Tag Archives: Mental Health and Wellness

I also have a promise to keep. A BIG one. A promise to a man whom I looked up to and admired. A man whom I do not want to let down. A man who I hope to one day meet again where he can tell me that I met his expectations.

A couple of things I should mention here is that 1.) we followed the key note speaker ... Chief Bobby Halton. Yea... "THAT" Bobby Halton... OMG... talk about pressure.

What I did yesterday was a lot like "searching". Searching on or above the fire floor. Crawling on your belly in pitch black ... complete darkness... "Zero Visibility" (another link worth your click). Not knowing what lies ahead, where you're going or what you may encounter along the way. Reaching out trying to find something ... someone but also hoping you wont. What will we find? Life, death or something in between?

For those of you not on the job I'll offer this brief explanation. "Making the push" is what Firefighters do once they get to (or near) the fire floor / room. It's what happens after we get to the point of no return... to the point of attack (or a difficult search).

I can't describe the feeling in your gut as you're crawling down that dark, hot hallway. So dark that you can't see the lens of your face piece and so hot that your bottle is hot enough to heat the air you try to breath. I can't tell you why it is that we keep pushing / going but we do.

DTRT or “Do The Right Thing” is an acronym used by the F.O.O.L.S (Fraternal Order Of Leatherheads Society) link . I’ve been thinking a lot about the FOOLS and what they stand for over the past few days. Their Mission Statement says ” The F.O.O.L.S. exemplify the true meaning of the Brotherhood by providing training opportunities to Brother and Sister Firefighters ...

It’s New Year’s Eve 2013 and I’ve never looked more forward to putting a year behind me than I am right now. Those of you who have followed this site know the struggles I’ve faced since December 30, 2012. It hasn’t been easy! Typically, for my “Year End” post, I recap my favorite or “most popular posts” from the previous ...

First off, I need to say THANK YOU for all the Christmas cards, and messages I received. I personally read each of them and can tell you that they helped lift my spirits (sorry I haven't replied to them all) . I cried every day after coming home to see the fresh stack awaiting me on the kitchen counter. It is very humbling to know that so many of you out there are thinking and care so much about me and my family.

How can we be expected to save the lives of the very people we are sworn to protect and serve if we can not save our own?