled soon when my two years is up on the ARFF crew. Yeah I know wish in one hand...but I am optimistic.

Across the pond

I have often wondered why the International Association of Fire Fighters isn't completely international. Actually to my knowledge the IAFF encompasses the United States and Canada, there being a visible difference in the two divisions. If the IAFF is for the U.S. and Canada then who looks after the best interests of the other paid firefighters around the World. Today that question was answered in part.

The IAFF has been in talks with other Fire Unions about a Global Alliance. I don't think there will be any mergers or take-overs, rather a United Nations for the Fire Service. The other Unions in the talks are the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Association (NZPFA), and the United Firefighters Union of Australia (UFUA).

Are there other Unions of the sort out there? If you know, let me know.

Random Fire Video

This is hilarious. The video was apparently filmed in 1976. It is in German, so I cannot understand it, other than the chorus having something to do with calling the firefighters, or that they are the firefighters. Anyways, it is hilarious I thought. I wonder if this was a legitimate fire prevention video or a spoof or what.

Tractor Trailer Fire

Tanker Fire 2
Originally uploaded by firefleitz.

Here is a picture of the tractor trailer fire on Interstate 81 yesterday. The picture was taken by FF Travis Collins who responded with Roanoke City's Hazardous Materials Team. The fire was in Roanoke County on I81 Northbound between I581 and Hollins.

Local 995 Member Bernard E. Emerson Passes Away

From the IAFF:

It is with deepest regret and sorrow to report the line-of-duty death of Lieutenant Bernard E. Emerson, Jr. of IAFF Local 995 - Richmond, Virginia. Brother Emerson, 44, died on Thursday, July 27, 2006 of cancer. The visitation will be held on Saturday, July 29, 2006 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, July 30, 2006 from 2:00 to 4:00 and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Bennett Funeral Home, 8014 Lee Davis Road, Mechanicsville, Virginia 23111, (804) 746-8665. The funeral will be held on Monday, July 31, 2006 at 12 noon at the First English Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1603 Monument Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23220.

I signed up for the IAFF LODD email list (you have to have an IAFF number to sign up for it) at the beginning of this year. It has amazed me at how many firefighters die of cancer. The thing is that the LODD list is only the ones that are considered a "Line of Duty Death". I hear of many others through Firehouse.com, and individual websites.

In researching the history of the Roanoke Firefighters, I can tell you that Roanoke has lost its fair share of firefighters to cancer. Luckily for the firefighters of today we have Presumptive Laws for Cancer, Lung Disease, Heart Disease, and Infectious Diseases due to our increased chances of suffering from these ailments. Unfortunately for us, and everyone else, there isn't a cure for Cancer.

A Tractor trailer catches fire on I-81

A truck carrying a chemical called Sodium Hydrosulfite is burning on I-81 tonight. The fire is causing a backup for miles as both Northbound lanes are shut down. The Roanoke City Haz Mat crew is on scene with Roanoke County units. The firefighters are having a problem putting the fire out because Sodium Hydrosulfite reacts to water.

Links

WSLS coverage
WDBJ coverage

What happens when the kittens escape their box

This article is a must read for Firefighters and Officers. Just read it and follow the link to the rest of the article. Or follow this link and read the whole thing on the FireRescue.com.

By Chase N. Sargent

Company Officer Development: Kitty Litter

What happens when the kittens escape their box

"Morale is one of the most elusive concepts a leader has to deal with, and it is one that can easily lead a leader astray. It is usually mixed up with the debate as to the better way to run a company … as a 'taut ship' or as a 'happy ship.' My experience and observation tell me that a taut ship, with high standards, fairly administered, is always the happiest."
— Louis B. Lundborg

"A commander must train his subordinate commanders, and his own staff, to work on a set of verbal orders. Those who cannot be trusted to act on clear and concise verbal orders, but want everything in writing, are useless."
— Viscount Montgomery of Alamein

The story you are about to read describes an incident in which company officers from my department failed to "keep the kittens in the box." What does that mean? Keeping the kittens in the box takes many forms. First, it’s about making sure people understand what’s acceptable and what isn’t acceptable as a supervisor. Second, it’s about understanding, and maybe even agreeing with someone’s position, but being wise enough in the ways and protocols of the organization to stop your subordinates from hurting themselves. Finally, it’s about using a mistake as a learning tool. The company officers involved in this story failed to do these things, and as a result, cost one firefighter his acting assignment, created discontent among members of the organization, raised questions without answers and created a gap between the ranks. There are lots of lessons to learn here, so pay attention, young Jedi.

First, let me acknowledge that I don’t know every detail of the event, because it involved a personnel issue that occurred just as I was retiring. But in talking to many of the parties involved, I’ve pieced together enough information to determine that company officers failed to keep the kittens in the box on more than one occasion — and the cascading effects ultimately cost someone their job. (Note: I’ve changed the names of those involved to protect both the innocent and the guilty.)

GOING AWOL
Our story begins with the annual EMT recertification process. As the department had done for almost 18 years, it issued notices through the chain of command and directly to individual firefighters about the required EMT two-day refresher course. As fate would have it, five of our intrepid members did not show up for the training. In essence, they were not at their assigned work location when they were supposed to be, and were, for all intents and purposes, absent without leave (AWOL). One of the requirements of the job: Show up at the right place, at the right time, in the right uniform. It’s really not that hard. (Read the rest of the article)

Link Dump 4

This blog tops the Roanoke Times Community Blog Roll
Roanoke gets its own Craigslist
Pearl home escape ladder wins Fire Safety Award winner
More 9/11 victims - responders fall prey to lung diseases after working at Ground Zero
Davidson County North Carolina gets new uniforms - bright flourescent yellow shirts
Definitions clash in annual LODD reports by NFPA, USFA
5000' of 3" fire hose for sale $50
More fire crews needed to battle California wildfires
National Interagency Fire Center

Apparatus Innovations - Feuerwehr

Here is a tour of a Rescue Company in Denmark I believe. One common feature among fire apparatus outside of the U.S. is that most everything is inside of roll up doors including the pump. While more and more American apparatus is being built with roll up doors instead of regular ones, the pump has held out as a mainstay decoration on the outside of the rig. Only occasionally do I see a picture of an engine or quint with the pump housed behind a roll up door. Thanks to Feuerwehr Weblog for the video.

Firefighter oral board questions

Thanks to Firefighters Blog for this link. The Don McNea Fire School's website offers an in depth look at oral board questions for firefighters. I remember some of these questions from different interview processes including Roanoke's. I also remember some of these questions from the promotional process interview. Take a minute to look through the website and see what types of questions there are.

The website claims that there are only about 30 questions which might be asked several different ways. Basically you have to dissect the question down to the main point and view what exactly they are asking you. Otherwise you might get trapped by answering the question wrong.

You can view the website here. I think it is worth your time whether you are an aspiring firefighter or a firefighter seeking promotion.

Marci Stone Leaves Roanoke Fire-EMS

Captain Marci Stone has decided to leave the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department after 9 years. Marci was hired on April 21, 1997 and was the first woman to attain the rank of Captain in the department. Marci and other female firefighters in Roanoke recently had a newspaper article written about them. The article received State and National attention and was featured on Firehouse.com. The article can be viewed here. Marci just recently returned to work from maternity leave with her first child. Marci is married to Todd Stone, also a Captain with the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department.

Marci was the acting Battalion Chief of Training prior to going on maternity leave. When she returned she was assigned to the ARFF crew at Station #10 on A-Shift. Her last day is tomorrow.

We wish Marci the best in her new position as the Emergency Medical Coordinator with Lewis Gale Hospital.

The number of female firefighters in Roanoke City are now down to 7 as Marci makes the 5th woman to leave the department in the past 5 years.

Roanoke Fire Department - Badges

Did you know that firefighters badges used to be numbered? That is right, Chief W.M. Mullins sent a bulletin to all the Captains on April 4th, 1930 explaining the new program of numbering all the firefighters badges.

The bulletin read:

Roanoke, Va.
April 4th. 1930

Bulletin to Captains:

We are to-day providing each member of the Department with a badge, numbers to begin with 15, The number has nothing to do with seniority or length of service but is a means of recognition at fires and other places.

Captains and Engineers whose badges are not numbered, when entering a place where the badge must be shown will state that he is a Fire Dept. Captain or Engineer of the Company to which he belongs.

Members must not loan or borrow badges, and in the event a badge is lost, it must be reported to this office immediately, violators of this ruling will be subject to heavy punishment, since the City has furnished these badges for the best interest of the Department, the members should show their appreciation by properly using them.

Yours truly,
W.M. Mullins (signed)
Chief Fire Department.

I am not sure of the date in which we stopped numbering our badges. Currently everyone's badges look the same.

Explosion at Roanoke Industrial Center

Late last night around midnight there was an explosion and subsequent fire at the Roanoke Industrial Center in Southeast Roanoke. The Roanoke Times has a short article online.

The explosion and fire occurred at the Virginia Distillery Recovery Center according to WSLS. They have a short article online as well. The fire was knocked down quickly and the Haz Mat crews are working on it now.

The Transportation Museum Saga Continues

You know all this mess with the Transportation Museum and the roof flying off in the storm the other day? Well here is the deal. I have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for a freaking year to get into the museum and see the pictures that they have of Roanoke Firefighting. Meanwhile as I waited, I was able to speak with the guy who was working on the vehicles at the museum and get some pictures of the old Cadillac ARFF vehicle they have. However that wasn't any help with the photos and he doesn't work there anymore. Then after so many months of waiting for that phone call I stopped back by. The guy at the front desk remembered me, but the lady who was in charge (of what I do not know) was new. So I told her my story and that I wanted to see the pictures. She explained to me that it would take a couple of weeks to get to them, but that she would call. No phone call ever happened. Imagine that. Fast forward a couple of months to about two months ago. I placed a phone call again to speak to someone about the pictures. This time on the phone I was told that everyone was new, so I told the story again...yada yada yada. Nothing. So last week I stopped in to see about the pictures and the titles. Guess what? Everyone was out, except for the guy at the front desk who still remembers me...by name. The bonus news was that the museum just hired an archivist. This is great news for me, someone who can help me with the pictures. Then guess what. The freaking roof blows off, and the museum closes for a while, and the deadline for the book gets closer and closer, and now they found asbestos on the roof, so they will have to clean that up, and I probably will not get my hands on the photos. But wait, it gets better. Now there is a huge investigation going on in regards to the Museum Director Bob Dills and his use of funds. You can see a video of the ordeal on WDBJ 7.

I know that these guys are busy at the museum. They are probably underpaid and overworked. The thing about it is that all the pictures at the museum that are fire related belong to someone else. Several firefighters, mostly retired, let the museum borrow them for their exhibit that they still have up. The museum used the pictures they wanted and stored the rest.

So the book will move forward without the pictures which are being held at the Museum.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Storms Cause Damage in Roanoke

Heavy storms ravaged parts of Roanoke today. The Virginia Museum of Transportation lost part of its roof during the storm. The debris from the roof fell right next to the Fallen Firefighter Memorial which is located in front of the museum. Click here for a picture of Ladder 7's crew.

The Roanoke Times: Weather Journal:

It was probably a wet microburst that caused high winds in downtown Roanoke that caused extensive roof damage to the Virginia Museum of Transportation, meteorologist Jan Jackson at the National Weather Service in Blacksburg said.

Observing from the Roanoke Times pedestrian bridge over Second Street, I would estimate the winds as gusting to as high as 65 mph, not an uncommonly high speed in a microburst. The bridge was shaking in the wind. There was also some small hail. (Read More)

Technorati tags: Roanoke, wet microburst

Arlington County Fire Department Video

Here is another video, this time from Arlington County Fire Department via the Firefighter Blog.

Aerial Ladder on Firetruck built too small

Picture of article as seen on NBC

Apparently when this truck was designed, they accidentally made a huge mistake. I find it hard to believe that this actually happened. However, it was in the newspaper. You judge for yourself. This clip is from the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I still have yet to find any truth to this article, if you have anything like the newspaper it came from please let me know.

"Town Angered by Ladder Swap" "Fire engine ladder is 7.5 feet, not 75 feet as originally promised."

Carbon Monoxide - What you need to know - From Roanoke Fire-EMS

Roanoke Fire-EMS and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants to help you keep your family safe from carbon monoxide poisoning. Many homes have common sources of carbon monoxide
including:

malfunctioning furnaces
water heaters
ovens
stoves
gas-fired dryers
clogged chimneys
corroded flue pipes
un-vented supplemental heaters

Below is a list of frequently asked questions:
1. What is carbon monoxide (CO) and how is it produced in the home? Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. Appliances fueled with natural gas, liquified petroleum (LP gas), oil, kerosene, coal, or wood may produce CO. Burning charcoal produces CO. Running cars produce CO. How many people are unintentionally poisoned by CO? Every year, over 200 people in the United States die from CO produced by fuel-burning appliances (furnaces, ranges, water heaters, room heaters). Others die from CO produced while burning charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent. Still others die from CO produced by cars left running in attached garages. Several thousand people go to hospital emergency rooms for treatment for CO poisoning.

2. What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?
The initial symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include: Headache Fatigue Shortness of breath Nausea Dizziness Many people with CO poisoning mistake their symptoms for the flu or are misdiagnosed by physicians, which sometimes results in tragic deaths.

3. What should you do to prevent CO poisoning?
Make sure appliances are installed according to manufacturer's instructions and local building codes. Most appliances should be installed by professionals. Have the heating system (including chimneys and vents) inspected and serviced annually. The inspector should also check chimneys and flues for blockages, corrosion, partial and complete disconnections, and loose connections. Install a CO detector/alarm that meets the requirements of the current UL standard 2034 or the requirements of the IAS 6-96 standard. A carbon monoxide detector/alarm can provide added protection, but is no substitute for proper use and upkeep of appliances that can produce CO. Install a CO detector/alarm in the hallway near every separate sleeping area of the home. Make sure the detector cannot be covered up by furniture or draperies. Never burn charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle, or tent. Never use portable fuel-burning camping equipment inside a home, garage, vehicle, or tent. Never leave a car running in an attached garage, even with the garage door open. Never service fuel-burning appliances without proper knowledge, skills, and tools. Always refer to the owner's manual when performing minor adjustments or servicing fuel-burning appliances. Never use gas appliances such as ranges, ovens, or clothes dryers for heating your home. Never operate unvented fuel-burning appliances in any room with closed doors or windows or in any room where people are sleeping. Do not use gasoline-powered tools and engines indoors. If use is unavoidable, ensure that adequate ventilation is available and whenever possible place engine unit to exhaust outdoors.

4. What CO level is dangerous to your health?
The health effects of CO depend on the level of CO and length of exposure, as well as each individual's health condition. The concentration of CO is measured in parts per million (ppm). Health effects from exposure to CO levels of approximately 1 to 70 ppm are uncertain, but most people will not experience any symptoms. Some heart patients might experience an increase in chest pain. As CO levels increase and remain above 70 ppm, symptoms may become more noticeable (headache, fatigue, nausea). As CO levels increase above 150 to 200 ppm, disorientation, unconsciousness, and death are possible.

5. What should you do if you are experiencing symptoms of CO poisoning? If you think you are experiencing any of the symptoms of CO poisoning, get fresh air immediately. Open windows and doors for more ventilation, turn off any combustion appliances, and leave the house. Call your fire department and report your symptoms. You could lose consciousness and die if you do nothing. It is also important to contact a doctor immediately for a proper diagnosis. Tell your doctor that you suspect CO poisoning is causing your problems. Prompt medical attention is important if you are experiencing any symptoms of CO poisoning when you are operating fuel-burning appliances. Before turning your fuel-burning appliances back on, make sure a qualified serviceperson checks them for malfunction.

6. What has changed in CO detectors/alarms recently?
CO detectors/alarms always have been and still are designed to alarm before potentially life-threatening levels of CO are reached. The UL standard 2034 (1998 revision) has stricter requirements that the detector/alarm must meet before it can sound. As a result, the possibility of nuisance alarms is decreased.

7. How should I install a CO Alarm?
CO alarms should be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions. CPSC recommends that one CO alarm be installed in the hallway outside the bedrooms in each separate sleeping area of the home. CO alarms may be installed into a plug-in receptacle or high on the wall because CO from any source will be well-mixed with the air in the house. Make sure furniture or draperies cannot cover up the alarm.

8. What should you do when the CO detector/alarm sounds?
Never ignore an alarming CO detector/alarm. If the detector/alarm
sounds: Operate the reset button. Call your emergency services (fire department or 911). Immediately move to fresh air -- outdoors or by an open door/window.

9. How should a consumer test a CO detector/alarm to make sure it is working? Consumers should follow the manufacturer's instructions. Using a test button, some detectors/alarms test whether the circuitry as well as the sensor which senses CO is working, while the test button on other detectors only tests whether the circuitry is working. For those units which test the circuitry only, some manufacturers sell separate test kits to help the consumer test the CO sensor inside the alarm.

10. What is the role of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC) in preventing CO poisoning?
CPSC worked closely with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to help develop the safety standard (UL 2034) for CO detectors/alarms. CPSC helps promote carbon monoxide safety awareness to raise awareness of CO hazards and the need for regular maintenance of fuel-burning appliances. CPSC recommends that every home have a CO detector/alarm that meets the requirements of the most recent UL standard 2034 or the IAS 6-96 standard in the hallway near every separate sleeping area. CPSC also works with industry to develop voluntary and mandatory standards for fuel-burning appliances.

11. Do some cities require that CO detectors/alarms be installed? On September 15, 1993, Chicago, Illinois became one of the first cities in the nation to adopt an ordinance requiring, effective October 1, 1994, the installation of CO detectors/alarms in all new single-family homes and in existing single-family residences that have new oil or gas furnaces. Several other cities also require CO detectors/alarms in apartment buildings and single-family dwellings.

12. Should CO detectors/alarms be used in motor homes and other recreational vehicles? CO detectors/alarms are available for boats and recreational vehicles and should be used. The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association requires CO detectors/alarms in motor homes and in towable recreational vehicles that have a generator or are prepped for a generator.

Roanoke Fire-EMS encourages all Roanoke residents to practice fire safety steps every day. Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility and fire prevention precautions DO make a difference! The Fire Prevention Division of the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department offers fireplace safety and/ or home fire safety inspections at no cost. Citizens can call 853-2795 to set up an appointment. Citizens in need can also receive a smoke detector at no cost from Roanoke Fire-EMS Administration, 541 Luck Avenue, Suite 120, Roanoke, VA 24016 or call 853-2327. Visit our website at www.roanokegov.com/fire-ems.

Powered Parachutes

A while back, while I was on vacation in Charleston, I asked the readers to provide me subjects they wanted to hear about. I got one response. I will finally make good on it and provide you with as much information as I could find in about 15 minutes on...wait for it...Powered Parachutes. That is right. You all asked, so I will deliver. You can probably imagine who asked. I only know of two powered parachute pilots in the department, Jerry Franks and John Dubose.

Powered Parachutes -

You could start here, for general information and probably the second best domain name. The best domain name for this topic being poweredparachute.com (no link to save you time) is not online, apparently someone is missing out on a very marketable domain name. Buckeye Aviation is a decent site and I believe that is where Jerry and John bought there chutes. Of course you can always rely on the good ole Wikipedia for online information. The wikipedia has plenty of information on Powered Parachutes aka paraplane:

On 1 October 1964, Jalbert applied for patent for his new "Multi-Cell Wing" named "Parafoil", which was a new parachute design. His ideas finally were registered as US-patent 3,285,546 on 11.15.1966. However a first motorized version by Nicolaides had already flown in 1964.

Finally in March 1981, the P-1 was created by Steve Snyder, Adrian Vandenberg and Daniel Thompson. The flight lasted 25-30 seconds and the paraglider suffered from torque problems. It took 2 years for them to fix these problems, and in 1983 they formed the ParaPlane corporation to produce first commercial paragliders.

In 2004 Don Shaw mounted a standard motor scooter with a parafoil and propeller. The combination can both fly and continue to drive on the road as a ground vehicle. A conversion kit is now commercially available.

This is where it gets interesting though. Some of you might not realize the Jerry Franks started a blog. Jerry's blog Tree Top Flyers of VA has been online for several months now. I have offered him some assistance in his design, and will be helping him soon. But hey, everyone has to start somewhere. I remember when I began this blog I didn't have a clue.

Jerry has incorporated pictures of his new baby. Congratulations to you and your wife on your new arrival.

"Jerry, you sure this thing can handle me?"
"Well John, there is only one sure way to find out!"

"Bad Speed" as seen on the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue - Blog

This is a well written story by Jose A. Nochea on the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Blog. It isn't every day that we get to see the perspective of another firefighters feelings and experiences written after the incident.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue - Blog:

Rescue 37, Engine 37 respond on a 29 Delta - 4, vehicle versus house and light pole, person trapped. As I made my way into the truck, I had a bad feeling about this one for some reason, and as we turned East into Coral Way from SW 137 avenue, I confirmed my feelings as I could see from the cab of my Quantum engine a mangled sports car that had absorbed most of the impact from the light pole through the passenger door where a 17 Y/O boy sat badly trapped. After conducting my size-up, taking command, and requesting additional required units including TRT, I assigned R37 as medical group, and my three firefighters to set up the jaws and pull and charge the 100’ bumper jumpline. (Read More)

Investigation continues on CO leak cause - Roanoke.com

It is good to read the praise of the Salem Fire Department. It isn't every day that the public safety is given kudos. Keep up the good work guys.

Investigation continues on CO leak cause - Roanoke.com:

Roanoke College President Sabine O'Hara, in her first appearance since Friday's carbon monoxide leak in a campus dormitory, said at a news conference today that she flew back from an out-of-town trip "because I needed to be here."

O'Hara had been in Minnesota for her son's wedding rehearsal dinner. But, addressing the media at the Henry H. Fowler Alumni building, she said she flew back Friday night after the incident "because this is my family too."

O'Hara said there has been an outpouring of support, understanding, prayers and concerns. She said the city of Salem's emergency services, fire and police departments "worked really well. You don't ask for a situation like this but we know our emergency procedures work."(Read More)

Technorati tags: Roanoke College, Salem Fire Department

Guns N' Hoses Softball Game 2006

Does anyone have any information on the game tonight at the Salem Avalanche stadium? I was unable to make the game due to a family emergency. I hope the event was well attended and everyone had fun. I will add any information as I receive it.

Roanoke College experiences Mass Casualty CO Incident

62 people were transported to Lewis Gale Emergency Room including two first responders, while another 49 were transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital ER. Only 5 of the victims were still in the hospital today. The two first responders recovered.

Judy Norris woke up about 6 a.m. Friday in a dorm room at Roanoke College's Yonce Hall.

Norris, 68, had arrived the day before to attend a three-day Lutheran Power in the Spirit conference on campus. But that morning, Norris couldn't walk. She barely managed to crawl into the bathroom.

When Norris got out of the bathroom, she tried to rouse her roommate, but got no response.

"That's when I figured something was wrong," Norris said.

On Friday, an apparent buildup of carbon monoxide in a campus dormitory -- a collection of stately row houses known as Sections -- sickened dozens of adults attending the Lutheran conference and teens participating in a six-week college prep program called Upward Bound. Officials say the leak of the odorless and colorless gas may have been caused by failure of the gas hot water system. (Read More)

I have not heard about the incident from the standpoint of the Salem Fire Department. If I get details, I will add them in. I do know that in order to transport 111 victims to the hospital you need a lot of ambulances making several trips. If you have anything to add please send it in.

Dennis Duncan Leaves the Fire Department

Dennis Duncan at RMH ER. Photo taken by Travis Collins.

Recruit Class 15 dwindles as Dennis Duncan leaves the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department to go to PA school. Dennis began as a part-time medic at EMS-1 before he was hired on full time as a Firefighter/Paramedic with the Roanoke Fire-EMS Dept. in 1999. Dennis attended Recruit Class 15 which was held at the Jefferson Center with yours truly. We wish Dennis and his family the best with his new endeavors.

Link Dump 3 - Keep your eyes open

One hell of a response vehicle
National Incident Information System
Wildfire Season is upon us, check out the action
How to properly place a flag at half staff
Useless Movie Quotes - Search by movie
Dennis Hayes' Hybrid Martial Arts Commercial
Illusion of an ambulance
Order your own Historic Fire Station #1
Woodrum Field (Roanoke Regional Airport) explained
Good Semaritan or Super Hero, Candid Video tells all

If you have more, send them in and I will include them.

Firefighting in Roanoke - Deadline looms

I got the cover proof for the book I am working on from the publisher today. I have to admit, it is pretty neat seeing my name on the cover of a book. But this is just the cover. I have a lot of work cut out for me. I am getting back to business tomorrow, I will be working on the book all day.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I have been working on the IAFF Local Listing at the Local 1132 site. This is a list of all of the IAFF locals which have websites, although I am taking it one step farther. I am adding every IAFF local to it. Did I mention there are over 4500 of them? Needless to say this will take a little while to finish.

As I continue learning web design and html etc., I completed another site recently. It is my Father's new business he has begun. The site can be seen Here. Let me know what you think.

Speaking of new websites. I am thinking about re-designing the Local 1132 site, if you have any ideas let me know. I will probably be working on this in September actually. The book deadline is September 1st.

Preview: New EMS Special Ops Track Offered at Firehouse Expo — Emergency Medical Services (EMSResponder.com)

A new learning curve is bein offered this year at the Firehouse expo. EMS Special Ops will now be available for EMT's and Paramedics who want to learn more. It seems as though this is meant for EMS agencies, while combined fire and EMS departments will remain on the Technical Rescue paths that they already use. If anyone else has any information on this let me know.

Preview: New EMS Special Ops Track Offered at Firehouse Expo — Emergency Medical Services (EMSResponder.com):

SUSAN NICOL KYLE
EMSResponder.Com News

It's no longer all about hoses, ropes and ladders.

Firehouse Expo in Baltimore later this month will offer a unique track -- special ops for EMS.

Experts in that field say they know of no other conferences that offer a specific focus for EMS, and believe it's long overdue.

"Just what is 'special ops'? It's a grab bag term that includes everything other than the medical emergency or vehicle crash. It's HAZMAT, technical medicine, anything that requires special training or equipment," said Dr. David Jaslow, medical director for Bucks County Pa. Rescue. Dr. Jaslow also specializes in special operations training at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, and contributes to EMS Magazine and EMSResponder.com

Technorati tags: EMS, Technical Rescue

Roanoke Fire-EMS HTR

Roanoke Fire-EMS Urban Search and Rescue Training 2
Originally uploaded by firefleitz.

Roanoke Fire-EMS members train for Heavy Technical Rescue at the Roanoke Regional Training Center. Click on the picture to see more photos of the training on Roanoke Firefighters Blog Flickr Account. If you have pictures you want to add, just send them in. These pictures are courtesy of Zach Bechner of the Troutville Fire Department.

Over the past few years as the HTR team has grown to include most of the disiplines of Technical Rescue. We have members who have assisted with emergencies locally as well as in other States, trained all across the Nation, and some who now teach these disiplines Internationally. Technical Rescue includes Trench Rescue, Confined Space Rescue, Vehicle Rescue, Water Rescue, Rope Rescue, Farm Machinery Rescue, Structural Collapse Rescue, and Wilderness Search Rescue, as well as some others. Roanoke should be proud of the level of care the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department is capable of providing.

Stomp - Coming Soon to a Training Center Near You

Here is a little wildland fire training video for you to feast your eyes on.

I have removed the embedded video because it played everytime the page was loaded. The link to the video is HERE.

First Response Coalition Blog

The First Response Coalition Blog has an interesting article on how the emergency communications are still not capable of what they should be while we have set up one hell of a system over in Iraq. This is one of those things that everyone will be wondering why it was never fixed after the next big incident.

First Response Coalition Blog:

At a July 10 press briefing in Baghdad, Iraq, U.S. Army Major General William McCoy provided an update on the progress that has been made towards restoring key Iraqi infrastructure, noting the installment of the Advanced First Responder Network, a high-tech data and voice communications system linking police, fire and emergency services across 14 provinces.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch... first responders throughout the United States still have do not have the ability to reliably and effectively communicate with each other, and there remains no national strategy to establish a nationwide interoperable emergency communications network. (Read More)

Technorati tags: First Response Coalition Blog, Iraq

Strecthing out the helping hand

From Roanoke Police Lt. James Fazio:

Robin Galleo's Son has been diagnosed with Duchenne's (a form of Muscular Dystrophy) and we need your help in trying to raise some funds to assist with medical expenses. Roanoke City Police Patrol Administration has purchased 300 of the attached coins to commemorate the five year anniversary of 9/11. The coins are $10 each with all of the profit going to Robin's family to assist them through this trying time.

Please conctact James Fazio if you wish to purchase one of these coins.


Feel free to call me with any further inquiries.

Lieutenant James Fazio
Executive Officer, Patrol Bureau
(540)853-2304
James.Fazio@roanokeva.gov

Feel free to get a hold of me if you would like. I can help you get your hands on one of these coins.

Roanoke Regional Airport Emergency Drill

September 23rd 2006, 10 A.M.

The first seventy participants will be allowed to play the part of victims, victims'’ family members, and media. This is a great opportunity to participate in the community and test your improvisation skills. You will be given a brief description of your injuries and then expected to play the part accordingly. Brunch will be provided along with Commemorative T-Shirts.

The FAA mandates all airports conduct a full scale exercise once every (3) years to test and train emergency responders in the event of an aircraft accident.

To receive a sign up form please call
(540) 362-1999 or email: rraclivedrill@roanokeairport.com
NOTE: 18 years of age and older may participate

Hey look, you can come play with the ARFF Crew at the Airport. Doesn't that sound like fun. Best of all it is a C- Shift day. Oh Joy. Maybe I will have a call by then. Huh? You heard me right. I have yet to run a call since I have been back on ARFF, with the exception of the FAA mandated "Quick Dash". I have been at the ARFF Crew since December of 2004, we ran 2 calls during my time there before being moved to Station 8 for about 5 months in June 2005. I returned to the ARFF crew in October and I have not run an ARFF call since. I should play the lottery. I have run calls while riding on Engine 10, I get to ride E10 once every other cycle or two. This brings a whole new meaning to "The best job in the world" trust me. If my coworkers had a clue they would be lined out the door to get my position. Just don't tell nobody.

A Place Closer to Mattie

Take a minute to read this article on Jeni Stepanek, the mother of Mattie Stepanek. Mattie died 2 years ago serving for many years as the IAFF Goodwill Ambassador.

A Place Closer to Mattie:

A Place Closer to Mattie
Two years after losing the last of her kids, Jeni Stepanek and the disease that claimed them are moving on

By Darragh Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 9, 2006; Page D01

Their place is nearly empty now. The boxes are sealed, the walls blank.

The photos have all come down -- framed snapshots of Mattie J.T. Stepanek with the stars he called friends: Oprah, Jimmy Carter, Jerry Lewis, Larry King.
Jeni Stepanek, mother of the late Mattie Stepanek, prepares to leave the condo she shared with her son. Mattie was a young boy whose poetry charmed Oprah, Jimmy Carter and the world. His mother, Jeni, is now dying of the same disease that claimed her son in June of 2004 as well as three more of her children.

Down, too, came the boy's vast collection of books, and the rhyming dictionary and Latin text he kept next to his computer. His board games are packed away. So are his big green monster claws and rock collection, his baseball caps and favorite stuffed animal.

Tomorrow, his mother is moving. Jeni Stepanek is leaving the Rockville condo purchased with the proceeds from her son's best-selling "Heartsongs" poetry books and where, for Mattie's final years, they lived together until he died two Junes ago at age 13. (Read More)

Technorati tags: Mattie Stepanek, MDA, Muscular Dystrophy

Oops the monkey found, returned to zoo - Roanoke.com

Yesterday, the search for Oops the monkey ended as Zoo officials tranquilized the monkey and retrieved her from the tree where her arm got stuck when she fell. Ladder 1 "C" Shift was on location to assist with the capture. From what I understand they were called out for a "special assignment". Ladder 1 raised the aerial ladder to get a Zoo official as close as possible to the monkey in order to shoot it with the tranquilizer. Another bang up job by the Roanoke Firefighters.

Oops the monkey found, returned to zoo - Roanoke.com:

Zoo staff and animal control officers followed her through the woods and after about two hours cornered her up a tree about 30 yards from the Fishburn Parkway Spur.

Staffers tried to encourage Oops to climb down by calling her name and offering her food. But she wouldn't budge.

"She was locked tight in that tree," said Bill Poage, the zoo's consulting veterinarian.

After about 45 minutes, the staff decided it was time for the tranquilizer gun.

Using a ladder provided by the Roanoke Fire Department, Poage climbed to within 30 feet of the monkey.

His first shot at Oops was on the mark. Oops pulled the dart out, then climbed up and down the tree, agitated by the tranquilizer. (Read More)

Technorati tags: Oops the monkey

MSA Fireslayer

I found a game on the MSA website. I do not know when it came out, but this is the first I have heard of it. I have posted previous firefighter games on the blog, but this one is truly unique. The idea is that you are using a thermal imaging camera inside a residential dwelling. You have to locate and rescue victims while using proper air management. The game will need to be downloaded to your computer which takes a few minutes. This might be used as a training tool. Check it out and let me know what you think. Click the link below for the game.

MSA Fireslayer Challenge 3-D video game

Fish On!!

Yesterday we went to Pirates Cove Marina bright and early to go fishing on the boat Hot Reels. We had a slow start, but caught up quick. Ours was the biggest catch brought in for the day. We ended up catching 7 tuna, one small dolphin, and a small brown shark. Some of the other boats caught some marlin, but they are catch and release. We ended up catching 164 lbs of fish that we kept - 6 tuna and 1 dolphin. We had a blast. You can see the fishing update for July 5th here, we were the featured catch. Sunday we will be having Tuna for dinner, big shock huh.

In other news of interest, the Local 1132 site is back online.

This is the 600 post on the Roanoke Firefighters Blog. I hope you all have enjoyed reading. Total visits to the site are just over 35,000 and total pageviews just over 56,000. Not too bad for a blog that is just over 1 year old.

Extra, Extra, Read all about it!

I write posts about a lot of topics. For the most part they are meant to be informational to my readers. However, sometimes the posts draw the attention of those close to the story. The family members, the victims, the firefighters and EMT's, and others who might be involved in the incidents or stories that I post about. I recently posted about Jeff Dunn, a firefighter, who recently succumbed to Lou Gehrig's Disease. His brother Michael left a comment which probably speaks louder than my post. Check it out HERE and click on comments.

Open Water

I am now officially an open water diver. I made two dives yesterday on the Zane Grey. Visibility was about 10-15 feet. It was fun, it is interesting how it takes little to no time to get to 60 feet.

In other news there was an MVA today, here is the information and some pictures.

MVA 2100 block of Dale Ave. Call received @ 00:40. E-6, L-1, M-6 & RS-1 responded. 1 female inside. Vehicle upside down. Drivers window broken to get PT out. Large power pole and 3 transformers on ground and lots of mineral oil flowing down road. Stay dri used to damn up oil on road and to keep anymore from flowing into storm drain. PT sustained no apparent injuries. Was transported to RMH. She was wearing a seat belt. Photo by Lt. Baron Gibson.

I am still on vacation. Look for more posting if some decent info comes in.

TimesDispatch.com | The many faces of Va. bloggers

Here is an interesting article on Bloggers in Virginia. Although the article speaks of the majority of bloggers, the political ones, I feel as though we are all incorporated. My blog only turns political when need be. Read on.

TimesDispatch.com | The many faces of Va. bloggers:

The many faces of Va. bloggers
The Web gives them a way to air their views and raise some issues Many faces of Virginia bloggers Web gives them way to air thei

BY JULIAN WALKER AND MEREDITH BONNY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS

Jul 2, 2006

FOR MORE
Find blogs on local issues and state politics at TimesDispatch.com

As there are for most everyone, political bloggers have their own stereotypes.

One of the most common is that of an unkempt white male, typically in his 20s, who spends count- less hours every day in front of a computer, churning out opinion articles and ruminations about the latest headlines.

In other words, a tech-savvy hermit.

Conaway B. Haskins III, 29, is none of those things.

He spends only a few hours a day working on his blog, doesn't suffer computer withdrawal and admits that he isn't exactly a techie. Oh, and by the way, he's black.

But Haskins is a part of Virginia's burgeoning blogging community. (Read More)

Technorati tags: Richmond, Blog, Blogger, Bloggers, Virginia

Vacation

Ok, here is the deal. I am away on vacation again. I know, a tough life for someone who doesn't do anything. Ha ha. I will post stuff if it is really important or a good enough story. Otherwise check out www.firewhirl.com for stories most like the ones I might post. Joe Fiala's site is a decent look into the fire service without the Local taste that I offer to Roanoke. If you have any sites you like, post them in the comments.

Check out Firewhirl and leave some comments. Joe, I am leaving it up to you.

I am leaving it in the locals hands to inform me of any pressing issues to post on. Otherwise...as a Captain I know says "Alright baby, gone".

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) & Firefighters -- The Online Wages, Hours and Overtime Pay Resource

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) & Firefighters -- The Online Wages, Hours and Overtime Pay Resource:

Check out this website for information concerning FLSA and Firefighters, Police Officers, and Paramedics. It is an interesting read. I have incorporated what I found interesting below. I have heard all this before, but I had never read it.

"Moonlighting" and "Dual Employment."

Employees may not "volunteer" to do similar work for the same employer without the time being counted as FLSA work time. Firefighters may not perform "additional" fire related activities for their employers without that time being included as hours worked for FLSA pay computation purposes. Also, employees who work "two jobs" for the same employer must aggregate their total hours worked for FLSA pay purposes. For example, a fire fighter who works 40 hours as a firefighter and an additional 20 hours as an animal control officer has a total of 60 FLSA hours worked. Employees are permitted to work "moonlighting" jobs -- for separate employers -- without the hours being aggregated. Employees may sometimes work for "joint employers," such as when they are assigned to a "task force." In such cases, each employer is equally liable to be sure FLSA wages are paid properly.

The way I read this is that any work you do for your employer has to be considered FLSA work time. There is no such thing as "volunteering" for your job. What does it mean to you?

Technorati tags: FLSA, Fair Labor Standards Act

IAFF Local 4116 Member Jeff Dunn succumbs to Lou Gehrig's Disease

Blogger allows me to write posts and save them as drafts. Until today I had one draft which I never published. The reason for that is that I sent an email out about this firefighter and never received a reply. Due to the delicate nature of the firefighters disposition I did not want to publish the post without knowing the firefighters current state of health. Well today I received that reply I was waiting for. Read on...

My original post left in draft form from February 26, 2006:

Jeff Dunn, a firefighter with Castle Rock Fire Department and a member of Local 4116, is battling A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig's Disease). His brother and sister firefighters have assisted in raising money for Jeff Dunn and the ALS Foundation. If you get a chance check out the Castle Rock Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 4116 website and you can see the events they have held for their courageous brother who is battling the biggest fire of his life. On the site there is a link to an article the local news channel reported on Firefighter Jeff Dunn. Jeff and his wife, Cyrilla, have kept their heads up through their battle with ALS.

You may or may not know about Vernon Barnard, a Roanoke City firefighter, who died of Lou Gehrigs Disease in November 1997. While I was not here when Vernon was, I have heard the many stories about him. There are a lot of Firefighters here in Roanoke who remember Vernon, the fun times he had with the guys, and the...this is where I had stopped and saved it as a draft.

The email that I received today from the webmaster of CastleRock's website stated that he apologized for not getting to my email sooner and that Jeff Dunn had passed away three days ago. He told me to look to their website for more information.

For those of you who do not know Lou Gehrigs disease, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), neurodegenerative disease that usually attacks both upper and lower motor neurons and causes degeneration throughout the brain and spinal cord. Basically you loose all ability to control your body beginning with your muscles and ending with your organs.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Jeff Dunn's family and friends.

There is no more of a point to make other than this is why firefighters across the Nation and Canada raise money each year for the Muscular Dystrophy Association to find a cure for this disease and others like it.

Addition: I completely overlooked the fact that Captain Brown died of Lou Gehrig's disease as well just a couple of years ago. I apologize for the oversight, and I thank the individual for pointing it out.

Link Dump 2 - This and That

That is right, it is time for link dump 2. The concept is simple. Click the links that I have provided for you.

Virginia Sales Tax Holiday August 4-6, 2006
New age Pompier Ladder Race?
Roanoke Gamewell Fire Alarm Pull Box - Remember this one?
Does your Department Recruit Here?
Are you in touch with Reality?
South Carolina's Fire Classified Ads
Firefighters are never really "off-duty" are they?
Take a Ride through Chernobyl
Waterwatch - USGS Flood/Draught Patrol
The Worlds Healthiest Foods
Median Firefighter Pay across the Nation
Roanoke Valley Regional Fire-EMS Training Center - New look to the website
West Virginia Firefighters


Check out the sites. Be sure to let me know if you come across something interesting. I would like to incorporate a Link Dump once a week. I will need my readers to point out sites though. Email me if you got something good, bad, or ugly and they don't have to be related to fire necessarily.

Roanoke Fire-EMS Headquarters

P6140002,
originally uploaded by firefleitz.

I received some pictures of the new Roanoke Fire-EMS Headquarters at Elm and Franlkin. Check out the other pictures located on my Flickr Page. The new station is well underway, although I have not really heard any news about it in a long time. Not that I can blame anyone for not notifying me of the project timeline. I have begun to hear rumors of the plans with REMS though. It will be interesting to see what happens. I am not going to speculate, the best I can tell they are just rumors at this point. As far as Fire Station #1 goes, It will be interesting to see what happens. While you are at it, look around the Flickr site and see what you can find. There are millions of user submitted pictures on the site. I will be featuring more in the future. Thanks to Baron Gibson for this set of pictures.

Water Rescue

Here is some more information on the Water Rescue performed by Roanoke Fire-EMS.

Official release from the Fire-EMS Department:

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to a Swift Water Rescue on June 27, 2006 at the Roanoke River near Wiley Dr.

The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 7:54 p.m. from Battalion One. Battalion One pulled up on the scene of two individuals placing a canoe into the swollen Roanoke River at Wiley Dr. He immediately notified the 9-1-1 Center for police assistance and he activated the Swift Water Rescue Team. Other crews arrived consisting of one engine, two ladder trucks, the Swift Water Rescue Team, two medic units, one EMS Captain and one Battalion Chief for a total of 19 personnel.

Soon after the canoe was placed into the water, it capsized, sending both men into the water. Fire-EMS crews immediately began the rescue mission. One individual was able to pull himself out of the water at Smith Park. The other man continued floating down the river. The Swift Water Rescue Team tossed him a throw bag which is used in conducting water rescues. The man held onto it for a moment, but then lost his grip. The Swift Water Rescue Team then tried another strategy by going into the river to save the man. They were successful and pulled him to safety below the Franklin Rd. bridge.

Both men were treated at the scene and released without any injuries. There were no injuries to other civilians or Fire-EMS Crews.

Roanoke Fire-EMS reminds citizens to never enter flooded areas. Debris and swift water make for a dangerous situation which can put you at risk for drowning. Also, never attempt to cross flooded roadways.

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Swift Water Rescue Team was developed in September of 2004. This team is based out of Fire-EMS Station #6 on Jamison Avenue and falls under the Special Operations Division with Heavy and Tactical Rescue. Twenty-three fire-EMS personnel completed the required Technician Level Swift Water Rescue training and Boat Operations.

WDBJ7 has the story including a video of the men capsizing. Check out what the men had to say after being rescued:

One of the men was able to get ashore on his own, but the rescuers pulled the other to safety. After coming ashore, Henegar said the rescue effort was not necessary: "I was swimming toward the trees the whole time, I was resting at the trees, and then I got tired."

But hey, what do the professionals know, these guys do it all the time. "It" being canoe in flood swollen rivers with rapids they are not accustomed to and capsize making them have to fight for their lives to get to shore. Piece of cake.

I wonder if that man would have said the same thing if the other had drowned?

Water for the Soul

I went SCUBA diving today at Lake Rawlings which is located south of Richmond. The lake is actually an old quarry which has been a film location for several movies including "The Replacements" starring Keanu Reaves and Gene Hackman. The lake is very clear and at times I wished I was fishing for the decent sized bass I saw instead of fishing with them. I am being certified through SCUBA Schools International (SSI) and being instructed by Chuck Swecker at Aquatrek, Chuck is also a 1st Lt. for Roanoke City. The course has been a lot of fun. I can definitely see myself diving for the rest of my life. If any of you locals want to get into it let me know and I will get you connected. After one more day of check out dives I will be a certified diver. Next week I plan on going diving while vacationing in Nags Head.

On another note, I heard that Ladder 1 had a pick off at the low water dam today. For those of you not in Roanoke, we have been experiencing a lot of rain and the accustomed localized flooding from that rain. From what I hear, some idiots decided to put a canoe in the water at Wasena Park. Soon after their journey began Battalion 1 happened to notice them in the water. Then, like it was scripted, the canoe overturned (big shock huh). But the guys at 1 along with Battalion 1 and RS-1 got the job done. I am sorry if I left out any other units on scene, this is just from the report I got.

Which is a good segue into the next story I would like to hit on. Why doesn't the City force Ssunny Shah at the Ramada Inn on Franklin to post signs indicating that if we get rain their cars will float away. I have noticed that for the past several seasons of heavy rain the patrons of the Ramada Inn have lost their cars to flood damage. If you didn't know, most insurance plans do not cover flooding.

Finally to rap up, Victory Stadium is being torn down. As if to reiterate the point that the Stadium is susceptible to flooding the flood waters once again nearly covered the playing field at Victory Stadium. Meanwhile the wrecking ball continues to devour the old icon.

What? It couldn't be. Could it?

I will be damned. I just posted a cartoon by Paul Combs. Then I took the time to look at his website. You will never believe the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this picture. It was like 150 years of firefighting right here in Roanoke flashed before my eyes (notice how the years grow exponentially). That is right. Apparently when Ole Leatherneck, Captain Willie Wines Jr., told everyone that he was going to Texas to buy a farm he actually went to pose for this here cartoon. Apparently there is a new Sheriff in town.

In honor of using an image from Paul Combs website, you can purchase this print and others here.

'Stand Down' Rolls Across the Country - Firehouse.com News

Firefighters across the Nation and Canada have been participating in the Second "Stand Down" which is designed to trim all the fat out of a firefighters normal workday down to the bare bones necessity of running emergency calls and replace it with a focus on Safety. The IAFC and IAFF have partnered again this year in the "Stand Down" as a way of waking firefighters up to the common and most often accidents that have claimed their lives in the past. Read the article below, there is a nice compilation of events from many departments across North America.

'Stand Down' Rolls Across the Country - Firehouse.com News:

"ATTITUDE and BEHAVIOR are the driving forces behind policies, regulations, and safety mandates," said Virginia's Richmond Fire Department Fire Chief Robert Creecy as he addressed his personnel. "Without the right attitude and true accountability for consistent safe behavior, the rest is just words on paper."

Richmond Fire and Emergency Medical Services are observing a six-week Stand Down. "Some people are sick, some are out on leave, you can't reach everyone in one day. Everyone in my department will be taught. This is not something you accomplish overnight," Creecy explained.

Creecy's teaching methods must be effective. There was a 50 percent drop in Richmond Fire Department injuries and illnesses in 2005 over 2004, and motor-vehicle collisions were reduced by about one-third. (Read More)

Cartoon by Paul Combs

Technorati tags: Richmond Fire, Fire Safety Standdown, IAFF, IAFC, Firehouse

History? We don't need no stinking history.

Check out the LaserFiche City Council Minutes that Roanoke City has been scanning and uploading. The minutes date back to 1884. When I get some spare time, I will check them out and see what historical goodness is inside. Thanks to Forgotten Roanoke for the link, they have already deciphered some of the information.

Take a Peek - Link Dump 1

Being on vacation gave me a lot of time to think about a lot of things. Some of what came to mind was ways to keep this site going strong, to inform the Roanoke Firefighters, but more importantly to keep increasing my readership among outsiders. Mostly this occurs when the blog shows up during searches, but word of mouth works too. I find it interesting the more and more hits I get from email messages.

What came to mind mostly was interesting stories, viewpoints, and issues that I would like to hit on. More and more of the issues affecting my department are coming to the surface in other departments. Some issues are more of a priority in different parts of the Nation. The main keywords that continue to surface are pay, morale, pension, benefits, insurance, retirement, and hiring. I will continue to find and uncover articles of what other firefighters, departments, and localities are going through (the good and the bad).

Here are some stories summarized. Click on the bold links for the stories.

Chesapeake Fire has gold leafed certain donors names on the back end of Squad 15. The donors helped properly equip the truck to handle emergencies.

Remember when you got hired on at the FD, well so does Sean Brooks. Unfortunately, Sean was laid off only 3 months after being hired. I just hope that the budget cuts that cost Sean his job don't come at the cost of someone's life.

FireRehab.com is a new site dedicated to the importance of proper rehab at the fire scene and in other situations. Check it out, you might learn something.

I don't know how many fire photographers there are out there, but FireRescue has a wildland firefighter photo contest. The deadline is August 18th.

The NFPA has come out with an interesting study pointing to the increase in firefighter deaths during training.

Will Roanoke City Council Meetings reach this point? God I hope not.

Thanks to Local 29 for the link.
Remember the Station Night Club Fire? How could you forget it. Possibly one of the worst fires in the past 100 years. I found a blog related to it. It might not be up to date, but check it out.

I think that I might do this type of thing more often. Consider it a link dump. If you see anything catchy, funny, or interesting and would like to see me post it just send it to me.

Vacation in Folly Beach

Vacation in Folly Beach, SC was awesome. I was able to tune everything out as you can see from the fact that I didn't even check in to see what was going on. Unfortunately nothing was going on. I thought maybe some of you would have opened my eyes to a website, story, or article that I would find interesting and share with the readers. Either way, nothing to lose.

Folly Beach is a very small beach located Southeast of Charleston, SC. I was able to enjoy downtown Charleston all the while living at the beach. I got in some much needed fishing, my best catch was about a 10 lb. Sea Trout. We did not go out on a boat, I will be doing that in Nags Head next week hopefully.

Unfortunately someone might have drowned right down the beach from where we were staying. They flew him out by helicopter. I have been unable to locate any information on the incident.

I noticed a house that had been gutted by fire on Folly Beach and now that I have gotten a minute to read up on the news I have found that it was the house of Rick Huff. The story is here.

Last night we were driving back to the house and passed a vehicle accident with one of the vehicles on fire. Police were on scene, but Fire had not arrived yet. I was driving, so I didn't get any pictures. We also passed this incident, which looked like it had the police busy.

All in all we had a great vacation. It is interesting to read the similarities between Roanoke and Charleston although Charleston is such a bigger City with so many other things to offer. We toured the USS Yorktown while we were in the City and I might have some pictures to share once I download them.

That is the Vacation summary for you.

The Post and Courier | Charleston.net | News | Charleston, SC

Charleston Fire is going through the same type of issues which are hampering the morale of the Firefighters in Roanoke. Most firefighters who bring up pay issues with me have stated that while starting pay is not the best, it is competitive with the Valley. Yet if you look at the pay of the officers and the guys who have been in the department a long time, the pay is not that great at all.

The Post and Courier | Charleston.net | News | Charleston, SC:

City fire pay in spotlight
Officials, group differ on issue of compensation

An association representing nearly half of Charleston's firefighters says morale is suffering because of pay disparities, but its demand that the city conduct an independent salary study has been ignored by officials who say they think the firefighters are fairly compensated.

"Chief Rusty (Thomas) will say we don't do it for the money, and he's right," said Roger L. Yow Sr., president of the Charleston Firefighters Association. "But morale is down in the fire department because of it."

South Carolina law prohibits municipalities from collectively bargaining with employees, so the association has little clout with which to press its complaint about pay. Thomas made it clear Thursday how concerned he is with the association's demands...

Yow said the department does offer competitive wages for entry-level firefighters, but he added that those who have been with the department for decades or hold higher-ranking positions should be earning more than they do now. In some cases, he said, captains are earning little more than the firefighters they supervise.

"You shouldn't be making as much as your boss," said Yow, a retired Charleston Fire Department captain. (Read More)

Technorati tags: Firefighter pay

Vacation

I will be out of town this week in Charleston, SC. Actually I will be in Folly Beach, SC. I might make an attempt at posting something during the week, but don't get your hopes up. I had planned on drafting up at least 7 posts and just posting one each day, but I didn't. I should be available by email if anyone gets a good idea to post, then I will try and get somewhere to post it. If I get a moment I would actually set out some posts that get everyone talking. It seems as though most of my returning readers who are Firefighters here in the Valley don't mind posting a comment to a controversial issue, however when someone retires or there is some other form of congratulatory comments you guys clam up.

Either way, I know that you guys are reading the posts due to the comments here and there. I check the visitor stats regularly. The blog just surpassed 50,000 hits.

Here is an idea, or an assignment if you will. Find a unique website related or even unrelated to firefighting, but something others will find interesting and post it in the comments. There are plenty of great websites out there. This is your turn to provide the information. You can point to the websites homepage or a specific page or article. Just copy the address out of the address bar and paste it in the comments. If you have a website of your own, put it in there. This is a great opportunity at getting some readers since this post might be up an entire week.

As for my assignment - I will be relaxing on the beach drinking beer and then..... drinking another.

Early morning fire displaces residents of Roanoke apartment complex

Roanoke Firefighters were out early this morning fighting a fire at the Whitney House Apartments. Engine 10 was still on the call when I got to work this morning. I have not gotten too many tidbits of information so I will report what I have seen on the news and what Roanoke.com has reported. The news footage shows that it was an impressive fire. It seems as though the firefighters had their work cut out for them when they got on scene. No lives lost, no firefighters injured, the rest of the building was saved. What more could you ask for.

Roanoke.com article here.

Early morning fire displaces residents of Roanoke apartment complex:

Fire heavily damaged a Roanoke apartment complex early Friday morning. Firefighters were called to the Whitney House Apartments off of Williamson Road around 2:40 a.m. Officials say the end unit of the third floor was engulfed in flames. The blaze raced across the roof line on the sub-roofing and caught several other apartments on fire. The cause is still under investigation. (Read More)

Technorati tags: Roanoke Fire, Fire

Marlan Morris Retires

Marlan Morris was hired November 21, 1987 by the Roanoke Fire Department. Marlan is retiring as the Fire Marshal of the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department and is taking with him a lot of prevention and investigation experience. Congratulations on your retirement Marlan. Administration had a going away party for Marlan the other day. I did not make it, but I hear that it was humorous.

Pictured at Station #6 L-R is front row Bev Mitchell, Lawrence Breeding, Tommy Poindexter, back row John Proctor, Marlan Morris, Gerry "Big Daddy" Sullivan, Ronnie Cochran, and Gary Laprad.

This has been a busy week of retirements. Mike Overacker, Cecil Boyd, and Marlan Morris all have retired this week. All these retirements add up to a bigger recruit school than Roanoke has experienced in the past several years. I believe the magic number is 17 recruits this year. Of course you have to remember that Roanoke County and Salem have recruits in the school as well. I have also heard rumor of Lynchburg Fire-EMS Department actually having recruits in our recruit school. I do not know if this is true, but you never know.

Casti Bhamidipati

Casti M Bhamidipati, D.O. graduated June 3, 2006 from University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, ME. He graduated with the Sigma Sigma Phi award which is for those individuals with outstanding scholastic achievement and service. He is currently living in Syracuse, NY and will be doing his residency there for the next year in surgery.

Casti was a Roanoke Firefighter for about 3 years, hired on August 31, 1998, and left to go to Medical School. Congratulations on your graduation Casti. Thanks to Captain Alan Austin for the update.

Timeliness

Thanks to Woman, Fire, & Dangerous Things for this picture. View more pictures here.

Michael Overacker Retires

Michael "Mike" Overacker is working his last day today. Mike started his career on October 22, 1982 and will be retiring with almost 24 years of service with the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department. Mike is a well known photographer who has been published numerous times through the years in newspapers and calendars. Mike took a lot of pictures of fires earlier in his career and continued doing so up to this day. Mike lost a lot of images when his studio was flooded during the flood of 1985. His website RoanokeFirefighters.com hosts some of those images. I might add that he updated that site for the first time in several years last night and added pictures from some fires earlier this year.

Mike's last day is today, call him up and wish him well.

His most recent assignment was to the ARFF company at Station #10. He was promoted to Lieutenant several years ago. Congratulations on your career and best wishes during retirement.
Pictured is Captain Thomas Burton, Randy Smith (standing on truck), and Michael Overacker. This picture was taken in the early 1990's.

Andrew Spradling passes away while waiting for a heart transplant.

Roanoke Fire Fighters Local 1132:

Andrew Spradling passes away [6-13-06]
It is with deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of Andrew Spradling. Andrew is the brother of Roanoke City Firefighter Daniel Spradling and son of Roanoke County Firefighter Jerry Spradling. Andrew was born with only two chambers in his heart instead of four and had been waiting for a heart transplant for several years. Debbie, Andrew's Mother is with him in St. Louis. Local 3194 and Local 1132 are working to unite Daniel and Jerry with Debbie in St. Louis as soon as possible. (Read More)

Check out the Local 1132 website for more information including some articles about Andrew during his quest for a donor heart. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Spradling family. Feel free to leave any comments for Andrew's family below.

Technorati tags: Local 1132, Andrew Spradling, Heart Transplant

Middle-Aged Georgian Leaves Lucrative Job To Become Firefighter - Firehouse.com News

In high school I often wondered what I was going to make a career of. My only stipulation was that I did not want to end up middle aged and hating to go to work. I had to pick something I loved doing. I had read stories of men going through a midlife crisis and realizing they hated their job. What a waste, I did not want to end up like that. Soon after becoming a volunteer at the age of 17, I knew that I had to be a Career Firefighter. Check out this story of one of those guys who was unhappy with his job and made a change.

Middle-Aged Georgian Leaves Lucrative Job To Become Firefighter - Firehouse.com News:

BILL OSINSKI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

He traded his white-collar malaise for a firehose and a renewed sense of purpose.

At 40, John Williamson realized that his life in corporate management had left him professionally unfulfilled, swamped with paperwork, and physically and emotionally drained from the long hours wasted on I-285.

His wife, Patti, recalls a pivotal conversation at their home in Suwanee. She asked him "Well, honey, what do you want to do?"

"When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a fireman. What kid doesn't want to drive a firetruck?" he answered. Then, he added ruefully, "Now I'm too old."

Just how old do you have to be before you give up on your boyhood dreams? The Williamsons decided that 40 was way too young --- and they soon learned that 40 was just young enough to become a firefighter.

So, Williamson applied to the Gwinnett Fire Department. He finished at the top of a recruit class whose members were mostly in their mid-20s. Read More

Technorati tags: Fire, Firefighter, pay, 911

It just so happens that Roanoke Fire-EMS is finalizing the hiring process right now. We are in the process of hiring 17 recruits I think. I know several of the candidates and you might be interested to find out that several are firefighters from out of State, some are just moving from other States, and yet others are making career changes. Some of them have contacted me through this website. As always I am very happy to answer any questions. It is interesting to hear of who is looking to go where and for what reasons.