Man Down - One of Our Own!!

Reporting From On Scene
Incident:  Man Down & Out

Just a few days ago, for our Brothers over at Station # 24, it was just another day on the job... rushing to a 911 call to save someone in the midst of having a heart attack. Little did they now, that it would not be just any call... but they would be racing to the aid of one of our own!  Seems our Engineer aka: Chauffeur had taken a nasty fall at home during a 'mild' heart attack. From the fall (over and on to a solid oak coffee table), he sustained 3 cracked ribs and partially collapsed lung.

Luckily, Brennan would be received into excellent hands. He received immediate care and quick transport to local hospital within minutes.

Our Engineer had been enjoying his second day off from work at home.  According to him, he didn't notice any oncoming symptoms at all. (A "silent" myocardial infarction). Trust me when we say, this has completely taken us all by surprise.

As of today, he's recovering in the hospital still and they plan to keep him in a few more days. During the next 6 weeks, we are sure to see him transform into quite the couch potato.  Which is expected.

So, since he's busy in the grips of those higher powers to be at the hospital, we'll be busy taking care of things around his home of course.  Cause... that's what Brothers do.

So... if we are not around much, you now know why.

Be safe and never take anything for granted, especially good health. Always expect the unexpected.

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        captain
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Reflections From The Past Week

Reporting From Off Scene

Yesterday, I was stationed at our Accountability Board again.  Although I hate to admit it, I am a little bit of a control freak.  So with that said, seems that I am destined to be there but I will certainly not complain, the experience is unbelievable.

Reflections:

• Easy way to remember the A side of a building - it's the side with the address.
• The front door is not always the A side of a building.
• Someone lost the dry erase markers for the accountability board.  Grrr!  Had to use a ghetto half dried up marker and spit to erase.
• It's so rare to hear anyone say, "Thank You. Good Job Probie!" I heard it about a dozen times yesterday.
• Went by myself to Tim Horton's. Bought some hot chocolate with real whipped cream in my p.j.s after a long day on shift, in the middle of the night.  That damn hot chocolate never tasted so good. 

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       Shadow
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The Future of Firefighting

Reporting from on scene

The future of firefighting will greatly be challenged to improve upon today’s technologies, policies, and procedures, as well as to create new and more effective solutions to the world’s fire problems. There is much to be accomplished in the future if you want to know. There are many challenges currently awaiting us. The development of more nuclear energy and atomic bombs, the new chemical processes, new materials, and the advanced methods of manufacturing (building, vehicles, etc.) are a challenge from a fire protection standpoint. These new problems must be met and this will require highly informed firefighters and much greater specialization. Firefighters in the days to come will of necessity need to have a much higher and complex educational background sufficient to advance into these fields of high specialization.

You have asked me where the Fire Service is going. My answer is this. The Fire Service is going exactly where we take it. If we develop in the technical fields which are necessary, if we show a proper cooperative spirit, and if we provide the leadership which the Fire Service properly deserves, the citizens will be better protected; our working conditions will improve; proper working hours will be established; adequate salaries will prevail and we will go on to even higher pinnacles than we can ever imagine.

But before we think about the future and what's in-store for the fire service, we need to be more concerned about the challenges that face us now such as constant budget cuts, over worked men, budget cuts, poor and lack of firefighting equipment, poor and inadequate training, budget cuts, lack of volunteers, gaps in leadership and the list goes on.

The need to take care of 'now' is important to ensure there is a tomorrow.

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    HoseMonkey
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I Was Once Told

Reporting From Off Scene

While going through a 'pity party' period, a wise man once told me:

"... If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof overhead, place to sleep, a job to wake up to in the morning and spare change in a dish somewhere ... you Brennan, are richer and more blessed than most in this world. STOP your whining and bitching!"

It's true.  And from that day on, I try and catch and stop myself from complaining about insignificant shit!  He explained it to me this way:

"...If we all threw our problems in a pile and really took the time to see everyone else's problems, we'd most likely grab our own back."

Not words you really want to hear when you feel like the whole world is working against you.  But he certainly had a way of putting things into perspective:

"...So Brennan, while you sit there and complain about all the long hours that you have been working and that you have no social life, ask yourself... who chose your career?  That's right, 'you' did. While you complain about working, that man you met yesterday dying of cancer, wishes he had your energy, health!  Yeah, he's probably thinking that you are one lucky SOB!

Quite the attitude adjustment I received that day!

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Engineer aka: Chauffeur      
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No Autographs Please

Reporting From Off Scene

Here goes.  My name is Kent.  I have two older daughters in their early twenties from first marriage and we are very close.  I am now married to She Who Must be Obeyed, my wife Jenna.  Together, we have two daughters.  Jenna and I were actually high school sweethearts, for a weekend.  She used me for sex and I was alright with that.  Many years later after high school and after failed marriages, we met again through mutual friends and we hooked up.  Now I use her to clean my house and take care of our daughters.  She still uses me for sex and I am still alright with that.

I am a Firefighter/EMT, a Lt. in the Winnipeg Fire Service and have been for 24 years. My wife Jenna is an up and coming director at a woman's crisis shelter and she babysits neighbourhood kids during the week in her free time.  Our daughters are our number 1 priority and always will be but we also share a passion and a huge interest in Big Brothers and Big Sisters Programs, it's an organization that we hold near and dear to our hearts.  Both our daughters are mentors at their schools to younger kids.  I am proud of that!  A person should never get tired of doing little things for others, sometimes those little things occupy the biggest parts of their hearts.  My little brothers and Jenna's little sister actually all get along really well together and prefer hanging out all together, which is what we do, when we can.

I value the friendships that I have and I'm protective of them.
I enjoy a good laugh with good company.
I really enjoy snowmobiling, bonfires with friends, WWE wrestling, mountain biking, hiking, camping, etc.
I'm a goofball.
I'm serious.
I believe in calling a spade a spade, I don't sugar coat things very often.
I have my share of up and downs in life.  I get excited over stupid things. 
What else do I need to say?  My life is mine.  It's not for sale but will consider all serious offers.

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      Lieutenant
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Full Bellies = Happy Men

reporting from on scene

A well fed crew is a happy and healthy one. Like in most social settings, it is food that brings people together. The firehouse is certainly no exception.  Shopping, preparing food, and eating together builds a unique camaraderie among firefighters and provides a chance to blow off some steam between calls.

Taking a proactive role in the kitchen is of utmost importance and a great way to quickly score high marks with your crew members/officers. When it comes to firehouse cooking, it takes 100 good meals to make up for one really bad one. And if the meal is bad enough, it can haunt you your entire career. Don't ask, just trust me on this one.  Uuugh!

We have a budget, yes... even when it comes to the food bill.  We have a set budget (everyone contributes $$$ on a weekly basis) and we do our best not to go over that.  No, tax payers do not flip the bill for our groceries.  We are 100% responsible for our own meals while on duty.  We simply pool our money together to purchase our groceries.  Certain meals can end up being very expensive, so we have to keep in mind of what and how much ingredients will be required before we head out to the store, or one of us will be absorbing the extra expense. There are many meals that I do, that I will only prepare if the items are on sale, otherwise it ends up going way over budget.

We buy in bulk when we can because nothing can ruin a great meal more than having to ration it out, because it came up a little short. A good meal not only tastes great, it also fills everyone up.

Time is also an important factor. Dishes that require hours of prep work are not recommended or they have to be prepared off duty and brought in to the station. Simply because, in the event of a fire or any other call, we may be gone for several hours, and the meal will need to be postponed.  Thank goodness for crock pots, which we have five of in our kitchen!

So... what do I feed a crew of six with the munchies at 11:42pm on a slow (knock on wood) night?  I throw some good tunes on, George Thorogood to be exact, and I take to the kitchen to prepare some hearty nachos to fill their bellies.

The members of my whine, bitch, piss and moan club, aka: my crew, announced that it was the best!

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        captain
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Intro: LadderJockey

Reporting From Off Scene

Hello.  (I thought that was a good way to start.)  My name is Dean (and I am being honest) but most people call me LadderJockey, a name bestowed upon me by a selected few.

I am a career Firefighter/EMT and one of the areas that I specialize in is aerial operations (stabilizing and the operations of aerial equipment/apparatus for a variety of applications, including high angel rescue, master stream applications, etc.).  I have just completed my certification for Hazardous Materials Technician.

I love ladders.  Short or high.  I have climbed to a ten story window carrying tools, stood on the ladder & busted out windows to carry a person down to safety WITH a guinea pig in my pocket.  I have climbed to roofs & spent time up there working on ventilation.  I have stood on a ladder & popped the attic vents out.  I have no fear of climbing or of heights.  In fact, the higher I go, the bigger the rush I feel.  The only problem is, I have to be the one to set the ladder/apparatus myself & make absolutely sure it isn't going anywhere before I take the first step.  I trust very few people.  If I can't set the ladder myself, my feet do not leave the ground.

So, hence the name, LadderJockey.

 
I spend most of my downtime in divorce court with my two girls, friends/crew and with my mom because I am, and proud to admit it, I am a momma's boy.  I love hiking, snowmobiling, billiards, paintball, fine dining and bonfires with friends.  My biggest pet peeve and something that I absolutely despise is 'your momma...' jokes - so do not go there.  I will flip and fucken freak out!

Other than what I have written (and I am not much of a writer) I have nothing more to put in this post and am only making one so that I can have one out there.  Already I have gotten a few lines typed out.

This makes another line.

So yeah, I guess I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish.  I have officially ntroduced myself.

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    LadderJockey
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Not a Drill But Experience

Reporting from off scene

This, was a bloody hell of a stressful week!

This week, I was exposed to our Accountability Board and it's purpose and we became one, the board and I.  We have never met before until this particular day.  I must say, it has been quite the experience.  Yes, our Department does use an accountability board to track our firefighters while on a busy chaotic scene.  The board is set up by incident command and it's divided into quadrants that hold all firefighter's 'cards' while on scene. The main purpose is to know the location and assignment of each and every firefighter operating on scene... so one can accurately locate a missing or injured crew member when the unthinkable happens.

On this scene, I was asked to participate because "...you NEED to know this Shadow! So get the heck over here!"

A personnel accountability report also known as PAR, should be used to assure command that all crew members are accounted for and are operating in their intended locations. For example, I had to relay "...Engine 23 has PAR 4. 2 ventilating the roof and 2 on exterior fire attack!" I have learned that we never use the word PAR unless of course, all our crew members are accounted for.  Had one crew member not been accounted for, I would have relayed "...Engine 23 has one member not accounted for, last scene on fire floor." Command would then assign his rapid intervention team to the last known location of the crew member.

I was tested by being asked to provide the scenarios that would require command to order accountability to perform an emergency PAR.

• Sudden extension of fire
• structural collapse
• change in offensive to defensive operations
• PASS alarm sounding
• crew member not being heard from

All correct! More points for the Probie! I learned a lot on scene that day, an experience that I will never forget.

I would be interested to know if other Departments use an accountability board as well.

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       Shadow
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Always Read The Fine Print

Reporting from On Scene

Captain:  LadderJockey!  Do you get paid to work or to cause me grief?

Me:  What does it say in my contract?

Captain: To work!

Me: I misread it then.

Under no circumstances do I recommend uttering the above words.  Hindsight is 20/20.

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    LadderJockey
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Our Job Is Hard Enough ... Careless Drivers Make it Harder!

Reporting From On Scene
Incident:  MVA

I was driving the engine at our station just the other day. We were dispatched to a major highway accident. As we pulled out onto the approach, we had to wait for what appeared to be a female driver in a red car. She wasn't paying attention, and only stopped after she passed the station. We pulled out with lights and siren, and while going down the road, she passed us. Of course, dirty words were spoken. My Captain and I fought for the air horn. She was slowed down by traffic and we passed her. She zoomed over and passed us again. My captain was livid! He used words that I think he made up. I yelled at her too. The problem is that her little red car can maneuver and zoom in and out of lanes, but she could cut us off or leave us with no lane to get into if something happened, and a thirty-thousand pound fire engines don't stop like a little car. The fact was she was endangering us, and those around us.

As we approached an intersection that took us out to the highway, she was caught at the red light. We ran the light and turned left. Within the block she caught us and passed us again! As we approached the scene of the accident, traffic was shut down to one lane on the highway going West. She wasn't in it. She got caught in the left lane, we blocked the only lane that was open, and she was stuck. As my captain got out he saw one of the RCMP patrol officers. He yelled to him and pointed at her and said "Ticket that Lady!"

I'm not sure if it was the look on his face, or the fact that that particular policeman was a known friend of ours but he said "Alright". He pointed at her and had her pull over more onto the shoulder and get out her license and insurance papers. We proceeded to work the wreck. We got everybody sorted out and those that needed it headed to the hospital in the ambo. We were cleaning the fluids and sweeping the debris from the road and directing traffic around the wreck. I think we had been on scene about ten or fifteen minutes when things had settled down. The officer calmly walked over to us. He had his clipboard out, with her license and insurance on it. He had his ticket book, with a partially filled out ticket on it. He leaned over and asked "So, what am I giving her a ticket for?"
My captain told him about her driving. He said "OK", and walked back over to her filling out the ticket.

When approached by an emergency vehicle, the law says to pull over to the closest parallel edge of the roadway and yield the right of way to the emergency vehicle. An emergency vehicle is one with an audible siren and/or siren and emergency flashing lights. When driving and approaching an emergency scene, slow down and move over. In other words - “Give us a brake!” A person should know that we can read and we will grab your license plate number and report you to the authorities for your carelessness.

Most people do abide and move aside. We sincerely appreciate those that do because they make our job easier.

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    HoseMonkey
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