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What Has Happened to Our Humanity?

Today, I am ashamed of our human species. I am ashamed to be an American. But most of all, I am mad as hell for the way that we treated a war veteran in the twilight of his life.

Marvin E. Schur, a 93 year old war veteran and retired foundry worker FROZE TO DEATH, because the electric company installed a limiter on his meter for an unpaid electric bill. The coroner said that Schur died a “slow, painful death”. He was found in his home on January 17, 2009. See: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,484724,00.html

No; this wasn’t a guy who couldn’t pay his bill due to a lack of money, but rather, because of an oversight. How does a guy with $600,000 in the bank not pay a bill? Simple; he was confused.

So, instead of the power company CALLING him on the telephone and asking if there was a problem, they had a person sneak out to his house on January 13, 2009 and place a limiter on his electric meter and then, didn’t even bother to tell him how it worked.

A customer who had faithfully paid his bill on time for 50-60 years DIED, because we have lost our humanity. We have become so self-absorbed, so stuck in the middle of “policy”, so paranoid that there is ulterior motive, so insensitive to the needs of others and most importantly; so cavalier with our decision-making that we don’t understand the end result and its impact.

I can understand putting a boot on a car’s tire for parking in a restricted area. I can even, to some degree, understand having the car towed away, if the sign is there that states that you could be towed for parking there.

I can understand that a letter should be sent to a customer of a utility company when payment isn’t received. I can understand that a second letter is sent asking if a customer got the first letter. I can understand that a third letter is sent outlining the available options for the non-payment. I can understand that we have postal workers who don’t always deliver all of the mail, which is why I believe in “certified” mail and better yet; a live person to contact a customer. Especially an elderly customer like Mr. Schur.

This poor man fought off hypothermia for about four days, before finally succumbing to it. A man who had survived one of the most brutal wars in modern history couldn’t survive the American Dream. He died for a grand total of $1,100 and the Citi Banks and Bernie Madoffs of the world who have stolen billions and live in their penthouses are allowed to soak up the warmth on the backs of the American people. What is wrong with that picture?

Murderers, rapists and robbers are treated better in this country. But, we sentenced Marvin Schur to death for being a good citizen, an American patriot and a hard working man. In a country where you can be arrested and charged with a crime for not protecting your dogs from the cold, we didn’t protect Mr. Schur.

Mr. Schur; alone and someone who didn’t ask for help, didn’t bother anyone and who kept to himself and his business died because of a very flawed company policy and a society that continues to erode its concern for fellow human beings.

There should be a national outrage to this despicable act on the part of the utility company. The lack of any effort on their part to find out if there was a problem is unacceptable. Installing a device without the customer’s knowledge or consent should be illegal. The fact that someone died as a result is criminal and whoever made the decision to install the equipment on Mr. Schur’s meter without first making direct contact with him should be arrested, charged with negligent homicide, tried in a court of law, convicted and sentenced.

That would be more than what Marvin Schur was afforded.

I hope the state of Michigan enjoys the $600,000 it inherited from Mr. Schur. Maybe that money should go into an escrow account for people who can’t pay their electric bills.

Interesting to note is that the electric company decided to review policy and will have all limiters removed in the meantime.

Not a bad decision considering that it took a “slow, painful death” to trigger a review.

It’s sad to think that we care more for our cell phones than our fellow Man.

Posted by chiefreason on January 29, 2009 • Filed under: Miscellaneous • Tagged: electric meter, froze to death, limiter

Just Me and the Ball

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I love golf, but at the same time, I hate it!

I love to play the game, because there’s something about making the right club selection, hitting the ball cleanly, propelling the ball to the intended target with its proper distance, landing the ball to within a putter’s length of the cup and then putting it in.

Just me and the ball!

What I described may sound simple to the unknowing.

Do you realize how many things can go wrong from the time you select your club, approach your ball, set up with your stance, start your back swing to your follow through and then leave your ball in the hands of the golfing gods?

That’s why I hate it. I know of no other activity that requires so much to think about and then you have to put all of it out of your head to “enjoy the game”.

I took up the game when I was 48 years old. I tried to hold out until I was 50, but I had too many friends eager to take my money (25 cents a hole-winner take all), so I bought my FIRST set of clubs. I am now on my FOURTH set, and I have owned no less than SIX putters!

You see; I am one of those guys who must rely on technology to strengthen the weakness of my game. So, yes; I believe that you can BUY your way to a better game!

I will start this season with an 18-hole handicap of 17. Not bad for taking it up 8 years ago.

I enjoy the sheer beauty of a well manicured golf course. I belong to a local country club that is very well maintained. We take great pride in our course, but I have also played on some of the best courses that Illinois and Iowa have to offer.

Wherever I go, I will replace my divots, fix my ball marks on the greens and pick up trash that I find on the course. Yes; I’m a better groundskeeper than golfer!

I believe that I have the right attitude for golf. I am a student of the game. I learn something every time I go out and play. I have taken lessons. I play in a league. I play in tournaments and I am no longer nervous around other golfers. I have found that I actually play better when I am playing against better golfers and I have beaten some good ones; mostly in handicapped matches.

No; I am not a sandbagger; I have honestly earned my 17 handicap. I don’t…nope; I won’t go there!

I have also seen the ugly side of golf. I am talking about the expletive-filled, club-throwing, ball-throwing, walk-off-in-the-middle-of-a-match ugliness; not by me, but by others. You have to wonder why they play!

Call me a romanticist, but I can relate to people like Player, Palmer and Nicklaus and their reverence for the game. It is almost spiritualistic their connection to the game.

I play for the challenge. I strive to get better. I play for the fun and the enjoyment of hitting that one, good drive; that one, good sand shot and making a 20 footer for a birdie. It makes my whole day and screw what’s on my scorecard. I’ll pay my money when I lose, but relish in the eagle that I made on #13!

Then, we will sit around in the clubhouse, have our beverages and bust each others’ balls.

Sound familiar? It almost sounds like the firehouse, doesn’t it?

I play in firefighter tournaments when I get the chance. Last year, I sponsored a two-person, super ball tournament for my firefighters. I’m proud to say that Lance and I took second place. My chief and his partner won the thing. They want to do it again and I will gladly take a re-match.

To me; it’s the best of both worlds. The camaraderie is second to none. And the charities that they support are well worth your time and your entry fee.

Love golf? You bet (25 cents a hole).

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. xchief22 and ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author. You may read other works by the author at www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on January 27, 2009 • Filed under: Miscellaneous • Tagged: firefighter, golf

Union Banning Members From Volunteering?

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Specifically, volunteer firefighting!

Oh; I assume that you can still volunteer at the animal shelter, homeless shelter or the youth football league, but the days of you providing a vital volunteer service to your community as a volunteer firefighter are over, according to The Albany Times Union, N.Y. newspaper. See article: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=761517

It is highly suspicious that the union would single out members who also volunteer as firefighters where they reside. So, Albany, NY firefighters who belong to the IAFF and who live outside of Albany will no longer be allowed to volunteer without facing sanctions* by the union.

Apparently, the union feels that members cannot be injured while working their “side” jobs on their days off. I guess that you cannot get injured standing in traffic while filling the boot for Jerry’s kids. And perish the thought that members could be hurt playing softball, hockey, rugby, bicycling, motorcycling or rock climbing.

Does anyone else find it rather odd that the union would single out volunteering on a fire department as the only activity that could hurt firefighters; thus, costing taxpayers money?

So, it’s fine and dandy if their effort at a secondary activity is monetarily rewarded?

Without seeing the “decree”, does it specifically state “volunteering as a firefighter”?

What about POC (Paid On Call)? Can you volunteer for an AMBULANCE service? What about a “private” fire company or industrial fire brigade? Are any of these activities approved under the union rule?

If so, then the intent of the ban is more than obvious to me!

So, I find it reprehensible. Telling anyone what they can and can’t do during their OWN time is wrong and bordering on unconstitutional.

I can only say to the union: try as you might and wish all you want, but volunteer fire departments are here to stay. In fact; in these tough economic times, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an increase in volunteer fire companies.

Don’t get me wrong; I am not anti-union. I am grateful to the IAFF for their work on behalf of firefighter safety, but on this issue of forcing members to stop volunteering, I am deeply saddened and disappointed that they would attack the very fiber and foundation on which this great nation’s fire service was built.

Call me crazy, but I think that the union is missing a golden opportunity with the volunteers. I would be seeking their support, offering them services for a volunteer member’s rate and paving their way to full membership some day.

Sam Fresina, the local union representative said, “This is nothing against volunteers. This is simply us enforcing an international bylaw for the purpose of taking care of our residents. People in the city of Albany pay our salaries, and it’s incumbent upon us to give them the best possible service that we can”.

Sorry, Sam, but it has EVERYTHING to do with volunteers or more importantly, the union inserting themselves in the private/public lives of their members. Regardless of the motive, it is driving a wedge between career and volunteer.

And that’s too bad, because BOTH serve vital roles in the communities where they live and serve.

*Resolution 2 directs the IAFF to delete Article XV, Section 3 and insert a new subsection to the list of defined misconduct as “working a secondary job part-time, paid on call, volunteer or otherwise as a firefighter, emergency medical services worker, public safety or law enforcement officer, or as a worker in a related service, whether in the public or private sector,where such job is within the work jurisdiction of any affiliate or which adversely impacts the interests of any affiliate or the IAFF.

Upon a finding of guilt…it is recommended that the penalty include disqualification from holding office in any affiliate and/or expulsion from membership for the period that the misconduct persists. Charges filed for the misconduct described…shall be preferred by a member of the charged party’s local and/or member of an adversely affected affiliate.

This article is protected by federal copyright and cannot be re-printed in any form without the expressed permission of the author.

Posted by chiefreason on January 22, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: art, banning, chiefreason, firefighter, fresina, iaff, union, volunteer

LEAD! And Get the Lead Out

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I have read several books written by many of the excellent leaders in the fire service.

I tend to gravitate to books on firefighting tactics and leadership. Don’t get me wrong; I love reading about fire service history with accounts of the big fires or intricate rescues, but tactics and leadership books seems to fit better with what I do and what I want to accomplish.

Though tactics are specific to what we do in the fire service, leadership is something that we can use in all walks of life.

I know I’m a better manager because of my fire service leadership training. I know I react better to all emergencies for the same reason. I also know that I’m a better person over-all, because of the skills-personal and professional-that I have gained from leaders in our fire service.

Here is where this is going: when volunteer firefighters fail to meet acceptable, minimum requirements to be considered active on their fire department, is it a failure of leadership?

When a career firefighter no longer wants to work out, study for promotion or train in the specialized fields, is it a failure of leadership?

Finding what motivates your people is a key component of leadership. Diplomacy would be right behind.

If expectations have been clearly identified and the tools have been made available to every firefighter, then how can we not see early on that a person is not meeting expectations?

Why does it rise to a level where the morale of your department is being negatively affected?

I prescribe to the John Salka paradigm of leadership, in that everyone on a fire department is a leader; from the rank of firefighter to fire commissioner. Leadership DOES NOT rest solely on the shoulders of one person and on most departments that would mistakenly be the chief.

When a fire department is ready to implode, it will be the chief who will be held accountable.

But, it will be shared responsibility that will have you looking at the application, the screening, the hire, the probationary period, the mentoring, the training and ultimately, the termination, if goals have not been met.

If your department has not established benchmarks for firefighters to achieve, then it is a leadership problem.

If you belong to a department where a chief rules with an iron fist, it is a leadership problem.

If you belong to a department where nepotism outweighs and outscores qualifications for a rank or position, then it is a leadership problem.

Firefighters will only get involved enough to complain, but want to remain neutral. They call THAT not getting involved.

No such thing!

You become involved the day that you were issued turnout gear and a pager. Welcome to the world of leadership!

So, as leaders, we learn to identify the signs and symptoms and then, the treatment and the cure.

But, we are ever the optimists. We disregard our training, because we HOPE that the firefighter will turn it around on their own.

And THAT is the biggest mistake that you will ever make as a leader. The firefighter didn’t get there by himself and he certainly won’t turn it around by himself.

I have seen departments literally torn in two, because a firefighter with attendance issues wasn’t dealt with properly. It should NEVER reach that point!

If you haven’t done so already; establish realistic attendance policies for meetings, training and other fire department functions.

Create a personnel committee to monitor every member’s involvement.

Prepare a document that everyone agrees to follow and then have them sign it.

Take the appropriate actions BEFORE they become a big problem.

It all comes down to this: in this business, everyone has each other’s back.

A leader is watching what is in front of you.

YOU are watching what is behind him.

NOTHING GETS BY EITHER OF YOU!

TCSS.

Posted by chiefreason on January 20, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: art, attendance, chiefreason, fire department, leader, leadership, motivate

The Secret of NIMS

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First Published 3/5/04

On March 1, 2004 DHS Secretary Tom Ridge issued a memorandum that stated in part: “In Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-5, Management of Domestic Incidents, the President directed me to develop, submit for review to the Homeland Security Council, and administer a National Incident Management System (NIMS). This system will provide a consistent nationwide approach for Federal, State, local and tribal governments to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size or complexity”.

Ridge also noted that “HSPD-5 requires all Federal departments and agencies to adopt NIMS…”.

Furthermore, “The directive also requires Federal departments and agencies to make adoption of the NIMS by state, tribal and local organizations a condition for Federal preparedness assistance, beginning in FY 2005. Compliance with certain aspects of the NIMS will be possible in the short-term, such as adopting the basic tenets of the Incident Command System identified in this document”.

He closed by saying, “I ask for your continued cooperation and assistance as we further develop and implement the NIMS and the associated National Response Plan (NRP)”.

As the Church Lady would say “now, isn’t that special?” What is it; this NIMS-an acronym that stands for the National Incident Management System? Is it the same as Incident Command System (ICS)? No, it isn’t. ICS is a component of NIMS. Some folks have been talking like NIMS has been around for some time! Granted; some of the key elements have been around, but the NIMS document has a March 1, 2004 publication date on it.

John Buckman, currently president of the IAFC, is another who believes that following NIMS is long overdue. I’ll come back to Buckman’s comments.

NIMS, in simple terms, is “a system…that provides a consistent, nationwide approach for Federal, State, local, and tribal governments; the private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity. To provide for interoperability and compatibility among Federal, State, local and tribal capabilities, the NIMS includes a core set of concepts, principles and terminology. HSPD-5 identifies these as the ICS; multi-agency coordination systems; training; identification and management of resources (including systems for classifying types of resources); qualification and certification; and the collection, tracking, and reporting of incident information and incident resources”.

And don’t forget your NRP- your National Response Plan! That plan “integrates Federal domestic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery into one all-discipline, all-hazard plan”.

Sounds like the Feds want to help us if we have a major incident, doesn’t it? Or is this their sneaky way of inserting themselves into our business and impacting the outcome; good or bad? Are we re-inventing what we do for them or are they learning the process that we know? If we’re just taking what we have been doing as common practice, as some like Buckman would claim, then let me ask you this: What is EMAC? EOC? FOG? IAP? JIS? LNO? SDO? Is unity of command the same as unified command?

How’d you do? EMAC=Emergency Management Assistance Compact. Use it all of the time, don’t we? I believe that EMAC is a Federal arrangement between states, like a state-to-state mutual aid agreement. EOC=Emergency Operations Center. This is the physical location on-scene to coordinate information and resources to support domestic incident management activities. FOG=Field Operations Guide. I wonder if that’s available in flash cards or pocket size? IAP=Incident Action Plan. Similar to a pre-plan, it is the plan that “contains general objectives and the overall strategies for managing an incident”. JIS=Joint Information System. This process “integrates incident information and public affairs into a ‘cohesive’ organization designed to provide consistent, coordinated, timely information during crisis or incident operations”. Basically, coordinating ALL information into one message to parties on a need-to-know basis. LNO=Liaison Officer. That would be a member of the command staff responsible for coordinating with representatives from cooperating and assisting agencies. SDO=Standards Development Organizations. I looked all over for this one when I was reading about NIMS. An example of an SDO is NIOSH, ANSI, ASTM, NIST, etc. The most obvious SDO in the fire service is NFPA. Oh, now I get it!

And finally; is unity of command the same as unified command? Not even close! Unity of command is a concept where each person in an organization reports to ONE designated person. The purpose of unity of command is to ensure “unity of effort” under one responsible commander for every objective. Unified command is a function within the Incident Command System where there is more than one agency with jurisdiction or where incidents cross political jurisdictional boundaries. Agencies work through their IC to establish a common set of objectives and strategies, but have ONE IAP! A quick example would be an incident where you have a multi-vehicle accident that shuts down a highway and has knocked out electrical power. Potentially, your unified command would consist of fire department, police, ambulance, DOT and the power company. I’m sure that you have been involved in an incident of this type and magnitude and have had multiple, key people at the scene. Because many small departments operate through an informal IC system, they are unaware that unified command is necessary or even exists, for that matter!

I have been reading a lot about the National Incident Management System. I have read the entire document. I have read many articles and commentaries on the subject, because, quite frankly, I have no life! Actually, all of the “what ifs” involved with a large, multi-agency response to an incident fascinates me. As leaders for our departments, we want to believe that we could handle anything! How many of you are near a large airport, nuclear power plant, large shopping mall or other venues where the potential for mass casualties exists? Small communities like mine-800 village residents-in the path of an F3 tornado; has the potential for activating NIMS. As I said; I know about it and could coordinate an incident according to its concepts and principles, but neighboring departments might not have any idea. I was just talking to a chief over the weekend and oddly enough, he asked me if I knew anything about NIMS!

Do you think that resources should be directed towards NIMS awareness at the moment? I don’t! Why? Because many departments still lack basic firefighting knowledge and skills. Does it make sense to train for a specialized response team, when you can’t effectively operate the pump on your engine? Vent a roof? Tie a bowline? Or select the proper stream of your nozzle? We need to do “first things first”!

Let’s be honest; how many of your departments and neighboring departments have agreements similar to MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System)? How many of you have the same frequencies programmed into your radios? How many of you actually train with your mutual aid departments and know their capabilities in both preparedness and equipment? If you had to, could you fit seamlessly with a mutual aid department if they asked you to operate their equipment? What about accountability systems? How many of you have them and are they the same/different as your mutual aid departments? Are all of you training to the same standards? Do you have the pre-plans of your neighbor’s business district? Have you participated in an incident that used unified command principles?

If you answered, “yes” to all of the aforementioned questions, then you are ready for NIMS. But I doubt that you did. And it’s for that reason that I say that John Buckman and others like him are out of touch with reality when they say that the fire service-especially small, rural fire departments-is ready for NIMS.

Fire Chief magazine interviewed Buckman on the subject of NIMS and here’s what he had to say about it. According to Buckman, “incident management is to be the same”. I assume that he means that, whether you’re career or volunteer; rural or urban, we should approach any incident with the same resources and expertise. Apparently, I don’t understand the math, because I wonder how a small, rural fire department with a total income of less than $20,000 could be equipped and trained at the same level as his German Township Fire Department. And if the Federal government truly believes this as well, then why won’t they award us grants, regardless of call volume? Buckman talks about receiving Federal tax dollars as if it’s someone else’s money! When you put a stipulation in the rules that you must adopt NIMS as a pre-condition, then how can he possibly understand that it is our tax money? To me, NIMS falls just short of being an unfunded mandate. To get around this, the government won’t tell us that we MUST do it; thereby providing for a funding mechanism, but instead, just make it a lot tougher to get money for existing programs! I believe that it is a veiled attempt to insert more Federal control at the local level.

Rural departments; think about all of those times that we have been told that “this or that” won’t happen in rural America. Therefore, no funding. No funding for search and rescue, HazMat, Bio-terrorism or any of those incidents that our government believes will only happen in the more populated, urban settings. Terrorists steal the ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel from rural America and then use it to blow up a large, Federal building in a highly populated area (Oklahoma City). But yet, we are not targeted by terrorists? It doesn’t make good sense to ignore it just because they are not Middle Eastern.

Buckman asserts that all departments already use some form of incident command. On that point, we agree. But it seems to me that small, rural departments do not use a nationally recognized command system. It is informal at best. Buckman speaks as if the national fire service is on the same page, when that couldn’t be farther from the truth. He forgot about the little guy a long time ago, dating back to his days as president of the NVFC. He has spent so much time looking for the national limelight, touring the country in many capacities for whichever organization will have him and espousing the painfully obvious. Along the way, he has gotten out of touch with the “local” issues that matter to US. Buckman has become a shill for a top-heavy bureaucratic approach to the fire service. He believes that if he says it is so, then it must be so. His hand has not been on the pulse of the fire service for over a decade. He simply re-cycles and re-packages the same, tired analogies for problems that most of us have known for years!

I will close with a message to the “John Buckmans” in the fire service: if you want fire departments to embrace conceptual/theoretical management tools, then work to get buy in at the BEGINNING of the process and not after funding is being slashed for core essentials.

Funding a NIMS Integration Center is shameful when fire stations across the nation are closing, due to a lack of funding. Let me be clear; I AM NOT OPPOSED to a National Incident Management System. I am opposed to re-prioritizing issues that have been on the table for several years and are no closer to resolution than when they were first proposed.

Make no mistake; we have no choice but to embrace NIMS. No less than the President of the United States has said so!

I spoke with my good friend at our state fire service institute and he assures me that Illinois will adopt NIMS and soon. Currently, staff is teaching unified command concepts. And from what I gather, NIMS will be next. I only hope that it is at no charge and will not require local funding for specialized equipment.

I take solace in knowing that the cops are going to have a tough time with NIMS. At least, the fire service has been practicing shared command/unified command in the aftermath of 9/11. And just so you understand; ALL public safety agencies MUST adopt NIMS!

As you have seen, I have some strong opinions. Unfortunately, it really doesn’t matter in this case. We can’t contact our elected officials and tell them to vote “no”. We can’t appeal this directive. We have to comply.

And if my trusted friend at the state institute says that we have the resources in our state to do it, then that’s good enough for me.

I feel better knowing that we could have this talk. Thanks for listening.

And stay safe above all else!

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: command, directive, ics, nims, nrp, unified

That’s It; I QUIT!

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First Published 5/30/06

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like in the last couple of years, we are seeing more and more firefighters throwing in the pager for a multitude of reasons, but the underlying reason is that they got upset and made the decision to quit.

The question for the group is: what would lead you to a decision to quit something that you passionately pursue?

I am not talking about making a decision based upon health, age or other rational reasons. I want to know what would piss you off enough to quit your fire department. What would, at that moment in time, motivate you to decide that to continue, would have you compromising your principles, in order to remain with your department?

I have been following the stories on the Riverton, IL Fire Department. It appears that HALF of the department quit, because of a flap over the way the chief was not re-appointed by the trustees and a new chief was selected. It also appears that this goes well beyond the surface of the accounts. There have also been many accusations of legal improprieties, so I don’t think that we can simply shrug it off as the classic firefighters/trustees flap.

It was initially reported that firefighters quit, because they could not “trust” a chief from the outside with their personal safety. It was then reported that it was the WAY that the new chief was selected and without input from the fire department. Still others said that they quit to spend more time with their families. Regardless of the stated reasons, it is apparent that several members of Riverton FD got upset and quit.

We have seen firefighters quit because they were told to get alcohol out of their fire stations.

We have seen firefighters quit because they weren’t happy with who was appointed as officers.

We have seen firefighters quit because THEY didn’t get a promotion.

We have seen firefighters quit because of mandatory training requirements.

We have seen firefighters quit because they didn’t like the direction that their fire department was going.

We have seen firefighters quit because they were reprimanded.

So; is this notion of quitting a selfish act or is it a selfless act?

How many of you participated in team sports and remember the trailer up on the bulletin board that said: winners never quit and quitters never win? We had a football coach that taught us to play BIGGER than we were. We lifted weights, ran gassers till we puked, participated in two a day practices in God-awful heat and we lost ONE game in two years. We were undefeated my senior year. My team is now a part of our school’s hall of fame, because we didn’t quit. I believe personally that I couldn’t stand the thought of letting my teammates down. Everyone wanted to contribute to the success. We had a great leader and a teacher. And I think that also applies to fire departments. Firefighting is the ultimate team!

How many of you today credit your involvement with school sports as part of the reason for your success? I do. Even during my “rebellious” years after school, it is what I learned from Coach Logsdon that put me back on the right path. I was taught by him to take on my adversary and never give up! And I do that to this day.

We all have that person in our lives that have left an indelible impression. Our very own Robert “Bob” Compton (ENG6511) raised many of us to a higher level with his courageous battle with cancer. HE NEVER GAVE UP! Even with cancer ravaging his body, he showed us all what strength of character, humility and dedication to service was all about. Upon his death, his sister donated Bob’s fire truck-Engine 6511 to a needy department. How cool is that?

And when I think about people like my father, Coach Logsdon and Bob Compton, I think that it would be pretty small of me to quit something that I love so much.

So, when it is all said and done, why would you do it? Why would you quit your fire department?

Inquiring minds want to know. Please share your thoughts.

You have mine; now, I want your’s.

Stay safe.

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: chief, fire department, outside, quit, riverton, trust, trustee

So, You Don’t Have the Time?

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First Published 3/23/03

Many of you know that I draw from my experiences and training as a member of a volunteer fire department. That is especially true when dealing with the problems and the issues that face the small, rural volunteer organizations that are indicative of the majority of our nation’s fire departments.

I have no difficulties in exchanging thoughts and ideas with career firefighters and am quite comfortable when around them. I must admit that I love to sit and listen to the career men and women relate their experiences because many will answer more calls in a 30 day period than a lot of volunteer departments will answer in a year! It is not my intentions here to start a vollie/career debate; but to merely point out that, though our core values and goals are the same, our problems are distinctly different. Two that come to mind are recruitment and retention. That is what we will explore from the volunteer perspective.

Not long ago, we discovered in our department that there seemed to be a core group of officers and veterans that gave a disproportionately larger number of hours-i.e. effort to the department than the others. I felt that it was important to send a strong message to the others in order to strengthen their commitment. So, what I did was; at a monthly meeting, I pulled out all of the officers and anyone with more than ten years on the department and asked them to leave the room. That left thirteen in the room. What I asked them next was; if this was your core group, who would be your officers? I had them “elect” a chief, assistant chief, captains and lieutenants. It produced some very interesting results. Ironically, the “chief” that they elected is now a lieutenant with the department. It would not surprise to see him as chief somewhere down the road.

So, we had their attention on the issue of not relying on the fact that the veterans and officers as they knew them would always be around. They had to start preparing NOW for the future of the fire department. Then, I had to tackle the issue of the “perceived” constraints on everyone’s time. It is not a problem that is ours alone but is one that is shared throughout the nation. It can destroy departments and here’s why:

For the past several years, volunteer fire departments have been hit with an almost apathetic attitude in their communities when it comes to recruiting and retaining new firefighters. I don’t have the time has become the mantra of young, able-bodied men and women who, when approached by their fire department will tell them in short order that they don’t have the time. If they do join the department, they will only give you what time they feel is left over from their very hectic schedule and life style. I believe that selfish has replaced selfless in today’s society.

Not long ago, my fire department had a few members who were well below the average for training hours, stating that they didn’t have the time. I decided to take a pragmatic look at it, for I have always held that if it is important to you, you will MAKE time. I also wanted to make certain that I wasn’t being overly critical of our younger members.

In a calendar year, there are (8,760) hours. From that, I will subtract as many time-consuming activities that come to mind on a daily basis during the year. Here goes.

Most of us will work (2080) hours at our regular jobs in a year’s time. I will credit everyone with (80) hours a year in vacation time. I will even give you another (40) hours a year for sick time. If you work for my company, you get (9) paid holidays a year for another (72) hours. We have to sleep, don’t we? Of course we do, so you all get (8) hours a night for a total of (2920) hours a year. Hey, we have to eat sometime. Most of us go through the drive-up for breakfast, but I will still give you a (1/2) hour for breakfast, a (1/2) hour for lunch and (1) hour for dinner everyday for the entire year. That adds up to another (730) hours. You get a night out every week to go to pool league, bowling, darts, canasta; whatever personal recreation you enjoy. You get (5) hours for it-remember, you have work tomorrow-and that’s (260) hours just for you! Church activities earn you another (208) hours. School activities twice a week will total (260) hours a year. Time with your spouse-that’s quality time-is good for (10) hours a week for (520) a year. Keep in mind that this time is for the two of you together, in the same place at the same time with no one else around. No; bedtime is not in these hours. Single folks get more recreation time, if they choose. What are we up to so far? Don’t tell me. You probably belong to another organization such as Lions, Shriners, Masons, school board, village board, church board and that is another (3) hour meeting each week for a total of (156) hours. Now, let’s see what we have for a total. (7326) hours! According to my math, that leaves (1434) hours. Under my plan, you’ll get an outdoor activity each week for a yearly total of (416) hours. Do relatives “drop” in once in a while? I’ll assume every other week for a total (104) hours yearly. You’re probably taking classes one night a week for (4) hours, so that figures out to (208) hours a year. Have I missed anything? Probably, but I have left some flex in this scenario and have been more than liberal out of fairness. The total hours stand at (8054), leaving (706) hours for other activities. What about the fire department? If yours is like mine, you want (100) hours a year out of your members. That includes training and fundraising. You are left with (606) hours to do with as you would like!

Still believe that you don’t have time for the fire department? Granted, fire calls will come at all hours of the day or night and will undoubtedly interrupt some of your other “scheduled” activities, but you have that (606)-hour cushion that you can tap into.

Just think about all of the time that we waste on gratuitous activities; on activities that add nothing to our communities’ quality of life. For (100) hours a year, you get immeasurable satisfaction in learning skills that will help you to help others. I don’t see a down side! And besides; has TV really been that good lately?

You can join the millions of couch potatoes in this country or you can join a dedicated group of public servants who can make a difference when the call for help comes in.

I’ll tape it and watch when I have the time. Right now, I need to go to the fire station for a training session. It’ll take some time, but according to my math, I have plenty of it! What’s your excuse?

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: recruitment, retention, time, Training, values, volunteer

Resolving Fire Department/Fire Board Disputes

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First Published 2/16/03

It’s common for volunteer fire departments to become embroiled in disputes with their governing body. For most, that comes in the form of a fire board, fire commission, board of trustees and in the case of Pennsylvania; township supervisors. It happens with either elected or appointed officials. Disputes develop over something as innocuous as someone questioning a project or a request for funding of said project. Some disputes are more complicated when finding the root cause. It is for a litany of reasons and with each new reason come more accusations, followed by more reasons.

One issue is common to 99% of these very public disputes; lack of communication! The other 1% can be chalked up to expectations-real or perceived. All the while, firefighters threaten to quit, but seldom do. Fire boards threaten to replace firefighters, but seldom do. It happened in my department many times; right up until we replaced the appointed trustees with elected trustees!

But still, where the roles aren’t clearly defined, there will be problems with “who does what”. Without boundaries, participants won’t know when that line is crossed; until there is a dispute.

I have been following stories from Windham Township, PA. The fire department packed up and moved out of the fire hall after an on-going dispute with the township supervisors failed to be resolved. What I find surprising is the precedent-setting move by this group of firefighters to follow through on their threat to leave. I can’t recall any other recent case where this was actually done. I have expressed my opinions previously on this event, but what I would like to do here is offer some ideas that may improve relationships between fire departments and their governing bodies.

For the purpose of this discussion, I will rely on the expertise of James S. Sinclair, who provides legal advice to fire districts.

In fire districts where fire departments are comprised of NON full-time employees, it is common for a “separate organization or association to exist with its own officers and by-laws, independent of the fire district’s board of trustees”. There is a legal relationship established through the by-laws. But it can also be loosely organized as a separate association and include paid and volunteer members. This association will typically have rules and non-profit status. It should be noted that rules cannot be contrary to applicable state laws. It is therefore important to remember that no one abdicates their responsibility under the law. An example is the selection of firefighters for a volunteer fire department. Though a department’s by-laws may state that fire department members “vote in” new members, it is, according to law, the responsibility of the board of trustees. The solution? Fire departments select a new member and “recommends” them to the trustees for approval. That should be a mere formality in most cases. However, in some districts, where the district enters into contract for fire protection, it would be the responsibility of the contracted fire department to select its employees, but only if a written contract exists. It becomes similar to a “vendor for services” relationship. The fire department is the “vendor” and the fire district is a “purchaser”. The agreement will also state that each party will comply with applicable laws.

Departments with separate membership organizations that are formalized, not-for-profit entities are provided with certain protections from liability. For example, if a claim is made against a firefighter, the others will be shielded from liability claims. The other advantage is, that while “members may change, the entity will remain the same”.

“Separate” department organizations should make certain that they are insured under the district’s general liability and umbrella coverage. Don’t take it for granted. Verify that the organization is included as a “named insured”. Depending on the relationship, organizations may seek insurance that is independent of the district’s coverages.

Remember that by-laws should not conflict with state laws and regulations. For instance, the Department of Labor rules. By-laws that deal with medical and physical qualifications for members must be consistent with DOL regulations. If SOGs are written for such activities as SCBAs, structural firefighting requirements, blood borne pathogens and HAZMAT incidents, include a statement that says, “ if there is a difference between the SOG and the state regulation, the state regulation will take precedence”.

By-laws that include disciplinary procedures should be carefully drafted and include an appeal or review process and especially where the board of trustees make appointments. A review process constructed in accordance with rights to due process will insulate the fire district from potential claims of unfair acts.

If terms of the relationship between the fire department and the fire district are clearly spelled out and clearly communicated, then expectations by both will be met and save time and money, should a problem arise.

These suggestions are useful, regardless of what form of government under which you operate. Reducing agreements to writing must be done to avoid ugly messes, such as the one playing out in Windham Township, PA.

Let’s face it; as we get older, we inherit shorter memories. Writing it down just makes good sense.

It’s universal; it’s worldwide. It doesn’t matter if you’re from Illinois, Connecticut, New York, Michigan, New Jersey, California, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain or Canada; having a written agreement with your governing body will reduce your stress levels.

Patrick J. from Canada sent me a very descriptive model of his system for fire protection. It was so much like fire districts in Illinois that it was scary! But he was quick to point out that no written agreement existed between his fire department and his board of directors; some elected and some appointed. Oh and no by-laws!

Elected or appointed; it isn’t going to matter if you don’t have written expectations.

Why go to the trouble of removing someone from office, if you won’t take the time to write your operating guidelines?

If nothing else, the “process” has to bring both sides together.

You know: TO COMMUNICATE!

Take care and stay safe.

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: board, commission, dispute, fire department, funding, trustee, unfair acts

Preparing For An LODD

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First Published 3/16/03

We have all experienced the loss of a loved one. In some cases, we can remember where we were and what we were doing when we got word. We have been there during the final moments. With others, we have had time to prepare for an impending death. Unpleasant thought that it is, we have found ourselves thinking about what we would do at the time of the passing of a loved one.

As family and friends gather before, during and after the funeral, we cope because we draw on each other’s strength. Someone, possibly an elder member of the family, becomes the “gentle hand on the shoulder”; that voice that speaks with the soft re-assurance that we’ll get through this crisis together. We will be better people for having known our lost loved one.

But then, while working the scene of a two-story, wood frame family dwelling, the silence of the night is shattered by “Mayday. Mayday. Firefighter down”!

You are there and it’s real. No phone call; no time to “prepare”! It’s happening right in front of you and a thousand thoughts are racing through your mind.

It is at this point that the incident has turned into a disaster that has become personal.

As a company officer, be it chief, assistant chief, captain or lieutenant, we are taught not to dwell on the thought of a firefighter dying while in the line of duty. Whether they die while pulling hose or are caught in a flashover or structural collapse, your emotional state at that moment could cause you to lose control of the scene and therefore, compromise it’s safety.

Just as an officer would prepare his crew for a ventilation exercise, an officer must prepare himself for the emotional upheaval that an LODD will cause at the scene. A systematic approach will get you and your crew backs safely to the station, where additional support in the form of critical incident stress de-briefing (CISD) can be initiated. Until then, incident management should continue, emergency personnel should be closely supervised and control of the scene should be maintained, including crowd control and scene security as the second phase begins: recovery of personnel.

Even with emotions running high, the recovery process must utilize the same considerations of any other rescue operation. Again, closer monitoring of personnel is essential to continued safe operation.

Key considerations are:

1) It is a crime scene until proven otherwise.

2) Removing the body(s) or leaving in place.

3) Accounting for all personnel.

4) Gaining positive identification of the deceased.

5) Notifying the family and assigning a department representative to them.

During the investigation of the LODD, it is best to use a third party. This will eliminate any claim of impropriety by community members and even firefighters. So, though you may have the department resource to conduct such an investigation under normal circumstances, consider using outside investigators in conjunction with your state fire marshal, NIOSH, OSHA, ATF, NFPA, NIST, other firefighter organizations and your department’s safety and health officer.

All safety equipment that was used and worn at the time of the LODD, such as turnout gear, SCBA, PASS device, etc. should be documented, photographed and placed into a secure container. Further testing and viewing by investigators necessitates limiting its handling by only those personnel involved in the incident.

The autopsy is a very vital phase of the investigation of an LODD, due to the application for death benefits. Information needed from the autopsy is the cause of death, carbon monoxide levels, toxicology and blood alcohol results. In many states, the presence of drugs or alcohol in the system at the time of death may void some death benefits. The Department of the Treasury will require a number of documents when application is made for Public Safety Officer Death Benefits.

Because of multiple requests for documents, you may need to secure several original copies or certified copies, depending on the benefits being applied for. Those documents may include death certificate, birth certificate, marriage license, children’s birth certificates (for survivor benefits), notarized letter on official department letterhead from the chief of department stating the facts of the events that caused the firefighter’s death and original medical examiner, toxicology, blood alcohol and investigator’s reports; all requiring original signatures and raised notary seals. You will also want a verification of surviving children who are full time students.

Staffing of the department should be accomplished using mutual aid as the funeral services draw nearer.

Fire service funerals are set in deep tradition, but it is important to remember that the wishes of the fallen’s family come first, followed by the fire department and then by the community. Do not force any firefighter traditions onto the family. A detailed explanation of the service protocols may be necessary. The family needs to know and understand that a firefighter funeral is non-traditional when compared to civilian funeral services. Keep everyone informed. Plan in advance for facilities that will accommodate a large crowd. Consider using a civic center, gymnasium, stadium or large church. Contact honor guards as soon as a firefighter funeral has been decided.

Returning to normal operations should be done as soon as possible. Most firefighters want to reclaim their territory-i.e. firehouse-as soon as they can. Let them get back to their routine.

Memorial funds will need to be established soon after the incident. Contact your local bank and a tax specialist to determine what is best when establishing the fund.

It is my sincerest hope that you never experience the loss of a fellow firefighter, but if you do, then the steps that I have outlined here will hopefully lessen the impact of the unknowns.

Post Script

By now, many of you are probably wondering where I would get such a detailed plan. It came from a discussion group that was lead by Chief Mark Wessels of Keokuk, Iowa and held last year in East Peoria.

On the morning of December 22, 1999 and just two weeks after Worcester, MA lost six firefighters in a warehouse fire, Chief Wessels lost three of his own, including his assistant chief who was also his best friend, to a structural fire that also claimed the lives of three children. The structure flashed over, causing the deaths of the three firefighters. The firefighters had removed two children and were going back for the third child when the flashover occurred.

At the memorial service held at the high school gymnasium, I was struck by the composure of Chief Wessels as he eulogized his three men. He did so with the widows and children of the fallen heroes sitting directly in front of him. I was so moved by his strength under such extraordinary circumstances that I came home and wrote him a letter.

When I saw him last year, he spoke very openly of the whole experience; from the time the call came in until the final reports were issued. He described the five steps of grieving that he and his entire department went through. He talked about his clash with his city’s mayor. He discussed the relentless investigation by the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration. During the entire time, he also had a fire department to run; a department that was very short of manpower. He described the anger of some citizens who were upset because “firefighters took over their town and their memorial service”. He had to appease some national organizations that felt “slighted” at the funeral. He relived the day and the anger over manpower constraints. On the day of the incident, the department had to split their resources for a MVA and minutes later, the house fire.

His fire department, though grateful for all of the help, was now growing angry from what they felt were “intrusions”. It was then that Chief Wessels knew that it was time to thank everyone for their help and to send them on their way.

At the end of our discussion, I had a question that was weighing very heavily upon me. So I asked him.

“How many did you lose off of your department after this horrific chain of events?”

He looked at me with a grin and said “Not one!”

And that is a testament to the strength and the spirit of the Brotherhood!

Take care and stay safe.

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: cisd, firefighter funeral, honor guard, lodd, tradition

Perpetual Motion: The Career/Volunteer Debate

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First Published 1/25/04

That’s right! Right here/right now. Once and for all; the final word on this age-old argument is…..

A question!

Aren’t both types of firefighters critical to our fire service efforts?

Of course they are!

Grab a snack before we tiptoe through this minefield together, because quite frankly; I am going to literally try to rationalize out loud why we have to argue one against the other in a “who’s better” debate for what; bragging rights?

Day Two. I haven’t moved from my desk since my last sentence. I must draw on all my strength and background as a volunteer firefighter for a perspective.

When I got into the fire service as a volunteer, our fire department didn’t have a library of reference materials from which to learn. The only fire magazine we got was Fire Chief and the chief wouldn’t share it (Rank has its privilege!). The training officers for the fire department at the time were twin brothers who worked for the local telephone company. Great guys! They could find a bad phone line and could affix a button to a fire phone and have it blow the fire siren, but they didn’t know beans about SCBAs or fire behavior. Their knowledge of building construction consisted of helping the one build the other’s garage!

So, where did a volunteer go to get their much-needed introduction into firefighting?

Neighboring department? Well, sometimes, but basically, they had the same problems.

Fire marshal’s office? No; they set standards, curriculum, the DATES of the training and certified training through testing. Weekend dates back then were non-existent. Weekdays or weeknights; usually during the hours when volunteers were at their paying jobs.

Fire service institute? Ding, ding, ding! That’s where it started for me and can anyone take a wild guess at who taught the classes? Career firefighters!

And it intimidated the HELL out of me. You know how they always said, “In my classes, there are no stupid questions”? Well, I wasn’t willing to take the risk, so I sat silently; listening, and in total awe of the knowledge of my instructors. I didn’t even want to hear about friction loss or hand tools. I wanted to hear the stories about the “big ones”, the rescues and using ladder trucks. Even when my early instructors were telling me their war stories, I was learning from their experiences that were gained every duty day that they worked. You aren’t going to learn that kind of stuff from someone who hasn’t had an occupied, structural fire in three (3) years! You can only get it from a career smoke eater who is willing to moonlight as an instructor. If some of you don’t think that career firefighters don’t care about volunteers, then why do so many of them teach us?

Fast forward to today. I am no longer intimidated by career firefighters. They taught me well. Some of my very best friends are still career or retired from career. And they will always have my gratitude, respect and friendship.

I can remember a time when some career fire departments had a “no fraternization” policy with volunteers. Back in the day and before sensibility prevailed, volunteers were right up there with dirt under the fingernails! BUT THOSE DAYS ARE OVER!

Why does the air get so charged with negative energy when someone mentions a career/volunteer issue? Whether it’s interoperability, mutual aid, funding, promotions, health and safety, fire tactics and on, the discussion immediately deteriorates into a flurry of insults and insensitivities as soon as someone attaches the labels of career or volunteer to their reply with such pronouncements as “volunteers; we do it for free” or “career; nobody does it better”.

From the volunteer perspective (mine), I think some of it is manifested in the attitude that we see when the discussions turn to benefits, wages, unions, fire standards, fire training and legislation that addresses career firefighter issues and excludes the volunteers from much of it. It appears that the focus moves away from public service to one of self-serving. Look at the discussion of the Niles, OH FD and Weathersfield FPD. It took a New York minute for that FH.com thread to turn into a career/volunteer “fist fight”. Volunteers were screaming that they would have gone out of their district-some said by “jumping” the call-to put the fire out. Of course they would have, because many small departments are salivating to catch a working, structural fire! That’s part of that jealousy that exists between career and volunteers. Career FDs without any doubt catch more structural fires on the average. More vehicle accidents; more rescues; more HazMat and MORE PUBLIC ATTENTION. There are very few volunteer or combination departments in the U.S. that have more call volume. They are the exception.

WE choose our career paths. Some chose to go to full-time fire departments. Others, like me, chose to go to work for a company and then volunteer their time on a fire department and as I said; we chose that.

But it’s our communities who choose what type of fire protection that they want. Full time coverage will most likely cost more and taxes paid will bear that out. Volunteer coverage might be less expensive, but with some drawbacks, such as manpower, rapid response time, age and condition of equipment and level of experience/knowledge of the firefighters. Let’s be honest; many volunteers question the abilities of their officers and vice versa. Again; career firefighters choose their career paths and are promoted to rank by training and testing. Volunteers are, in many cases, still being elected, selected and by entitlement, are aspiring to their rank. But that is being addressed in many departments and is a topic for another article!

Whenever there seems to be a push to get ALL firefighters to a level of firefighting skill that will insure an appropriate response to mitigating an incident, it is usually the volunteer sector yelling “foul”. We can all, and I do mean ALL, train to the minimum standards, but will always lose the “in-service”, continuing education and the on-the-job hours to the career departments and that’s a fact!

Let’s switch to the career perspective; also my perspective.

Some career firefighters still harbor attitudes towards volunteers that date back to the early ‘80s. And we will not change that attitude. Don’t try! You won’t penetrate that crust with a jackhammer!

The majority of career folks knows and understands the socio-political reasons for volunteer firefighters and their skill levels, because they are still training them. If I am an instructor, I will take it very personally if my classes of volunteers were not adequately trained. But that’s the ones who will show up for class, ready to learn.

They know that we all do what we do for the same reasons. I am tired of that well-worn cliché that says career or volunteer-we are all professionals. Well, “professionals” do not treat each other with so much disdain. They treat each other with respect. And we know that respect is not given, but is earned; everyday and not just when the tones drop. There has to be respectful dialogue and honesty between us. Respect for the fact that, even we, as firefighters from different career paths, are “a different tool in the fire service tool box”. And it’s the communities who select “the tools”. That may over-simplify it, but the point is that we employ our skills when advancing on a fire in the same way with the goal of suppressing the fire. Being effective is not a career/volunteer issue, but is all of our duty.

Career personnel have to do it right and do it better with every work shift. The law of averages says that if they don’t, then Murphy’s Law will get them. I don’t think for a minute that they are “jealous” of the volunteers. Quite the opposite. I am somewhat jealous that they can “live the dream and even eek out a living at it. Most are just like the rest of us; saddled with mortgages, car payments, college tuition and taxes that are too damned high! Yeah; I’m jealous of that!

I would be remiss if I didn’t address the “other” segment of career firefighters; those who started out as volunteers. I can feel nothing but unmitigated pride for them. They remember their roots and they are quick to give credit. And that can only help to bridge the “old” arguments and perceptions.

In closing, I will use the analogy of athletes and firefighters.

I know that there were better athletes than me in my high school class, just as I know that there were better firefighters than me. Isn’t our goal to always work towards getting better?

What it comes down to is natural ability, desire, practice and the right attitude. Working hard with a “losing sucks” mentality. Getting everyone on the team to believe in themselves for the sake of the team. And then going out and beating the snot out of the opponent; in our case, fire.

And, as a volunteer, I will say that being on a rural, volunteer fire department doesn’t make us the Farm Team!

Sorry. I couldn’t resist one last time.

And be safe above all else.

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: career, debate, firefighter, Training, volunteer

My Day Starts At The Back Door!

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First Published 9/14/06

I’m not a deeply religious man, but I’m convinced that God wants us to have fun in this life, because there will be plenty of work to do in the next world.

Yeah; we all have a job to do, but you can at least leave the house every day with a SMILE on your face (some of you get your minds out of the gutter!).

Just inside my back door that leads to the attached garage hangs my white helmet. When I stepped down as chief on September 10, 2002, I had a garage party to honor some of the people that I had grown very close to during my time with the fire department. I had them autograph my helmet as a way of saying “thank you” for being such a large part of all those wonderful years as a firefighter and ultimately, chief.

I don’t know that we consciously endeavor to have our “BIG FIRE”, but I think every firefighter wants their skills at least challenged to validate their service to their communities. You would have to be stark, raving mad to wish for destruction of someone’s property or their serious injury, but rather, you want to be a component of a successful outcome. We are put there, not by our choice, but by our calling. We don’t do what we do with the hope that we will be labeled a “hero”. We do it to fulfill our obligation-to honor our commitment.

And that may lead us to perform extraordinary tasks that could meet the measure of our public’s eye and elevate the visibility of our fire departments.

Living with the memories of some of the most horrendous scenes imaginable can create high levels of stress if we don’t control it. We control it by venting (talking about it); otherwise, sharing it with someone else who can understand it from their own experiences. We may choose to quietly reflect upon it, which isn’t as healthy, but we must process it in our heads in order to outwardly project our emotions.

Hey; I thought this piece was about having fun?

Exactly! Back to the white helmet…

Yeah; that helmet saw a lot of ugly stuff. If only it could talk. But, it also had a lot of fun and the guy who wore it-ME-had a lot of fun too!

You don’t show up for a shift feeling miserable about your job; you love your job. Bad stuff is unfortunately a real possibility every day, but so is some light moments; you know…FUN!

As a safety director for my company-my paying gig-to chief for a volunteer fire department, I can tell you without hesitation that I was happiest at the fire station surrounded by the camaraderie of my firefighters. I never looked upon it as “work”. I took numerous classes that taxed me physically and yes; it was challenging, but I never thought of it as work. It was as close to my dream as I could get. And I was well prepared to deal with the bad stuff, because I always knew that the balance could be found in the fun that we had.

To this day, my strongest/deepest friendships are on fire departments all over this great country. The handshakes, the hugs, the ball-busting and the emotional bond to one another. It’s the greatest feeling in the world.

And that, my friends, is fun. That is what is on and IN that white helmet. With each new day, I don’t know what it will bring, but I know that I started the day with a good thought and a smile on my face.

Granted; the boss might be on my ass about too many accidents, work comp claims or bitching in general. But I can always go back to the helmet for rescue.

Hell, if I could install a handle on it, I would carry it to and from work like a briefcase.

What’s your “white helmet”?

If you don’t have one, you need one. You deserve it. You’ve earned it.

I am reminded of an old Leon Russell song. In it, he sings:

I’m up on a tightrope…One side’s Fate and one is Hope…

There’s “hope” in my white helmet.

And fun; lots and lots of thoughts of fun!

Thank you all for letting me share my thoughts with you.

The pleasure is all mine.

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: chief, helmet, hope, stress, venting

Just Follow My Lead

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First Published 8/23/03

My day job is as a safety director for a large company. My duties encompass all of the loss control issues, including worker injuries.

Because of my specialty, I am a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). As a benefit, I get a monthly copy of Professional Safety magazine. In the July issue, there was an article entitled Risk Taking Among Firefighters-Identifying Key Attributes For An Incident Commander.

Many of us have participated in discussions about those traits that we look for in our fire service leaders. Though the article limits its scope to incident commanders, I believe that the same holds true for all officers-company officers and chief officers alike. And I think that it all comes down to your firefighters. They will not LET you lead them if they don’t respect you and therefore, trust in you.

I would like to discuss the key components of this very interesting article. Interesting, in that; in my world as safety director, risk taking is unacceptable behavior that must be modified to reduce the likelihood of injury. But in a firefighter’s world, an acceptable risk is, well, acceptable. And therein lies the rub!

The author of the article, David L. Fender, is not from the firefighting community, so his views are taken from the professional safety perspective.

Fender begins with: Key factors in firefighter injury and death involves the risks that firefighters are willing to take in the performance of their tasks and supervisor control of risk taking. This study used focus groups made up of paid and volunteer firefighters to define the content domain of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of firefighters towards risk taking in firefighting. Results indicated that firefighters are willing to take a higher level of personal risk and may be willing to violate their training and procedures in order to save lives. The principal factors that affected whether firefighters obeyed an incident commander, even in cases of life and death, were how well they knew the individual and whether they trusted his knowledge, judgment and expertise. To keep risk taking at an acceptable level, researchers recommend that incident commanders possess the following attributes: be knowledgeable, trustworthy, self-confident, levelheaded and have mutual trust with the crew.

I have always said that firefighters will, at that critical moment where a life is at stake, take everything that they have learned, ponder it ever so briefly and make their decision; not from the head, but from the gut! They will at that moment risk their life for another’s.

In a letter to the editor of Fire Engineering magazine in 1997, retired fire officer W. A. Witt wrote: Safety must be stressed at all times, but there are times when we have to do what has to be done.

As firefighters, we understand what Witt is saying, but in “doing what has to be done”, it can sometimes expose us to unnecessary risks or at the very least, risks that did not need to be taken. The most recent example of risk taking that resulted in the supreme sacrifice of 343 of New York City’s bravest is, of course, the response to the World Trade Towers on September 11, 2001. The debate will go on forever. I won’t debate it, because quite frankly, I wasn’t there and can only imagine what went through the minds of everyone who responded after the terrorist attacks.

What is known about emergencies is that there are always unknowns, so there cannot be a “cookie cutter” response. You should have written procedures. Will you follow them to the letter? Doubtful. BUT, they must be the template for your response; especially your command structure.

So; what motivates you? Why did you become a firefighter and why do you do what you do? In Buckman’s address to the International Association of Fire Chiefs in 1993, he identified three factors: achievement, affiliation and power. The very things that we take great pride in may cause us to take great risks. Fender writes that according to L. Davis: Firefighters-both paid and volunteer-join firefighting organizations for many reasons. Some want to help fulfill the need for community safety and security or in rural areas, to help neighbors. Others are attracted by the excitement, thrill and adventure. Others see firefighting as an opportunity to transform themselves into a ‘macho, death-defying hero’. Davis also describes other motivations including the hot-rod syndrome, which involves the thrill of operating fire apparatus….still others desire recognition from the community. R.D. Beaton states that firefighters frequently develop strong kinships and friendships with fellow firefighters. Corneil’s examination of traumatic stress among firefighters found that social support from coworkers had a strong protective effect from stress disorders. Additionally, teamwork and reliance on fellow firefighters in life-and-death situations provide strong reasons to support their fellow firefighters and to take risks to help them. Another factor involved in firefighter deaths and serious injuries is trust in leadership, which affects whether they follow orders from those leaders.

So, we know that firefighting is a risky business. How do company officers or incident commanders identify unnecessary risks and control the taking of necessary risks only? The primary safety concern in any occupation is personal safety first. It is stressed over and over again in firefighter training. What causes us to place our safety second? The focus groups that were used in this article yielded some interesting results on how firefighters felt about taking personal risk, when they were willing to take higher personal risk and the relationship of risk taking to supervision.

Common themes shared by career and volunteers regarding firefighting were:

Recognize the generally high risk and risk of death
Many unknowns in firefighting
Unusual hours
Sense of pride
Saving lives is satisfying
Helping people is satisfying
Sense of teamwork (career)
Lack of respect from public (volunteer)
Lack of respect from government entities (career)
Teamwork very important
Saving lives is primary objective, then property
No building is worth a human life
Dream to be a firefighter
Take the most risk to save a life
Take more risk for younger victims (mixed opinion)
Take the least amount of risk to save property
Always assume the worst at the scene
Highest risk taking involves saving lives
Highest routine risk taken is driving to incident.

Common themes between career and volunteers regarding obeying incident commanders were:

Incident commander is responsible; follow their orders
Incident commander is responsible for the safety of everyone at the scene
Must trust the incident commander and do what they say-lives depend on it
Would disobey if a life could be saved
Only disobey incident commander for a very good reason

More likely to obey an incident commander if they are:

Experienced
Knowledgeable
Respected as an individual
Trustworthy
Self confident
Level-headed
Willing to listen

More likely to disobey incident commander because of:

Lack of experience
Not part of team
Has a quick temper
Non communicator
Made too many past mistakes
Indecisive
Lack confidence in them
Inattention to detail
Too willing to put crew in danger

The author of the article states that: When a firefighter does not trust the leader’s judgment, the command structure begins to disintegrate. The firefighter starts to think on his own, disregarding the incident commander or even the good of the team and tragedy can result. Although incident commanders may prefer ‘blind obedience’ from their crew, due to Human Nature, mutual trust is more achievable. The study results and tragedies such as Mann Gulch and South Canyon all indicate that trust in leadership is critical in firefighting situations. R. A. Angulo states that based on his experience firefighters must have trust and confidence in their leadership BEFORE they will do what they are told; particularly when they think that life is at risk.

Fender concludes his article with the following: Based on the results of this study and other research, a command structure with the following attributes is more likely to achieve the best effort and most appropriate risk taking in firefighting operations:

1) Knowledge and experience of the incident commander. The incident commander needs to be experienced and the firefighters need to know and have confidence in them.

2) Trustworthiness. The incident commander must inspire trust in their crew. Trust is only gained over time and through working together.

3) Mutual trust. Incident commanders must admit that they do not know everything and be willing to listen to others. Training together will boost this trust.

4) Self-confidence. The incident commander must be aware of what they do or do not know and must ask for help when needed. When one is self-confident, there is no shame in asking for another opinion or double-checking when the information is critical.

5) Levelheaded. The incident commander should remain calm and stay in control. They should not be afraid of making decisions and should be ready to re-think decisions when conditions change. It is not a sign of weakness to change an order when required.

As a practitioner of safety and a former chief officer of a volunteer fire department, I cannot in good conscience, advocate risk taking. But off the record, I understand why we do. I believe that there are decisions made that use our best judgment at that moment in time. Call it a calculated risk, if you will. You cannot be faulted for making your decisions based on all of the information that you have and have weighed it against the expected outcome.

Though I do not endorse the article, I do not dismiss it, either. I have brought it before an esteemed group of fire service leaders for their discussion. So please; discuss it!

As I finish this, I have posted a news article that is ironic, given its timing. The news article is entitled Moline firefighters lack confidence in chief. Read and compare.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

And stay safe above all else!

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: behavior, firefighter, injury, lead, leader, respect, risk, trust

It’s Not What You Do; It’s What You DIDN’T Do!

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First Published 7/4/03

If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?

Many of us know that those words come at the beginning of the song Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd. It is the anthem for those of us who grew up as part of the counter culture, listened to underground radio stations (Baker St.) and was apathetic to the point of cynical of this country’s political system.

If the 60s were turbulent, then the 70s-my era-were at least “stormy”. There were still plenty of causes to protest against and the mood of the country in the 70s was one of distrust. It was a time when we could no longer take things at face value. We were still reeling from the Kennedy assassination, along with the hundreds of conspiracy theories that were being floated. The Warren Commission had no credibility in some circles, such as mine. We withdrew from the Vietnam Police Action/Conflict/War without a decisive victory and charges that enemy body counts were inflated and that we had deserted our POWs and MIAs. Nixon resigned in disgrace over the break-in of the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. The Weatherman Faction of the Students for a Democratic Society was becoming very active with their bombings and the Symbionese Liberation Army had “kidnapped” Patty Hearst. Rumors that our Director of the FBI-J. Edgar Hoover-was dressing in women’s clothes was already starting to surface.

Everybody had a motive; everybody had a cause or at least that’s what they were saying. Too many lies had already been told.

It’s hard to believe that a country that was so plugged in and informed could be so easily deceived in the end.

Looking back at the era that I grew up in with the music, political climate, the art and movies of the time and the decay of the family unit as we knew it gives me pause to understand why I think as I do.

For instance; many of you want to be recognized and remembered for what you do. I, on the other hand, want to be remembered for what I didn’t do! I realize that we aren’t motivated by that thought, but if at the end of the day, someone wants to take notice of our Life’s accomplishments, then I want them to look at what I didn’t do.

I didn’t grow up in a well-to-do family. My dad worked in a scrap yard and was a part-time cop. His two paychecks was $100 net total. There were TEN of us in the family! After the house payment, car payment, utilities, essential clothing and food, there was no “extra” money. We had a huge garden in the summer (Mom canned the vegetables), fished and shot wild game for food and most of us worked small jobs after school to pay for things not found in the household budget.

Despite being poor, I didn’t steal and I didn’t complain. I didn’t take anything for granted and I didn’t want nor accept handouts or pity. I realized at an early age that there were others that were worse off than me. I didn’t feel sorry for them, but I didn’t give them a hard time either!

I didn’t play sports for my parents or my coach; I played them for me. It was the only thing that was truly mine and God gave it to me. I didn’t feel pressure when the team was counting on me to hit the ball. I didn’t fail to block my man when the play was called to my side of the line. I didn’t give anything less than my best effort. That, I DID owe to my teammates. I didn’t question my coaches. I didn’t always agree with their decisions though.

I didn’t get my college degree. I didn’t stop learning either. I didn’t forget the friends that I had made. I didn’t realize the sacrifices that my parents had made to get me there.

I didn’t want to work in a scrap yard, but I wanted to be like my dad!

I didn’t want to disappoint my parents. I wanted to make them proud of me. I didn’t make it easy for them. I didn’t make that effort.

I didn’t have to get married, but I wasn’t sure that I could be a good husband and father. I didn’t want others to have to depend on me. Raising a family was different than hitting a ball, blocking your man or studying to pass a college exam. It’s been almost 27 years and I cherish my good fortune.

I didn’t plan on becoming a member of our nation’s fire service. I didn’t think that the “old boys” would have me. I didn’t have patience and it took three letters before they “accepted” me. But they didn’t accept me. I was on the department, but I was still an outsider. I didn’t let that discourage me. I didn’t want to fail my mission or my call to duty. I didn’t want to maintain the status quo. I didn’t think that continually improving was wrong. I didn’t wait for others; I enlisted them, empowered them, and encouraged them to work with me to make our department better. I didn’t expect them to stay with me, but they did. They didn’t want to let the community down that showed us so much support. They didn’t!

I didn’t want to leave the active side of the fire department without making a difference. I didn’t want my time there to be quickly forgotten, sort of like pushing the older magazines to the back of the bookcase.

I didn’t expect that my time on the department would mean almost as much to me as my wife and son. It was my second love. My wife and son and my extended family are my first love.

So, I didn’t want to be quickly forgotten, but I wanted to be remembered as a guy who made the commitment, then honored it.

What about the rest of you?

What don’t you want to be remembered for?

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: active, commitment, member, service

Interview With Mark Warnick-Founder of Helping Our Own

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First Published 11/12/06

VR: Mark; this is indeed an honor for me and the IACOJ. We feel so fortunate that you have taken the time to talk with us. How are you and Cleo doing at the moment?

MW: Right now, we are hanging in there. Of course, Kim Holman, my boss at Dalmatian Fire Equipment has made the transition a lot easier than it could have been. Having said that, being a new salesman, it’s tough to build a client base, and besides, I really am not a salesman; I am a fireman.

VR: If you don’t mind, I’d like you to tell us about yourself before you founded Helping Our Own (HOO) and don’t be modest; I have your biography!

MW: LOL, … Well, you know some of my past, but I am going to shock most of your readers with what I have to tell. In fact, I am going to tell you the abridged story of my life; one that I am writing a book about. Unfortunately, it was seized with my computer by those in Helping Our Own.

I was a severely abused child. As far as I can recall, I was beaten from the age of 6 years old by an immediate family member with hammers, 2×4’s, sledgehammer handles, fists and so much more. Often times, I would go to school with bruises and I would be threatened with death if I told how I got those scars. Many years later, I would be told by doctors that there were broken bones during that time.

While not proud of it, after leaving home and getting away from that family member, I was a total screw-up. I soon began having a drinking problem and thoughts of suicide. In the mid 80’s, I tried to commit suicide at the hands of police officers. This was something that landed me on probation for five years. While still on probation, I got into trouble for a bad check. I was spiraling down a bad road. My temper was out of control.

While still in the confused trouble mode in my early twenties, someone came to me and offered me an EMS course. I decided to go ahead and take it. My attitude was like “What the hell; it can’t hurt anything.” This course changed my life! I soon began helping others and I liked what I did and I liked to help others. I made up my mind that the rest of my life would be spent helping others.

I first joined a local volunteer EMS squad and I always thirsted for more knowledge. Within a year, because I was always bugging them about more training, they said “Hey, you want training, get it for us all. You’re now the training officer!” So I did. Local fire departments saw a passion in me and invited me to join. Soon, I was the Training Officer of a department and I was getting training from everywhere I could; for everyone.

Things just progressed from there. After several years in these departments I moved and 3 days after moving into a small community in Missouri, the Chief and the President of the Board of the local fire department came knocking on my door, unsolicited. They said they had heard I was good at what I did and asked me if I would come to work on their department. I started out on this department as Training Officer and worked my way up to Assistant Chief. During this time, I worked for the County Emergency Management as training and exercise officer for three fire departments and was the Vice President of the County Mutual Aid association.

When I saw a need for equipment for these departments, I took the basics of a couple ideas from others that were doing it for their own department and expanded it to help the whole county. The overwhelming success of this turned into Helping Our Own, a nationwide program.

VR: Who do you credit for getting you started in the fire service and what would you say to them now?

MW: I give credit to a nurse who thought I had the qualities of an EMS worker. If she were alive now, I would thank her and tell her she changed a troubled kid to become a person that is honored to help others and in one way or another helped to save many lives.

VR: What did you find to be the most rewarding aspect of your active duty?

MW: The most rewarding aspect was when you saved a life, especially a small child. With Helping Our Own, even though I wasn’t personally saving lives, I provided the equipment so others could save lives. This never would have been possible if not for the tools that the organization provided.

VR: Your “most memorable” incident? I know there are many, but if you had to “frame” one, what “one” would it be?

MW: There are several, but the one that sticks out in my mind happened about 15 years ago and I suffered post traumatic stress from it for about 8 or 9 years.

We were called out about 16:30 in the afternoon for a “head-on” accident. When we arrived on scene, we saw a van on its side and another car down a deep ditch; a small ravine. As we jumped out of the rescue, we heard kids screaming in the back of the van. We opened up the van and we find 5 or 6 kids, ranging in age from 2 to 12 years old and one adult. They’re all screaming and crying and we are short handed, because of daytime staffing problems in a volunteer organization. I called three other departments to come in right away. Some of the kids wanted to rush out, so I grabbed a by-stander and had them watch the walking wounded, while my partner went to check the other car. I had another by-stander watch those that I didn’t want to move until either the ambulance arrived or I had the proper tools in hand to package them. I looked up and saw hips and legs of an adult coming out from the passenger door, which was on the pavement. I ran around to see what we had and I found the mother and a four or five month old baby cut in half by the door! Apparently, when the two vehicles hit headlight to headlight, the passenger door popped open, the woman and the baby were almost ejected and then the rolling of the van cut them in half.

When I went back inside to check on the remaining small children, I saw a six pack, literally strapped in the babies’ car seat. The stupid bitch strapped in a six pack and held the kid in her arms. In total, we lost three people that day; two adults and one infant. To make it worse, we found out that the woman that strapped the beer in the carrier caused the accident by slugging her sister in the jaw and kicking the steering wheel.

VR: We have talked about your heart; now, let’s talk about your “soul”- Helping Our Own. In just four, short years under the HOO banner, you collected, refurbished and distributed 28 million dollars worth of equipment to needy fire departments across the nation. What was your “strategic plan”?

MW: Actually, we moved $36 million (used value) of equipment in six years and helped somewhere around 800 fire departments. I was responsible for Operations. Find the equipment, get it to the refurb center, refurbish it and get it back out. I scheduled this by what they told me about money availability. Unfortunately, they continually lied and broke their word. We would be scheduling pick-ups for two weeks out and HR (Wilkinson) would walk up to the truck driver, never telling me this and say “We’re out of money, so you aren’t going back out for a while.” Meanwhile I had pick-ups scheduled two to three weeks out.

StickyNote: Update Mark’s biography!

VR: I have seen it in companies that grew too fast. They became “asset rich”, but “cash poor”. Is that what happened to HOO?

MW: Actually, NO! What happened is that we were promised the moon and for a year or two, they did quite a lot. Then it was like they shut off the faucet and quit funding. We had numerous things in place, sometimes even a couple hundred thousand dollar deals and HR Wilkinson would stop it. We actually had payroll deduction to hand out to fire departments as we picked up and delivered equipment, brochures printed and everything set up and he even stopped that one.

VR: Were there any national sponsorships helping to under write your expenses?

MW: No, we weren’t allowed to bring those in and if we did, H.R. Wilkinson would find an excuse to not accept it.

VR: How/when did the Wilkinson Group enter the picture? Did you solicit them or did they solicit you?

MW: They actually solicited us I believe in late 2002. In fact, H.R. Wilkinson flew in representing the National Fire Safety Council to meet with me at ICHIEFS in New Orleans. He didn’t want his son K.C. to know he was there, because K.C. was working the National Fire Safety Council booth. About six or eight months later, I found out why. HR didn’t like his son having control, so he booted him out of the organization, took his car and just about everything he worked for. I heard that he even tried to kick his son, daughter-in-law and his two grandchildren (under 5 years old) out of the house, because he was a co-signer on their loan, but I can’t confirm this.

VR: Your relationship with that group was described as “tumultuous”. Is that how you would describe it?

MW: Tumultuous is an understatement! I was actually assaulted by H.R. Wilkinson several times and he’s over 80 years old. Once, he almost sucker punched me and Cleo screamed my name. When I spun around, he had his fist drawn back. As you can imagine, I stand up for myself. When I saw his fist drawn back, I assumed a defensive position and said “Old man, if you EVER sucker punch me, you will wake up in either the hospital or the morgue!”

Once, when he assaulted me, I carried a bruise for about a week to a week and a half. He was a bully, a control freak and if an idea didn’t come from him or if he couldn’t add his own twist, it was no good.

VR: If I were to write an article entitled “The Gutting of Helping Our Own”, what would I write?

MW: You’d write it was filled with broken promises and lies. I was promised pay and so were the Board of Directors that resigned. We were promised fundraising to help HOO grow, which never happened. Wilkinson would throw a little money here and a little money there from one of his other organizations, but there was never fundraising that I saw. I worked for five or six years with the promise of pay and not only did I not get paid, but they never paid me back my initial investment of $20,000 to $25,000, which they promised. Now, they are holding all of my personal belongings and refusing to give them back; things like my National Forestry Hero Award, The American Red Cross Everyday Hero Award, my firefighting certificates that were hanging on the walls, my patch and truck collections, my car and the title to it, which was in the filing cabinet. They even have the first, exact same fire truck (not one like it) I ever rode on when I was seven years old; a 1956 Ford with a Towers body.

Since August 30^th, when they terminated Cleo and me, they have refused to return our personal belongings and Wilkinson refuses to talk to me. I think I need to start a legal fund, … LOL!

VR: With your foot prints all over HOO, were you concerned about the public’s perception of your group’s reputation?

MW: HOO is ruined! Even if they tried to give it back, it’s tainted and it can’t recover. Integrity is very important to me and I feel my integrity is now in question too, because I allowed myself to be sucked in by these people. That is why I will only work as a consultant for Fire Aid USA. I will help to prevent the organization from making the mistakes I did when running Helping Our Own. While this may seem a little conceited, I feel I have to make the next statement. Let’s face it, there is only one person in the world that knows how the operations of an organization like this works and I am that person. I need to pass the knowledge on while I still can.

VR: I know that you’re a real gentleman and had a board of directors that was above reproach, but from a legal aspect, why couldn’t you regain control of your dream? I mean; it almost sounds like there was a “hostile takeover”, doesn’t it?

MW: LOL, … I could, if I had the money to fight it, but would it be worth it? I think the best thing to do and probably the most economical, would be to build another, get brothers and sisters to unite under Fire Aid USA and put Helping Our Own out of business.

To be honest, if I could afford the attorneys, I would start a class action lawsuit on behalf of the fire departments of the United States and start a suit on behalf of Mark and Cleo Warnick. I would also talk to the original Board of Directors and see if they would be interested in a suit for breach of contract, because they were given a verbal contract of what would be done with HOO. It was more or less a hostile takeover, but done so we didn’t know it was a hostile takeover until much later.

They used a loophole in the law to lower the fundraising expenses of National Fire Safety Council with Helping Our Own donated equipment, so they didn’t look like they were a bad charity. Yet, they sell thousands of fire departments the idea of using their materials.

VR: I don’t mean to put you on the spot and I know that there are legal implications, but the national fire service wants to know-check that-they NEED to know the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Without complicating matters, what can you tell us?

MW: Hmmm, well, I can tell you that we have had people investigating (pro-bono) Wilkinson and his operation. We recently found out that there are charges filed out of Pennsylvania on him, some of his board members and some of the charities, including National Fire Safety Council, and there are over 1,200 counts involved. A lot of the same board members are also members of Helping Our Own.

I also know that he made many racial slurs, doesn’t hire disabled, blacks or Hispanics, yet took money from the federal government and said he was an equal opportunity employer. He would regularly say that he rarely hired firefighters because they were lazy; another war that we had often. I have heard from his own mouth that he used to hang around with Jimmy Hoffa, the Farmer, and many other Teamsters during their heydays and I have had people that were Teamsters during this time confirm it. He has taken over several organizations, much like he did Helping Our Own and done the same or worse to them. I also have overheard conversations where he was setting people up to discredit them, including planting evidence and shredding documents. He and some of the organizations he runs and board members were sued by the Missing Child Help Center lawyers on a bankruptcy case, and there is so much more that I can’t even list it.

I held on trying to get Helping Our Own away from him and I suspect that is why Cleo and I were let go. We also have our suspicions that the computers and office were bugged, because there was information thrown back in our face that was never talked about, except between Cleo and I.

As far as me; I tried to do the best I could for my fire service. I always did my best to protect the brothers and sisters from mutts like this. Did I do everything perfect? Probably not, but I always tried to do all I could for the fire service. I fully expect that this is not over though and he and his cronies will try to do something to discredit me. That is just his way. Win at all costs and leave the carnage by the road.

VR: What was your reaction to the outpouring of support that you have seen by no less than Firehouse.com, Harry Carter, your good friend, Lou Jordan and of course, Kim Holman of Dalmatian Fire?

MW: I have dealt with many of these people for years. Kim Holman has been informed all along the way about what was going on. For four years he was on the Board of Directors for HOO and was constantly trying to get me away to start Fire Aid USA. He was never invited to a Board meeting, he repeatedly asked for Board Meeting minutes, he repeatedly asked for financials statements and never got them from Wilkinson. I continually kept him up to date on what was going on and after about a year of being on the BOD and being screwed by Wilkinson for about $30,000 on refurbished SCBA, Kim begged me to come to Utah and start a new organization. Unfortunately, I was knee deep in trying to save Helping Our Own. Two days before we were removed, Kim asked me to come to Utah and be a salesman for him. He even talked about starting Fire Aid USA. When I received the papers from National Fire Safety Council, I called him right away. Within three weeks, we were in Utah. Because National Fire Safety Council had left us broke, even holding back paychecks from Cleo’s salary, Kim provided us the moving van and the money to move. When we got here, they had rented us a condo to live in and he got nine people (including himself) to help unload the truck and to help Cleo unpack. He took us out and bought us $400 worth of groceries and because I didn’t have a vehicle, he loaned me his Hummer for 6 weeks until we found the right car; then, he bought the car for us. Interestingly enough, even though Kim has never fought a real fire or served on a department, he has taken classes and since I’ve been here, both he and Trevor Johnston (the General Manager of Dalmatian) want to join the local fire department.

As for Harry Carter, what a treasure he is. He and I have been friends for probably seven years. Often times (over the past 7 or 8 years), I will use Harry for a sounding board; someone to get directions from. The fire service has a true treasure in him and he’s not shy. The one thing that someone pointed out about his post (Firehouse.com) is that he has been a member since 1999 and this was his first post ever! I could go on and on about Harry, but I would just be telling everyone what they already know.

Lou Jordan and many others have always been good friends and often, I would tell them what I was up against. Had it not been for them, I probably would have felt like a secluded man on an island and I thank them for their support.

As far as the brothers and sisters that have been sending messages, it confirms to me that I was doing the right thing, although it surprised me by how many have come out of the woodwork with such kind things to say. The fire service is a family and we all know this. The support of this family has given me the inspiration to continue on and to fight harder for those that need our help. God willing, we will be able to help these folks and save some firefighters lives, but it is going to take more than me consulting the new organization. It’s going to take all of my brothers and sisters making a commitment of preventing Line of Duty Deaths by helping to protect firefighters that cannot afford PPE, SCBA or that drive a 50 year old piece of apparatus. I know that my fire service family can do it; I just pray that they actually do their part.

VR: Now, we have a dog with different spots. Tell us about Fire Aid USA. Will it be bigger and better?

MW: If I have anything to say about it, Fire Aid USA will be bigger, better and do more than Helping Our Own. While we are still in the beginning stages, we are talking about having reserves ready to totally outfit a fire station should they get hit by fire, tornado or some other disaster. We are going to recycle anything that is not usable to help preserve the environment. We are going to try to prepare for the next disaster by having containers ready to ship with all of the most needed equipment for the next Katrina, earthquake or any other major disaster and we want to give equipment to any department that can’t afford it. We have many other ideas and they are all dependant on funding, but I can assure you, if this effort fails, it won’t be because of one person running it into the ground.

VR: If this were a template for a business class, what have you learned?

MW: Never trust anyone that might be potential mutts!

VR: This is what I have learned: when a passion to fulfill a mission is as strong as your’s is, nothing and no one can kill that dream. Would you agree?

MW: I would agree with that; however, there are many days when you are discouraged. Usually in a day or two, someone will call or e-mail you and say “Hey, I just wanted to thank you.” Interestingly enough, I had an e-mail just the other day from a department in Mississippi that was wiped out by Katrina. The person that wrote me the e-mail said they were fighting a structure fire and were in the mop up process. While some of them were sitting around talking, one of them said “Hey, look at us, almost all of the PPE we have on came from Helping Our Own and Mark Warnick.” They said a long conversation ensued and they were fondly remembering how I got them help quickly, delivered it to their door and it didn’t cost them a dime.

Having said this, the beginnings of Fire Aid USA will take money. Both Kim Holman and I are willing to fork out the beginnings of that money. To help us reach that goal, if anyone needs any fire equipment, please keep Dalmatian Fire Equipment in mind, because this is how we have made and will make the money to start Fire Aid USA.

VR: As a former chief for a small, struggling, rural, volunteer fire department, I can only say “thank God there are people like you in the fire service”. You exemplify the spirit of the brother/sisterhood and set a sterling example for others coming up to follow. As is my custom, you have my thanks and the last word.

MW: I don’t think I am a sterling example; I am just a brother who does his part. For me, each time we lose a brother or sister firefighter, a small piece of my heart is ripped out. To me, I have to do everything I can to prevent this. By providing equipment and advice in the past, I have done as much as I could. I have always wondered if there was something I could have done to help save others. God willing, Fire Aid USA will continue on where Helping Our Own left off.

My final words to all of the brothers and sisters out there are to do everything you can to protect and save your brothers and sisters. While honoring them after their gone is important, it is more important to try to keep them alive while they are here. Please do as much as you can.

Voice of Reason Post Script

It appears as though the Wilkinson Charities preyed upon successful, national non-profit organizations to extend their already burgeoning revenue streams.

I read the entire document of charges brought by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations against the Wilkinson Charities and I got to tell you, Wilkinson’s [i]modis operandi[/i] is not that complicated.

Before I lay out some eye opening numbers on you, the crusty members, let’s look at what he did with the National Fire Safety Council, as described in the PA BCO’s legal action.

Wilkinson or those working under his direct control would send “safety counselors” into communities to promote fire safety, especially among school-aged children. The “safety counselors” would first go to the police/fire departments, get letters of support from the chiefs, show them to potential donors as “testimonials” and in return, the National Fire Safety Council would provide “free” materials to fire safety programs. I’m sure that the school kids were all given brochures, so that Mom and Dad could donate as well. But the real kicker is this: the “safety counselors would collect a 40% commission on the donations that they raised! WTF? Over!

It gets better!

According to the charges against Wilkinson in Pennsylvania, at the other end of this scheme, from 1998 – 2001, Wilkinson paid himself a total of $183,350.00 in compensation from the National Fire Safety Council. Doesn’t seem so bad on the surface, does it?

Ah; there’s more.

Wilkinson took compensation from [b]ALL[/b] of his charities. From 1998 – 2001, H.R. Wilkinson took $1,664,167.43 in compensation from his Wilkinson “Charities”. That’s not a typo!

And that’s not counting the money he got from his H & T Rentals and Valley Bingo deal. From 1999 – 2001, Wilkinson received a total of $495,000 in “subleasing payments”. Hey, folks; I ain’t making this up. It’s in the public record!

Here’s another eye popper.

Missing Child, a Florida non-profit started by Ivanna DiNova and taken over by Wilkinson’s National Child charity had to file bankruptcy. Could it be because Missing Child, from 1997 – 2001, pumped $5.6 million into National Child, but only received $120,000 back? Man; I can’t believe that 60 Minutes and Mike Wallace didn’t go after this guy!

Anyone out there feel like buying your fire education materials from National Fire Safety Council and the Wilkinson Charities?

It is clear that Mark and Cleo Warnick and Helping Our Own were victims, like so many others were. And the “Valley Bingo Lease” reads like a scheme that was hatched by a drunk trying to hide his girlfriend from his wife!

Let’s not forget that Wilkinson was licensed in Michigan and Texas. Will he be charged in those states as well? The Pennsylvania beef has been there for two years. Does anyone know the disposition? Can our brothers from PA shed some light?

Is it safe to say here that we have yet another example of the greedy taking from the needy?

And if the fact that you can no longer access www.helpingourown.org is any indication, then Helping Our Own is dead.

Long live Fire Aid USA and God bless them!

Posted by chiefreason on January 18, 2009 • Filed under: Interviews • Tagged: charities, fire aid usa, helpingourown, interview, mark warnick, wilkerson

How Does Your Department Get to the Scene?

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First Published 9/9/02

I know on the surface that it sounds like a ridiculous question, but it is a valid question to ask of volunteer departments.

We all know that career departments get their people to incidents in various apparatus. They do not drive their personal vehicles to scenes. But small departments and especially small, rural departments have a very real dilemma.

According to a very good friend of mine in the apparatus building industry, many small departments are still purchasing single cabs with a drivers’ seat and a captain’s seat. Cab for two, anyone? Many still get the 5-speed manual transmission with the 2-speed rear axle (commonly called a “5 and 2”). The reason? Money. Or a lack of it. The newer, 5-man cabs are costly and in many rural areas are considered a luxury akin to overkill!

So, if your department has, say, three trucks and I’ll even throw in “bench” seats for the old trucks; the most you can roll in trucks is nine people and most likely, that number is six. Ever tried getting dressed in a three-man cab on the way to a scene? Flashback:

I was the middle guy in the cab of the ’69 Chevy responding to a fire call. Moe was driving and Curley was on the outside. Moe shifted and hit my knee just as I was taking off a shoe. I hit him in the side of his head with my shoe with such force! As I offered my apology, Curley was attempting to take off his jacket to put his fire coat on and hit me right in the nose with his fist, which caused me to hit my head against Moe’s head. Moe misses a gear; the truck starts leaping like a frog and with each leap, Curley and me hit our heads on the back of the seat and then on the metal dash! And Moe gives us both a slap for good measure.

You get the picture by now and hopefully my question. How will the rest of your manpower get to the scene without using their personally operated vehicles (POVs)? If you are like my department, the answer is a renovated Step-Van (ours is from a company who builds them for a company that sells tools that “snap on”). I have heard of departments buying old potato chip or bread trucks and renovating them, but we always found them light in the springs and not heavy enough. The renovation is done by the firefighters, using hardware purchased from the local hardware store, parts given to them by good citizens and painted in a shed with a dirt floor by a firefighter/painter and a Wagner Power Painter. In other words; they are not professionally built and that is my concern. The men are not separate of the equipment that is held in place by shelves, Velcro straps and some webbing. Should it roll over, hazards would include all of the equipment, air bottles from the cascade and some gasoline. We built it out of necessity. We could not afford a professionally built rescue van and I did not want everyone responding in their POVs; especially to MVAs on the interstate highway that borders our district. We needed a vehicle that could carry manpower and equipment that could not be carried on the other trucks. I am talking about a vehicle that goes to every incident. Consequently, our 1985 Chevy P-30 that we purchased in 1993 has over 100,000 miles on it and has its own set of jumper cables for just in case! It can safely carry a driver plus four. Notice that I said safely. We have a 5-man; the other two are 2-man, so an initial response can see 12 men arrive in fire department vehicles. Our men are required to go to the station at the time of the tone. They ride the rigs. If they get there after the rigs have left, they are to stay at the station, unless more manpower is needed. They are to come out in as few vehicles as possible. Anyone who has driven our nation’s roads recently know that the driving public has become less tolerant and in some cases, downright rude. They will not pull over for a vehicle lit up with lights and siren blasting; let alone a POV with a little blue pulsating light. So the firefighter in the POV will take unnecessary risks. You don’t think so? How many stories about firefighters responding and dying in POVs were published in Firehouse Magazine just last year? Too many to count. And don’t discount near misses. The number of apparatus accidents last year is cause for concern. But I believe that firefighters responding in professionally built equipment will stand a much better chance of survival than those responding in their POVs. That’s why I am so against response by POVs. I count our rescue van every bit as important as our engines. I look forward to the day when our district can purchase a rescue van that has been professionally built. Responding in department vehicles will save lives!

Everyone should take this time to re-think their procedures for the initial tone out. If you’re allowing POVs as part of your SOGs, then your department is at risk. If for no other reason, consider it from an accountability standpoint.

On that note, I will ask that everyone stay safe.

Posted by chiefreason on January 17, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: fire department, personal vehicles, pov

How Can They Learn If We Keep Killing Them?

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First Published 5/26/03

I have just read the tragic story of yet another LODD of a very young, future firefighter from Newcastle, Wyoming. Andee Huber, 16, a high school sophomore, died from injuries that she received when the tanker truck that she was a passenger in, left the roadway and rolled over. She was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead from her injuries at the hospital. She was active in track and swimming and was in the Explorer’s program, training to become a firefighter. She is survived by her parents, a sister and two brothers-one that recently returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The driver of the tanker, Ron Caillier, 46, was treated for cuts and abrasions.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol reported that neither occupant of the tanker were wearing seat belts and were both ejected from the vehicle.

Caillier was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and was being held without bond as of Friday (5/23) morning.

I read the news account of this tragedy and I started going over in my mind a number of topics that many of us have discussed in public forums that would appear to be central to this latest tragedy:

§ Wearing seat belts when responding

§ What is a safe speed when driving apparatus

§ Allowing juniors/explorers to respond to calls on apparatus

§ Setting a good example for young firefighters’

§ Drinking, then responding to calls

Those topics immediately came to mind and I am sure that there are others, but it was as if I had been struck by déjà vu.

With the exception of a policy of allowing juniors/explorers to respond to calls on apparatus, the other topics that I mentioned that were factors in this fatal incident can be attributed to one act of bad judgment on the part of the driver-drinking, then responding.

I know that some of you are sitting there and are thinking that a person is innocent until proven guilty and I agree, in principle. BUT, the headline read:

Teen Firefighter Killed In Tanker Truck Rollover: Driver Charged With DUI.

It now becomes a case of “guilty until proven innocent” because a public servant is involved. I will say that the Wyoming Highway Patrol believed strongly enough that alcohol was a factor in this case to charge the driver. That means that field sobriety, breathalyzer (or a refusal of same) and interviews of the driver at the time of the incident determined that charges should be filed.

Was the driver’s judgment impaired? Did it play a role with him not wearing his seat belt or in telling his passenger to do the same? Or was such a blatant disregard for safety the department’s SOP?

Did impairment by alcohol play a role in the safe operation of the tanker apparatus or did this driver typically push the bounds of safety and with the knowledge of the department’s hierarchy? We’ve all heard it before: I’ve only had a couple. I’m OK.

Was the driver’s decision to respond to the call at all impaired by the effects of alcohol? I sober up as soon as I hear the tones drop. You KNOW it happens!

One of our IACOJ members recently wrote an articulate and passionate piece for our website about OUR responsibilities to the future firefighters. Our roles as teachers must include not only giving examples, but setting them as well! We must be vigilant enough to recognize whether our “students” are learning the subject matter. If we are going to take the time and effort to establish a role for juniors/explorers in our fire organizations, then we’d better damn well create a system of checks and balances.

Otherwise, “teachers” and “students” alike will continue to die! It must stop and WE must stop it! We must make certain that what we do has value in our learning process and is effectively communicated to everyone.

If we have members who respond for departments that “fly by the seat of their pants”, then we must protect them from potential harm. We have to take the lead or there is no good reason to have an organization with the wealth of knowledge that our organization possesses. Protecting the safety of our firefighters and EMS personnel should be the core of our mission-absolutely. It should be shared freely and should not be a commodity that is sold for $23.95 a month!

In closing, I’d like to share a few more thoughts.

The founder and publisher of a prominent fire service magazine attempted to draw comparisons of this recent, tragic event to the Lairdsville incident of two years ago. I found his assertions to be ridiculous and here’s why:

If Ron Caillier did, in fact, consume alcohol to a level of intoxication and that contributed to the death of Andee Huber, then he will most likely be tried for driving under the influence and either a criminally negligent or reckless homicide charge. That will be decided by the state’s attorney. Regardless, it is a case of bad judgment on Caillier’s part.

Alan Baird III was consumed by arrogance and stupidity and is a case of bad decision-making that contributed to the death of a firefighter.

The only common thread that joins these two cases is that two very young firefighters died.

Both are tragic and both were 100% AVOIDABLE.

Take care and be safe above all else.

Posted by chiefreason on January 17, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: anndee huber, dui, lodd, newcastle wyoming, rollover, ron callier, seat belt, tanker

From Cold Feet To Hot Water

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First Published 5/1/05

Please tell me that I wasn’t the only one following the case of the missing bride-to-be with both a sense of optimism and cynicism. When she didn’t return from her evening jog, a whole nation was put on alert. Re-capping some of the events will build the basis for my opinions in, yet another, bizarre case.

Jennifer Wilbanks of Duluth, Georgia was due to be married to John Mason on Saturday, April 30^th. From most accounts, she was marrying into “well-to-do”.

So, she left the home that she shares with her fiancé around 8:30 pm on Tuesday night for her daily run through her neighborhood in Duluth.

Her fiancé calls police at 1:30 am on Wednesday to report her as missing. More than 100 volunteers mobilize, including members of her wedding party and invited guests. They scour the areas in the neighborhood where she is known to jog and police canvass door-to-door.

By Thursday, it is being treated as a criminal investigation. Thursday night, I happen to catch her fiancé, John Mason, being interviewed by Fox News. I was taken aback by his calm, confident and deliberate demeanor. Greta Van Sustern asked him if he thought Jennifer might be somewhere having second thoughts about the impending marriage. He talked about how they were both very excited about their wedding day, but couldn’t explain her disappearance and felt that she was all right, but missing.

Even the pastor that was to perform the wedding ceremony didn’t believe that she was getting cold feet. It sounded as if those close to her wanted to believe the worst; that something had happened to her. And many others were already thinking that they had another “Scott Peterson” in John Mason!

On Friday, police call off the search after turning the city upside-down. The family goes on national TV with an emotional plea for Jennifer’s safe return, even offering a $100,000 reward. Wedding guests were planning a prayer service at the church, in lieu of the marriage ceremony.

By now, the fiancé and Jennifer’s uncle have done about 20 interviews on the national news networks. Plus, there are former FBI agents, profilers, forensic pathologists, psychologists and women’s rights activists; all offering their opinions.

On Saturday, Wilbanks places a collect call to her parents from Albuquerque, New Mexico, claiming that she had been kidnapped and had just been released by her abductors-a Hispanic male and a white female. Authorities traced the call and police picked her up. She had made her way to New Mexico via Las Vegas.

After questioning by the FBI, they determined that Wilbanks had NOT been abducted. They said that she had gotten “cold feet” about her impending marriage.

Now; what I find hard to comprehend are the reasons a criminal investigation was launched so soon in this case:

1) She hadn’t come home by 1:30 am

2) Her wallet and keys were on the table at the house (she was JOGGING)

3) Cell phone was at the house (she didn’t like to talk when she ran)

I have to wonder if a disadvantaged, lower income family would have gotten the same treatment? I understand Mason’s concern, but concerns like his have not triggered such an all out response from public safety in the past. With the exception of children, I still believe that the old “24-hour” rule applies to missing person’s reports. And then, it’s usually phone, fax and computer. A little piece of me says that the initial sense of urgency in this case was drawn from the fact that 600 guests were in the lurch, that the families were high profile in the community and that the wedding was just 4 days away! It would seem that the moneyed and privileged can move to the front of the line, or so it would seem! I mean; I still think of the Jon Benet Ramsey case and how her parents are STILL treated like rock stars. Many of us have our suspicions, but that’s ALL we have. No arrests have been made, anyway. So, it would seem to me that money buys a certain “sense of urgency”.

Wilbanks had been gone a grand total of 5 hours, when police were called. If she were going somewhere, she would have taken her wallet and cell phone! I guess they didn’t figure on her stuffing money into her running shoes. I know that I have come home from work and Wifey is not home. No note; no voicemail. Nothing. Two/three hours pass and I’m not getting concerned; I’m getting pissed. She knows that she should leave a message, but I am not ready to call out the search team. And if I DID think like that, the folks at Dispatch will get a good laugh when I call and say, “Hey; this is ChiefReason. My wife wasn’t home when I got home. Tell Gib to get the helicopter out.” THINK ABOUT IT!

So; what’s the point of this? The point is that I’m pissed and fed up!

Look at the resources that were wasted on this hoax; this false report. We have volunteers losing their jobs every day in this country, because their heart strings says that they NEED to be a part of this search team because someone is missing and MUST BE FOUND. There are legitimate, serious cases that go to the back burner when something like this is reported. How do you tell the family of a missing child that you have to switch gears while the “trail is still hot” on this new case? What do you say to the people who “just know that she wouldn’t just run off? Let’s back up to that “false report” thing.

Events leading up to her phone call was necessary under the circumstances as part of the process to rule out foul play. That I understand. It was a great effort on the part of the authorities. And I’ll guarantee you that authorities were preparing an arrest warrant for the fiancé or at least considering him “suspect numero uno”.

But when Wilbanks claimed that she was kidnapped by a Hispanic male and a white female, SHE FILED A FALSE REPORT. Why did she choose an inter-racial couple as her “abductors”? Does she have such a low regard for Hispanics that she makes them the target of her hoax? Why Hispanic and white? In Georgia? I would have “profiled” different races.

And where was the indignance? No hint from law enforcement on charging her. Albuquerque has already said that they won’t file any charges. Obviously, everyone is glad that she is safe, but where is the sense of embarrassment and public outcry? Public funds were used. We hold people accountable for how they are spent or misspent. She made this a game of “hide and seek”. She made a mockery of the public safety mantra. She wasted a lot of time and money on her “cold feet”. If she got “cold feet”, then warm them up with jailhouse slippers. But no; the well heeled are calling for psychiatric counseling and on the other side of the aisle, blue collar communities are calling for charges to be filed. As am I.

What about the fiancé, John Mason? Does he think that Ashton Kutcher is going to jump out and say, “Dude; you’ve been Punk’d”? He must be very forgiving or a super weenie. He said on national TV that he couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t eat and couldn’t think of anything else. He agreed to a polygraph. And now; the wedding has only been “postponed”? Sorry, folks; but if a woman would take me to the brink of lunacy, I’m looking for a new port for my ship! I think that they BOTH have serious issues.

Mason and Wilbanks have been planning this wedding since last August. That is plenty of time to change your mind. He strikes me as anal and controlling. She strikes me as someone who wants the money and its trappings, but isn’t sure if she can “do better”. Due to the time and resource spent on the wedding planning, which by the way, pales by comparison to the hours spent looking for her; she could at least go through with the wedding, divorce him for half of everything, but for chrissakes, DON’T FEIGN A KIDNAPPING! Not in today’s crazy world.

I am sick of child abductions, sexual deviates who prey on our children, adults who act like children and Michael Jackson. Sorry; just threw that one in.

And now this! If Julia Roberts hadn’t already done this movie-The Runaway Bride-Hollywood would be falling over themselves for the movie rights. I’m sure someone from this circus will be doing all of the talk shows.

Bottom line; she should at least be charged with a crime, charged for the cost of the investigation and charged with a hate crime for targeting the Hispanics with her big lie.

How many times have we screamed for more control over the prank calls a 911 dispatch center receives? How many times have we thought if we are on a wild goose chase and someone REALLY needs us… And what will we do when that happens? We are responding to a report that Prince Phillip is in a can and cross town, our mayor just went into cardiac arrest! I over simplify it, but you get my meaning.

Public safety has a responsibility to expend all of their resources to mitigate an incident, real or perceived, but the public has a responsibility to provide honest and accurate information to minimize the need for “over-committing” public resources.

And if it turns out to be a hoax, then those responsible should pay.

In this case, payment is DUE!

Posted by chiefreason on January 17, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: chiefreason, jennifer wilbanks, kidnapped, runaway bride, search

Interview With Dave Iannone

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First Published 5/28/04

Author’s Note: Dave Iannone and his business partner, Chris Hebert co-founded what was to become Firehouse.com. Their interests were sold and they now collaborate on FirefighterNation.com.

CR: Dave; thank you very much for your time. It is such an honor for me to interview the co-founder and publisher of the world’s leading emergency services website-Firehouse.com.

DI: Thank you. I definitely appreciate the opportunity to personally thank the users of Firehouse.com, especially the highly dedicated users that are the members of the IACOJ!

CR: Firehouse Magazine has been in firehouses since 1976. Firehouse.com went on line in 1998. Do I understand that you literally ran it out of your house for a while?

DI: Yes; Firehouse.com started in 1998 on Christmas Day and for the first few months was just a two or three person operation, barely full time, until mid-1999 when the initial partnership with Cygnus Business Media turned into a full time gig for us. We initially moved to a small office with about six full time staffers in late 1999 and moved to our present new headquarters in 2000 and now we have about 25 full time personnel-from news to sales to web development-that manage Firehouse.com and the website Officer.com, which we acquired in 2003 and has quickly re-established itself as the leading on-line source of news and information for law enforcement. It’s still a long way from being as large and in-depth as Firehouse.com, but it’s on the way. Later this summer, with the addition of managing the other web sites and new web portals of Cygnus, we’ll likely be moving to even larger facilities.

CR: What were your expectations for the website compared to the magazine? Was there concern at the time that the website might render the magazine “obsolete”?

DI: The true power of Firehouse.com is the fact that we’re able to work closely with and joint brand ourselves with not only Firehouse Magazine, but also with our two trade shows; Firehouse World in San Diego and Firehouse Expo in Baltimore. As we move forward, we’ll be tying more and more features together from the three groups, including content-driven web casts that feature the same powerful editorial content from the magazine and PowerPoint and other features similar to that of our conferences. Readership-wise, we’re close to a half million unique visitors a month, which is more “circulation” than the top three publications in the industry combined.

CR: You designed the award winning website for your Hyattsville Fire Department. Was this your model for what was to become Firehouse.com? How did you become the head of such a prestigious organization?

DI: The HVFD site was definitely a good model, but what was really key was a part of it that we called the DC Fire/Rescue Wire, which was very popular in 1996 and 1997, featuring daily, updated incidents from the Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland areas. We thought: if that worked, wouldn’t something that did the same-a “CNN.com of the fire service”, if you will. The HVFD site was what got me personally interested in doing web sites. We started a web site on Fire-EMS Network. At the time, I was still in college in ’95 or ’96, but figured that I’d give it a shot at trying to design it myself. Ironically, we ended up acquiring the Fire-EMS Network in 2002, expanding it to be a fully functional web directory and a state-by-state news and resource area on Firehouse.com.

CR: I read that you got interested in the fire service when you were only 12 years old. Was there a defining moment or was it a family tradition?

DI: I did get started when I was 12. It’s amazing the information that’s available on-line, isn’t it? LOL. There wasn’t a family background. My mother was actually taking care of a sick relative and we moved to the Hyattsville area and while looking for a local organization to get involved with and already having a general interest in the fire service, that was that! The Chief of the HVFD responded to a letter and up I went. I’ve held a variety of positions in the HVFD, including Fire Marshal, Lieutenant and I still serve on the Board of Directors as Chair, but my time has been relatively limited in riding and such, but I get there when I can.

CR: Let’s talk about writing. I put my writing style as somewhere between the fifth grade and Hunter S. Thompson. That sounds redundant, doesn’t it? Anyway; who are your influences?

DI: The Washington Post and CNN. I’m mostly a news guy at heart, so breaking news is where I got my start in journalism and where I’ve received most of my accolades personally…which fit in very nicely with Firehouse.com; bringing together my web, news and fire service background. When a big story breaks and the national fire service needs to know about it, Firehouse.com prides itself on reporting it as quickly and accurately as possible, including getting sources, permissions, photos, etc.

CR: Did you ever envision that your writing would have such a powerful impact on the fire service?

DI: Well, I wouldn’t say impact really. Maybe early on, a lot of things were me personally, including the Worcester warehouse tragedy, as you mention below, but now I do a lot behind the scenes and it’s really a team effort seven days a week, which makes Firehouse.com what it is. It’s much more than a business or a job to most of us and many of the staff are in the fire service or have family who are.

CR: One of your pieces that really stands out in my mind was on the Worcester, MA warehouse tragedy, the memorial services and funerals for the six firefighters. Was it your idea to tape the event as a way to raise money for the families?

DI: We had worked very closely with New England Cable News during the tragedy and Chris Hebert, also a member of Hyattsville and a DC firefighter and co-founder of the site, went to Worcester and the entire service was quite moving. We actually spent a lot of time outside of the event taking photos and a Worcester police officer ended up getting us close up access to the service, once he found out where we were from and mentioned that he’d been following all of the coverage on our site. Even though over 30,000 firefighters were in attendance, it was a pretty clear mission that it was something all firefighters should witness. We worked with NECN to produce the tape, with the proceeds going to the families. We wouldn’t have remotely done it any other way or in a way to make any profits on such an event.

CR: Then, to honor those lost on 9/11, you removed all advertising from Firehouse.com on the first anniversary.

DI: Yes; a lot of sites were doing that, but we decided pretty early on, probably six months or so before, that running advertising that day was just not the right thing to do. We dedicated a lot of time and people to providing extensive coverage of the anniversary and to the memorial services, with staff even staying at the hotel next to the office to ensure ‘round-the-clock coverage. We also helped raise about $50 million for the IAFF’s 9/11 Fund.

CR: You pour passion into your writing. The death of AnnDee Huber, the 16 year-old explorer from Newcastle, WY touched an entire nation of firefighters and it was your story that articulated those feelings so eloquently. Did you hope to effect a change in attitudes towards alcohol use by firefighters when you wrote it?

DI: Some things just strike you when you read about them as absolutely ridiculous. The fact that any firefighter would get behind the wheel-even though it obviously happens every day-drunk, is insane as it is. But here you have a young person, with great potential, whose only interest is being in the fire service and she is struck down because someone made a very bad decision. Whether it made a difference would never be known, but hopefully, someone somewhere thought twice. Still, every day, from big city, career departments to the tiny, volunteer fire department, someone is running lights and sirens while under the influence. Just a shame that it took such an incident to really bring it to prominence…and even still, it wasn’t the top story on the national news. Personally, I think that it should have been, because, if firefighters didn’t read it on Firehouse.com, they hopefully would have elsewhere.

CR: More recently, the story of the Niles, OH Fire Department’s refusal to suppress a house fire was almost a runaway train. What were your thoughts as this story developed?

DI: Ah, that’s been a little while back (my own admission in not responding sooner)…without being there, who knows exactly the who, what, where and why of local politics. But whether it’s a house on fire or someone having a heart attack, you would hope that the duty to act would compel you to not worry about the legalities and politics. But, such is Life.

CR: You are an accomplished writer, photographer and of course, a web designer. Obviously, photographs and websites are very visual. With writing, you have to create a picture in the reader’s mind. If you could only do one of the three, which one would it be and why?

DI: I couldn’t possibly choose. Seriously; I’m where I am because of all three…plus, that firefighting thing!

CR: Do you start your day with a cup of coffee and a newspaper? What would be a “typical” day for you?

DI: Well, recently, I’ve taken over as VP of Publishing for the Interactive Division of Cygnus, overseeing the development of all the sites; so my day is a bit more business than thinking about fire and rescue all of the time, but an hour doesn’t go by without me checking the front page of Firehouse.com and giving some suggestions. I’ve got a great team of people, more than two dozen full time, working on the site. I do stay pretty active in the bigger picture and long term projects on Firehouse.com, including our upcoming promotion of the movie Ladder 49, marketing partnerships, expanding the MembersZone content and features to bring more value to that area and developing an on-line, web cast/training series that we hope to launch later this year!

CR: What do you do for recreation? TV? Music? Movies?

DI: BIG movie buff; also a fan of Law and Order, CSI, Seinfeld and anything on HBO. My beautiful girlfriend also keeps me quite happy. We’ll be traveling to her hometown in Russia later this year. She’s a graduate student at Johns Hopkins.

CR: How many trade shows do you attend in a year and do you have a favorite?

DI: Not as many as I used to (fire, that is)…actually more; it’s just now that they’re in other industries. I definitely have no complaints about our Firehouse World show in San Diego…great place to be in February, when it’s snowing back East. And, of course; Firehouse Expo and Firehouse World are the best!

CR: I have been told that I have to ask you about the Webteam. What can you tell us about this elusive group?

DI: The WebTeam is a group of web developers and designers who manage the site. We have a separate news team that finds, posts and coordinates the headlines and news content. The WebTeam develops new content sections, handles customer service inquiries (except MembersZone, which has its own support team member) and does a lot of the great work that you see on the site every day. We’re actually now developing the next generation of Firehouse.com’s front page, with more content and a more streamlined, less ad-heavy look. (Well…same number of ads…just less intrusive in appearance). About 2/3 of the WebTeam component of the staff are in the fire service.

CR: Firehouse.com has become a profit-generating venture for Cygnus. Since so many other dot.coms went missing or were DOA, to what do you attribute your success?

DI: We didn’t over-invest. Firehouse.com certainly was in an investment mode for the first few years, but we never blew tens of millions of dollars. One of the many advantages of being tied to Firehouse Magazine is: that’s all of the marketing that we ever needed. Most of our early users found us through the magazine or by word of mouth. We’ve always grown wisely, adding staff when needed and when it’s been justified financially with good decision-making.

CR: You predicted over 100 million on line “views” in 2003 for Firehouse.com. Did your prediction come true?

DI: Absolutely. And we’ll well surpass that this year with nearly 400,000 page views daily on many days and over 500,000 unique visitors a month.

CR: I did a survey at our website and found out that the reason they visit Firehouse.com is for the discussions. Reading the news was a close second. Does this surprise you?

DI: That’s not surprising, given that the members of the IACOJ are our most dedicated forum users. Overall, news dominates our traffic, accounting for 50% of all page views. The forums are about 10% of page views and a significantly important group, because it’s where the discussion about every issue in the fire service takes place and people notice that and get involved. Whether it’s the attorney from the NY training tragedy talking right to the users or the wife or sister of a fallen firefighter logging on just to say “thanks for being there”, when their loved one was lost. The community aspect of Firehouse.com is exceptionally important.

CR: A sidebar to that is that IACOJ members hold 40 of the 50 top spots for number of posts at Firehouse Forums. And you are approaching 78,500 registered forum members (Note: this was at the time that the questions were submitted back in February). That is a phenomenal number.

DI: We’re actually approaching 90,000…a significant rise since we also integrated the forum membership with our global site-wide registration. We also have tens of thousands of users that join for the MembersZone and separately for our free email service. There’s a lot of lurkers out there certainly…in recent months, nearly 3,000 unique people have posted. More than 10,000 new users have signed up this year alone.

CR: You seem to have unlimited resources. Are you taking what you have learned at Firehouse.com and applying it to other Commerce Connect businesses or vice versa?

DI: We’re taking the same concepts and starting to apply it to other industries. We’ve already seen great success with our acquisition of Officer.com last fall, more than doubling traffic since we took over. Next up is the Security industry…residential, commercial and industrial-not homeland-and after that, who knows…we have many industries, including Construction, Remodeling, Photography and more that are relatively green, when it comes to significant web expansion.

CR: You are within minutes of real time with your fire service news coverage. Have you considered television as an outlet? A 24-hour station devoted to the emergency services?

DI: Not really in our business model. We focus on the web for the most part. We’ve talked about daily headlines on an Internet radio station perhaps, but there are already some models out there; some that work and some that don’t that have fire service headlines. Who knows what the future holds, but we’re mostly focused on the web. While 50,000 daily users on a web site is pretty impressive in an industry with just 1.5 million people or so, it wouldn’t take a lot more for a TV or such to be successful.

CR: Any last thoughts on the state of the nation’s fire service and Firehouse.com’s role?

DI: We just hope to keep being an important player and the most important one, hopefully, in keeping America’s firefighters and rescue workers informed on a daily basis on what’s going on in the industry. Hopefully, many things will continue to bring the fire service community together and perhaps to save a life here and there; when someone sees other near-misses and tragedies elsewhere and learns something new or about a situation that they hadn’t experienced. Plus; we’re always looking for great, positive stories about departments and individuals making an impact in their communities and within the fire service.

CR: Again, Dave, I feel so fortunate that you shared this time with us. Thank you very much.

DI: Thank you!

Posted by chiefreason on January 17, 2009 • Filed under: Interviews • Tagged: chris hebert, dave iannone, firefighternation, firehouse, web development

Interview With Captain Gonzo

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Interview With The Chairman of the Board

Captain Gonzo; In The Words of Ron Ayotte

First Published 2/26/05

The column known as the Voice of Reason has been silent for some time. I have been devoting most of my time to The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie.

So, I thought it was high time that I bring back The Voice of Reason…with a ROAR!

To that end, I able proud to say that I have snagged an interview with a very colorful individual that kindly consented to spend some time with me.

This was pure enjoyment on my part. To sit down with a Jake and exchange ideas and “talk shop” is something that has to be shared.

And with that, I give you our very own…Captain Gonzo-In His Own Words!

VR: Ron; thank you for taking the time for this interview.

CG: No problem. I’m honored.

VR: What do you want to share about your home life?

CG: I am married to a wonderful woman, Trish, who has put up with my quirks and idiosyncrasies for 25+ years. Our “baby”, Jonathan, is 21 and a junior at Umass-Dartmouth. The rest of the “kids” are our two dogs and two cats: Bernie, Murphy, Jake and Mia.

VR: We have talked about Jonathan before. You described him with great pride the work ethic and maturity of him. Has he chosen his career path yet?

CG: He is majoring in computer graphics and visual design, leaning toward typography…designing catalogs, brochures, etc. I have shown some of his artwork to a few “friends in high places”, who happen to work in the graphics design field and they agree that he has talent. He does want to take the next firefighter entrance exam, though. Maybe he wants to follow the old man into the fire service.

VR: Wasn’t your son re-furbishing a Mustang?

CG: It had a Saleen body kit applied and a new paint job. To my son, it’s still a work in progress.

VR: Have you got a project car that you’re working on?

CG: No. As soon as we are done paying college tuition and Trish’s Jeep is paid off, I’m buying a toy. I am undecided between a sports sedan like a BMW 330is, Acura TL, Mercedes C230 Kompressor or a 2005 Mustang GT. Too many choices!

VR: You have a car detailing business. How did you get started with that?

CG: I am a clean car fanatic. I became a clean car fanatic when I bought my first, decent car out of college. I detailed a van for one of my wife’s friends; she told others and it took off from there. Most of my clientele are cops, jakes and EMS personnel.

VR: Do you have any time for hobbies?

CG: I like to read. I love fire books and military techno-thrillers. I do some free lance writing and reporting for two local weekly newspapers and I had an article published in Firehouse Magazine (Apparatus Detailing November 1992). I also enjoy photography, cars and aircraft.

VR: Speaking of hobbies, I read somewhere that you have taken up flying. Do you plan on going out West and flying water birds?

CG: Someday… (laughing) I am presently going for my private pilot VFR ticket and I am taking ground school right now. I might try for my IFR (Instrument Flight) later on. Do you know what makes an airplane fly? Money! It costs about $9K to get your private pilot VFR ticket from the FAA. To fly the “water birds” requires a commercial IFR multi-engine rating. If you want to fly the Bombardier CL amphibian, you need to add a seaplane and amphibian rating…mucho dinero!

VR: This leads me to your current occupation. Did you plan for it or did it “just happen”?

CG: A little of both, actually.

VR: What drew you to it? I mean; besides the excitement of riding the tailboard? You did ride the tailboard?

CG: I lived across the street from a firehouse when I was 5 to 8 years old. The station was Dracut Fire Headquarters. I wanted to be a “fireman” when I grew up. Then my parents split up and we moved to Lowell. I lived in Engine 2/Ladder 2 and Engine 7’s response area. In my teens, I learned to play guitar and wanted to be a rock star. As I got older, I wanted to become an FM radio personality (getting paid to talk on the radio and listen to music…what a country!) I went to college as a public communications major, but the dream of being a firefighter was still in my head. The opportunity came; I grabbed it and haven’t looked back.

VR: Growing up; what was the funniest thing that happened to you as an aspiring, young smoke-eater?

CG: I was walking to school (James S. Daley Jr. High) one morning, when I saw Engine 2 and Ladder 2 go by with their sirens wailing. I could see the smoke up ahead, so I went and “sparked” the fire. I ended up being late for school, smelling like a conflagration and getting a week’s detention for a smart-assed remark…when I was asked why I was late for school, I said something like “Isn’t it obvious?” or something to that effect.

VR: What was the scariest?

CG: Having my own home on fire. It was December, 1961. My paternal grandmother was staying with us. She was a smoker and after she had her last cigarette of the evening, she emptied her ashtray into the trash can in the pantry area, setting the house on fire! Dracut had a volunteer fire department back then. Living across the street from the firehouse helped with the quick response!

VR: Can you talk about some of the safety or lack of it in your early years?

CG: I was fortunate to be assigned to a group where there was a lot of “crust”. They kept me out of trouble until I went to the Academy and got some experience and fires under my belt. I did wear my bunker pants before it became part of the standard turnout ensemble. Someone I worked with got a nasty burn when a large cinder went into his hip boots during an overhaul. That was an attention getter for me.

VR: When you talk about your early years, you sound as if there was immediate respect for the senior firefighters. Did you ever believe that they were dumping on you or did you know going in that you had to “earn your spot”?

CG: The “rookie” gets all of the glory jobs in the station, you know; you get to clean the heads, the responsibility to make sure the coffee is always fresh and the pot is full, go to do the lunch run, if we order out, etc. I did my time without complaint. Hell, there were times that I couldn’t sleep, so I would go down to the apparatus floor and wash all the rigs. There were a couple of jakes who tried to rattle my cage, but I considered the source and would ignore their bullshit. I worked with one guy who ran a business on the side. At that time, there were only two of us working in a substation. He told me “I want you to answer the phone and screen my calls…if it’s my wife, I’ll take it. If not; blow them off”. That was a huge mistake on his part. Funny; it seemed that every call was from his wife, regardless if she was or not! When he got royally pissed at me, I told him I wasn’t his personal answering service and if he had a problem, “we could call uptown and speak to the Captain”. That crap stopped immediately! He wasn’t long for the job…he quit and moved to Florida to start a new business venture.

VR: Did any of that concern weigh in to your decision to become a fire academy instructor?

CG: I’m not an instructor. I work in the support services division of the Massachusetts Fire Academy. The official title is “Fire Instructor Aide”. Support Services works with the instructional staff of all the programs. For Recruits, we drive the trucks, set up the fires in the burn building, light them and assist the instructional staff.

VR: Have you seen any changes in the focus of the programs vs. the focus of the cadets?

CG: I went through the Academy in early 1982 as part of Recruit Class 56. The program then was eight weeks long. The Academy just graduated Recruit Class 166. The course is now eleven weeks long and has been adapted to fit the changing needs of the fire service. The Academy has gone through tremendous change. From its humble beginnings as the Central Massachusetts Fire Training Academy in 1967, it has evolved and is part of the Executive Office of Public Safety, Department of Fire Services.

VR: Tell us about your fire department. Calls per year, EMS, HazMat, etc.

CG: The Marlborough Fire Department covers an area of 22 square miles and a population of 39K. We have three districts and run three Engines, two Ladders, and one Rescue in frontline status from three stations. There are two reserve engines, seven support vehicles, three equipment trailers and a boat trailer.

In addition to the Chief of Department, there are four Deputy Chiefs, four Captains, eight Lieutenants and fifty-six firefighters, covering four groups. We work (2) ten-hour days, (2) fourteen-hour nights and then have 4 days off. The schedule averages out to a 42-hour week.

Computer-aided Dispatching is done at the Public Safety Communications Center, located in the Police Station. Dispatchers are cross-trained in PD and FD dispatch protocols and work side-by-side.

We have averaged 5,000+ calls a year over the last 5 years. We do fire suppression, prevention, education, rescue, hazmat, public service calls and first responder EMS on the BLS level. A private ambulance company provides transports and ALS services.

VR: Aside from you, are there any other “colorful” characters on your department? You know; something that I could use in Jake and Vinnie?

CG: I work with 72 of them!

VR: Can you tell us about a couple of your more memorable calls?

CG: Two are ingrained into my memory.

January 5, 1984: we had a house fire with people trapped. I was assigned to the Rescue that night. We pulled up to find the parents screaming “our kids are still in there! They are trapped in their bedrooms!!!” My partner on the Rescue and I went to the second floor bedrooms where we found a 3 year-old boy, a 5 year-old girl and the family’s dog overcome by smoke. The dog refused to leave the children’s’ side and perished. The children were pronounced dead at Marlborough Hospital. That fire still makes my eyes tear up to this very day.

On March 17, 2000…just after midnight, we responded to a house fire with a report of a person trapped. I was in command of the first due engine. We had heavy involvement and attacked the fire with a deuce and a half with a smoothbore nozzle. I watched in horror as my crew went through the floor and into the basement. It was the first and only MAYDAY I have ever called in my career. Four of us were taken to the hospital as a result of that fire for burns, lacerations, dehydration and exhaustion. The victim was found just three feet away from the rear door. It was the grandfather of the children we lost in 1984! It was déjà vu all over again.

VR: Where did you find your greatest level of satisfaction; as a fire dog at the end of the hose, crawling down the hot, smoky hallway or as a captain, shepherding a crew through a maze of intense peril?

CG: I still do both! If we have a full shift with nobody out, I have three firefighters and myself on the Engine; otherwise, it’s two firefighters and me. I don’t get to grab the knob anymore, but I’m humping hose behind the knob. I still play shepherd. When the crap hits the fan and conditions deteriorate, I have to “get the flock out of there”!

VR: If you’re still humping hose, you got LTs going for coffee or what?

CG: If you’re not humpin’ it, you’re pumpin’ it! I don’t hump it that often, but if I am inside with my crew, I lend a hand. I would never ask anyone of my personnel to do something that I wouldn’t do and many hands make light work. As long as I am riding on a company, I’m just another pair of hands; only at a higher pay scale and more responsibility.

VR: What’s the motivation behind the man and do you hope to lead a department of your own as its chief officer some day?

CG: I have a simple mantra…”everybody goes home”. Firefighters don’t realize the responsibility that their company officers have. There are times where you have to pull your personnel out of the building just when they think they have the fire knocked down; be the bad guy and say “no” when they ask for favors; or be the bad guy and reprimand someone. But the firehouse isn’t Utopia and it isn’t a democracy…get over it and move on. As far as eventually becoming the “big kahuna” in a department…it’s a thankless job. You have to deal with the public, the politicians and your personnel on some of the most trivial matters and everyone who doesn’t get what they want feels that you are personally screwing them! I’m presently on the list for Deputy Chief. There are a few, potential openings in the near future. One step at a time…

VR: That’s a mantra everybody could live by! And I have every confidence that you’ll get another bugle.

VR: Can you describe the politics inherent to the system for our younger members?

CG: It doesn’t matter if the department is career, combination, call or volunteer. There are always political games going on…people jockeying for position, trying to get favors and either looking for things to do or trying to avoid doing things. Be careful with who you align yourself. Do your job, do it well and you will go far.

VR: If your city manager/mayor came to you and said “I have $500,000 and I want you to spend it”; what would you buy with it for the department?

CG: I would replace the oldest engine in the fleet, upgrade PPE and spend the rest on training.

VR: I have always remembered the photo of you in a small group standing outside the site of the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire. Sunglasses, ball cap, dark moustache, narrow jaw, solid build on what looks like a 180-190 pound frame. Talk about the significance of that fire and the effect it had on you.

CG: You forgot to add “devastatingly handsome”! (laughing out loud) The W6 fire did have an effect. I knew a lot of Worcester Jakes through the academy (many of them are named in Sean Flynn’s book 3000 Degrees). I was acquainted with two members of the W6 and a good friend of mine was the aide to Chief MacNamee that night. Just about my entire Department went to the Memorial service on the 9^th of December, with the exception of the on-duty crew. I think a lot of fire departments took accountability a lot more seriously after the fire and if they didn’t…SHAME ON THEM; for they could be the next “Worcester”.

VR: Hey; I was trying to say that you cut quite a figure in the picture. I have a hard time referring to other men as “handsome”. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But, who were the others in the photo?

CG: John McMahon, aka ExJake, retired Deputy Chief from the Dedham, MA FD and editor in chief of FireFightersForums.com; his son, Macky, the webmaster of the FFF’s; Jim Preston, aka JMP17, a firefighter with the Meshantucket Pequot Tribal Nation FD, aka the Foxwoods Casino FD; and Todd Bales, aka ImaFF4free, IACOJ trustee emeritus and an administrator at the FFF’s. Jim also works as a crew chief for a private EMS firm and visits the Worcester site often when he is doing transfers to the UMass Memorial Medical Center. On a side note, I have a small piece of brick from the W6 site that I keep as a reminder of how fragile Life is and how fast it can be taken.

VR: Will there be a day when there are no more ‘Worcesters’? In your opinion, what will it take?

CG: God, I hope so. We have to change our mindset and get out of the “balls to the wall” reaction we have to fighting fires. We have to weigh risk vs. benefit. The night of the Worcester fire, there was high risk, with reported human life in the building. Mike MacNamee had to make a decision that night that I doubt many of us will ever have to make. He made the right one. Otherwise; we might have heard of the “Worcester 12” or more. Risk vs. benefit…let’s look at our responses to car fires. Tones go off, we don our gear, respond, see the red stuff, mask up, grab the line and “go aggressive on the fire”. For what? Unless there are people trapped in the vehicle, the vehicle is in a garage or next to a building, where is the risk? What is the benefit? The insurance company totals just about every vehicle that catches fire. We busted our asses for what? Two tons of burnt metal, melted plastics and broken glass…that’s what!

VR: During size up, do you think risk vs. benefit is over-looked, ignored or not factored into the strategy?

CG: Unfortunately, both overlooked and ignored. We tend to be the moth attracted to the flame, but forget what and where the flame is coming from and what it is doing to the structure, in the case of a building fire.

VR: That’s heavy stuff. Let’s switch to some “fun” stuff. How’d you get your username; a name known both far and wide, Captain Gonzo?

CG: One of our dispatchers and a very good friend of mine started calling me “Ronzo” when I first got on “da job”. I have a weird sense of humor at times and one day, he called me “Gonzo Ronzo”. The “Ronzo” got dropped and “Gonzo” stuck. When I first joined the Firehouse Forums, I was a Lieutenant, so Lt. Gonzo was the handle I picked. When I got promoted, I had to start all over again, so I used the handle Captain Gonzo.

VR: So, your username didn’t have anything to do with the fuzzy, little Muppet bird?

CG: I loved the Muppet show; Gonzo rocks! The character didn’t have anything to do with the nickname, but I do want him to be painted on both my cow lids eventually. I would like to see the IACOJ adopt Waldorf and Astor (the two old Muppet men who were the “critics” of the show)…they exude crust!

VR: With the exception of a couple of extremists, you have the respect of an entire fire service at Firehouse.com. To what do you attribute that?

CG: I can see other people’s point of view, admit when I am wrong and adapt to the changes that come up. I may not agree with everyone’s opinion and I can agree to disagree with them. For example; Tiller25 on FH.com. Chris and I are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to the IAFF; we agree to disagree and we both have stated that we should get together and have a few cold ones and chew the fat. I can also use humor and laugh at myself. I feel sorry for those who are so extreme in their views that they cannot do the same.

VR: If you were the Web Team at Firehouse.com, what would you change?

CG: Nothing! They are the template from which all other firefighter websites came from and they do an excellent job. They have tens of thousands in their forums. Some are “one post wonders”, some go there just to stir the excrement pot and others post so often that you swear they live there…guilty as charged! (laughing)

VR: You started what has become known as The International Association of Crusty Old Jakes (IACOJ). Did you ever believe that Heather Caspi would call you up for an interview that would appear on the front page at Firehouse.com?

CG: That was a total surprise. I think that the IACOJ signature of so many FH.com members got them thinking about us…not as a rival organization, but as a partnership. We could never approach the amount of news resources and advertising revenues they have, but what we have, I feel, is a “personal touch”. I agreed to do an interview for a “quid pro quo”…the chance for the “Voice of Reason” to interview Firehouse.com’s founder Dave Iannone. He agreed, I agreed and we both learned from it. It increased our membership, so I think we got the better part of the deal.

VR: You know; there are many firefighter websites out there. You get a username and a password and BOOM-you’re in. I say that the IACOJ is the only one out there that actually “screens” members. What do you think?

CG: I concur.

VR: Why do you think people want to join the IACOJ?

CG: Three reasons. (1) Camaraderie: we all get along. (2) Exclusivity: since we screen our applicants, being able to say that you are IACOJ means something. (3) Last but not least…you can use the occasional “F” bomb without everybody getting all bent out of shape.

VR: Where does creating the IACOJ fall on your list of accomplishments?

CG: Right now, it’s in the Top Ten.

VR: Overall, are you happy with your journey or would you have taken a different road at some point?

CG: If I could turn back time (Oh, my God…I’m sounding like Cher!) and change things…I wouldn’t. We all say “woulda/coulda/shoulda”, but hindsight is 20/20. The “road” has made me what I am and placed me where I am. Sure; there have been speed bumps, frost heaves and potholes along the way, but Life isn’t perfect.

VR: That’s pretty heavy again. I had promised Jake that he could have a shot at you. I have no idea what he has in mind. You up for it?

CG: Shoot!

Jake: Well, Cap; we finally get to “chat”. You know; there’s this “rumor” out there, probably started by that thumb-sucking Vinnie that you and I have a lot in common. Besides rank, do you see any similarities between us?

CG: There’s a few…and I am going to be honest with you, Jake. I like my Guinness, the love of the job, the respect for tradition and I have been known to be a “klutz” at times (but I never stapled my thumb!). The family thing…there was a time when I first got promoted to Lt. when I was probably headed towards the intersection of “separation road” and “divorce drive”. The pressure and responsibility of “da job” and a crew determined to bust my cojones started getting to me and I started bringing the “firehouse” to MY house until I hit a pothole, woke up, smelled the coffee and talked to someone. I love my coffee; do you?

Jake: I see some similarities. You have an uncanny memory. But as Jake became more interested in being the best firefighter that he could be and moving up the chain of command, he was neglecting his family obligations. In his mind, the very reason that he was working so hard-his family-was actually causing him to lose them. Yeah; that was from my very first episode. Truth, sometimes, seems stranger than fiction! You also remember the “stapler incident”, eh? That was all Vinnie’s fault. Little puker is lucky I wasn’t using a nail gun at the time, ‘cause I would’ve emptied a whole clip in his ass. If you want something to go wrong, just have Vinnie around! And do I love coffee? Does Howdy Doody have wooden balls?

CG: Yes, but I heard that his were made of balsa wood (laughing).

Jake: Jeez; I’m havin’ a hard time not fuckin’ swearing. I know some pups might read this, but shit; I mean, that’s how I fuckin’ communicate. You got that problem sometimes?

CG: We all do. There are times where the occasional “F” bomb is appropriate. It is probably the most versatile word in the English language. It can be a noun, verb, adjective and adverb can be used in any tense and has its equivalent in just about any language!

Jake: My mom hates hearin’ that shit, you know? I know if I want to piss her off royal, all’s I need to do is “punctuate” a sentence with the old “F” bomb! She’s get very “tense”. You ever use “descriptive” language, Cap or do you use restraints?

CG: It depends on the situation. I try not to swear-it sounds like Hell-but there are times where you have to use an occasional “F” bomb for emphasis.

Jake: OK; let’s do word association. Kind of a “Pictionary” without paper. I’ll say a word and you say the first word that comes to your mind. You up for that?

CG: Sure.

Jake: Stationhouse coffee. Fuck; two words. OK; coffee.

CG: mmmm coffee!

Jake: Music.

CG: Anything but gangsta rap. Shit, that’s four words.

Jake: Firetruck-technically one word.

CG: Red.

Jake: Dog.

CG: I’ll need two words for that: unconditional love and devotion. Okay; that’s four.

Jake: Bar.

CG: Refuge.

Jake: Drink.

CG: Guinness.

Jake: Computer.

CG: Necessity.

Jake: Smoke.

CG: In my best New England/Bahstin accent: Fire!

Jake: Sky.

CG: Flying.

Jake: Car.

CG: Porsche!

Jake: That’s it for me. You got anything else? You know; somethin’ good for the group, as they say? You got the last word.

CG: Firefighters have two families…the one they work with and the one they live with. Both are intertwined, but the family at home is numero uno…never forget that!

The article as submitted is published under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella and is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. xchief22 and

ChiefReason. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission from the author.

Posted by chiefreason on January 17, 2009 • Filed under: Interviews • Tagged: captain gonzo, chiefreason, iacoj, instructor, interview, mustang

Scene Safety – What Are We Forgetting?

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First published: 3/5/06

All of the discussion about getting to the scene safely got me to thinking about scene safety.

There was an incident that occurred on Friday, February 13, 2004 where Lt. Brenda Cowan, a 12-year veteran (at the time) of the Lexington, KY Fire Department was responding with her crew to the scene of a domestic dispute. As she and her crew approached the house, Lt. Cowan was shot and killed. Firefighter Jim Sandford was wounded and Firefighter Mike Souder sprained his ankle. Wednesday of next week will mark the anniversary of this tragedy.

I remember watching a video news clip of Chief Hendricks in which he stated that the decision to enter a scene and initiate care is left to the company officers. Apparently, there was no formal policy on the matter. Firefighters were told to assist, if safe to do so and I am in no way questioning or criticizing that decision. I was not there.

So; firefighter safety is personal and paramount at the scenes of a medical assist call, a vehicle accident or a fire. I was wondering to myself if we have gotten complacent and somewhat cavalier about our personal safety at an incident. Obviously, firefighter safety is a key component to firefighter training. Is more time spent on safety when training in the more technical firefighter disciplines such as confined space, trench rescue, building collapse and HazMat? Are the stakes any higher for a firefighter’s safety at a building collapse than it is at a vehicle accident? I don’t think so. And that’s why I want to discuss our safety at the “bread and butter” calls.

As you read this, you might get the idea that you have to be constantly looking over your shoulder. That’s not what I am advocating. What I’m advocating is to know exactly what it is that you are looking at, based on your most recent information and if that information changes, to quickly re-assess your situation and to make the appropriate decisions.

Is there such a thing as being too careful? Yes. Not acting because you are afraid of what “might” happen is being too careful. Properly weighing the risk/benefit at any incident should always be the rule. Stepping back periodically and re-assessing the situation will only help you make better decisions. You may see it, but are you reading it correctly?

And are you taking steps to insure the success and safety of your team by making certain that there is no free-lancing?

One of the best weapons against free-lancing is to have SOGs/SOPs. In times of crisis, some firefighters will rise above the rest with an individual effort that will be so inspiring that it will raise the team to greater achievement and that should not be confused with free-lancing. Free-lancing is the selfish acts of an individual that feeds their risky behavior with acts that puts them and their team at grave risk. SOGs/SOPs will help company officers to control the cowboys and to run an operation that is reasonably safe.

Let’s take a look at scene safety.

Scene safety is a component of scene size up.

IS THE SCENE SAFE? IF NOT, THEN WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAKE IT SAFE?

Just jumping in without performing scene size up is one of the most common errors made in the field. The success of the call depends on a proper scene size up. It will keep you, your crew, the victims and even by-standers safe.

And remember: size up starts when the tones drop. Start to develop your questions as soon as Dispatch announces the basic call information. If the call is for an assault victim, you may want to ask such questions as:

“Is the ASSAILANT still at the scene and if not, do we know their whereabouts?”

“Is the VICTIM still at the scene and if not, do we know their whereabouts?”

“Is law enforcement at the scene? If not, what is their ETA?”

“Are weapons involved? Guns? Knives? Chemical agents? Explosives?”

“Are there any animals at the scene such as vicious dogs?”

The answers will help you to decide what precautions you and your crew should take. When you pull up to the scene, you should survey the entire scene with an almost panoramic view for signs of potential hazards. As the company officer, if YOU don’t feel safe, then it isn’t safe for anyone else either. If you have work to do, then you must make the scene safe. That may include calling in tactical law enforcement teams that includes specifically trained LEOs, EMTs and firefighters.

A call to a structure fire might lead you towards a sense of complacency. I was trained to believe that there is no such thing as a routine call. As we have heard many times: “Plan for the worst and hope for the best” and remember that Murphy is always looking over your shoulder. Again; size up starts at the time of the call. We all know what questions to ask when we have a fire. We have trained and trained again on suppressing fire, rescuing victims and overhauling the scene. But do you ever wonder if the fire was set and a nutball’s trap is waiting to be sprung on the arriving firefighters? “Is the scene safe” is a question that you must ask every, single time that you go on a call. Any call! Activated alarms, reports of smoke, minor MVAs; don’t let yourself forget to ask “Is the scene safe?”

So; you arrive at the scene. You have looked at it as you pull up. It is as the dispatcher said. Plenty of cops. Ambulance with paramedics are there preparing to enter the home. The victim has fallen down the basement stairs. Her spouse is with her and now you must assist with her care. As you take over traction to the neck, the victim screams and her spouse becomes very agitated. The scene is no longer safe with the spouse acting in a threatening manner. To maintain scene safety, someone has to get the spouse under control by getting him away from the scene. Monitoring and maintaining scene safety is very important.

Vehicle accidents (MVAs) can hold many hidden dangers. We hear every day about cases of road rage. A two-vehicle accident may be the result of one driver getting angry with the other and one or both parties may still be extremely agitated when you arrive. And where I live, it is not uncommon for fire and ambulance to arrive before the police. As hard as it is sometimes, emergency responders may have to wait until law enforcement arrives. Ambulance personnel may have to wait until a HazMat unit can deliver a victim to decon and then to medical surveillance. Believe me; when you are waiting for anything at a scene, it can seem like an eternity.

At MVAs, scene safety extends in many directions; from identifying scene hazards such as downed power lines to precautions taken with the motoring public as the responding agencies extricate, package and transport the victims. All hazards must be addressed to maintain scene safety. Make certain that the firefighters directing traffic are competent (trained) to do so. Assign a crew to crowd control if necessary. Always have a fire suppression team with a charged hose line ready to go.

And no! That doesn’t mean having someone stand there with a fire extinguisher (Remember: plan for the worst). Knowing if there is a threat of fire, explosion, electrocution, hazardous materials; knowing the status of the vehicles involved-i.e. are they on their wheels, on their tops or in water; knowing if the scene is safe from on-coming or on-going traffic and knowing that you have properly prepared, including the proper personal protective equipment will greatly increase your success rate. And if you have to tell one of your firefighters to get back so someone can use the cutters or spreaders, well; consider it “tough love”!

What if a violent patient puts your own life in danger? When you are managing a potentially violent patient, you need to ask yourself:

“Does the patient appear threatening?”

“Is the patient’s language or tone of voice sound threatening?”

“Are facial expressions or gestures threatening?”

“How close am I to the patient? Am I out of arm’s reach?”

“Have I reduced the size of the target by standing sideways to the patient?”

“DO I HAVE AN ESCAPE ROUTE AND CAN I GET TO IT QUICKLY, IF NEED BE?

I hope that I have given you a renewed appreciation for your personal safety. I know that we are all compassionate people, but there are some crazy bad folks out there who don’t know and don’t care.

I will close with a statement that was made by one of the early practitioners of vehicle extrication-Harvey Grant. Harvey stated:

“Personal protection does not begin when the unit arrives on the scene of an accident; nor does it begin when the squad receives the alarm. Personal protection begins when rescuers appreciate the dangers associated with rescue activities”.

Who can argue with that?

Posted by chiefreason on January 16, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: brenda cowan, mva, scene safety, size up

Signal 5-5-5-5 Lt. Kevin Kelley

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On January 9, 2009, Lt. Kevin Kelley of the Boston Fire Department was killed when the rig he was riding crashed, while returning to quarters.

Photos posted at the many firefighter websites show Boston FD Ladder 26 penetrating a brick building.

Lt. Kevin Kelley was a 30-year veteran of the department. Video footage of his funeral showed a procession befitting of a fallen hero and one described as the “bravest of the brave”.

At 30 years in the service of his beloved Boston FD, Lt. Kelley was adding the final chapters to his colorful career with appearances on Firehouse USA: Boston.

His blue collar/no bullshit approach to his craft endeared him to his men, his fire department, community and a nation of brothers and sisters. His attitude and his love for the job were crystal clear during his camera time on Firehouse USA.

Tribute upon tribute confirms that Lt. Kelley still had a boyish excitement about going to work every shift and that is extraordinary, because with 30 years in, you have had plenty of time to be hurt, to be discouraged, disheartened, frustrated; to become bitter, disillusioned, confused, angry and contemplative of tossing it all.

Lt. Kelley didn’t do that. He drew his strength from brotherhood and I believe that he wouldn’t allow anything-emotion or politics-to drive a wedge into it. And that’s why I think that Lt. Kevin Kelley would be disappointed to read and to see some of the reactions to his tragic death.

I never knew him and I never met him. I cannot tell you any “Two-Times” stories. I only know of him through the power of multi-media.

But, I am also NOT going to say that all I need to know is that he was a firefighter, because from what I have seen in video and read about him, I want to know more about Lt. Kevin Kelley.

I want to read those stories about a 30-year guy who loved every minute of his time on this Earth, taking care of business and not allowing anything else to complicate it.

We didn’t lose another firefighter. We lost a national treasure. This was a guy who had something worth hearing, because you knew it was coming from the heart.

I would have loved to have gone and listened to him talk about his craft, but I don’t think we would have seen him on the lecture circuit, because it was never about HIM. He was just happy to go to work.

So, I’m going to let the city hall jag-offs spin damage control.

I’m going to let the other fire service pundits speculate on a myriad of possible causes.

But I will NOT allow mutts to use Lt. Kevin Kelley’s tragic death to promote their self-serving and insidious agendas, because he deserves WAY better than that.

Normally, I would be screaming for accountability, but I can’t this time; not yet anyway. I am still shaken by the fact that Lt. Kevin Kelley will NEVER get to look back on his glorious career as a jake and to know that he made a difference and touched so many lives.

I intend to honor him because he touched my life and reminded me that pride and integrity still counts for something and to never, ever take for granted what we do and to remember that it is of the highest privilege that we are allowed to be a part of this great nation’s fire service.

God bless you, Lt. Kevin Kelley.

Published 1/15/09

Posted by chiefreason on January 15, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: art, boston, chiefreason, kevin kelley, ladder 26

Blago Blog

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For those of you outside of Illinois, “Blago” is short for “Blagojevich” (pronounced blah-goy-yah-vitch); the last name of our most corrupt governor.

I am a student of politics. I have proudly been involved since age 17. I have worked on campaigns, supported candidates for public office, ran for public office, held public office and am currently an elected fire district trustee up for re-election.

I have done so in the true spirit of public service that I learned from the fire service. It has never been done for money or power, but rather, as a call to duty; to make changes that would hopefully create a better model, if you will.

That doesn’t make me special or different. It describes the majority of others in our state’s public service; be it politics, fire service, EMS, law enforcement and untold numbers of civil servants. Despite my cynicism, I truly believe that.

“Absolute power corrupts absolutely” (John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton). It does and it did!

Governor Blagojevich was arrested yesterday along with his chief of staff, John Harris and was charged with federal corruption, racketeering, wire and mail fraud.

I won’t bother to post any links. It’s everywhere! It is embarrassing to the point of humiliating.

I was already hearing about this slime ball in 2001; the year before his election to his FIRST term as governor. That’s right; Illinois gave him TWO chances to take Illinois to the most corrupt state in the country…and he didn’t disappoint us!

In a state that is highly regarded internationally for its fire service and its fire research programs, the citizens and its public servants of this state must now shoulder the intense scrutiny by the rest of the world, because of the ignorance, arrogance and ego of the state’s top executive.

It disgusts and angers me that the voters in this state gave him the “do over” of a second term to further erode the public trust.

His name will be added to the ever-growing “wall of shame”.

The irony to all of this is that Blagojevich ran a campaign to “clean up corrupt politics” in Illinois.

In fact, he stated that, with regards to corruption, it was not going to be “business as usual”.

He got that right. He took corruption to a whole new level.

And in spite of it, Illinois still has a damned good fire service and for that, I am still proud!

Ah, what the hell: www.chicagotribune.com.

TCSS.

Posted by chiefreason on January 13, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: art, blagojevich, chiefreason, corrupt, fire service, governor, illinois

Baptism By Fire Or Death By Diversity?

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We use the term “baptism by fire” in the fire service to measure that milestone that we achieve with our first big fire; our first true test as a firefighter. The “baptism” welcomes us into a world where ranks are closed very tightly and bonds are never to be broken. And when one dies, the aggrieved mourns the loss, but it is the fire department that captures all of the attention.

This blog is done with respect to and in honor of Fire Paramedic Apprentice (FPA) Rachel Wilson of the Baltimore City Fire Department, who died during a training exercise on February 9, 2007.

The intent of this blog is to examine pre-incident issues, post-incident issues, recommendations that were made post-incident and corrective measures taken to date. Comments are welcome, but they will be respectful, thoughtful and most of all, civil. I expect there to be differences of opinions, but again; they will be respectful replies.

Because of the many issues involved, I believe that it is important that a dissection of available information takes place and we intake them as lessons learned.

First of all, I know very little about the “inner” workings of one of our storied fire departments in this country; Balitmore City Fire Department. After all, they were the backdrop for the feature film “Ladder 49”.

However; though I may not know how BCFD fulfills their mission statement, I know how it should work at ANY fire department, because firefighters are NOT supposed to die during their training. They are supposed to be learning the skills that will keep them alive!

I will tell you that, based on the information circulated after the death of FPA Rachel Wilson and since, it appears that this tragic incident has become a political football and though inappropriate, it is the exclamation point to a series of decisions that may have been made for the wrong reasons that culminated in the death of a 29 year old mother of two small children.

After I read the NIOSH report for this LODD, I was reminded of a training death that occurred on September 25, 2001. Bradley Golden died during a training exercise in Lairdsville, NY.

I was reminded because, in my opinion in both cases, leadership failed. Those who were charged with protecting these new probationary firefighters, failed to do so. Make no mistake; that “protection” begins from the selection process through the rest of their tenure with the fire department.

They are similar incidents because, in both cases, national standards that could have protected them were either violated or ignored. They certainly were not followed. As an example; in both cases, more than ONE fire was set and materials containing petro-chemical components were used as fuel for the training fires.

The other, obvious similarity between the two was that; post-incident, no one was willing to accept responsibility for their actions/inactions. Baltimore Mayor Dixon wasn’t accepting responsibility for Rachel Wilson’s death, even though she pushed for diversity for city employees.

BCFD Chief Goodwin fired three officers because he wasn’t accepting responsibility for Wilson’s training death, even though it was his personal pick heading up the training academy.

In the Lairdsville, NY case, at least the person who refused to take responsibility for his actions was arrested, charged, tried and convicted of contributing to the death of Bradley Golden.

FPA Rachel Wilson was described in the NIOSH report as a 29 year old female, who stood 5’ 4” tall and weighed 192 pounds. According to the CDC Body Mass Index Calculator, Wilson’s BMI was 33; considered to be “obese”. A weight of 110 – 140 pounds for that height would produce a “normal” range BMI stat. This could have been a factor with Wilson’s inability to self-evacuate through a window with a 41” high sill.

Furthermore, there were accusations made early on in the investigation that diversity was a key consideration in Wilson’s hiring. In addition, at the time of FPA Wilson’s training death, the fire department did not have any physical fitness requirements. In other words, NO CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test)!

During the post-incident investigation, all fire department officers interviewed, stated that the “city had removed physical fitness requirements” some years before, in an “attempt to recruit a more diversified work force”. The fire department had a physical agility test that lacked national consensus and it relied on “self-elimination” of candidates. The environment at the fire academy was to pressure the less qualified recruits to drop out,” according to interviews.

So; if a candidate made a poor decision to apply, what are the chances that they will make the decision to “self-eliminate”? It is common during the agility portion of a CPAT certified course to FAIL. This tells that applicant: (a) better luck next time and (b) go get into better physical shape and come back. BUT; you don’t get hired until you can pass and damn the diversity initiatives, because being fit for the job has NOTHING to do with race, gender or religion.

Without knowing BCFD’s complete testing process, reports stated that FPA Wilson experienced “mask claustrophobia” during previous training evolutions. Additionally, Wilson had not met the minimum time of the physical agility test. It was reported that Wilson tested again just prior to the live burn and produced a slower time than her initial test time.

So; it is clear that FPA Rachel Wilson’s firefighter skill sets were being brought into question, but only after her death.

Reports were saying that certified fire instructors in Maryland were in short supply. Plus, it was costly to schedule and hire them for training, so, under the watchful eye of Chief Goodwin, the fire department was going to save money by hiring “adjunct” instructors and pay them with more time off, which simply means that he was going to use HIS people and instead of paying them overtime, they would be given more Kelly days. But, wouldn’t someone have to cover them in the rotation and wouldn’t they be paid overtime to do it?

It was reported that, on the day of Wilson’s death, none of the adjunct instructors participating had any training as a fire instructor. Also reported was that the adjunct instructor in FPA Wilson’s squad was doing so for the FIRST time.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a very important component to personal safety and especially to a firefighter. Turnout gear is literally their barrier to extreme heat and death. According to reports, turnout gear was replaced on the “front lines” and the throwaways were taken to the fire academy, where cadets would select their “gear” for training. On February 9, 2007, FPA Wilson was wearing a coat that was 5 years old and was dirty, but within compliance. Her pants, on the other hand, were 10 years old and well past their useful life and beyond repair. The crotch area shows extreme wear and tear and it was reported that the moisture barrier was no longer effective.

Radios, flashlights and SCBAs were provided on an “as needed” basis. Through interviews, it was noted that some of the participants did not have Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) devices and some instructors did not have radios.

One could suppose that poor communication caused NINE (9) fires to be set, with seven (7) of those fires set underneath the “fire floor”; in this case, the third floor, where Wilson’s crew was to extinguish a training fire (s).

For the training fires, according to NIOSH, a mixture of excelsior, wooden pallets, tree branches, an automotive tire, bed mattresses and foam rubber from a chair were used. Anyone with even a tacit knowledge of NFPA 1403 knows that you only use material with “known burn characteristics”.

The fires were arranged in “teepee” and “lean-to” fashion, both acceptable; however, stuffing excelsior into voids and vent areas are not.

Reports (NIOSH) state that FPA Wilson had difficulty controlling the hose line. As the fire that stood in their way on the second floor grew, her instructor took the hose, knocked down the fire on the second floor and then they advanced to the top floor, where conditions soon deteriorated.

Their exit was a window that led to a second story roof top. The window was approximately 28” wide and the window sill was 41” from the floor (see report). FPA Wilson could not self-evacuate through the window with the rest of her crew. It took a valiant effort for crews to push through the second floor and up to the third floor in order to assist with the rescue of FPA Wilson. She was in serious condition, quickly transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead from her injuries.

Mayor Dixon expressed outrage in a press release. Chief Goodwin stated that, if policies were violated, people would be held responsible. His recommendations were sent to the mayor for her press release.

An interesting termination occurred with the officer who was in charge of RIT. According to reports, the RIT officer was on “light duty” and could not actively participate. Had NFPA 1403 been followed, the likelihood of activating the team would have been highly unlikely.

On the day of the incident and during the press conference afterwards, Chief Goodwin praised everyone involved for their “valiant efforts” to rescue FPA Rachel Wilson. So; why would the officer in charge of RIT be one of the three terminated from the department? How was this reward for a “valiant effort”?

Why would anyone on “light duty” be involved beyond the planning stage of a live burn exercise? Who made the decision to place a person on light duty at the scene of a live burn and be put in charge of RIT?

Who made the decision to use this three story, dilapidated piece of crap as a live burn training exercise?

Who made the decision to set more than one training fire at a time during the training evolution?

Who allowed materials with known petro-chemical properties to be used as fuel for the training exercise?

And at the very beginning that led to a very sad ending: who made the decision to hire FPA Rachel Wilson?

Was the decision to hire Rachel Wilson made by city hall to achieve diversity? If so, then the mayor should be held accountable.

If Chief Goodwin allowed the culture that ultimately led to the death of Rachel Wilson, then he needed to be held accountable.

Who was accountable for Rachel Wilson on the day she was hired and on the day that she died?

How can the fire service be the face of compassion, if we show little, if any for our own? It becomes increasingly harder to save lives if we kill the ones hired to do that.

And at the end, there is a hypocrisy that allows for a middle aged, out of shape, paperweight to decree CPAT for everyone…else!

That same hypocrisy allows us to spin our information. I applaud BCFD for implementing the corrective actions to the ten (10) NIOSH recommendations. Note that I didn’t say “changes” as Chief Clack did. “Change” is what will occur within the department AFTER the recommendations are implemented.

And if anyone is looking for “justice” out of all of this?

Let’s just say that there must be a “sliding” scale, because in New York, you can go to jail if you don’t protect your people’s safety, but in Maryland? You just move on to bigger and better things.

Here are the links that I promised:

http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story/Final-Report-On-Firefighter-Death-Critical-Of/6LEmfr4uBEWPXYcEKZzQEA.cspx

http://www.emsnetwork.org/artman/publish/article_25310.shtml

http://www.baltimoresun2.com/talk/showthread.php?t=112618

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200709.html

http://wjz.com/topstories/firefighter.injured.west.2.425362.html

http://www.baltimorecity.gov/news/press/02-22-07StatementonWilsonInvestigation.pdf

http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us/government/fire/downloads/1208/121908%20NIOSH%20Report%202008.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_BMI/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.htm

http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=13835

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200138.html

http://media.www.loyolagreyhound.com/media/storage/paper665/news/2007/11/20/News/Baltimore.Fire.Chief.Goodwin.Resigns-3111021.shtml

http://www.cwhms.com/news.php?id=1

http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/pdf/BaltimoreTrainingLODDFinalReport82307.pdf

TCSS.

This article is protected by federal copyright under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It cannot be re-produced in any form without the expressed permission of the original author.

Posted by chiefreason on January 12, 2009 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: art, baltimore, chiefreason, diversity, dixon, lodd, nfpa 1403, niosh, rachel wilson, training fire

Interview with Chief Mark Wessel of Keokuk, IA FD

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Author’s Note: This article first appeared as a “Voice of Reason” article under my pen name ChiefReason in October of 2004 during Fire Prevention Week. I am re-printing it here for several reasons. I do so to honor the memory of Dave McNally, Nathan Tuck and Jason Bitting, the three firefighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the performance of their duties. I do so to keep my promise to Chief Wessel to continue to spread his message. And I also want anyone who thinks that they are ready to take the leadership role in their department to read this and then ask themselves if they are ready. I am providing the link to the NIOSH report for those who wish to read a more in-depth account of the events that occurred on December 22, 1999. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200004.html

On December 22, 2007, it will be eight years ago that Keokuk, IA Fire Department suffered its worst firefighter loss of life to a residential fire.

On December 22, 1999, the fire department was decimated by the deaths of Assistant Chief Dave McNally, Firefighter Nathan Tuck and Firefighter Jason Bitting. A young mother lost three of her children. A catastrophe times six!

I believe that the lessons learned from this fire are important to future generations, because it is Middle America and occurred in a town with a population of about 13,000. The demographics of this community could mirror many across our nation.

Keokuk is protected by a career department consisting of 18 firefighters and a chief. A shift is covered by 5-6 firefighters beginning at 7:00 am with a callback system and mutual aid.

I have asked someone who is very close to Mark to introduce this extraordinary gentleman.

So I will defer to none other than Chief Billy Goldfeder, founder of www.firefighterclosecalls.com.

INTRODUCTION:

Chief Mark Wessel is a fire chief like many of us-and like many of us, started off at the bottom rung and worked his way up. He has responded to numerous fires, rescues and related emergencies and has reacted like many of us-from the good to the bad-from the happy to the sad. And like many of us, has tried to do the best he can with what he has to work with-from the budgets to the equipment to the firefighters. Just another hard working fire chief in the USA.

Things changed drastically for Chief Wessel and the members of the Keokuk FD in 1999 when not only were 3 children lost in a fire-but 3 of his firefighters as well. The actual story can be found below. My comments are related from a more personal standpoint as far as the “before and after” of when bad stuff, real bad stuff happens.

So often in the fire service, we never learn. In some cases, even tragic events don’t change the behaviors of a fire department….even when it happens to them! And that only makes the event more tragic. But in recent times, as horrible as some losses have been, there are some leaders that have tried hard all along-but when the bad occurs, have the guts and leadership to effect change-no matter what the barriers. One such excellent example of that is Chief Mark Wessel. Chief Wessel could have taken many “roads” following this tragic event but that’s not the kind of person he is. It is clear to anyone, once they talk to him, that they will understand that he had the courage to MAKE THE CHANGES and will discuss and share what happened in Keokuk with firefighters anywhere so “that” does not happen to them. Kind of a “history repeating itself” prevention officer. He shares what they did wrong, what they did right and how ANY FD can learn from the horror that he and his firefighters went through. His message is clear-this kind of event does NOT have to happen to you and while yes-he has enacted some very radical changes, Mark’s focus is what all of ours should be everyday-that EVERY FIREFIGHTER RETURNS HOME AFTER EVERY ALARM.

It is a pleasure to introduce this interview with my friend and colleague, Chief Mark Wessel.

Btn. Chief Billy Goldfeder, E.F.O.

October 2004

CR: Chief; first of all, thank you for sharing your experiences of this tragic incident. It is a story that I feel needs to be told again and again. The fact that you have traveled this country recounting it is an extraordinary display of humility and strength of character on your part.

CW: Thank you, Chief. This is the only way I can think of that and possibly make something good come out of a very tragic event in our department.

CR: I have heard you speak on three occasions. The first time was at the memorial service on Sunday, December 26, 1999. The second time was at Tazewell County Fire School in East Peoria, IL in April of 2002 and just recently in New Windsor, Il on September 16^th. And all three times, I sat in awe of your composure. Where do you find the emotional strength to relive that tragic day time after time?

CW: Actually, the only way I can describe where the strength comes from is through God and everyone’s prayers. That day was one of the most, if not the most horrible day of my life. The loss of our brothers has been horrible to say the least. The only way I can describe how I am able is simply this: I relive the day in my mind, everyday. I will never forget the horror for the families, the firefighters, the community, and myself. All I have left are opportunities to share the experience in hopes someone, somewhere, will be safer.

CR: You delivered not one, but three eulogies at the memorial service; all the while, looking at the faces of the families of the three, fallen firefighters. Was it surreal? Were you in a state of shock, denial; what?

How did you do it?

CW: To be quite honest, I remember being mostly numb. I felt so humbled and responsible that all I could think about was the fact that no matter what words were said, they were not adequate. The entire ordeal was so far above my ability to comprehend, I just existed through the service. Fortunately, there were so many people that assisted myself, and the department, so that things ran smoothly. I will never be able to express my gratitude enough to all those people.

CR: You did your program at Tazewell on “The Disaster Has Become Personal”. You described the preparation for the memorial, the funeral and arranging for the benefits for the firefighters’ families. You spoke of some battles that you fought during this time. I particularly remember one involving John Buckman, who, I believe, was president of the National Volunteer Fire Council (NFVC) at the time. Can you talk about that?

CW: Actually, Chief Buckman was representing the IAFC. Sometimes people lose perspective of why we were gathered that day. Politics sometimes supersedes common sense. Fortunately, it was not a local issue, but more of a national issue as to who would be allowed to sit on the stage (how many union representatives vs. non-union representatives). Chief Buckman was not the problem. I was able to mitigate the problem and move forward with the program as planned. I would like to clarify that I certainly appreciate Chief Buckman traveling to Keokuk to represent the IAFC. That was the first time I had met Chief Buckman, and all I can say is he has been there for my department and me. I believe we have developed a very good friendship over the past 5 years.

CR: Tell us about the public’s reaction to the overwhelming presence of all of the firefighters at the memorial service.

CW: I believe the general public viewed first hand what we mean when we speak of the brotherhood. The interesting part of the brotherhood in this part of the country is, whether you are paid or volunteer, you belong. Although the Keokuk Fire Department is all career, and has been for 125 years, when we require assistance, it’s the volunteers that we call on. I so much appreciate their help for that time and since.

CR: Governor Tom Vilsack was in attendance. Were you given any private time with him and can you share with us what was said?

CW: There really wasn’t much time. The Governor traveled here that day, spoke some words of regret and encouragement then returned to Des Moines just after the service.

CR: Assistant Chief Dave McNally and you had a relationship before the two of you joined the fire department. Please tell us about your friend.

CW: Dave and I knew each other before we were ever hired onto the department. We weren’t what you would call running buddies, but occasionally would hang out together. Dave and I were hired about a year apart. He more senior to me. I guess to give a perspective of how our careers evolved, I’ll give a quick and dirty. Mid 70’s; both firefighters. Early ’81, Dave became a Lieutenant and I was a firefighter on his shift. In 1983, I became a Lieutenant and we were on different shifts. In 1988, I was promoted to Assistant Chief. Dave was my Lt. In 1995, Dave was appointed Assistant Chief. In 1997, I was appointed Chief. Dave was the best. I would have followed him anywhere.

CR: Nathan Tuck was 39 years old at the time, but had only been on the department 4-1/2 years. Did his desire to join come from his other community involvements?

CW: I think Nate was all about helping. It really didn’t matter what he was doing, just so he could help someone. High school kids seemed to be his passion. His personality was just right for them. Nate was so compassionate. Always encouraging. That can be an elusive trait to find today.

CR: When I see pictures of Jason Bitting, I see youthful exuberance and eyes full of promise. Tell us about Jason.

CW: Jason is kind of hard for me. I think because of the age difference. A big teddy bear! So strong, so willing, so intelligent, yet still remaining naïve enough to have a burning desire to live and to learn. Jason was the kind of person you had to love.

Actually, all three of the guys were so special. I was able to fill the vacant positions, but could never replace those three special firefighters.

CR: Let’s talk about the NIOSH report and especially, the recommendations. Staffing was an issue. It is obvious that your resources were stretched by the MVA and then the report of the residential fire. Is it safe to say that your initial response to the fire was a quint, engine and four personnel. Was this SOP?

CW: Yes; that was the initial response. Whenever you have a total shift of 6 personnel, a 5 man minimum and answer 850 to 900 calls for service a year, you are going to have times when you respond to an emergency with 3, 4, or 5 personnel on the initial response. This is what we learned: It’s not how many you respond with, it’s what you do with them when you arrive. If you lose perspective of the whole picture, it doesn’t matter how many you have.

CR: What do you believe NIOSH considered an appropriate staffing level for a city like Keokuk?

CW: I think this will also better explain the previous question. I don’t think NIOSH actually stated how many personnel would be an appropriate staffing level for a community like Keokuk. If you were to take into consideration NFPA and all of the evolutions that need to be accomplished, I would think that number would be somewhere between 13 and 16 personnel. Now; that would be for a single-family dwelling. Next; take into consideration the age and condition of the community. How about all of the commercial structures in the community? And, the industrial base that Keokuk serves? I guess one might easily estimate the need for 24 to 30 personnel on duty ready to respond. But, the $700 question. How do we pay for it? We don’t. We make due with what we can afford. With that comes responsibility to formulate SOP’s that can be affected safely. If you can’t do that, then stand back and become defensive in your attack of the emergency. It’s much easier to stand in front of the media and say we had to let it burn because we did not have the resources to use a reasonable amount of safety to protect the firefighters than it is to conduct a memorial service. It’s much easier to look at a reporter with rubble in the background than to look into the faces of the grieving family of a firefighter. That I can say with certainty, and anyone reading this should take it to the bank.

CR: The report recommended that the IC does initial size-up before initiating firefighting efforts and then continually evaluating risk versus gain as the incident continues. AC McNally was the highest rank initially. Wouldn’t he have done a size-up before starting search-and-rescue? And would you not take command once on scene under “normal” circumstances?

CW: Under normal circumstances, yes. TUNNEL VISION played a huge role in the way that fire was approached. Mother, with a 4 year old in hand, screaming, “MY BABIES ARE INSIDE” was key to the deviation from normal operations. I believe being keyed up from the MVA that morning just prior to the call-in fact they were called off of that incident to this one-played a part in the initial operation. Having no medical transport available played a key role. One might say that this fire was routine. ROUTINE is no longer a word in our vocabulary. Other than pulling into the fire scene and seeing smoke from a residential structure, there was nothing else routine about it. There was nothing normal about that day.

CR: Do you think too much emphasis or not enough is put on an ICS? What would it have done for you on this day? You had to get the kids out. In retrospect, break the incident down to what might have been done differently.

CW: I truly feel ICS is the most important aspect of firefighter safety we can have on the emergency scene. Good command should reflect control, coordination, goals and communication. I guess I could beat myself up indefinitely over the operation. Some may even say I should. Trust me; I have. Through this I have gained nothing. What has been most effective is dissecting the incident into pieces small enough to calculate. Also, dissecting the department so that the task is not so overwhelming in the development of good SOP’s, SOG’s.

CR: “Defensive search” was mentioned. I don’t mind telling you that it put a silly look on my face. The only thing that I could think that it meant was to take a long stick and poke it through a window and maybe someone would grab it. How close am I?

CW: Actually Chief, you’re not to far off. What defensive search actually refers to is the idea of not over committing. Do not place yourself in a position that you might become part of the problem. I know we train to rescue people. I know we all have learned the right hand rule and left hand rule on primary search and rescue. Let me just say this: If you have firefighters who have not had this training, they should not be your rescue team. If you are a firefighter who has not had this training, then you should refuse to perform interior search and rescue. I was teaching a basic breathing apparatus class and was asked the question about CEU’s for HAZMAT Tech. I asked if the student was a Tech and he replied “yes”. This particular student had never worn breathing apparatus. Maybe over the years things have changed that much, but I always thought you needed to wear breathing apparatus to train to the HAZMAT Tech level. Don’t put yourself or your people in an over committed environment. When and if other resources arrive, then and only then might you consider further commitment? Stay next to a door or window to do your search. Do not commit further than your resources or training allow for a reasonable amount of safety.

CR: “maintains close accountability for all personnel at the fire scene”. This would suggest that you didn’t know where your FIVE people were, when it is painfully clear that you knew exactly where they were and what they were doing. Was this meant to address communications issues? Who had radios that day?

CW: I did in fact know that they were performing rescue operations on the interior of the structure. When you have this few personnel on the scene, you can track everyone without too many problems. As the incident grows, you must then utilize a formal accountability system to track all the operations that are simultaneously occurring. Having a good accountability of your personnel will help to stabilize a scene, reduce freelancing and provide a safer more proficient operation. Having an established accountability program will reduce the impact of Murphy’s Law.

CR: NIOSH addressed communications. Were there difficulties with radio transmissions, radio equipment, and no back-up channels? What caused your radios to be a focus for their review?

CW: At the time of this fire, only the officers had portable radios. Today, all personnel carry radios. There was very little communications occurring at the scene that morning. In fact, it would be reasonable to say little or none, except for initial communications with dispatch. I think NIOSH focused on this mainly because communications seems to be a common denominator in LODD’s. It would seem to me that whenever a team is focused on search for a known victim, the radio’s become very quiet. We have worked on our communications quite a lot. We continue to have a long way to go. With radio communications there is always room for improvement. I think for me the lesson in emergency scene communications was not what was communicated but more of what was not communicated.

CR: RIT is a biggie. A lot of discussion over the years. At what point in this incident did you actually have enough manpower to assign RIT? And honestly? Knowing Iowa OSHA like I do, I would have bet on a citation for violating two in/two out. Was RIT part of the equation early into this incident?

CW: No, RIT really wasn’t a consideration. Actually the 2 in 2 out rule is negated in Iowa if a known rescue is in progress. 2 in 2 out never played a role in any of the investigation. My only observation towards 2 in 2 out is; Why is it OK in OSHA’s eyes to perform a rescue with only one person if you know someone is trapped than it is if you are assuming someone may be trapped? I thought OSHA was about employee safety. If that is the case, even they make an exception to the rules (SOP’s).

CR: The last NIOSH recommendation addresses PASS devices. Your firefighters each wore two; one integrated into the SCBA and the other attached to their coats. Yet, no one could recall hearing any audible alarms from any of the stricken firefighters. Could it be speculated that a thermal event inside the structure rendered the devices inoperable?

CW: The third party testing revealed that, due to the extreme thermal event, the electronics failed in all the audible devices. One more lesson; if it is man made, it can and most probably will fail at the worst time.

CR: Could you talk about relationships and their importance when dealing with a traumatic event?

CW: Considering I’ve been fortunate to have not had prior experience with a LODD, I would say we had to learn how to deal with the trauma. Fortunately, the firefighters respected each other through the entire ordeal. There were so many different emotions being experienced, you just had to wonder how the department would make it. I guess the Good Lord stayed with us through to the end. Although I’m sure we remain far from the end. Each person experiences grief in a different way and at different times. Knowing that you are going to have all these different emotions occurring, you have to stay on top of the game. We were able to come through this with little animosity and hurt feelings. It’s all about RESPECT.

CR: The last time you and I spoke, you told me about the McNally boys and I saw that gleam in your eye and that smile stretch across your face. Tell our readers about them.

CW: All three of our men had kids at home. Some were rather young and would need to analyze all of this at a later age. Some were older and could, for as well as can be expected, experience the pain and suffering of the loss of their father immediately. I really could not relate to them very well as I had never experienced a loss of this type. All I could do is sit back and pray that the children could rationalize the loss and continue to move forward. Fortunately, to the best of my knowledge, all has gone well. As for the McNally boys; they are doing well. Pat, the oldest son of Dave, was in college working towards a degree in law enforcement. He wised up, changed his mind and moved towards an education in fire science. Pat decided he wanted to be a firefighter. Of course, I was pleased with his decision. Any father would be excited about his son or daughter following in his footsteps. The difference is, Pat had experienced the worst of times. Then Pat came to my office and said he wanted to be a firefighter in Keokuk. Well, you can imagine the mixed emotions I had. We talked quite extensively regarding the reasons he wanted to be a firefighter. Pat had the right answers, the right attitude. Pat has been with the department for over a year now, and is doing very well. I just see so much of his father in him, sometimes he’ll do something or the look on his face will remind me of Dave, and I have to walk away. Usually with tears moving down my cheeks. Pat’s desire to be a firefighter in Keokuk also in some way makes me feel very good inside. Dave’s youngest son has also expressed an interest in the fire service, and he too would like to be a firefighter in Keokuk. I only hope I have the opportunity to make that a reality for him also.

CR: That is a fitting ending to this interview, but your story of that day will continue, won’t it? You have such a passion for this that I can tell that you never want anyone else, be it firefighter, family or friend to have to experience it. Your final thoughts, please, Mark.

CW: As it is written in Job, “Should we accept the good that is given and not accept the bad?” Life sometimes throws a curve and we take it on the chin. I knew even as a firefighter I had a responsibility to others. My partner was relying on me for his safety. Then as I was promoted, others were relying on me as well. Eventually the department became my responsibility, and things went bad. I had always thought that I operated safely.

Sometimes your eyes get opened unexpectedly. You don’t have to experience what Keokuk experienced. Why is it, we all know if we are punched in the nose, it is going to hurt like hell? Yet some of us still have to pick a fight to believe it. Let Keokuk be your punch in the nose. Let our incident be your incident. Study it. Pick it apart. Plug it into your operating procedures. Not just what is written, but how you actually operate on the scene. For most, you will probably find there are some major discrepancies in your written procedures and your everyday, take it for granted, on scene operations. You have the ability to “Make The Changes”. Do you have the desire? If not let someone else lead. From the bottom to the top, you must be willing to step forward. Not stand back, not stand still. This is not a social club. If you think it is, ask your family if the social pleasure is worth the risk? If you are not willing to train, then get out. Fishing is much more relaxing, but learn to swim first.

Many people have touched my life and supported my department and me through this tragedy. I can only say “Thank You” to all of them. To the Firefighters of Keokuk, my hat is off to them. They exemplify the definition of firefighter. They have supported me through this, when often lines are drawn in the sand.

As long as my mind, body and soul can summon the strength, I will continue to carry the message of firefighter safety. Listen to my pain and understand how important it is for “Everyone to go Home”. Keep that thought in the forefront of all you do. Do not buckle to the pressures of peers or politicians. If you can do this, you may just find yourself sleeping better at night. Stay Safe.

First published 10/05/04

An Interview With Chief Mark Wessel of Keokuk, IA FD is the intellectual property of Art Goodrich a.k.a. xchief22 and is protected by copyright. It cannot be re-printed in any form without expressed permission of the author.

Posted by chiefreason on January 12, 2009 • Filed under: Interviews • Tagged: art, chiefreason, fatal, flashover, interview, keokuk ia, lodd, manpower, mark wessel, niosh, scba

Christmas…With a Twist!

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Charlie Blackledge was a member of his volunteer fire department.

He was a perfect fit, because he was around during the day. That also propelled him through certified firefighter classes that would find career firefighters usually filling a class roster.

Charlie’s availability during the day wasn’t by choice; that is to say that Charlie had trouble finding work, then keeping the job. He had dropped out of high school during his sophomore year, but went back after he was married and got his GED. It was a very proud day for him.

But, Charlie lived in a small, rural town some thirty minutes from the “big city”, where the big jobs were. The few, good jobs that he was able to land, he eventually lost, because he didn’t have good, dependable transportation. Because of his financial condition, he had to buy fifty dollar cars and fix them up and then keep them running. He would eventually be fired for missing work.

So, Charlie would take any work that the good people in his village would offer him. Hard work was no problem to Charlie. He didn’t drink or smoke; most likely because he couldn’t afford to.

His wife, Diana wanted to help out, but couldn’t, because, as a young nurses’ aide, she had ruptured two discs in her lower back while working in the county nursing home. Severe arthritis prevented her from working, but she would occasionally babysit for other working parents.

Charlie was the only certified firefighter on his department. He took great pride in knowing that it wasn’t easy to become a certified firefighter. It was “atonement” for his dropping out of school. He might well have become a career firefighter had he thought of it at an earlier age.

But, he was 35 years old with a wife and two, small children, so he had pretty much shut that window of opportunity.

And besides; his department had paid for his training, so he owed it to them to use it for his department. He was their captain and training officer. He took them both very seriously.

Many of the houses in his village were older, two-story, balloon frame style. Charlie had heard all of the horror stories, had been to several acquired structure, live fire drills, where they were set on fire so that they could study the fire’s behavior. They would also do “light and fights”, so Charlie was well versed in tactics.

The Christmas season was upon them and it was going to be another lean Christmas in the Blackledge house. The fire department always had a party at the station for the area kids, ending with a visit from Santa.

It was looking like the only gifts that Bobby and Amy Blackledge would get this year would come from “Firefighter Santa”. Some of Charlie’s guys wanted to do more, but Charlie didn’t want hand outs.

On the other hand, he wanted his family to have a nice Christmas. He was still trying to save up a few dollars from his odd jobs to buy Christmas dinner and a few gifts, but the car needed new tires and a new heater core. He wasn’t sleeping well, to say the least.

It was Monday, December 21^st and Charlie was spending the day shoveling sidewalks and driveways for his villagers. He wouldn’t ask for money, but everyone was paying him something for his efforts.

He had found a set of tires that could be mounted and balanced for $120. The heater core was $100 installed. He was still $40 short, so the gas station was willing to let Charlie change out the tires for the difference.

Perfect; except that he had no money left for Christmas presents. His wife, Diana was OK with it, but he couldn’t bear the thought of seeing his kids without presents on Christmas morning. He hoped that Bobby and Amy would understand.

Just as Charlie got home from a long day with the snow shovel, the town siren went off. He kissed Diana, told Bobby and Amy that he loved them and bolted out the door to his car. He could already see smoke filling the sky.

Charlie got to the station, threw on his gear and jumped into the captain’s seat of their engine. The fire was at Emma Snodgrass’ house. It was an older, but very nice Victorian that sat on the village’s east edge. Emma’s Ford Focus was in the driveway, but Emma was no where to be found.

Fire was already pushing out of an upstairs’ window. Charlie was worried that Emma was still inside, so he told his crew to set up for water, but he was going in to do a quick, primary search.

He got to the front porch and looked through the window. It was smoky, but no fire, so he opened the door and headed to the stairway. His BA mask was fogging up, but he turned on his flush valve briefly to clear it.

He was yelling for Emma, but was getting no answer. He got to the bedroom and it was on fire. He got down on his belly, but didn’t see anyone. He continued down the hallway and opened a door. It was the bathroom.

At first, he didn’t see anyone, but when he threw back the shower curtain, he found Emma fully clothed and barely conscious in the bathtub.

Charlie picked her up and carried her in his arms back to the top of the stairway. There, he put her over his shoulders and carried her down the stairs and out the front door. He asked her if she was the only one and she whispered, “My pets; my babies”.

By now, the fire was through the roof and Charlie could see that he could not go back upstairs. Emma was pointing to the back of her house. Charlie ran to the back and saw the back door that led into the kitchen. On the floor, he could see a pet crate. The door was locked, so Charlie took his elbow and broke out the window. He reached in and unlocked the door.

As he entered the kitchen, he could feel the mist and steam from water now being applied to the fire. He grabbed the pet crate and took it outside to the backyard. He radioed his crew that he was outside.

Charlie bent down and looked into the crate at two, little critters. He took off his helmet, mask and gloves and reached in, suffering a bite. He pulled out his hand that had a kitten attached to it. It was black from soot, wearing a pink collar with a little bell on it and was very agitated. He stuck her in his coat; mistake #2!

Then, he looked back into the crate to see a little golden retriever puppy. The puppy was whimpering as Charlie pulled him out. Charlie held him to his neck, talking softly to him and the puppy started licking him on his chin. Charlie almost cried, but the kitten reminded him that she was still inside his coat!

When he got back to the front of the house with both pets safe and sound, Emma was already on her way to the hospital. Charlie would care for her pets until she got out of the hospital.

Charlie got back to the station and after he stowed his gear, he thought that he should clean up the puppy and kitten, so he took them to the utility sink. The puppy loved his bath. The kitten was an ultimate fighter, but Charlie won out in the end.

As Charlie was drying the kitten, the chief came over and told Charlie that Emma didn’t make it. Charlie collapsed into a chair.

“How could that be? She was talking to me”, said Charlie.

“She was 80 years old and I guess the stress was too much for her heart”, said Chief.

“What about her puppy and kitten?” asked Charlie.

“Can you take them for the time being? I’ll run to the store and get them some food”, said Chief.

“Sure thing. I just hope the kids don’t get too attached to them, you know?” said Charlie.

As Charlie drove home, he was saddened that his efforts didn’t give Emma a second chance in her late life, happy that, at least for a while, the critters would take his kids’ minds off of what would be a dismal Christmas, concerned that, when it came time to give the pets to Emma’s relatives, there would be heartache and most of all, Charlie was questioning how all of this would play out in the end.

As soon as Charlie walked through the door carrying the two little critters, Bobby and Amy were screaming with excitement. Bobby grabbed the puppy and Amy took the kitten. Christmas had come early!

Charlie stared at the floor. Diana was standing there, speechless. She was looking at Charlie with her mouth open. She could see tears trickling down Charlie’s cheeks. Diana grabbed him around his shoulders, put her head on his chest and softly said, “Tell me about it after we put the kids to bed”.

Charlie and Diana were sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee after the kids had FINALLY settled down enough to go to bed; Bobby with the puppy and Amy with the kitten.

Charlie told Diana everything; well, almost everything. Diana was worried about the kids and when the pets would be taken. Charlie said that he would try to explain it to them tomorrow after he did an equipment check at the fire station. Diana was going to bed. Charlie wanted to stay up for awhile. He wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway.

On Tuesday, December 22^nd, Charlie got to the station and was in the truck bay, making sure that the hose was loaded right. He double-checked the SCBAs and checked all of the compartments for tools. The guys were very good at getting ready for the next one, but Charlie liked to make sure-just to BE sure!

As he was coming around the front of the truck, he almost jumped out of his skin! A man in a long, wool coat was standing there. He asked, “Are you the fireman that rescued Emma’s pets from the fire?”

“Yes, sir, I am, but who are you; her son?” asked Charlie.

“No; Emma didn’t have any family; only her pets. I am her attorney”.

“So, do you want me to go and get the puppy and kitten for you?” asked Charlie.

“Do you have children, Charlie?” asked the attorney.

“Yes, I do; a boy, Bobby, who is seven and a girl, Amy, who is six”, said Charlie.

“You’re a blessed man, Charlie. Do you have any pets?” asked the attorney.

“No, but the kids went crazy when I brought the puppy and kitten home last night. They thought that they were Christmas presents and I couldn’t tell them the truth. But, I was hoping to give them back to Emma…” said Charlie, his voice quivering and trailing off.

“That’s why I’m here, Charlie. Emma wanted to be sure that, if anything should happen to her, she wanted her pets taken care of and loved as much as she loved them. I think your kids would love them, don’t you Charlie?” asked the attorney.

“Sir, if you could have been there last night and seen the joy in them two; you can’t imagine how happy it made me for a moment. I was sad to think that it was going to be taken from them”, said Charlie.

“Would you take Emma’s pets then? I know that she would want you to”, said the attorney.

“I would be honored to, sir”, said Charlie.

With that, the attorney handed Charlie an envelope.

“What’s this?” asked Charlie.

“It is a savings account set up at the bank for their continued care. It is designated for food, veterinary services and incidentals for the rest of their lives”, said the attorney.

“I wouldn’t feel right doing that. I should…” Charlie was cut off in mid-sentence.

“You don’t understand, Charlie. Emma set it up this way and that’s the way that it has to be”, said the attorney.

So, reluctantly, Charlie put the envelope in his pocket without looking at it.

“This envelope is for the care-givers as a show of appreciation from Emma. A like amount is going to the local “no kill” animal shelter. I know you were the one who rescued Emma and though she couldn’t thank you, I am overwhelmed and humbled by your act of bravery and am grateful that people like you are willing to risk your lives for your fellow Man. Please accept this on Emma’s behalf”, said the attorney.

“I don’t do it for money or recognition. If that is Emma’s wishes, then I humbly accept, but I don’t think I deserve it. Could I give some of it to my fire department and church?” asked Charlie.

“Sure; Emma would like that”, said the attorney.

Then, he left after firmly shaking Charlie’s hand. Charlie could tell from the look in his eyes that he was struggling with the loss of his client and friend.

Charlie put the second envelope with the first and left for home. He was shaking like a leaf the entire way. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before and it felt very strange.

Is it a dream? It can’t be. I haven’t been to sleep! Is it my imagination? It can’t be. No one could ever imagine something like this!

Charlie walked into the house to see his kids playing with “their” pets. He went to the kitchen, where Diana was finishing dishes. Charlie got a cup of coffee and sat there, staring at his cup.

“Is something wrong, honey?” asked Diana.

“I’m not sure”, said Charlie.

“What is it, then?” asked Diana.

Charlie reached into his back pocket and pulled out the two envelopes.

“Is it bad news? Should I open them? Will I be mad?” asked Diana.

“Only way to find out is to open them”, said Charlie.

“Open that one first”, said Charlie.

“It’s a savings account book to the bank”, said Diana.

“How much is in it?” asked Charlie.

“Seventy-five THOUSAND dollars?” exclaimed Diana.

“Dang; Emma wants us to take REAL good care of the puppy and kitten”, said Charlie.

“Charlie…” said Diana.

“I’ll tell you the story after you open the other envelope”, said Charlie.

Now, Diana was shaking and could barely open the envelope and take out the cashier’s check. She froze.

“Charlie; this isn’t some kind of a joke, is it?” asked Diana.

Charlie looked at her and asked, “What’s it say?”

Diana was speechless. She simply turned the check around to where Charlie could read it. Charlie took in a big breath, closed his eyes and started to sob. Diana couldn’t hold the check up any longer.

Charlie reached for her hand and Diana leaped into Charlie’s lap. Charlie asked her, “Do we deserve this? Is this kind of stuff supposed to happen to people like us?”

“Charlie Blackledge! I don’t know what “kind of people” you think we ARE, but I know that you’re a kind and caring man, who loves his family very much. You would give the shirt off your back to a total stranger, you think the world of your fire department, you have almost single-handedly kept our church from collapsing into a pile of bricks and YOU have to ASK if it’s wrong to accept an act of kindness? I swear, Charlie, I have a good mind to smack you a good one”, said Diana.

“I’m just afraid that it will change us”, worries Charlie.

“It won’t change WHO we are, but it will certainly change the WAY we are, but either way; WE control it”, offers Diana.

“I don’t deserve you”, says Charlie.

Posted by chiefreason on January 12, 2009 • Filed under: Christmas Stories • Tagged: art, babies, certified, chiefreason, christmas, pet, volunteer fire department

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First published 10/05/04

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