“America’s Engine”…
Sunday, December 28th, 2008Milwaukee Fire Department Engine 20 operating at a Downtown alarm.
Milwaukee Fire Department Engine Company 20, “America’s Engine” as the company’s moniker proclaims, was decommissioned on December 27. The Company served Milwaukee for 114 years and was one of Milwaukee’s vital Downtown Engine Companies. It is being decommissioned, a gentler term I guess for “disbanded,” [...]
“Happy Holidays”…
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008Due to paying back a ton of shift trades this month, I have been a little behind on my posts. Lots going on out there and the other blogs have been able to keep up much better than I have. Check out these great blogs to get the scoop on the goings-on and rants around [...]
“Captain Santa”…
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008Whew…am I glad I took the fire department test…
Here he demonstrates why he is a good Union Steward:
Here is a demonstration of how he always gets in first due to the next gig:
“Getting Offensive About It”…
Sunday, December 14th, 2008I was scanning the blog circuit the other day and I came across a comment made on a site about managing risk on the fireground. Specifically, the decision about whether to go offensive or not upon arrival. I was disturbed by the fact that the individual, who works in a job that gets fires, actually [...]
“GFO Need Not Apply”…
Thursday, December 11th, 2008By Ray McCormack, FDNY
EFO stands for Executive Fire Officer. Those three little letters at the end of an officer’s name say that you have successfully complete the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer program. The only place the program is offered is in Emmittsburg, Maryland. The course requires diligence, hard work, and several years [...]
“Gratuity’s Included”…
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008Community relations, particularly during difficult economic times, is paramount for the continued support of the fire department. Whether it involves charitable endeavors or simply making a grab at a tough fire, community perception of the fire department is everything. However, sometimes Government demonstrates its own naivety with this fact when it fails to consider the [...]
Book Review: Rescue Men
Monday, December 8th, 2008Rescue Men by Charles Kenny, Public Affairs-2007
Reviewed by Dave Coker, Greensboro (NC) Fire Department
In Rescue Men, former Boston Globe reporter and editor, Charles Kenney, tells the history of over half a century of the fire service in Boston through the experiences of his grandfather, father, and brothers. Kenney’s grandfather and father, called “Pops” and “Sonny” [...]
“Divine Intervention”…
Monday, December 8th, 2008photo by Reuters
Apparently congregations in Detriot are looking for the Almighty himself to come to rescue if Congress won’t. One in particular even had vehicles from the “Big 3″ driven up to the alter for a prayer service. For Detriot’s sake, I hope it helps. I wonder if we drove a Tower Ladder up to [...]
“Vent, Enter, Rest”…
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008A great post by the guys at vententersearch.com. The video was a summary of a research project out of Indiana University about the physiological effects of breaking stuff, getting dirty and cursing during our shifts. Like the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD), my job permits a 48 hour (max) shift. We work a 24 hour shifts [...]