Fire at 3012 Yardley Drive

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to a structure fire on January 17, 2007 at 3012 Yardley Dr.

The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 10:22 a.m. The response of two Engines, one Ladder truck, one Medic Unit, one EMS Captain, one Administrative Chief, the Education Information Specialist, Emergency Management and two Battalion Chiefs for a total of 19 personnel responded to the scene.

Upon arrival, crews found smoke coming from the front door and the residents outside. Crews quickly gained entrance to the structure and extinguished the blaze that was found in the kitchen. A primary search was also conducted which was ruled all clear. Firefighters rescued a dog from inside of the house.

There were residents in the house when the fire started. Everyone had exited the building when Fire-EMS Crews arrived. There were no injuries to citizens or Fire-EMS personnel.

The fire started in the kitchen and was contained to the kitchen. The house also sustained smoke damage. The cause of the fire was cooking.

Seven residents, six adults and one child, were displaced by this fire. Emergency Management was contacted along with the Red Cross to assist the residents. Damage estimates are approximately $27,000.

This home did not have working smoke detectors. Roanoke Fire-EMS offers free smoke detectors and installations. To schedule your appointment, please call 853-5785.

2007 VPFF Legislative Conference

Members of Local 1132 are attending the VPFF Legislative Conference in Richmond to learn about current Legislation and follow up by Lobbying for that Legislation.

Visit Local 1132 Online for information, or go directly to the VPFF website for up to date information.

Follow the Bills on the VPFF website.

Here is an interesting site to follow the bills, it was developed by Waldo Jaquith who is a popular political blogger. The site is http://www.richmondsunlight.com/.

"Firefighting in Roanoke" on Ebay

"Firefighting in Roanoke" has finally reached the apex of Internet marketing by making its debut on Ebay. A book store is selling the book (Link) and has put a buy it now price around $22 with $6 shipping cost. It will be interesting seeing how it goes. I kind of doubt it will sell at the buy it now price since you can purchase it on Amazon for around $13. I have been waiting for the book to show up on Ebay to complete the total marketing for the book giving it the maximum exposure. It really has been a fun ride watching the book sell across the Internet.

The Transportation Museum wants to set up a book signing in February. I should have a date for you soon.

For all the people who have purchased the book, I hope you have enjoyed reading about the history of the Roanoke Fire Department. Credit the members of the Roanoke Fire Fighters Association and families of those members who are gone for keeping the pictures and getting them to the RFFA for use in the book.

Guns N' Hoses 4

2007 Annual Roanoke Valley Guns and Hoses Hockey Game

Click the picture for the article and more pictures.
Pictures by Michael Overacker

A New Blog - Concord, NH Fire/Battalion 3

Battalion 3 of Concord, NH has started a blog. The webmaster is a firefighter named Bickers who apparently used to work for the Bristol, VA Fire Department. It seems as though he got the idea from Shawn Roark who started the Bristol Firefighters Blog. It is great to see the new blogs pop up across the nation. A "blog" is a really simple way for firefighters to feature their department without knowing a lot about web development. I have added the link to the sidebar on the right.

Guns N' Hoses 4 Hockey Game Tonight

This is a reminder of the Guns N' Hoses 4 Hockey Game tonight at 5pm at the Roanoke Civic Center. Youth Hockey begins at 5, the Firefighters VS. the Police begins at 6/6:30. Be sure and come out to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

2006 RFFA Annual Awards Banquet

The Roanoke Fire-EMS/Roanoke Fire Fighters Association Color Guard began the event with the posting of the colors.

The Color Guard members are L-R Noel Gardner,
John Burrows, Daryl Songer, and R.T. Flora

Last night was the 2006 Annual Awards Banquet held by the Roanoke Fire Fighters Association Local 1132. The event was held at the Holiday Inn, formerly the Clarion, and was an enjoyable evening.

The highlights of the Banquet are the Retirement Axes handed out to the Firefighters who retired during the past year, and the awards giving to firefighters for exceptional acts including Firefighter of the Year.

Of the retirements over the past year, the firefighters who were present to receive their retirement axe were; Billy Obenchain, Oscar Smith, John Sweeney, and Michael Overacker.

Michael Overacker photographed the evening, so this is the picture
of him receiving his retirement axe.

This year the coveted "Firefighter of the Year" award actually went to 5 firefighters for a double rescue that occurred at a house fire. Captain Scott Mutter, 1st Lt. Scott Alford, Lieutenant Jamie Brads, Firefighter George Harris, and Firefighter Eric Mulford performed two rescues on the scene of a house fire. Congratulations to all you guys.

Receiving the award for Firefighter of the Year are: L-R Scott Alford, Eric Mulford, Jamie Brads, and Scott Mutter. George Harris was unable to attend.

Special Thanks to Vice President Tim Parry for all of the planning that goes into providing the banquet. The many hours of preparation paid off, and it seemed as though everyone enjoyed themselves.

My lovely Bride, Becky, and myself at the Banquet

On another note: There has been a lot of discussion about the Banquet and where it is held, whether we should have a DJ or a Band, the cost of the banquet, and when it is held. In the coming months the RFFA will be revisiting the planning of the event to make sure that we are planning the best possible banquet for all of our members to enjoy. Feel free to leave comments on what you would like to see change or stay the same.


I was unable to take many pictures during the event. Michael Overacker took many photographs of the event and will have them available soon.

Roanoke Fire-EMS Roof Ventilation Training

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department has acquired an apartment complex for use in training up until demolition begins to replace the structures with a new complex. The Department has been able to use the complex for training on Rules Of Air Management (ROAM) training and Roof Ventilation Training. The training has been accomplished on duty, rotating crews from the various stations through the training on all three shifts. (Read More and see additional Photos at VAFireNews.com)

Putting Roanoke Fire-EMS on the Map

Over the life of this blog, through the Maurice Wiseman Project, Local 1132's website, submitting pictures to Firehouse.com and VAFireNews.com, assisting journalists with the Roanoke Times, "Firefighting in Roanoke", and future exploits I have enjoyed giving Roanoke Fire-EMS and the Roanoke Fire Fighters Association a face among departments across the Nation and reaching around the Globe. To get hits from Countries I have never heard of is really neat. It has been journey learning about the tools which help propel a website to a well read website. There are so many interesting products which can help get readership. The Blog has served as a medium for so many to learn what the Roanoke Firefighters are all about; the good and the bad. The publicity that the book alone has given us has been overwhelming. In the next month I will be at another book signing and Blue Ridge Public Television wants to do an interview on the book and the Maurice Wiseman Project. However, the response from my brothers of the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department has been the best. I really appreciate all the thanks I have received for putting the book together. Many of you would like to see a "sequel". I can say that the possibility of doing a "Firefighting in Roanoke- the last 50 years" is pretty good. Just give me time to get some other things out of the way first. All you have to do is keep getting me photographs to copy and get back to you.

Today, a guy stopped by who you all might know. Battalion Chief Billy Obenchain stopped by to say hello to the guys at Station 13 and dropped off some interesting reading. Apparently he and another guy by the name of Shelor (sp?) put together a book on all the apparatus from the 1880's to around 1980 as well as another book detailing key points in history from 1882-1982 about the Roanoke Fire Department. Much of the information I had already done the research for at the Library; looking through the microfiche of old newspapers. However, this was put together in chronological order and binded. It will be a great asset when I begin the complete history of the Department. Thanks Billy, it will be put to use. Of course, as with all the stuff I receive, it is property of the RFFA.

The thing that gets me is that we have so many great instructors, gurus of various fire/ems disciplines, and specialists who do not reach out to get their name recognized for the work they do and know in order to assist other firefighters. VentEnterSearch.com has contributing editors; you might be able to submit information to them. Firehouse.com has the nationally recognized firefighters who are common firehouse names. But there are other publications/websites that would be glad to publish your columns. WiththeCommand.com is a great site which looks for original content. VAFireNews.com has room for contributing editors, yes I know I have a personal stake in the site but the site has plenty of room for feature writers on training and the like. Just look at the previous post for more opportunities. All most of them are looking for is regular submissions.

Recently, the Roanoke Times had an article about seeking columnists for writing regular columns in the paper. I saw the article and thought about it for a minute. Wouldn't it be cool to have a regular column in the paper which highlights the Roanoke Fire Department? The likeliness of them accepting that column is probably slim. However, what if the writer wrote about firefighting in the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas. That is a concept which might work. Then I got a phone call from a Captain, he said I might do a good job with it. I explained that I might be a little to busy for a regular column. It would be neat. The idea is still up in the air.

It has also been told to me that the blog is probably pretty decent recruitment tool. I can say this; I get several emails a month about the department, when we are hiring, what the department is like, and what our department is all about. It is fun talking about the department with the prospective candidates. Some of them try to get hired, others I never hear from again. After all, it is just as hard to get this job as many other FD's around.

Either way, the Blog will keep on ticking.

Links to keep you busy

Links to keep you busy - Job Related

The Bravest Online
WiththeCommand.com
LAFD News & Information
VAFireNews.com
SConFire.com
FireNews.Net
Firefighter Blog
USFirefighters.net
Firefighting.com
The Bravest.com
Nomex hoods to purchase if you are the Man of Steel, or Batman, or other Super heros
Firefighters Online
Firefighter Rescue Inc.
Firefighting Links Dot Com
VentEnterSearch.com

If you have any to add, put them in the comments. This is just a short list of some decent Firefighter related websites. Check them out.

Stuff roles downhill

I thought this picture was pretty funny. It was sent in by a reader, and is from Break.com.

Fire at 1133 Pilot Street - Maple Grove Apartments

Roanoke Times story on the fire
The story was is on VAFireNews.com under "Hotshots"

Roanoke Firefighters respond to an Apartment Fire at the Maple Grove ApartmentsRoanoke Fire-EMS responded for a Building fire at 1133 Pilot Street NW. E13, L13, E9, E4, E5, L7, M10, M4, BC-2, and Salem Engine 2 responded for the reported fire. E13 advised of a heavy column of smoke which could be seen as they responded from Station 13 on Peters Creek Rd. Firefighters experienced heavy fire from two apartments which had spread to one other in the 4 unit apartment building. The Firefighters were able to contain the fire quickly and the primary and secondary searches were negative.

This was my first fire since joining the guys at Station 13. Last day we had a small fire at another apartment complex in NW, which was relatively small.

Unfortunately, 16 tenants were put out of their homes due to this fire. Luckily, there weren't any serious injuries to any of the tenants or firefighters.

Engine 9's crew stand in the burned out window casing. The guys are from left to right; Jon Dixon, Chris Franklin, Captain Willie Wines Jr., and Brad Glidden (from station 10). Lt. Richard Alley was pumping Engine 9.

Captain Wines told me a little story after the fire. Captain Wines was just recently moved from Station 14 to Station 9. He said that the first day on the job was at Station 9, being assigned to Ladder 9. His father, a retired firefighter who worked at Station 1, came to visit him on his first day of work. While his father was there L9 got a fire, the first one of his career. Fast forward 100 years or so to today, his father stopped by again. This time it was Willie's second day back at Station 9. Ten minutes after his father got there, this fire was toned out. I thought it was a pretty good story.

Lynwood English from L13 and R. Caughey from E4 stand in the upstairs apartment window. This was their first fire.

On a personal note, this was my first fire since a fire at the Ferncliff Apartment fire 2 years ago. It was good to get back in the action. Once on scene, it was like I was never gone. We (E13) got the hydrant and brought the 5" supply line. I helped hook it up to E9 and was able to get in and do some overhaul. It was a nice homecoming being back at Station 13. It is always a great fire when all the firefighters stay safe.

Amazing Video of a Backdraft

Check out this amazing video of a Backdraft while firefighters are trying to mount a defensive attack on a taxpayer. The information on the Break.com, where the video is hosted, says that no firefighters were seriously injured in this incident. The video probably will not show up on City computers because Break.com is one of the blocked sites.

Firehouse Chat

I have always enjoyed the discussions held at the various firehouses. The discussions vary depending on the personalities in the room. We have some great personalities. We also have some great discussions. One of the hottest topics everywhere I go is the state of affairs within the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department. Whether it is scrutinizing of ideas, tactics, or policies that affect our daily work environment or talking about the way things should have been done. After all it is very easy to arm chair quarterback.

Let us look at all the big changes we have witnesses recently like the Consolidation Plan, the study and it's 35 recommendations, the new ambulance at #3, and all the other things which aren't on the tip of my tongue.

The Consolidation Plan talks of closing stations 1, 3, 5, and 9 and building two new stations. It also incorporates moving the suppression companies out of #10 into a new fire station and selling #10 to the Airport which houses the ARFF crew.

Correct me if I am wrong but I believe that the closing of #12 was brought up in the plan as well and occurred shortly after the plan emerged. This entailed getting rid of an engine company, replacing it with an ambulance at #4, and giving two personnel to the County to run mutual aid into the City.

The new study and recommendations (in my understanding) detailed a Quint concept which would get rid of at least two more engine companies. After all, a fully staffed Quint can only really perform the functions of a Ladder OR and Engine at one time. Our apparatus is staffed with 3 personnel, with the occasional day in mid March where we have 4 on an engine.

Then you have another Medic unit at #3 (medic #7). Was this planned for? Not in the long term. I do not know of many who will say we don't need the additional medic truck. But do we have the manpower for it. Maybe we should have hired some more Medics to staff the truck before actually putting it into service. Basically the additional truck was put in service to replace the ill-fated Medic 1 at REMS. But this isn't something that happened over night. Ever since I have been here REMS has had a hard time staffing the truck with volunteers. This is a national trend, fewer people have less time to volunteer.

Maybe we should recruit more Paramedics. But that is another story all together.

If you sit down with firefighters you will hear many great ideas. There are plenty of ideas on ways to correct some of the plans that the firefighters don't agree with.

I know from experience that it is more common to hear what you did wrong rather than what you did right.

Do you know why most firefighters point out who made most of these decisions, because it was not them. Nobody ever asked what the firefighters wanted. I don't they expect every idea to be presented to them. However, some of these decisions which will effect the workplace environment of our firefighters need to have the firefighters input to give them a sense of OWNERSHIP. There is a big difference between compromise and having something shoved down your throat. If you want the firefighters to be proud of what they do, who they work for, and where they work they have to have a stake in it.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Well it depends which tunnel you are looking down. The study recommended a committee that to my understanding would address this lack of communication. The idea behind the committee is to allow firefighters and administration to meet and discuss changes, plans, and ideas. The success of the committee depends on which firefighters, and which types of firefighters are involved.

The South Roanoke Circle features Station 8 B-Shift

The South Roanoke Circle, a publication for South Roanoke, featured a story in the January 2007 edition about Station 8 and the crew on B-Shift. Station 8 will be 78 years old on January 23 of this year. Mary Anne Marx photographed the men, including Captain Robert Perdue, Lt. Jim Hylton, and FF Shane Duncan for the story which was written by Jill Hufnagel.

If you get a chance to pick up a copy of the paper which was sent out yesterday it is worth reading. It is always good to see the firefighters in the paper. Thanks to the South Roanoke Circle for featuring the Roanoke Firefighters.

Fire at 4511 Williamson Road

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to a structure fire on December 31, 2006 at 4511 Williamson Rd., The Plaza Court Motel.

The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately 2:28 a.m. The response of three Engines, two Ladder trucks, three Medic Units, one EMS Captain, one Investigative Unit, and one Battalion Chief for a total of 24 personnel responded to the scene.

Upon arrival, crews found a fire in a back room of the motel. Crews quickly extinguished the blaze. The fire was contained to the room of origin. Rooms above and beside this room sustained smoke damage.

There were no injuries to civilians or Fire-EMS personnel. The Red Cross is assisting some of the occupants.

The cause and the origin of the fire are still under investigation.
Preliminary damage estimates are approximately $15,000.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Brothers!

We have now entered a defining year in the history of Firefighting in Roanoke. Did you know that March marks the 125th Anniversary of the first Fire Official in Roanoke - a Fire Marshal who's job description was to inspect the chimney flues. This year also marks the 100th Anniversary of Fire Station #1 opening in February. The most defining Anniversary this year might be the 100th year of a completely paid department. Many events which have defined our fine department many years before we even thought of working here. Since these significant dates, there are not many others. We might consider the Second Platoon in 1936, or the first Black Firefighter in 1965, or the Third Platoon in 1972, or maybe even the first Female in 1995. But really 1995 only counts if you are to disregard the history of Roanoke City EMS, and then the date would be earlier. Not prior to 1985 though. To be sure of the date would only take a moment. These are the significant dates that have molded our department. Then there are other dates like when the department doubled in size in 1911 from 3 to 6 stations. Maybe you would consider when we got our first motorized apparatus also in 1911. Maybe when we bought the 5? Oren Grey Ghosts in 1950? Or in 1991 when we bought 5 Grummans both of which were large investments by the City.

These are defining moments in the history of the Department. Most firefighters have defining moments in their careers. Like their first fire, or their first day on the job, or possibly when they were promoted, the various assignments they will experience in their careers, or the big fires which occur every couple of years.

2007 has promises of being a big year for the Roanoke Fire-EMS. We will see another Chief named, the 12th in history since Chief McFall on March 1, 1903. Battalion Chief Billy Obenchain will be replaced in February as well. The new Fire Station at Elm and Franklin will open sometime around March and Fire Station #3 will close down having been open since April 12, 1909 equalling 98 years of fire service and having been home to horses in its early years.

For the new recruits, some of this stuff may seem like not such a big deal. For the veterans of the department, they have seen Chiefs come and go. For me, having been in the department for almost 8 years this will be the first time seeing a new Chief. As for the Battalion Chiefs go, when I came in 1999, Assistant Chief Tartaglia, Battalion Chief Beckner, Battalion Chief Roger Manuel, Battalion Chief Ferris, and Battalion Chief Altman (I apologize if I am wrong on any of these) hadn't attained the level of BC. It has been interesting watching the ranks get filled.

We will see more recruits hired in February and then some more in July from what I understand. There may be more retirements before 2007 is over as well.

As for your resident Blog Dawg, as Deano Scarpini (Dean Russell the head of the Dublin Fire Brigade Mafia) calls me, is concerned I will continue to keep the site running. 2007 brings me back into the mix of things after being somewhat retired on the ARFF crew. January 5th will be like the first day of work for me. I cannot wait to run calls and see my brothers on the street protecting the Citizens of Roanoke.

Happy New Year
Stay Safe and God Bless

- Rhett Fleitz

Captain Gary Laprad Retires

Captain Gary Laprad has retired. Apparently he didn't opt for letting many people know before he left and I found out for sure after the fact. Gary Laprad, Bumpass as many call him, comes from a family of firefighters. Gary's father, Charlie E. Laprad Sr., and his two brothers Micheal "Mikey" and Charlie "Eddie" Jr. worked for the Roanoke Fire Department. There has been a Laprad, from this family, in the FD for the past 58 years. There were some other Laprads in the department but from what I understand they weren't all related.This picture was taken around 1994 by Maurice Wiseman in front of the Garden City Station 11. Gary was hired on February 3, 1986, his retire date will be February 1, 2007 giving him 21 years in the department. He worked his last day last week. From what I hear, he will be going to teach at a local school. Gary was most recently assigned as Captain at Station 3 on B Shift. I wish you a long and healthy retirement Gary.

Medic 7

I have been waiting to get some solid answers on exactly what is going on with Medic 7, the new ambulance in the City of Roanoke. Well actually it isn't new, it is replacing the part-time/volunteer Medic 1. Below is how it will be staffed:

Effective January 1, 2007 @ 07:00 Medic 7 will be placed in-service at Fire-EMS station 3, all part-time personnel will now report to station 3 for assigned shifts and will staff medic 7. The hours will remain 07:00 – 19:00 Monday through Friday; REMS will staff MU101, MU102, or MU103 when volunteer staffing is available. If no volunteer ALS staffing is available, on-duty personnel will relieve the part-time staff on medic 7 for the remainder of the shift and will staff the unit on weekends. If on-duty staffing is not available to staff medic 7 when REMS is not in-service then part-time staffing will be utilized on nights and weekends to supplement the on-duty personnel.

The ambulance is brand new and was just delivered to Roanoke. It will be in service ASAP, in the meantime Medic 7 will be a reserve ambulance.

2007 Guns N' Hoses 4

Guns N' Hoses 4 will be on January 13th at the Roanoke Civic Center. The annual event benefits the MDA and pits Roanoke Valley Firefighters against Roanoke Valley Police Officers in a friendly game of hockey. More information can be found here.

Star City FOOLS

I apologize, I did not have the correct URL when I posted the information on the Star City FOOLS. The correct URL is: http://www.starcityfools.com. It seems as though they meet at O'Malleys Downtown the second Wednesday of each Month.

Back from Christmas in Nashville

Ok, I am back from Christmas in Nashville. It took a little while to catch up on the emails. I have so many things to post and so many things that readers want posted. Let me go over the vacation real quick for you and a few Christmas presents worth mentioning. My lovely wife got me two huge presents this year. The first one is this compact Canon Power Shot digital camera. This will be perfect for getting more pictures.The second is this Paul Conway leather helmet. Mine being yellow, and still being shipped. Perfect for the new assignment at 13. It will be like the first day of work. Gone will be the long sleepy nights. Did you know that the Roanoke Valley has a chapter of FOOLS. The Chapter is called the Star City Fools and they have a website here. FOOLS stands for the Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society, link here. In many localities, the FOOLS are very involved much like the IAFF locals or Volunteer Fire Department Associations.
On the trip down to Nashville, we stopped in Bristol for some authentic Mexican food. You know, Taco Bell. Bristol Engine 3 was parked nearby so I took some pics. Check out Bristol Fire here.
In Nashville, we came upon this "incident". Apparently this BMW went into the drink. The flatbed fished him out and hauled him off. The man with the vehicle did not look to happy. Thanks to my new camera, I was able to snap this picture.
I hope that everyone else had a great Christmas.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all the Roanoke Fire Blog readers. The Fleitz Family is in Nashville for Christmas this year. The Blog will be on a little bit of a break.

Below is the beginning of a post I was working on the other day. I did not have time to finish it, however I thought that posting the legislative link might afford you the opportunity to learn about the up coming legislation.

In January, representatives from Locals across Virginia will be meeting in Richmond to learn about legislation affecting our jobs and benefits. Once the legislation is understood, the firefighters head to the General Assembly to meet with their respective Congressman and Representatives and lobby for the bills we want and against the ones we don't. That is a brief synopsis of what goes on during the Legislative Conference. It is a learning experience each year. Luckily, for the Virginia Firefighters we have Art Lipscomb and Robbie Bragg III who head up our Legislative Committee. Click for Link

December 2006 Promotions

Here are the newly promoted officers of the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department. They are from left to right, 1st Lieutenant Toby Bedwell, Captain Matt Dewhirst, Lieutenant Scott Bradford, Lieutenant Breck Hudson, Lieutenant Chuck Sharp, 1st Lieutenant Doug Hurd, Lieutenant Tina O'Brien, Lieutenant Tom Gherman, Captain Mike Rose, Captain Tim Parry, 1st Lieutenant David Bocock, and 1st Lieutenant Brent Berry. The new officers will be assigned to their new stations in January. Thanks to Mike Overacker of RoanokeFirefighters.com for the picture.

Your Benefits

A couple of announcements:

Firefighter of the Year award and Company Award Nominations are due by January 1st. Currently there have only been 3 nominations. The Company Awards are similar in nature to the Firefighter of the Year awards, however these are reserved for incidents and events where you cannot narrow the nomination to one or two firefighters. If you have any questions about the Firefighter of the Year award, and to submit a nomination, contact Tim Parry. If you have questions or would like to submit a nomination for a Company Award contact Teddy Adkins. Please submit a description of what the incident/event was and why you feel the firefighter(s) deserve the award. These are due by January 1st.

If you have not sent in your RSVP for the Banquet, the price goes up after tomorrow. Please be sure that we know you are planning on going. We need to have these numbers in order to get the best possible pricing at the Hotel. Rooms are available and we have blocked off 40 rooms, contact the Holiday Inn (formerly the Clarion) to reserve your room.

The "Firefighting in Roanoke" books have been selling great. We have about 100 of the 400 left on hand, contact me if you need to get one. Barnes and Noble has sold out, and is ordering more which should be in at the end of this week. If you would like a signed copy and are unable to catch up to me, there are signed copies at the Roanoke Antique Mall on 460 and at Rams Head Books at Towers Mall.

Now for the real issue for this post. Someone told me today that they were not going to participate in the flex spending offered by the City. For those of you who do not know, the City just revamped the flex spending accounts offered for health care and dependant care. There are a couple of perks, actually three that come to mind. The new benefits will be available through WageWorks.

1. The money comes out of your paycheck pretax.
2. The City matches the funds up to $130 a year for the health care account.
   
3. This City match is in effect a $130 a year raise.

That is the way I see it. I know that I will spend $260 this year on co-pays, prescriptions, and over-the-counter drugs. The program also covers glasses, contacts, and Lasik surgery among others. View the complete list here. You can use this account on yourself, your spouse, and your children whether or not they are on your insurance. I think you would have to be crazy not to enroll in this benefit. The only downside to the program is that you have to make sure you spend every penny before the year is up.

Fire at 1414 Gilford Avenue

Sorry, I am a little late on this one.

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to a structure fire on December 15, 2006 at 1414 Gilford Ave.

The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately
6:45 p.m. The response consisted of four Engines, one Ladder truck, one Medic Unit, one EMS Captain, one Battalion Chief, and the Investigation Unit for a total of 22 personnel. The fire was under control at 7:30 p.m.

When crews arrived, they found a fire in the attic of the ranch style home. Crews gained access and extinguished the fire.

There was one person in the home when the fire started. The resident was transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation. One firefighter sustained minor injuries.

The fire started in the attic and was contained to the attic. The cause of the fire was due to improper discarding of smoking materials. Damage estimates are approximately $18,000.

NFA Command and General Staff Class

Here are pictures and the guys that attended the NFA Command and General Staff class which is 48 hours 6 days straight and goes over the IMS system and all of the different command functions. The Roanoke Fire-EMS employees who are attending are: T Collins, J Beckner, E Plaza, D Bocock, L Thompson, S Graham, A Austin, S Alford, C Trussler, C Martin,W VanDamme, B Conner, P Dillon, V Stover, R Perdue, T Adkins, D Barker. There are 13 others including 2 from Botetourt County FEMS, 2 from Salem, 2 from Martinsville, 2 from Henry County, 1 from RKE County, 1 from Lynchburg, 1 from Prince WIlliam County, 1 from Moneta, and 1 from Montgomery County.

Scott Graham, Clayton Martin, Brian Conner, Teddy Adkins, Werner VanDamme
and Vince Stover work through a problem in class. (above)

Chris Trussler, Dustin Campbell, Scott Alford, and Robert Perdue work as a team.(above)

Dale Barker, Phil Dillon, Alan Austin, Loren Thompson, Ellen Plaza,
and Jeff Beckner work as a team. (above)
Thanks to Travis Collins for the pictures.

Gonzalez speaks at the IAFF Redmond Symposium

This is an account of what firefighters were faced with in the hours during and following Hurricane Rita. I saw this guy speak at the IAFF Convention in Toronto. His account tells of the problems the firefighters had to cope with and the fact that they were all alone in dealing with the catastrophic event. This is well worth listening to.

The Worst Firefighter Ever

Check this out.


If you can't view the video, check out the direct link here.

Street Interviews on the scene of a Fire Call

Heather Flanagan offered this link to a video about Firefighters from Port Townsend, Washington. The link is to a post about a grocery store that burned down three years prior. The video is of an interviewer taping talking to the bystanders and firefighters on the scene. (Link)

Todd Reighley heads to Iraq

Todd Reighley, one of my brothers from recruit school, has decided to head out to the desert to fight fires and get paid 4 times our salary here during a war, in a hostile environment. Todd was hired in March of 1999 with recruit school 15. There aren't many of us left from that class, and Todd will be welcomed back at the end of his year long tour, providing he wants to come back. Todd has been the Lt. on Ladder 7 for the past 3-4 years. Todd runs a blog The Life of Reighley, I am not sure if he plans on keeping it updated or not while he is gone. We wish Todd the best, and a safe 365 nights under the Iraqi skies. God Bless.

Todd emailed this to the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department:

As most of you by now know, I am heading to Iraq as a civilian contract firefighter. I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you and that it has been a pleasure working w/ each and everyone of you. My last day on duty with our department is today Dec. 16th. I will be around however through the Christmas Holidays. I deploy to Houston TX Jan. 8th, for a week and then fly to Dubi Saudi Arabia the following Monday the 15th. I do not know what military base I will be working on until I am in Iraq and will be stationed overseas for 1 year. For those who wish to keep in touch with me my yahoo email address will remain in use. Merry Christmas to you and your families.

Todd Reighley
tareighley@yahoo.com

"Firefighting in Roanoke" - The book signing

Yesterday was the first book signing. I did not have a clue what to expect, but it went very well. Perry Franks, Jerry's brother, set up the event at the Roanoke Antique Mall. We had the good fortune of the article in the paper mentioning the event. I showed up a little early and was pleasantly surprised to find that the Rocky Mount Fire Department had sent up their 1929 Seagrave. That truck is in excellent condition. I arrived around 1230 and there were already people waiting for a signed copy. Over the course of the next several hours I had the pleasure of talking to many relatives of retired firefighters. Several of which were related to firefighters from the teens. That was very interesting. Many of the names mentioned, I had heard of. I ended up searching the book many times to see if the relatives were in the book. The event was really fun. I met the grandson of Stephen C. Snead, the daughter of Bobby Geary, Hugh Waid - a firefighter who left to go to Fairfax around 1965 after working here 10 years, a relative of Alfred and Ott Britt, several retired firefighters as well.

I had a couple people ask about Maurice Wiseman. That was really neat. Unfortunately, I never met him, so I could only offer a little bit of information on him. I did get to meat Earl, one of his brothers. He is pictured in the picture above with his wife, both in blue jackets. They were very interested in the book and we talked about Maurice for a while.

The Chief of the Rocky Mount Fire Department brought their 1929 Seagrave Engine to show for the event. Thank you for helping out and showing off the truck.
Thanks for Perry Franks for taking the pictures

Firefighter bridges time

Amanda Codispoti wrote a great article in today's paper on the book. The article is linked below. Thank you Amanda for the well written article and the awesome publicity. The book signing was today, and the book was very well received. I will have more on it later, I am waiting on some pictures.

Firefighter bridges time
A new book follows the evolution of services in Roanoke from an all-volunteer group in 1882 to the Fire-EMS department in 1995.

Amanda Codispoti

During the first few decades of firefighting services in Roanoke, firefighters such as Howard Dowdy drove and washed the horses that pulled fire wagons.

More than a century later, Dowdy's grandson, Bev Mitchell, would drive and wash the gray, and later red, fire engines.

"I imagine we respond a whole lot quicker now than we did then," Mitchell said, chuckling.

The evolution of the department, from an all-volunteer organization in 1882 to the Fire-EMS department in 1995, is documented in a new book, "Firefighting in Roanoke."

The book, compiled by Roanoke firefighter Lt. Rhett Fleitz, includes more than 200 pictures that illustrate the changes in Roanoke's firefighting services, which began almost 125 years ago. (Read More)

Firedog Across America

Hey Readers, I recently got this email in reference to Circuit City and its brand new service, firedog, which has inspired a new nationwide “firedog Across America” contest to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to America’s firefighters. Click on the following link to view the contest site, featuring Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani: http://web.firedog.com/acrossamerica/details.aspx. We’d be thrilled if you could let VA Fire News.com readers know about the contest so they can help raise money for America’s fire safety professionals and win great prizes.

Circuit City’s new service, firedog, is a one-stop shop for consumers’ technology needs: www.firedog.com. Circuit City’s firedog technicians install, optimize, repair, and make technology purchases simple so consumers don't have to waste time with piles of manuals and tricky cables.

To help commemorate and launch the new firedog service in a unique, cause-focused way, Circuit City developed the contest, “firedog Across America,” which will provide great donations and prizes to local firehouses and the consumers that nominate them!

The contest works like this:

http://web.firedog.com/acrossamerica/details.aspx

1.) Tell firedog Your Story
Tell firedog your personal story about how a local firehouse has demonstrated service to your community. If your story is chosen as one of 10 finalists, you will receive a $10,000 home “techover” from firedog and your fire station will receive a $20,000 donation.

2.) America Votes
Once the 10 finalist firehouses have been chosen, the stories will be posted on firedog.com and America will vote for their favorite.

3.) The Best Part, Everyone Wins
All of the finalist firehouses win. For every vote cast for a finalist firehouse, that finalist firehouse will receive a $1.00 donation (total donations based on voting for all 10 firehouses not to exceed $250,000). After 16 days, the station with the most votes will be the national grand-prize winner and receive an additional $100,000 donation!

The firedog Across America contest was launched last week. As part of the launch, Circuit City and firedog also presented $100,000 donations to both the FDNY Foundation, which supports New York City Fire Department initiatives, and the National Law Enforcement and Firefighters Children's Foundation for its efforts in helping children of law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York City Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta were on hand to receive the donations.

I should really be getting paid for this advertising, but as always I am glad to spread the word.

More Retirees Breakfast Photos

Mike Overacker has posted some more photos of the breakfast on RoanokeFirefighters.com. Check out the pictures here.

The December 2006 Retirees Breakfast

Yesterday, December 12^th, was the second Retirees Breakfast at the Union Hall. Approximately 50 retirees attended who seemed to enjoy the camaraderie. It was really good to see all the guys enjoying each others company and able to get together in a large group to reminisce about “Back in the Day”. There were guys there who retired 20+ years ago up to our last retiree John Sweeney, who retired last month.

Willie Wines Jr. kicks off the breakfast and welcomes the Retirees

Willie Wines Sr., his buddy the Larry the “Governor”, Willie Wines Jr., Brent Berry, Wayne Hall, Stacy Boothe, and J.J. Price cooked up one hell of a spread for the guys. They should be commended for the breakfast they served to the group. We appreciate the job they have done for the second time now. Next time you see those guys be sure to say thanks.

Travis Collins, George Perdue, and Mike Overacker attended and were able to capture the event with photographs. Thanks to all the other guys who attended and helped out including R. T. Flora, Kenny Furrow, Rodney Jordan, and Jon Willdigg.

The Retirees seemed to really enjoy the event once again. I think that all the current firefighters really enjoyed seeing the “Old” guys have such a great time.

“Firefighting in Roanoke” the recently published pictorial history of the Fire Service in Roanoke was available for the guys to purchase and most of the guys got one. I think the best part of the event was that the guys were having their comrades sign the book like high school students signing a yearbook. I think that Gary Moorefield’s Wife started off the signing and she would not let anyone leave before they signed her book. There were enough stories told that day to write another book.

George Perdue signs "Big Daddy" Sullivan's Book

There were a couple more spouses than the last one present at the event. It was great to see the excitement that they shared in their husbands careers.

After it was all over with, it was fun to kick back with the guys who had helped with the event and chew the fat. It was good to open up the Union Hall for another event. It seems as though the building is being used more and more for events. If any of you firefighters have an event coming up let us know if you want to use it.

From what I understand, the “Billy Obenchain” T-Shirts sold pretty good after the event at station 2. If you want to get a hold of one of the shirts, stop by station 2 on any shift and they will have one for you. Here are some pictures of the event, I will have the rest up on the Local site tomorrow.

The Union Hall was a packed house

The guys look over the book "Firefighting in Roanoke"

Amanda Codospoti, a reporter with the Roanoke Times, was able to interview many retirees for an article she is working on for the paper. Look for something on Friday in the paper possibly.

New Station Assignments

The moves are out. There are many changes among the stations.

Luckily, for me it was good news. I will be rejoining the ranks of the Red Fire Trucks and working at 13 on C-Shift. Prior to being promoted I was working at 13 on B-Shift and I was on C-Shift prior to that.

It seems as though, from the new assignments, several people might be asking "What did I do to get moved". What do you think?

click to view the list

Retired Firefighter Mike Overacker on Roanoke.com

Mike Overacker, a retired Roanoke Firefighter, was on The Roanoke Times Webcast on Monday December 11th. He was featured due to his role as the Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society President and his photograph which captured the Space Shuttle as it passed through the sky over Roanoke. Check it out.

Information about Scott Bailey currently serving with the Marines in Iraq

I was forwarded this email from Scott Bailey's Mother. Scott is doing well and currently serving in Iraq with the Marines. His address is included and he appreciates correspondence. The firefighters on B- Shift at Station 2 put together a care package for him. I think it weighed over 100 lbs. It was sent out yesterday and should reach him in about a week. I will try and get his email address and post that as well.

The email reads:
"I got a phone call from Scott today. He was also able to call Kira. Lines for the phone were long. He was well and seemed to be in good spirits. They are working long, hard hours.

He is currently working out of the Haditha dam area. Apparently they are going out for days/weeks at time on missions, then coming back to the dam. When at the dam, they are sleeping on cots in a workroom. This is a temporary assignment, then he will be moving further west toward the Syrian border. I think the outpost near that area is at Rawah. He has limited phone service and no computer service right now. He believes he will have some computer access when he gets to his next post.

He has been getting some cooked foods in addition to MRE's. In fact, he said they had been able to set up a grill of some sort and he and another Marine were the "grill masters" -- something he loves to do.

Things he can use include batteries (AAA and AA) - beef jerky, packets of tuna, chicken - protein sources. Protein bars would probably also be good. Individual serving sizes of snack foods like peanuts, cashews. Socks, hygiene products will also be needed. He left with a supply of things, but will have limited access to replenish.

He has not yet received any letters from home - -but I assured him that they would be coming soon.

I have attached a couple maps on powerpoint that show where Haditha and Rawah are located.

For those who still need the address:

Cpl Bailey, Scott D.
4th CEB DET HQ Support
Unit 41790
FPO AP 96426-1790

You can also send letters by going to motomail.us and setting up an account. With motomail, you type in your letter and they print it out in country - then deliver it. I would not send "secure" information this way though. I usually type my letter in WORD, then paste over in motomail b/c if i get interrupted, it will time out.

I will let you know when I hear more. Thanks to everyone for their support and prayers.

-Carol "

Catch Up

There are many posts which I have meant to upload. I have not had the time, so you will have to wait a little longer. There will be a post tomorrow on the Retirees Breakfast. I hope to incorporate pictures as well. The guys really had a great time.

The book has made it's rounds to most stations by now. If you have not had the chance to get a copy yet, let me know and I will get one to you. We have sold around 150 copies so far. We have plenty left. The response to the book has been great.

This is a big week (this year) for the Fire-EMS Department. The moves will be listed, letting many firefighters know where they will be working in January. Many of them want to move, many don't. Some have to due to promotions and the new recruits who might have been temporarily filling a hole until the new roster comes out.

Word has it that there are three internal applicants for the Chief's position with Roanoke Fire-EMS; Acting Chief Hoback, Battalion Chief Roger Manuel; and a Captain which has been unconfirmed. I heard today that Chief Birch, Roanoke County Fire-EMS Chief, has applied for the position as well. But don't hold me to it. The next year will certainly be interesting for the Department. Many changes are on the way.

Firefighting Turbine

Check out the video on this post about a firefighting turbine. This is pretty wild. (link)

The new features of the blog

OK, I have updated the blog. For the time being, this is the new look. I am not sure if I will be able to get the old look back due to the new interface of blogger beta. The new features include a categories (labels) tag that will be attached to the posts. You will be able to look at all the posts with the same labels. The other feature is an expanded archives list. You can now look at the blog by the year, month and post on the right hand side. There is also an "older" link at the bottom of the blog to take you to the next posts which drop off into the archives. If you enjoyed the google adsense buttons on the top of the old blog, they are now in the sidebar. I hope to move them back up, if I can ever figure it out.

As far as the links go, I have culled the bad links and blogs which haven't been updated in a while. If there is a link missing which you want back up, let me know. If your blog was removed, let me know and I will add it back. If you find a bad link which I missed, let me know and I will add it. Otherwise enjoy the new features.

I will try my best to go back and add tags to most of the posts. However, going through 750+ posts might take some time.

New blog features

Please bear with me while I add some new features to the blog. I am attempting to add the features and keep the same look. This will take a little while and the blog may look different for a short while. Let us see what happens.

Roanoke Fire-EMS Promotes 13 to new positions

Congratulations to the newly promoted Captains, 1st Lieutenants, and Lieutenants. The following firefighters were promoted today.

Captain
Tim Parry
Mike Rose
Matt Dewhirst

1st Lieutenant
Toby Bedwell
Doug Hurd
David Bocock
Brent Berry

Lieutenant
Chuck Sharp
Tom Gherman
Tina O'Brien
Scott Bradford
Breck Hudson
Kevin Bradbury

"Firefighting in Roanoke"; the book has arrived, get yours today

The books are in. Get your hands on a copy while supplies last. The RFFA has ordered 400 copies. Contact me to get your copy asap. You can stop by the Credit Union today, or stop by station 10 tomorrow for your copy. They will also be available at the Retirees Breakfast at the Union Hall on Tuesday December 12th starting at 9am. My pager number is 201-4667 if you want to get a hold of me, otherwise email me.

Promotions and moves

From what I understand, today they are going to figure out promotions. The moves will follow next week and be effective the first week of January. I guess the waiting game will soon be over for many who are waiting to hear if they have been promoted and/or moved from their current assignment. I will post the news as it comes in over the next few days. Good luck to all of those who are promoted.

Retirement Party

Roanoke Fire-EMS is hosting a retirement party for Battalion Chief Billy Obenchain today at 11am at the Jefferson Center Atrium.

This artifact is one of the oldest in Roanoke relating to fire. This is a water bucket from the ages of bucket brigades. We have photos of this style bucket hanging on one of our hook and ladder trucks. Really, all that was on the truck was ground ladders, pompier ladders, water buckets, axes, and maybe lanterns. I would share the picture of the hook and ladder showing the water bucket hanging from it, but it is a centerpiece of the book. Which might I add, will be available in mere days.

Firefighter Wayne's last post

Firefighter Wayne, a retired Detroit firefighter recently added his last post numbered 435. He has blogged about historic firefighting related to Detroit and beyond for 435 posts. His information has been gathered across the internet and from personal experience. His information will be available online, however he has discontinued posting. Visit his blog at www.firefighterwayne.blogspot.com.

On a related note, Joe over at Firewhirl has recently began posting again. Firewhirl is a great resource for Fire related information and news. You can visit his blog at www.firewhirl.com.

Golf Tournament

The Golf Tournament for next year is in the planning process. It looks as though the tournament will be held at Hanging Rock. Contact Tina O'Brien if you would like to help.

I need to know what year we had the first tournament. If you know, please let me know.

Thanks

Magnesium Explosion

A small MPEG camera on the engine films fires kinda like COPS. This was a stolen pick-up truck that someone dumped and set fire to. Watch when water hits under the steering column and a magnesium explosion occurs.

If you cannot view the video on a station computer, it is because the video is hosted at Break.com.

What the heck is going on downtown?

Warning, Rant ahead!!

Tonight I took my family to the Circus. When we arrived, an hour and fifteen minutes early, we were told that we had to park downtown and take the shuttle unless we were handicap or had a preferred parking pass. I wanted to strangle the guy who was working the parking lot, but it wasn't his fault. Did I miss a memo? What the heck is going on here? There was another event going on at the auditorium of the Civic Center and another event downtown. Apparently, this created the need for Police Officers at every stoplight near downtown and the Civic Center. We ended up parking near the Civic Center and walking. Now imagine my amazement when I got inside and realized that there was a Roanoke Express size attendance ( just under 1000 probably). Just imagine if the place was packed. The Circus was decent, only one ring and not exactly how I remember the circus as a child. But never the less enjoyable for the kids.

My suggestion is before you sink millions of dollars on another venue at the Civic Center (the exhibition hall), taking away hundreds of parking spaces, why don't we make sure we have enough parking for events. Maybe they should take that big vast expanse that was going to be an amphitheatre and pave it. Then create a walking path or raised walkway over 460 to the Civic Center. Maybe parking is the reason why the place wasn't packed.

Since I am in rant mode, I have another no-brainer. Valley View Mall is constantly adding stores, and currently following the City's lead by taking away parking, creating more tax revenue for the City. Why not go ahead and finish the entrance/exit at Best Buy? What the heck is going on here? That place is a mess. I like visiting the Valley View area, but I don't understand why that project never got finished.

It seems to me that the City needs to prioritize it's needs and start working on the traffic problem which exists in many places in Roanoke. I can think of many areas which are very congested; Colonial near Towers mall, 460 from 581 to the County line, Valley View Mall, Hershberger and Williamson, Several spots on Brandon Avenue, Avenham and Franklin, to name a few.

I am glad I had time to cool down since the parking incident. I know I don't hit on stuff like this much, but I just couldn't help myself. If you were wondering if the Circus was worth it, the answer is yes. The kids loved it.

Brotherhood - Helping a Brother out

There are many things that can be said about the Brotherhood of the Roanoke Firefighters. One thing about us is that we are always there to help a brother save a little money, or lend them an extra hand. Many firefighters moonlight as plumbers, carpenters, painters, electricians, landscapers, etc. This comes in handy when one of us is in need of a professional, or someone who has experience in a trade. This also comes in handy when a firefighter experiences a life changing event, or a death in the family and needs a little help around the house.

Not all of us can help everyone all the time, but usually you can find someone to help. For instance, Jeremy Bennington is building a house. Now when I say he is building it, I don't mean he is overseeing subcontractors as they work and lining up the next subcontractor. I mean he is building it by himself, with the help of his brothers. Side note: if you want to help him, and yes he is always looking for some help, please contact him.

Today, I spent a mere two hours helping a brother install carpeting in his family room. No, I am not a skilled professional, but I have done it before. I felt confident that we could get it completed and looking good. We installed it, it looks great, and best of all it only took two and a half hours. Money saved = $250. I walked away with a sixer of Sam Adams Boston Ale. What more could you ask for.

Here are a few tips on getting people to help.
1. Only get them to help if they will know what they are doing.
2. Get them some beer or feed them lunch if they help out. If they don't drink, just leave out the beer.
3. Don't give them the beer until the job is done, unless they are merely there for the camaraderie and moral support. I think that is self explanatory.
4. Always remember that they helped if you need help later on down the road.

Fire at 918 Howbert Avenue

The Roanoke Fire-EMS Department responded to a structure fire on December 1, 2006 at 918 Howbert Ave.

The call was received through the 9-1-1 Center at approximately
5:35 a.m. The response consisted of three Engines, one Ladder truck, two Medic Units, one EMS Captain, one Battalion Chief, one Administrative Chief, and the investigative unit for a total of 25 personnel.

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

There Were Three people in the home when the fire started. They escaped without any injuries. There was one resident displaced and assistance is being rendered by the Red Cross. There were no injuries to Fire-EMS personnel or civilians.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. There was $30,000 damage to the structure and contents.