Salem Firefighters Honored for Rescue

When Salem’s Swift Water Rescue team was put to the test in February of 2003, its members responded with amazing courage and humility, saying afterwards, “We were just doing our jobs.”
On that February 22nd day, team members Mike Elston, Tim Graham and Shawn Stanley knew they were in trouble when the Roanoke Valley was hit with over two inches of rain in a 24 hour period. As the rivers and streams around the area began to rise, the trio began what would eventually be a 12 hour rescue marathon.
Read More on Roanoke.com

In case my brother/sister firefighters in Roanoke, Salem, Vinton, or other area want something posted on here just let me know and send in the story.

Playing the Odds Mentality

You know that mentality that our City leaders have that we can play the odds when it comes to Public Safety. We remove a truck here and move a truck there. Decrease the police officers and firefighters. Consolidate this station and that station. Then we tell everyone nothing will change. This is playing the odds.

This mentality is a lot cheaper than "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Cheaper to taxpayers, cheaper to the City. Budget cuts are in effect across the Nation. September 11th has worn off. The days of Politicians and Local Leaders realization of the need for more firefighters and more police officers is gone. Now the fight has become local. Only in the face of tragedy do things change anymore. Look at Charleston. Firefighters complained for years seeking change in their outdated system. 9 Firefighters died and suddenly everyone is opening their eyes.

Unfortunately, this playing the odds mentality has seeped into the rank and file of our department. The ideals of needing more firefighters on the trucks and more firefighters on scene have been replaced with "Who Cares" and "We have tried but cannot make a difference". Very true, we have tried to get them to listen. So far they aren't hearing it. I will be damned if I am going to give my life up because the system failed me. Don't take that the wrong way, I am still willing to risk my life for the life of another, that is what we do. However, I am not going to give my life by accepting the odds and going along with Administration.

Through this whole ordeal of budget cuts and future changes, the single most significant moment was when Chief Hoback admitted that he had not seen the Fire-EMS Budget located in the Resource Allocation Plan. That same documentation that we were told he created, one of three as a matter of fact, and our City Manager picked that one. This happened, I was there. It was a moment of clarity.

We all know who is running the department. Call it what you will and use your own analogies, but it is not safe the way things are going. We need change. We need reform.

I took a class recently at the training center. The class was offered on duty and was taught by Retired Chief Poff from Roanoke County. The class was on the art of reading smoke. This class was great. Not only did I learn a lot, but I could tell that the other firefighters with me learned a lot. The case studies on the Keokuk Iowa fire that killed 3 firefighters and the Houston McDonald's that killed 2 firefighters was especially interesting. These case studies were interesting because I remember them. The lessons learned from the fires which took these firefighters could be life saving one day.

With our current and future cuts, consolidation, disbanding of companies we are in a downward spiral. The end is nowhere in sight. We have effectively created a quint concept in some of our stations and possibly more in the future. With 3 firefighters on our rigs, this is a recipe for disaster. The one saving grace is that while we do have fires in Roanoke, we do not have many fires with people trapped. This enables us to not risk quite as much while fighting fires. We still search and are capable of rescue, we just don't have to push the envelope too far regularly. Who can forecast the future? Apparently our City leaders can. Because they continue to cut and play the odds. Just don't let that mentality get a hold of you.

Policeman VS Fireman Part 9

Fireman Jake vs Policeman Perry Part 9



Thanks for the heads up by the anonymous commenter on the new video.

Roanoke Fire Blog hits the news

Over the years, I have formed friendships and acquaintances with many journalist and bloggers. There are several who check in daily to VAFireNews.com and the Roanoke Fire Blog. Several picked up the story about the blog being banned.

View some of the stories here:

STATter 911 - a reporter with WUSA9 in D.C.
Firefighter Hourly
FireGeezer
You may have to scroll down on the blogs, the stories ran yesterday.

Station Coins

Station 9's Coin and a message from Goodo. If you have a photo of #1's coin send it in. Correct me if I am wrong, but these are considered Challenge coins aren't they.

Here is the picture of our Station 9 coin. Its the building when it opened with the old doors and no office addition. Since they are shutting it down soon we thought we should get on it now. Hopefully the other stations will see this and we can get everyone doing it. The one side is already on 1 and 9's coins. Bradbury and I hoped everyone would use the same City logo side and put there station design on the back. I would love to get 1 from every station.

Our coins are solid brass, and the cost is quickly recovered. They can call me or Bradbury and we can get them more information, or hook them up with our contact.

Thanks for putting them out there, maybe we can have a little tradition of our own started.

-Good O

Roanoke Fire Blog Banned By Chief

I guess the most interesting thing about this blog being banned by the Chief is that it is being banned right now. I have covered very interesting topics in the past that have not had the same effect. Do not misunderstand me, a ban was not my intent.

I still maintain that this blog is positive and shows the unadulterated opinion of the Firefighters of the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department. An attempt to cover up this shows that certain people have blinders on.

Not every Firefighter embraces this blog or the thoughts on the site. However, those are the ones who read it the most to see what is said next.

If you remember back to the beginning of the blog, I brought news, fires, and history to the forefront. It was only when I finally realized that I could do more with the blog that I decided to add commentary and opinion. Unfortunately, some people did not like this.

I still contend that this department needs significant change. Blocking this blog from City Computers isn't going to change anything. Similarly, nothing is going to change in the department until certain people are realize it.

One ironic twist is that the person who banned this blog is also the person so many Firefighters saw as a catalyst for change. No dice. When the sword changed hands, even he continued to slash at the morale and backbone of this department.

One thing is for sure, either I work in a make believe department or he does. The stories, comments, thoughts, and ideas I hear from our Firefighters cannot be the same that he hears.

I could talk about the positive attributes of this site and the work that I have done, but I don't do it for myself and do not need to toot my own horn. I will note one thing though. When I wrote "Firefighting in Roanoke", the book was never publicly recognized by the Roanoke Fire-EMS Department. It was at that moment that I realized I was not embraced by our management. I am not going to change to make people like me.

I have maintained that this Department is where it is at because of its Firefighters. We have created and maintained one hell of a department. Through all of the despair, cuts, poor planning, bad decision making, lack of leadership, and mismanagement we continue to do our jobs. That in itself is a tremendous accomplishment. I have not met one firefighter in our department who has not complained about current management. Yet the Management continues to cut because of arrival times, fire under control times, etc. Times that are created because we are the best. We know the territory and get there quick. We know how to fight fires and put them out quick. We know how to mediate any emergency and do it quick.

All this in the shadow of:

the IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger and International Association of Fire Chiefs President Steve Westermann signed a joint agreement yesterday at the 49th Convention to provide a framework to improve labor relations between fire fighters and the nation’s fire chiefs. This occured last week at the IAFF Convention, just days prior to the IAFC Convention our Chiefs attended. (Read more about it here)

"The Labor Management Initiative also states that labor and management must improve communications and training, and promote a relationship based on respect, trust and understanding. The LMI also calls for labor and management to find ways to identify problems and resolve disputes.

Westermann urged fire fighters and fire chiefs to work together so they can do their jobs more efficiently and more safely."

Didn't the City send some of our Chiefs to this conference?

In case you are wondering, I will not be changing the domain. You all know how to get to this site, why should I change anything. Aren't there bigger issues to deal with?

Banned

Wait for it....wait for it...wait for it...

It will be positive, professional, and warranted.

For the other media outlets, THIS web site and RoanokeFirefighters.com have been banned on Roanoke City Computers in a fit of Censorship from the Roanoke Fire-EMS Chief.

2008 IAFF Convention

Rodney Jordan, Duane Dixon, Brent Berry, and I recently returned from the IAFF Convention in Las Vegas. In case you were wondering, the Convention is a "Business Meeting" of sorts. We vote on resolutions which set forth the business for the next two years as well as beyond. If you would like to view video and resolutions, check out the IAFF website.

Rodney and I were pleasantly surprised to see that one of Local 1132's historic images was used as the banner for the convention. As you can see in the picture, Steamer #2 sitting in front of Station 9 was picked as the main centerpiece for the convention and could be seen all over the Exhibit hall. This image was one of many sent in to the IAFF for the History Project. The IAFF also used several images for the IAFF History Project which was unveiled a couple of years ago.

About the Open Post

I must say that the commentary on the last Open Post was rather amusing. I did not have time to read every comment until just now. Some of the comments were just hilarious. The raw bread comment takes the cake.

It is interesting to see how the comments escalated.

I have a lot to add, I just need to find the time. Maybe soon.

Do you guys think I should have a weekly Open Post? Every Friday maybe?

NCPERS Report on Public Pensions

Check out Local1132.org for a detailed report from NCPERS on Public Pensions. This article compares Defined Benefit to Defined Contribution plans.

Link - Local1132.org

By the way, the Local site is back up and running. The issue was with our previous domain host, we have successfully moved domain hosting to the same host as our web server and this issue has been corrected. I apologize for the downtime, it was out of my control.

Officer Bryan Lawrence Benefit Car Truck & Motorcycle Show

Officer Bryan Lawrence Benefit Car Truck & Motorcycle Show

On May 10^th 2008 a Roanoke Virginia police officer was viciously and brutally attacked while attempting to make an arrest in Roanoke City. Officer Lawrence was assaulted by two assailants and severely beaten and kicked in the head and neck leaving him unconscious and paralyzed on a city street. Officer Lawrence is currently undergoing extensive therapy in Atlanta Georgia with some improvement in his paralysis, but has a long and expensive road ahead.

As a Roanoke Crime Prevention Officer, he has always worked with the underprivileged and citizens in need. Much of his attention has been directed toward citizens suffering from Alzheimer’s, Autism, and Downs Syndrome. He also has routinely visited local nursing homes, providing much needed attention to the elderly.

Officer Lawrence will be eligible for retirement next year and would like to become a minister.

In this time of need, we have the opportunity to come together to give our support and show our appreciation to this community servant, officer and friend.

A car, truck, motorcycle, and semi truck show that will also include food, games and live entertainment is being organized to benefit Officer Lawrence. The event will be held Saturday, August 23, 2008 at Parts Depot, 2177 Dale Avenue in Roanoke, Virginia , beginning at 10:00 A.M.

We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to participate in this very worthwhile benefit and show your support of this extraordinary Father, Police Officer, Husband, and fellow Man.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Please call us with donations for our representative to pick up, or forward your donations, and or auction items to:

Car Show
1128 Pechin Ave
Roanoke VA 24013

Sincerely,
Bryan Lawrence Car Show Committee
& The Lawrence Family

BryanLawrenceCarShow@Live.com
Contact phone: Walter 540 761 1073

Open Post

I will be out of town from the 9th til the 16th. I offer you another open post. You guys comment on whatever the heck you want. Please try and keep it civil. I will try and post the comments as often as possible. Have fun and be safe. All are welcome, outsiders included. Maybe we can break the record for comments with this one, having a week to post comments. The current record stands around 48.

- I talked to Gary Fisher today...all is well in Iraq.
- Send in the pictures of the Station Coins, I will post them when I get a chance. They are very unique and affordable.
- If you need me, my email is FireFleitz@cox.net. I only check my City email once or twice a month. I get emails quickly on my CrackBerry.

FF hurt, Roanoke Cop Blog and an Update

Steve Dixon, a Salem (VA) Firefighter suffered a heart attack on scene of a structure fire Monday. Dixon is believed to have been venting a roof of a house fire when he became ill. He is recovering at the hospital and has undergone surgery. His family would like their privacy during his recovery from what I understand. Our thoughts and prayers are with him during this time.

The Roanoke Cop Blog is in full swing. The blog is an introspective look at what it is like to be a Roanoke Police Officer. The apparently anonymous blogger writes about life on the street working the beat in Roanoke. The writings are unlike this blog in that he writes about his day to day job and what he experiences. Check out the blog here.

Another Cop blog that I found out about a couple of weeks ago is one written from Memphis. If some of you think that this blog is bad at times you need to check out MPD Enforcer 2.0. The blog has uncovered supposed crime and cover ups within the Memphis PD.

As for me, I have been overwhelmed with a lot of things recently. That is why the blog is somewhat stagnant.

Roanoke City just hired at least one. Apparently, Mark Altman the son of Chief Altman was hired today. There isn't any word on any other hirings.

There have been some fires recently. The Sofa Warehouse on Williamson Road and the McDonald's on Orange are two of them. I cannot stress enough that in these times of companies out of service you need to be careful. The recent jobs have been put out quickly, you just never know when the shit will hit the fan.

Someone recently pointed out to me the amount of Opticoms out of service. For those who don't know, the opticom system turns the lights green when we come to them running emergency. This helps alleviate the traffic backup and gets us through the light quicker. Why haven't these been fixed. I know of a couple which have been out of service in 13's first due for around 6 years.

This article is a must read

Follow the link to the article below. This is an expertly written article characterising firefighters showing full respect for a Firefighter who died in the Line if Duty. A very moving article of our Love for each other that is the Brotherhood shown through at a very trying time in a Department's healing after the death of a young firefighter.

Link to the article

Roanoke Firefighters Auxiliary trip to Emerald Pointe

The Roanoke Firefighters Auxiliary hosted a trip to Wet N' Wild Emerald Pointe yesterday. I must say that if you are in need of a decent family trip and do not want to put up with the planning or excecution of the trip, let the Auxiliary take care of the hard work for you.

The Auxiliary recently had a bowling night as well. They have posted pictures on their website here. The trip to Emerald Pointe was awesome. The kids had a great time, and the adults enjoyed the park as well. Around 50 of us made the trek to Greensboro, NC for the day. We had to sit through one storm when we first got there, then the weather was perfect. The overcast skies kept the crowd to a minimum, which was perfect for riding the slides.

And yes, Willie wore the goggles and water wings the whole day.

View more images on the Roanoke Firefighters Auxiliary Website

Roanoke Firefighters Water Supply Class

Department Instructors presented a Water Supply Class in 18 four hour blocks for city firefighters.

The class covered “Relay Operations” and the fundamentals of LDH supply hose.

“It has been a successful class. A “Back to the Basics” class is always beneficial. The older Firefighters enjoy the practice, and we have so many new young people for which the experience is a first. It truly is a win-win situation.” - Lieutenant Jim Hylton

The lead instructors were: Captain Warner Van Damme, Lt. Jim Hylton, Captain Robert Perdue, Lt. Mark Brown,

Still Going

Hey guys,

I just realized that it has been over a week since my last post. I have been busy much like most of you all. I have so much to say, and I hope to get to it soon.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) I am taking the kids to Emerald Pointe with several other families. The Roanoke Firefighters Auxiliary set up the trip. We are hoping for decent weather.

There has been a lot going on in the City, although at the surface it appears as though the Department hasn't changed much.

I noticed in the paper the other day where the city has spent over a million dollars on another piece of property. I swear, Roanoke City is having a very lucrative budget crunch. The claims of not having money are met with what seems to be one of the biggest spending sprees I have seen in a while.

The Roanoke Times had a nice piece on Roanoke City Manager Darlene Burcham...I didn't read it. I am sure that they got their point across, unlike the news media is able to do when we have a story for them. The one sidedness of our media in Roanoke is embarrassing to say the least.

If you think back to when Chief Hoback took the helm as Chief of our department most of us where saying things will change. Most of us gave him a chance. Most of us kept our heads up and wanted to believe that change would come.

Damn, this is getting depressing...

I will continue on though.

You know that 6 million dollar station 1 they built, well they are replacing it piece by piece it seems. Soon they will have a brand new garage floor throughout. Apparently, the work was sub-par. Shock.

Ladder 13 went out of service the other day...and then the reserve ladder went out of service. Engine 13 stayed in service though, and the City operated with 3 ladder trucks, well actually 2 and a half. Ladder 7 accounting for that .5.

I was told by one of our Chiefs that if a truck is broke he will shop it automatically. That if it is unsafe, then it needs to be fixed and does not need to be in service. This was told to me without me asking. I didn't say a word...until now. Why the hell are Ladder 7 and Ladder 13 still in service if they have not been able to fix the relief valves since February. Hell we have needed 4 people outside of the apparatus drivers to come in special and tell us they are broke. What gives.

Oh yeah, Engine 8 failed the pump test twice and was kept in service for months.

Hypocrites.

I will tell you what I think. I think we are on a one way trip to the darkest day of our lives. I think that without change, one of us is going to be seriously injured or killed.

The best thing we have going for us is each other. Watch your back, watch your brothers back.

I have some more stuff I need to post. Some feel good stuff as well. Look for it soon.

Retired Captain James Givens Passes Away

Retired Captain James Givens passed away on Friday. He worked for the Roanoke Fire Department for 42 years, serving most of them at Station 9. The funeral arrangements are as follows: viewing Sunday 2-4pm and 6-8pm; viewing Monday 6-8pm; Funeral Tuesday 2pm all at the Downtown Oakey's. Honor Guard Members are needed. Contact Richard Lipes, Chief Tartaglia, or myself by pager if you can help. Also needed are pallbearers for the funeral, his wife is requesting members who worked with him.

Tanker Fire Shuts Down Route 220 in Downtown Roanoke

Tanker Fire in Roanoke. More on VAFireNews.com.

Message from the Roanoke Firefighters Auxiliary reference to trip to Emerald Pointe

We finally have our Emerald Pointe Trip reservations made. We will be going to Wet and Wild Emerald Pointe on Wednesday, July 23rd. We will be leaving Roanoke at 7:30am and will return home around 9:30pm, as the park is open from 10am-7pm. (We will let you know where we will be leaving from at a later date) The total cost of the trip is $46.00 for adults and children over 48" tall and $38.00 for children under 48" tall. This price includes an Abbott bus to and from the park and lunch in the park. Lunch will be buffet style and include hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, chips and a drink. The buffet line will be unlimited times through, but will only stay open for one hour. The price also includes our own private tent while we are there. Each family will be responsible for providing their own dinner, but there are several choices available inside the park.
The trip is less than 2 weeks away and we only have 54 seats on the bus. If we have more people we have the option of getting another bus, but it is very important if you are planning on going that we get information and payment as soon as possible. Abbott needs $100.00 ASAP and Emerald Point needs 50% when I mail the contract back to them.
Please reserve your spot ASAP by calling Melanie at ********** or **************. If you have any additional questions, please let us know!
So.......grab your swimsuits and let's go!

If you guys need the number for Melanie let me know or you can call Scott Graham at Fire Station 1 today. You can email Melanie at rfauxiliary@gmail.com.