When good firemen grow up to be Medics

It’s been busy around here…. at home, on the farm and at the station. We’re on the middle day of a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday cycle and I can’t wait until 4-day break.

Our calls have been spaced just enough between station chores and training to keep us on the go … it must be the weather.

We’ve already mowed the grass 3 times this year … IT’S MARCH !!!

Of course once the lawn mower comes out, Rookie Randy has to operate every piece of equipment in the shed. The weed eater, hedge trimmers, leaf blower etc.

This morning, I came in to find HTR (Heavy Tactical Rescue) training on the schedule for 8:30am. As soon as I got my morning paper work etc completed, Ladder 5 picked me up ( and dropped an Officer Lt. Rob “Bug” Reid) and we headed out to the training center. Today was our monthly training for HTR team members only, that’s why my entire company didn’t go.

We worked on breaching and breaking … CONCRETE that is. We have a couple members who will be attending  Virginia’s Rescue Challenge in May.

Learn more about Virginia’s Rescue Challenge by clicking HERE

It was good to get tools such as our concrete saws, core drills, hammer drills etc into their hands … These tools don’t get out as often as maybe they should ( there are so many new / different tools, it’s difficult to work with them all in once a month sessions). Next month, we will work on heavy lifting … I’ll try to get some pics for ya.

We got back to the station at about 12:30 and made it just in time for some of Boot’s famous chicken salad. Ummmmm Ummmmm !  I was about to STARVE. Now anything Boots cooks up is delicious but  when you’re hungry … it’s twice as good. Rhett has a bunch of funny names for his meals and even has a baseball themed chicken salad on his menu.  I think he named it after some dude who plays for New York because he calls it gour”Met”.  Hell, I always thought he was a Red Sox fan … who knew he liked the Mets?

See Rhett’s “gourmet” Chicken Salad recipe by clicking HERE

So after lunch, we listened to Captain Martin jump every call within a 50 mile radius of Station #3 and even caught a few of our own. It was an EMS call that got me thinking about tonight’s post. I was a little bit sad at first but then pride took over.

You see, we caught the run with Medic 5 which was staffed by Carlie Walsh and Oppie.

My long time followers will remember “Opie” (Brad Glidden) for our “Melrose Misfit” and Station #3 days. He wasn’t always with me though. When he came out of Rookie School, he was assigned to Station #10. He was detailed out to Station #13 one day and caught a fire with us ( Station #9-C ).

Somehow or another, he got attached to my company and got in on the attack. We seen some decent work on that one (that’s Opie on the far right).

Anyway, #10 was kind of a slow house and no place for a new rookie. As fate would have it, he soon became a “Melrose Misfit”. Read how we introduced him to the readers of our Engine 9 RFD Blog .. CLICK HERE .

I Watched him grow into a good fireman at #9.

We always had a good time but we also took our job very seriously. We trained everyday and seen a lot of work along the way.

I would have put that crew up against any other!

As a Captain, I couldn’t have asked for a better fireman in Opie. In all of our time together, I only ever found 1 flaw …. he can’t stand the sight of blood…. well I guess I should say he can’t stand the sight of “HIS OWN” blood ..LOL

Read that “WILD” Misfit post HERE

No kidding.. hit that link…it’s a great post with some even better pics!

His “flaw” was easy to look past but because of it, I never thought he would head in the direction he did.

Ya see, once we learned that the “powers to be” were busting up the crew, Opie hitch hiked down to Admin and signed up for Medic Class ( EMT-I). Little did he know that he would end up staying with me in the big bust up.

My little “fireman Opie” turned into EMT-I “Student Opie”.

Oh how he studied!  He even slept with his EMT-I book. Of course it was opened to the gynecological chapter …LMAO

He wore “slacks” instead of bunkers. Shirts with collars and even tennis shoes! I never knew he played tennis.

Then, the next bust up came. I moved to Lucky #13 and before long, Opie made it down to #5. It wasn’t until that call this evening that it hit me. Seeing Opie roll in off that Medic unit, trauma kit in hand, stethoscope around his neck, glove pouch, shears and a window punch neatly tucked into his belt  I realized it …

MY LITTLE OPIE HAS GROWN UP AND BECAME A MEDIC!

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Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines