command-leadership

I spent my younger years in the Department assigned to a Ladder ..... it was good, honest work. I've learned a lot since then. Truck work made me a good fireman. I'd like to think I'm older and wiser now but some will argue that.

I've learned so much about emotional / mental health and wellness since Jack's suicide. I've learned first hand what PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is and how it affects us. I've learned about grief and it's various stages. I've learned that although their are many similarities in how it affects us all, it's also (and often) very much so different for those of us "on the job" (Fire, Rescue and Police).

Brothers and Sisters I'm telling you NOW ..... we DO have somewhere to go ... somewhere to turn to ... someone who'll listen. I'm going to start talking about it a lot. I'm going to because I want YOU to know that they are there. THEY .... someone who UNDERSTANDS, and they are there for US!

I don't have many details yet but, apparently; the Wytheville Fire Department and Chief Ron King have abandoned their recently discovered "new firefighting technique" and resorted to fighting fire like the rest of America ... by putting water on the fire.

I also hope the first responders are not lost or forgotten in the media's search for "who" and "why".

GOOD LUCK and best wishes to Randy from his family at Station #13.... represent us well. Always remember the 3 things NEVER to fool with .... ( snakes, electricity and hookers with adams apples) and NEVER FORGET where ya came from.

Captain Dillon is an "aggressive" firefighter who has seen more than his fair share of work. When he says it was a "hot" one, what he means is that it would have melted the paint off the gates of hell ...LOL.

The good news is that none of the injuries sustained were serious and all 4 members were released from the hospital by late yesterday evening.

So many of these questions/factors could have fatal consequences if not answered / addressed. Do they have the "it will never happen here" mentality? I hope not.... the results can be devastating.

"King, who thought of the idea, said he had never studied the technique in all of his years as a firefighter. I’d never heard of such a thing in all my hours of training, and I’ve had thousands and thousands of hours of training,” he said. “We plan on using it again.”