The one thing I wont tolerate …

I’ll get to that in a minute … first, I need to clarify yesterdays post. I received a comment from a good friend, fellow blogger and Brother whom I have a ton of respect for. The problem with me (one of them anyway) is that I type like I talk which is “southern” or “redneck”. Bill misunderstood what I was trying to say in yesterdays post  ( or I didn’t word it correctly ) and I hope everyone didn’t interpret the post in the same way.

If you missed yesterdays post, you can read it  HERE

In the post I said “We are LUCKY these were just “close calls” and not Line of Duty Deaths. All 3 fires could have gone either way”.

I also said ” I say we were “lucky” because I’m glad these Brothers were injured and not killed. We’re lucky every time we return safely to quarters “.

Bill took issue with my use of the word “LUCKY”. I’m not going to get into my beliefs … luck, fate, evolution vs creation etc. I will say that Bill made a good point and I could have chosen a better word.

Bill said ” To actually say, worse to even believe, that the fire service was lucky in recent events is to discredit the training and education of those involved and to discredit any lessons to be learned afterwards. I don’t believe you intentionally mean lucky in that way, but it’s important to understand context, and for many readers to comprehend maydays, rapid intervention, clear communications, disciplined members moving about through detailed SOPs as “luck” cheapens all of it “.

He’s RIGHT … it was the TRAINING, EXPERIENCE and HEART of Firefighters Wiedmann and Gersbeck  that got them to the stairway and window. It was the same TRAINING, EXPERIENCE and DISCIPLINE of another Brother that had the aerial set to that window.

Maybe a better word would have been “fortunate” . We were FORTUNATE we didn’t loose 2 Brothers that day. We (and they) were FORTUNATE that they had received the training, education and experience that they  possessed.

FORTUNATE is also a better choice of words for the rest of us returning to the station after each run. AGAIN, it’s our training, education and experience that allows us to return unharmed. I want to also clarify where I said ” I’m glad”. OBVIOUSLY, I was not happy to hear of this (or any ) CLOSE CALL. I was RELIEVED to hear it was injuries vs. deaths. I would have rathered it have been neither.

The point of that post was also NOT about the Brooklyn fire. I said I wasn’t going to “Monday morning quarterback” and I’m still not. In my mind, those men were where and doing what they should have been. Having occurred so recently, it made a good lead in for me to briefly touch on the abundance of flash overs we are seeing of late. The point of the post was supposed to be a brief mention of Risk Management and getting water on the fire.

SO, I apologize for using the wrong word and not making my point clear ( I’m BIG in Greenland for my grammar and writing abilities). I didn’t realize it read “that” way and did not intend for it to. In NO WAY did I mean any disrespect towards Brothers Wiedmann and Gersbeck their training, education, or experience. Nor did I intend to cheapen the efforts these men put forth that and every day or the sacrifices they have made.

OK.. moving on….

There are a lot of thing I can tolerate but FRETTING is not one of them!! ( LOL )

Most of the men I work with know and understand this…. or at least I thought so.

The picture to the left is a prime example. Rhett and I had been out of town. We were in New Jersey, presenting his Social Media in the Fire Service class and would have had to drive all night to get me back for my shift the following day. Fortunately, Georgie had the day off but covered for me until we got in.

We also had a fill in firefighter that day … Travis “Wheezy” Meador (know from our Melrose Misfit days). Well, I get to the station and find my bed freshly decorated. Of course, nobody knew when or how this happened…LOL  I do have to admit that it was good … wonder who taught them boys to fret like that??? hummmm.

SEE THE ENTIRE POST HERE

I should have “nipped it in the bud” right then and there!

We’ve ( as in C-shift) been decorating around the station ….. it’s Christmas for Pete’s sake!

It gives these cold, dull cinder blocks a warm, holiday feeling.

It makes a station feel a little more like a “house” … home.

Randy, Boots and Georgie (with the aid of 4 rolls of duct tape) strung light around our front bay doors.

 

We even put a wreath up on the center column.

The boys did a GREAT job … it looks and feels like Christmas around here!

View more pictures of ” Christmas Around the Firehouse 2011″  from my readers by clicking HERE

Don’t forget to hit the “LIKE” button while you’re there!

So anyway, I didn’t discuss the decorations with the Captains of the other two shifts … I guess I should have because the members of B-shift ( led by Captain Phil “Triple D” Dillon ) decided to do a little fretting with the remaining lights.

 

Yep …. THAT’S MY BED AGAIN !   LOL

BEAUTIFUL!

She’s got more lights on her than on the runways at the Roanoke Regional Airport!

Apparently, the Brothers of B-shift have WAY too much time on their hands ..LOL

The good news is that Captain Dillon has his crew squared away …. they did a hell of a job!

I just wish I could rig em so they couldn’t turn em off …. they light the bedroom up NICE.

Here is a pic of the station and my bed in the dark ……


 SEND  YOUR FIREHOUSE CHRISTMAS PICS TO ME VIA E-MAIL OF FACE BOOK AND WE’LL POST EM HERE

Next up, I have a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT from our friends over at Fox Fire Illuminating Products.

By now, you should all be familiar with the Helmet band, Tool wrap, equipment bands and epoxy. Today, Fox Fire introduced their newest product …. ILLUMINATING HELMET TETRAHEDRONS !

You’re going to LOVE this product.  A combination of  advanced photoluminescence with high output reflective. THEY GLOW AND REFLECT (meeting NFPA standards)!

What makes these tetrahedrons any different from every other??? High reflectivity (Reflexite’s newest prismatic film), High heat durability (they are built on a Nomex type fire retardant cloth), Advanced photoluminescence afterglow, Strong surface bonding (3M’s adhesive) and aPatented design.

Fox Fire is also now offering their products directly from their web site.  The link is on the top right of their web site under ” SHOP ” or you can  CLICK HERE  for a direct link to their on-line shopping!

Want even BETTER news??

Daily 911 Deals is offering the tetrahedrons at  40 % off !

The site is quick and EASY to use. If you haven’t been checking out the “DEALS” on this site, you’ve been missing out.

Click HERE for a direct link to the Fox Fire Tetrahedron DEAL

Follow and “LIKE” Daily 911 Deals on Face Book HERE 

 Zach Green and his Fox Fire team are truly “illuminating” the path for firefighter safety and survival !

See my Fox Fire Product Review HERE

ALRIGHT …. on to what you’ve all been waiting for. It’s only4 days until Christmas and I’m sure Santa still has a lot of prep work to do. Guess I had better “double up” on the ol Santa’s Sexy Helpers tonight huh??? Here they are … Day 6 of Santa’s Sexy Helpers..ENJOY!

If they were only midgets…. LOL. Stay Safe and in House!

Captain Wines