Skip to content

Archives for fireemsblogs

See all posts in the network tagged with fireemsblogs

Belt It Out: WEAR IT!

2 comments

Mourn the death of yet another young volunteer firefighter.

Extend your condolences to his family, friends and fire department.

Read the story about his last few minutes on this Earth (http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/pennsylvania-department-mourns).

Then read the rather spirited discussion surrounding the details of his death (http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/yeah-suredont-bother-wearing).

And when you are through with all of that, I want you to get upset and downright angry because; FIVE years after the nation’s fire departments were asked to take the seatbelt pledge by then Acting United States Fire Administrator Charlie Dickinson, firefighters are still dying from not wearing them.

From apparatus crashes to accidents in personally-owned vehicles (POVs) while enroot, the message is getting missed and it’s another missed opportunity to educate our firefighters on one of the most basic firefighter safety principles-the wearing of seat belts.

The National Seat Belt Pledge is very straight forward and states: “I pledge to wear my seat belt whenever I am riding in fire department vehicles or any moving vehicle. I further pledge to ensure that all firefighters riding with me wear their seat belts”.

How many times have we responded to a motor vehicle accident (MVA) and found life-less victims lying outside of the vehicle and on the ground, knowing full well that seat belts may have made a difference?

I responded to a call some years ago and found all FIVE family members ejected from their sport utility vehicle (SUV). Three of the five didn’t survive.

How can we stand in front of our citizens as public safety champions if we aren’t willing to practice what we preach?

We love going to school assemblies and “scaring” young adults into following safe practices; yet, we don’t do as we say? Hypocrisy comes to mind.

It’s not heroic to die imitating a human cannonball. It is senseless, because it is easily preventable.

There is no excuse-none, zip, nada; for not wearing your seat belt.

Don’t give me that crap about it won’t go around you with your gear on. They make seat belts to fit those of you who are “big boned”.

Dr. Burton Clark wrote a very good article after Firefighter Joe Torkos died from being ejected during an apparatus accident. He said: “…we cannot point a finger at anyone; we cannot put the blame on someone else or something else; so there are no headlines. Not using seat belts is our own fault; we have no excuses; we are the flaw”.

However; a quick Internet search on this subject will find a couple of interesting trends: (1) Families are suing fire departments for not enforcing their seat belt policy and (2) Officers are being criminally charged for not ensuring that their crew was seat belted at the time of their accident. Neither will bring back the deceased firefighter(s), but I think that it points to a growing frustration over not following a very basic safety principle.

So, what is your excuse?

Do you need to see a seat belt policy?

Here is one suggested by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the United States Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). It reads: “All personnel must be seated and belted whenever the vehicle (either department or personal) is in motion for department business. The driver and/or officer shall ensure by voice and personnel reply that seat belts are properly fastened. The driver will only proceed when it can be confirmed that all members are seated and belted. The only exception to the use of seat belts while a vehicle is in motion is a situation where a person is providing direct patient care (EMS) and there is no reasonable restraint system available. Utilize a progressive disciplinary system holding the violator and the supervisor responsible to ensure compliance with the seat belt policy, reflecting the serious and potential life-threatening consequences of failure to comply”.

Now that you have a policy…

ENFORCE IT!

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on July 19, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

No comments

Why would any member of a fire department want to leave the department as other than a member in good standing?

Why would you want to leave all of your good work for a group that you once held so close to your heart to a letter from the department severing the relationship?

Do we stay on until we get upset enough and mad enough to quit?

Do we continue to believe that we are a teenager in the body of a 50-Something as we chalk up yet another injury?

Have we reached a juncture where we talk a litany of accomplishments over the years, but haven’t attended a training session in over a year?

Are we “turning it over to the young guys”, but not to the extent that they can tell you anything?

Are you less helpful, but more critical?

Do you find yourself talking about all the calls that you used to go on as you make fewer and fewer calls; the ones that you now cherry pick?

Do you think that you have earned special treatment, purchased with your years of service and are upset because you must follow the guidelines like everyone else?

Do you believe that your officer’s rank is a life-long appointment and that leadership is what the chief does?

Why does reality only set in after you have let your passion, skills, attendance and fire department relationships erode and then overshadows your time served?

What prevents us from planning our time with the department to the eventuality that we allow for participation through another avenue that is every bit as pivotal to the successes of the fire department?

Instead; we “force the hand” of our once-called/so-called “brothers” to push us over and then OUT. Where it could have been a happy and memorable moment, populated by platitudes, testimonials and well-deserved recognition, it has developed into a sour source of bitterness and bad feelings.

Could there be this confusion over the notion that to remain on a fire department, we must be a “member in good standing” and it has nothing to do with getting off of the department? In other words; the priority of membership and being in good standing does not apply to “non-members” or “former members” apparently.

Is it important that we cut the chord as a firefighter WITH firefighters to eliminate any lingering effects; sort of an “all or nothing” assault on our sensibilities?

Cut it clean/cut it quick; right?

We think that we don’t want to “just hang around” the fire station, even though that is exactly what we have been doing for the last ten years, along with missing meetings, training, fundraisers, open houses, equipment checks and parades.

When you belong to a fire department, you are part of a group that is driven by teamwork.

It is an organization that is structured.

It is a culture that breathes rarified air.

Unfortunately; you can only stay as long as you contribute. That doesn’t only mean the physical stuff. There is plenty of other work to do besides riding the truck.

You do it within a framework and under the terms of your by-laws and SOGs.

But, you can leave on your own terms and with your head held high.

It doesn’t have to be with middle finger extended!

TCSS.

This article is protected by federal copyright laws under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It cannot be re-produced in any form without the expressed and written permission of the author, Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason.

Please visit www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog at www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on July 15, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , ,

From My Observation Point

No comments

He is the trusted partner in the enterprise.

He must gather the intel that will allow for the successful execution of the plan.

He is consulted in the selection, purchase and use of the right equipment.

He must develop; then refine the information that is inserted into the tactics used to dispatch the obstacles that lie before them.

He must diplomatically guide his enterprise to attain the goals that are set each year.

He must make sure that schedules are kept and milestones are achieved.

Every piece of equipment must be properly maintained, repaired or replaced. Each piece has a purpose and must work to plan every time that the plan is executed. Or you could simply be the “water boy” or “towel boy”. It doesn’t matter!

He must never violate the confidence and trust that has been put upon him.

He must work hard, but be transparent when the situation calls for it.

He must make certain that everyone gets to Point A; then Point B and so on.

And if he is asked for his honest opinion, he will give it, even if it isn’t what wants to be heard.

As a part of the team, he may have to do his share of “heavy lifting”.

He does it, knowing that his role is most important, but is the least recognized; at least to those outside of the team.

He lives for the moments when his advice is asked, is taken and the outcome is successful.

A “high five” is all he needs to continue on.

He feels the same pain when there is failure. The low is at the exact same, emotional level, but at the opposite end of the spectrum.

He watches from the side and out of the way.

He stands in awe as the crowd recognizes an extraordinary effort.

He must balance his consolation and adulation, so as not to confuse it with accepting failure and apply tough love on a case-by-case basis.

And though he runs in a circle populated by gifted people, he doesn’t think that of himself.

Yeah; as I watched the John Deere Golf Classic at Deere Run over the weekend, I thought a lot about the caddies and how similar they are to fire district trustees!

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on July 11, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , ,

Taken Down By Traditional Media

No comments

Use of social media is at its saturation point.

From the tech-savvy teenager to the blue-haired baby boomers; texting, tweeting, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Digg, Google, Ask, Mozilla, etc. have come to deliver our information with the velocity and power of a lightning bolt.

In the recent past, we have seen the so-called, social media experts expounding upon their hypotheses for communications of the future.

They are preparing the arrangements for the death of the print media-the “traditional” media, in my opinion.

No more newspaper or news magazines. If you want it in print, you will have to go to a website and print it off, but really; will it be the same? Hardly!

It used to be that, if there was important, breaking news, TV programming was interrupted with a news bulletin or a special edition of the newspaper would be printed and delivered.

And if you were reading it in print, it was already HOURS old.

But today; you can get it as it is happening-streaming, live video shot from helicopters and drones. Media people are imbedded with police, fire, EMS, military, politicians, religious cults, drug cartels, despot governments, porno industry, human traffickers-you name it!

All that you need is a camera phone and presto; you just went “viral” on YouTube. Hollywood, here I come!

There are endless websites with a full menu for whatever titillates you.

I grew up on Rolling Stone, National Lampoon and Mad magazines.

They were as far from “mainstream” as you could get. They were both counter-culture and pop culture.

In its early years, Rolling Stone was heavy on music and music personalities, mixed with some political activism that wasn’t so much anti-war as it was pro-peace.

National Lampoon magazine was a favorite of mine for its political satire which was simply outstanding.

Mad magazine was pure escapism and hilarious; pure nonsense, yet relevant.

From Hunter S. Thompson to Dotson Rader, Rolling Stone pioneered a more liberal interpretation of freedom of speech for us. They pushed the bounds, used expletives unabashedly but not obscenely and widened the scope through which many of us view our own activism to this day.

Rolling Stone was everything that Look, Life and the Saturday Evening Post magazines weren’t. It was like James Dean vs. Beaver Cleaver!

You could not view Rolling Stone in the same way as any other magazine. It was, in a word, “cool”…and relevant. If you weren’t reading it, you weren’t keeping up with what was happening, cool and hip. From shaping your musical tastes to the clothes that you wore to your political views, Rolling Stone was immensely influential.

When they changed their focus sometime in the 1990s to broaden their appeal to younger readers, I stopped reading it. I felt that they had deserted our cause. It was like losing an old friend. They just weren’t relevant to me anymore and the death of Hunter S. Thompson took part of its soul and killed any desire by me to return.

Then BAM! They brought down a four star general (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236).

I mean; maybe they didn’t blow the lid off of Watergate or the Iran Contra affair, but their brutally honest and candid article on our top general in Afghanistan cost him his job!

But, when I say that the article that appeared in the Rolling Stone (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236) cost General McChrystal his job; that is not to blame the magazine…for the most part.

I want to believe that it wasn’t Jann Wenner’s (THE man at Rolling Stone) or Michael Hastings’ (the writer of the article) intent to take General McChrystal down, but when you have been around as long as Wenner and his Rolling Stone (1967), I have to think that Wenner had a smirk on his face as the July 8-22, 2010 issue went to press.

The July 8-22, 2010 edition wasn’t suppose to hit newsstands until Friday, June 25th, but the McChrystal article was already viral by Tuesday, June 22nd and by Wednesday, June 23rd, McChrystal was called to the White House, called on the carpet and stripped of his true calling for calling his boss, the President of the United States-and I am paraphrasing; uncomfortable, intimidated, uninformed, disengaged and a disappointment. Again, I am paraphrasing from a lengthy article that must be read in its entirety to get a real sense of it.

So, when I say that traditional media took down General McChrystal, you have to consider this:

In my opinion, the traditional relationship between the subject of the news story and news reporter builds from a synergy of comfort and confidence-of speaking freely; confident that the common sense of the interviewee will guide dialogue and the common sense of the interviewer will determine what goes or doesn’t go into the published article.

An added common sense safety valve is the editor-in-chief, whose very name and reputation rides on articles such as “The Runaway General”.

I have no doubt that McChrystal’s firing and subsequent retirement was yet another unintended consequence of our social media (See: http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/social-medias-unintended), triggered by a traditional media interview.

Think about this: McChrystal was fired two days BEFORE the interview hit the newsstands!

Rolling Stone had already posted the story on the home page of their website by 10:00 am on Tuesday, June 22nd (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236).

I believe that when we are in the public’s eye, we must assume that NOTHING is “off the record”.

The tape is always rolling-be it audio or video. What we say or do will be sliced and diced, re-configured and publicized as a re-invented and re-incarnated skeleton of the factual body.

The McChrystal firing should serve as that reminder once again.

The story has re-ignited the debate over whether access by the press should be limited.

Naturally, the Media is opposed to ANY access limitations, but where they haven’t exercised good judgment in what appears in the finished product; why should they be rewarded with a front row seat to our news events?

Do you realize that, by today’s standards, very little live audio and video exists from World War II and even the Vietnam War and yet; VOLUMES have been written on both wars?

Our society has become so impetuous and impatient that we must have immediate gratification from our day’s events.

Is restricting free access restricting free speech? That’s open to debate.

Think for a minute of how damning and damaging a perceived inappropriate comment by a firefighter could be to your fire department if it were to be made public.

Do you think that there would be the added footnote that this is how some in our profession “process” bad stuff? Probably not.

Do you think that YOUR boss will react in a similar manner to General McChrystal’s boss? Probably so.

We want to watch “Rescue Me” with a wink-wink, but we want a public view of what we are to be akin to walking among the lepers, cursing those who sully our reputations with their bad behavior.

We want to project traditional values through non-traditional means. If we cannot pick and choose our media moments, then we at least have to stay true to our mission and if we must engage in the “off color or off handed”, then do so when no one else is around, take an oath to silence and a pinky swear, because if we don’t, we will be misinterpreted, misrepresented and misunderstood by a public who wants to believe that we are better than that.

And let’s face it; we exist in a culture populated by the weak and the strong, the passionate and the dispassionate and the sinners and the saints.

So, at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself if you want to be remembered for one blog, one Facebook comment, one YouTube video or one news article, because in today’s world, it won’t matter if you have four stars or four bugles…

It may be just enough to bring a career crashing down in the traditional sense!

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on July 5, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Need Not Be Present To…Re-Certify!

No comments

“Over 200 Massachusetts EMTs Suspended in Certification Scheme” is a headline that will get your attention!

Many of you will recall that FirefighterNation posted a news story back on May 27, 2010 about this: http://firefighternation.com/forum/topics/boston-firefighters-among.

In a recent news article (http://firefighternation.com/forum/topics/over-200-massachusetts-emts) that was posted on June 18, 2010, you will find more current information, including punishments that have already been delivered.

It has also been handed over to the states’ attorney general for further action, if warranted.

What struck me was the very last comment in the http://firefighternation.com/forum/topics/over-200-massachusetts-emts article. It stated:

Auerbach said some of the EMTs caught up in the probe expressed remorse for their actions, but others ‘did not quite understand the severity of their actions!

That statement simply blows me away.

Is it stealing?

Is it cheating?

Is it fraud?

Is it a criminal act?

Now; I am not sitting on my pedestal, high atop of moral ground, but; when you commit a dishonest act, you can either continue down that path and end up in REAL trouble or you can see the errors of your ways and correct it.

We are not talking about sneaking a peek at someone’s poker hand when they leave the table to go to the restroom.

We are not talking about taking a couple of tomatoes from your neighbor’s garden.

We are not talking about a kid writing the answers on their arm to test questions on a high school exam.

We are not talking about someone who drives 5 mph over the posted speed limit.

We are not talking about someone’s indiscretion only hurting them.

No; we are talking about someone who took money to go to classes, did not attend those classes and received credit anyway and was re-certified as a giver of advanced medical care.

We are talking about actions taken that will hurt a fire department ambulance service and a community for months and even years to come.

Others on the fire department who did the required work to re-certify as an EMT will be resentful and distrustful of those who “bought” their re-certification.

The face of the fire department will no longer be the face of one of the most trusted occupations on Earth.

The public will feel that their trust has been violated. They won’t know who to trust. They won’t know which ones cheated and which ones didn’t, so they will distrust ALL of them! It doesn’t matter to the public if this is the first or the tenth time. The time is NOW.

So; though the public might not be interested in learning the pathology of this scandal, I have to wonder if this type of behavior has been reinforced by years of not getting caught for other dishonest acts.

I have to wonder if these thieves cheated on exams during their high school days, then college and then, they fabricated a job resume that got them hired to their jobs. I wonder if they are getting “free” cable TV from their neighbors.

In their world, dishonesty has become their reality, so they would not view their dishonest actions as wrong or at the very least “no big deal”.

They got caught this time, so they’ll just pay the money again and take the test. No problem, right?

Ask yourself if you would rather have someone who cheated at card games, but studied hard, did their practicals, kept up on their in-service training so that they could re-certify their EMT license OR someone who paid off an instructor to get a free pass on their re-certification. Hmmm…

Get out the deck of cards!

How screwed up does your moral compass have to be to NOT comprehend that lying, cheating and stealing to gain re-certification of life-saving skills is wrong?

Here’s a paradoxical question for you and you don’t have to raise your hand: how many of you would cheat if you KNEW that you could get away with it?

Some of you will answer “no” and will be completely honest.

Some of you will answer “no” and be lying about it.

Some of you will answer “yes” because, in your mind, the reward is worth the risk.

Some of you will answer “yes” but will try to rationalize it with the old “I didn’t have time to study” argument.

Still, some of you will answer “yes” because the few times that you got caught, you simply had to re-take the test, get lectured by your parents and promise never to do it again. Oh; the AGONY!

So; would an EMT who got their certification COD be qualified? Would YOU want to take that chance?

How would you feel if you found out that the guy who did your surgery was actually the night shift janitor at the hospital?

Or that the marriage counselor that you are seeing has been divorced FIVE times?

How about the drivers’ education teacher who has not had a valid drivers’ license for three years (DUI) and is teaching your sweet child?

I know how I would feel!

Why then, would instructors want to risk their teaching certificates and their students be willing to violate the public’s trust?

For the money?

Because they are lazy?

Because they didn’t think that they would get caught?

Because they thought that they knew everything anyway?

Because they thought that they were “different and special”?

Because they didn’t care?

Because they weren’t smart enough to pass it on their own?

No matter; rational people won’t be willing or able to justify it under any circumstances.

It may not feel good to be beaten by a team that cheats, but it would feel worse to “out-cheat” them in order to win. Remember: cheaters never win and winners never cheat!

We have to continue to believe that hard work has its rewards. Honesty, integrity, moral fiber and ethics have to drive those of us who are in public safety.

If we don’t conduct ourselves in that manner, then we will be facing moral dilemmas each and every day.

And little by little, our public’s trust will continue to erode.

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on June 24, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Social Media’s Unintended Consequences

1 comment

Good or bad; the explosion of the use of social media for its velocity and reach comes with some unintended consequences.

The same velocity and reach that will get the word out for a charitable event, fundraiser for a sick friend or a missing person will also be used to send venom, rumors, allegations and lies.

Social media is both a blessing and a curse that has caused a great “freedom of speech” debate.

Our freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. “Speech” has been broadened to mean “expression”, in that the freedom can be verbal or non-verbal.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech”.

As I understand it as applied to social media, Congress could not enact a law prohibiting the creation of a social website that falls within the intent of the First Amendment and does not promote any of the exceptions to the amendment which are: defamation, causing panic, fighting words, incitement to crime, sedition or obscenity.

I believe that website “Terms of Service” buttresses their user policies against the exceptions to free speech, so that they are somewhat indemnified from charges that might be brought against a user of their website who engage in any of the exceptions to the First Amendment.

So, in my mind, someone who is fired by their employer because of something that they posted on a website is NOT protected by the First Amendment, because Congress has no interests in the website beyond the website’s right to exist and as long as the website doesn’t promote any of the exceptions to the First Amendment.

When a website removes a user for making a personal attack on another; be it another member, non-member or organization, I don’t believe that they are violating the user’s freedom of speech. They are invoking the website’s “Terms of Service”.

In much the same way a private business has the right to refuse service to anyone, a website that is privately held can fashion very liberal or very strict guidelines for membership and for the use of the website.

That is not to say that there may be moral or ethical arguments, but moral/ethical considerations are not identified in the First Amendment.

In that regard, it raises philosophical issues with freedom of expression and it is my understanding that the English philosopher John Stuart Mill, in his book “On Liberty”, provides the more accepted test for government intervention of civil liberties that is known as the “harm principle”.

It states: “…the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant”.

It should be noted that, according to Professor Julie Van Camp, most of the “classic” exceptions to freedom of expression, as established by the U.S. Supreme Court, are consistent with Mill’s harm principle, with the exception of obscenity.

So, that same website user decides to use the website as a very public platform to disparage or embarrass their employer; the employer sees it and terminates the employee.

Did the employer violate the employee’s freedom of speech, according to the language in the First Amendment?

Some may like to think so, but if the employee was not suppressed from posting it on the website, thereby freely expressing their opinion on the website, then how was their freedom of speech suppressed, according to the First Amendment?

In my opinion, the opinion expressed by the employee might be somewhat unpleasant and even contain some fact, but the employer isn’t terminating the employee for saying it, but because it was said publicly and consequently, violated the company’s code of conduct. Most employees sign a statement when they are hired that says that they agree to follow all of the rules and that they will do nothing to bring embarrassment to their employer.

Many will remember the firefighter/paramedic that was fired over the YouTube video that was posted on Facebook (http://firefighternation.com/forum/topics/firefighter-fired-over?page=3&commentld=889755%3A4548000=1#889755Comment4548000).

His employer stated that he was terminated for: “You displayed poor judgment in producing a derogatory video depicting a member of this department with a physician which is implied to be at Colleton Medical Center…This video has created an embarrassing situation for this department, our public image and the cooperative relationship we enjoy with Colleton Medical Center. It reflects poorly on you and Colleton County”.

“Poor judgment” is not protected under the First Amendment.

But, this isn’t the only example of an employee being fired over a social website posting.
Here is just a sampling of examples of employees being fired over a social website posting:

http://www.inc.com/news/articles/2010/05/waitress-fired-for-facebook-post.html

http://sports/espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3965039

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/bored_teenage_worker_fired_over_facebook_entry

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/95125549.html

And now, we have a story about an anonymous commenter who will be charged with defamation, once their identity is discovered. Let’s face it; it may no longer be “safe” to hide behind a user name and computer screen and violate someone else’s rights (http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=495908&query=Newspaper).

According to the news article, the Third District Appellate Court in Ottawa, IL ruled that The Times newspaper in Ottawa must turn over information that could identify a person who posted alleged defamatory comments on the newspaper’s website.

According to Appellate Justices Holdridge and McDade: “…type of anonymous speech are protected by the Constitution, but the Maxons showed grounds for defamation that took away the defendant’s Constitutional right to make anonymous web comments”.

They also went on to say in their ruling that: “the alleged defamatory comments were not presented as opinions, which would protect the commenter from a lawsuit, but as fact”.

Now; there were some who felt that the anonymous commenter should be protected.

Why?

While you ponder that question, we should also be thinking about our own posting “habits”.

We may want to get a better idea of what is stated as fact and what is stated as opinion.

TCSS.

The source for part of this article was “Freedom of Expression: The First Amendment” by Professor Julie Van Camp.

This article is protected by federal copyright laws under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It cannot be re-produced in any form without the expressed, written permission of the author, Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason.

Please visit www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on June 7, 2010 • Filed under: Miscellaneous • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Not Too Sharp Doesn’t Cut It

1 comment

In less than three weeks, we had two confined space incidents (http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/ohio-firefighters-overcome and http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/indiana-firefighters-injured-1 ) where firefighters were injured. Reports indicate that confined space protocols were not followed in both cases.

All departments should be trained to recognize a confined space and to also recognize whether they are trained and equipped to conduct confined space rescue. If not, defer to someone who is.

All firefighters should have enough common sense to know that when you look into a hole, see two people who are unresponsive, that you don’t jump in with them.

I am conflicted about how I should feel about this.

On the one hand, I am outraged that in this day and age, we still have firefighters taking stupid pills because they certainly aren’t taking the training.

On the other hand, there isn’t a national standard that MUST be met in order to legitimately call ourselves “firefighters”. Yes; we have NFPA standards, but they are not the law of the land and though they may be used in a court of law as the basis for arguments on firefighter qualifications, fire departments are not bound to follow them.

You also have OSHA regulations that ARE the law of the land, but depending on whether you are an OSHA state or if you have a third party like your state department of labor administering the regulations through their agency, volunteer fire departments can fly under the radar for quite awhile and it usually takes a complaint to get the attention of OSHA. Even then; unless the violation is “egregious” or “willful” or “IDLH”, OSHA will typically allow the offenders time to correct their deficiencies and to pay a small fine for their troubles.

I don’t believe that this will be the case in the Ohio and Indiana incidents. Ohio does not have a state plan, so they will most likely be contacted by federal OSHA compliance officers. Indiana has a state plan, so their state OSHA compliance officers would be conducting their investigation into the incident.

From reading some of the comments being posted in the discussion forums, you would think that the “good ole boy” fire department culture is alive and well.

Even if it were to apply to the Ohio and Indiana near-miss incidents (and I am not saying that it does), I will tell you that it is not a prudent or a wise position to take, because there is no logical reasoning to support it.

No department, regardless of size or type can justify such reckless behavior in any of their firefighters and if they do, then it’s time for new officers and fire commissioners on those departments.

If a command structure is so lax that the first arriving will forego BASIC personal safety and to risk imminent danger to their life or their health, then their command structure is non-existent. And that lends to the issue of whether SOPs exist in these departments. I would seriously question their existence.

Then, we often wonder why federal agencies are crawling all over volunteer fire departments who want to plead “poor us” on the one hand and claim “we are all firefighters doing the same job” on the other hand. Don’t make me vomit!

Clearly, with these two, recent confined space incidents, we are NOT the same and if they are the litmus test for our preparedness, then we are in some deep doo-doo.

However; I don’t believe that we are.

I believe that volunteer fire departments, for the majority, have come a long way from those days when fire departments were just another social club in the community. I know for a fact that we fixed it in our community some time ago and we are not far from the norm.

We are not flush with money. We still do fundraisers and we borrow money if necessary. We have to consider whether to repair or replace our equipment. We don’t have people beating our door down to join. We are competing with other organizations and obligations for a candidates’ free time. We are like many departments in that regard.

But, two things that we insist on are: providing necessary personal protective equipment and training for the services that we offer our community. We will NOT do anything that we are not equipped or trained to do. Yes; we are equipped and trained to do confined space rescue. We split the cost between taxpayers and business owners in order to provide the service and under Illinois law, we can charge for extraordinary expenditures as a result of the rescue, if necessary.

Again; I believe that there are many departments who are more like us than those who are not.

In my mind, these recent events aren’t even wake up calls. Maybe it is for the affected departments, but for the many departments who have SOPs, it only serves to remind us that some should seriously consider getting out of the business, because; if they can’t afford to get into it, then their communities’ cannot afford the risk.

 When I think about the Indiana incident and the fact that aid was delayed to the victims because they had to remove two stricken firefighters first, it makes my blood boil because firefighters are constantly complaining about the few seconds that they are delayed by Dispatch or because the motoring public didn’t pull over when they saw the blue light or because a proper size up delayed the error chain or because incident command wasn’t established fast enough and on and on.

So, this begs the question: how long was aid delayed to the victims because two firefighters had to be pulled out first?

And is it appropriate to insert the old adage: how much good can we do for the victims if WE become the victims?

I thank God that no one else died in these incidents, but it wasn’t because it was planned that way.

It was because of luck and divine intervention.

We have to continue to keep the pressure on organizations that masquerade as fire departments.

We have to sharpen the knife and excise those who create tremendous liability to their fellow firefighters, their departments and their communities. If there isn’t a plan in place to train and provide the equipment for technical rescues, then the plan should state that your department will not attempt such rescues. If you don’t tell your communities what you can and cannot do, then they will expect you to do EVERYTHING.

We have to be sharp enough to recognize the realities, educate our communities and then meet expectations.

We simply aren’t cutting it if we don’t.

TCSS.

This article is protected by federal copyright laws under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It cannot be re-produced in any form without the expressed and written permission of Art Goodrich, also known as ChiefReason.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on June 1, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , ,

The Answer Is In The Form Of A Question-First Due Blog Carnival-3rd Edition

No comments

Without question, the most important ‘ah-hah’ moment for me came many years ago in a training session taught by none other than and then-Lieutenant Rick Lasky, who was an instructor for the Illinois Fire Service Institute.

Rick was teaching a class called “Saving Our Own”.

Rick asked, “If one of your firefighters gets into trouble, how are you going to get them out?”

And as crazy as it sounds, I hadn’t given it much thought up to that point, because as a firefighter, Trouble was what we were taught to mitigate; right?

Think about it. Firefighters are paged out because someone else is in trouble and needs our help. We respond to the incident, where we find Trouble and we immediately go to work on relieving the victims of their troubling situation.

As Rick taught the class, he made it painfully clear that getting firefighters out of trouble is an arduous task. He spoke from a personal level about a friend of his who became disoriented, couldn’t find his way out and firefighters couldn’t get him out of a window in time to save his life. According to Rick and I am going off of memory, two firefighters could not get the stricken firefighter up and out a window with a sill height of approximately 40 inches. They didn’t have the necessary tools or extra breathing air, because they were not equipped as a rescue team but as  a fire attack team. The space that they were working in was very tight, adding to the difficulty. It was easy to see how problematic it was by Rick’s very personal and detailed account.

In Illinois, Saving Our Own became the forerunner of RIT training and unbeknownst to any of us at the time, we were learning cutting edge tactics to rescue firefighters caught in a life-threatening situation.

Rick showed us the tools that we would need for the tasks and also showed us customized tools that were not on the market at the time. An example was the short-handled sledgehammer with a rope-wrapped handle. Imagine being in a space barely big enough for one person and trying to swing a standard sledgehammer to breach a wall. It wouldn’t happen. Simple “why didn’t I think of that” ideas that could make the difference in a life and death situation was laid out for us.

I left the class with a new found attitude. I no longer viewed us as invincible. I no longer thought that we could get into any situation and get back out without assistance. It caused me to take a better look when I was doing size up at a scene.

Most of all, Rick’s class revealed a very flawed attitude in many firefighters and some of them were on my fire department. The ‘flaw’ was that many firefighters would wait too long to call for help, thinking that they could get themselves out of trouble. There may have been some who felt that calling for help was admitting defeat or that they screwed up or that they didn’t want anyone hurt trying to get THEM out of trouble, but whatever the reason, it was flawed and very wrong.

We started practicing RIT like our lives depended on it. Many of my firefighters took RIT training whenever it was offered. We purchased the necessary equipment in the hopes that we would never need it, but had it if we did. I made it very clear to the department that getting into trouble may happen, but not calling for help as soon as it was realized was unacceptable.

Since we took the training, we have been fortunate in not having to call a ‘mayday’. We have created an awareness in officers and firefighters alike that has helped us to remove potential hazards from the work space to reduce the likelihood of it causing our firefighters harm upon ingress or egress.

Think of the power of Rick’s question: if one of your firefighter’s gets into trouble, how are you going to get them out?

And Hope and Luck are NOT part of that equation.

It takes planning, training, the right equipment and the right attitude.

To answer Rick’s question forces you to conduct a very critical self-examination that clears the way for the realities that your department might be weak in an area where strength is a must.

You have to train to save others, but you must also train to save your own.

TCSS.

Posted by chiefreason on May 25, 2010 • Filed under: Miscellaneous • Tagged: , , , , ,

Could We Have ‘Dunmore’?

1 comment

Voters in Dunmore, Pennsylvania have spoken (http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/referendum-vote-causes).

With a ‘no’ vote on a referendum to increase taxes to fund the fire department; you would wonder what factors determined the vote outcome and what lies ahead for the future of fire service to the town of Dunmore.

Does it appear that there is a public backlash occurring with the fire department?

What has been the relationship between the town and its firefighters?

Are there concerns by the voters that money earmarked for fire department purchases have not been spent wisely?

Were the voters expecting to see current services maintained with the failure of the referendum?

Was it clearly communicated that, without passage of the referendum, cuts would have to be made?

Did a misconception exist that services would come from other communities in order to maintain current levels of service?

Did the public understand exactly what a mutual aid agreement covers?

When fire departments get involved with referendums for whatever reasons, they are immediately invested at an emotional level.  In my opinion the reason is simple; firefighters are passionate about what they do for their community and want their community to be just as passionate as they are.

The reality is that many in the community have no sense for what motivates their firefighters, because those issues are transparent to them.

On a typical day, firefighters won’t show outward or public emotion, believing that it is a sign of weakness and unprofessional. It is for this reason that I feel that the public will reject this uncommon display of emotion as ‘gamesmanship’ by the fire department to instill fear in their citizens and that will detract from any need-real or perceived.

The relationship, if one has been established between a fire department and their community, is very important.

People might see their firefighters in their fire department roles, but they must also see that firefighters share many of the same social and economic morays as they do.

Voters want to see firefighters as productive citizens in their communities, whether it is at sporting events, church or other civic/community events. They don’t want to see their firefighters in trouble with the law or with their mortgage lender.

Some may expect a higher moral code for their firefighters, but not a higher level of entitlement.

In other words; citizens expect firefighters to BE better, but will not treat them as ‘better’. And if firefighters have been given preferential treatment-real or perceived-then backlash will also occur.

Open houses at the fire station are a key to establishing need for equipment and justification for its purchase. Having recently, purchased equipment on display with firefighters ready to answer questions is the best response to questions of spending practices.

The public needs to know that their tax money is going for needed equipment and that fundraiser and donations will be used to raise money for additional equipment and items from a ‘wish list’.

However; holding fundraisers and then showing up in new fire department logo clothing such as polo shirts, coats and hats can send the wrong message, even if members personally paid for the clothing. This is an example of bad timing that gives the appearance of impropriety that could lead to public apathy towards the fire department. In this case, much will be made about it and the department will find itself defending themselves from misguided public perception because of a lack of communication.

Many small departments see very few structural fires and have more than likely expanded services to include vehicle extrication and first response to medical calls, even though taxes have only been collected for fire protection. Unless the fire department is charging non-residents, then more than likely, revenue has not kept pace with expenditures.

Residents will often miss the more subtle calls and will only notice that there aren’t many fires, which in their minds, means that there isn’t as much of a need to fund fire protection beyond current levels or quite possibly, reducing it.

Do we establish a sense of betrayal with our public when they discover the costs that allow firefighters to pursue their dream for the best job in the world?

If firefighters project an uncommon passion for their occupation, does it somehow create an expectation by the public that we would do it for nothing or very little?

Do they take us at our word that we will continue to serve no matter how tough things get?

Getting assistance from neighboring communities in the form of mutual aid has always been the answer in towns where the event grew to larger than local resources could manage. Mutual aid was never intended as a ‘stop gap’ measure for budget constraints.

‘Mutual’ means that there is an expectation that reciprocity of effort is shared by communities and that mutually benefits the area.

In my opinion, you are going to see fire departments offer services on a contract basis to communities who are making cuts in programs.

At the very least, you may see departments voiding MA agreements and in turn, billing for services.

Regardless; neighboring communities will not allow the expense of their services to increase as their neighbors decrease and relying on mutual aid to fill that gap.

It might very well create feelings of protectionism and isolationism that is reminiscent of the 1950s.

A few months ago, Mike Ward asked if the fire service was the next ‘tea party’.

I will ask, “Could we have ‘Dunmore’?”

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on May 25, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

FirefighterNetcast Presents The Voice of Reason-Show #1

3 comments

I can’t speak for the show’s listeners, but I had a complete blast last night (5/17)!

For my inaugural show, Dave LeBlanc of www.iacoj.com and www.backstepfirefighter.com (Bill Carey’s blog) kindly accepted my invitation and was the perfect guest, as I knew he would be.

It was like I was the lead singer, singing his praises and then, like a lead guitarist, Dave would go off on a riff; allowing me to get a splash of beverage and to “wander the stage”.

I would have to say that hosting a net cast requires skillful multi-tasking.

I discovered that you must first get the proper adjustment on your headset; set the proper volume for ear pieces and microphone; then, sigh in to www.blogtalkradio.com ; open www.firefighternetcast.com and Google Talk; stay to your outline and notes; watch feedback in the chat room; maintain thoughts on subject at hand with guest; get another question ready; check Google Talk for messages; and oh yeah; have fun with it, while making it interesting for guest and audience.

The only glitch of the evening came when my Skype dropped my call. It took me about five minutes to re-establish my connection to the show. I can’t help but wonder if John…

I was in a near panic, but, because of the pros that they are; John (www.firedaily.com) and Rhett (www.firecritic.com) stepped right in, took a question from the outline and kept the flow to the show. Good save, fellazzzzzz!

It was a raucus chat room last night. Chatters were discussing, but were also having fun. It resembled a play ground every now and then, but it was exciting to see so many “at the show”.

Callers Wayne and Jason took the energy of the program to the next level.

The show wound down with Dave honoring his fallen brother firefighter, mentor and friend, Bobby J; who lost his battle with cancer last December 26th.

The show ended with one of my favorite songs to honor our fallen: “Grace of God Go I” by Flogging Molly.

Then, we did a post production meeting. I laughed so hard that I hurt. I called a friend after the meeting and then took Chopper out, so I could smoke a celebratory cigar.

What a night!

It’s one that I will never forget…

TCSS.

My next installment of FirefighterNetcast Presents The Voice of Reason will be on Thursday, June 24th at 8:00 pm CT/9:00 pm ET.

 

Please visit www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog: www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on May 18, 2010 • Filed under: Miscellaneous • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Getting to the “Right” Place

No comments

How is it that we have no fear of going into a burning building, entering swift water to rescue a victim, rappel down a 200-foot cliff or go out in bad weather to spot tornadoes and yet; when an opportunity comes along that has life-changing potential, we are too scared to seize the moment?

Did any of you have a master plan for how your life would go?

I know many firefighters who planned on it from when they were very young, so for them; did you plan on becoming an officer?

Was your goal ever to rotate off shift to an administrative position working Monday through Friday?

Or, were you planning to rotate to another station house?

When the decision is made to “stay where you’re at”, is it because you have grown comfortable there?

Is it because there would be too much upheaval to change it?

Are we concerned with how the change would affect the ones around us?

Or, are we looking for an excuse, so that we won’t have to confront our own fear of change?

Many of you who follow my “stuff” know that I don’t ask questions for the sake of discussions. I don’t ask if I already know the answer…most of the time!

No; I ask because I want to know the answer and to learn.

What impediments do we put in front of ourselves that denies us the opportunity to further our success and when we do, is that in effect, failure?

We know that we don’t like failure, but what is it called when we don’t challenge ourselves to reach new heights and simply show up and “do our jobs”.

There isn’t a more challenging occupation than firefighting.

Well-planned pre-plans can quickly turn into ad hoc chaos in a New York minute and we have to rise to the challenge and live to tell about it. We are so focused on our tasks that we don’t have time to be scared and it begs many questions.

When does training become skill?

When does work performance become experience?

When does knowledge become wisdom?

When does student become teacher?

When does craftsmanship become leadership?

When does change become essential to our personal growth?

My spiritual advisor-Baziman-did not pose these questions to me. Rather, he asked me other, more introspective questions and made some personal observations of me that led me to ask those questions.

Not only am I asking them of my readers, but I am also asking them for myself.

Though we may not get together, I want us to get to the same place.

Do you hear me, Baziman?

I HAVE to ask questions to get to my answers.

More specifically, I have to ask the RIGHT questions to get the RIGHT answers.

I have constructed incident pre-plans in meticulous fashion, leaving no doubt and little to chance.

I have lived much of my life in “ad hoc chaos” and though it has made my journey through this life exciting and adventurous, it has lacked a certain fulfillment.

Now, I am on a new mission; a new pathway that has already revealed that I stand in the way of me!

I am not going to go back and take a more cautious route.

No; I am going to remove the obstacles and continue my journey. Hosting FirefighterNetcast isn’t a beginning or an end. It is but a destination along the way.

Baziman will be my wing man, my GPS and co-pilot.

And we will split the gas!

TCSS.

The article is written and submitted by Art Goodrich aka ChiefReason. It is submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-produced in any form without the expressed and written permission of the author.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on May 14, 2010 • Filed under: Miscellaneous • Tagged: , , , , ,

Person of Convictions or Convicted Person?

1 comment

Allowing convicted felons to serve on a fire department is not a moral/ethical question, but is one of legal liability. Beyond that, it raises serious issues with public trust.

Do we have no more regard for the public that we are sworn to protect that we would knowingly unleash a criminal with a key to the city?

Have we no more respect for the law-abiding members of the fire department that we would force them to act in concert with someone with known criminal tendencies?

Is it worth the potential legal problems from a failed, sociological experiment?

As a trustee for a fire district, I can tell you that the answer to all of the above is a resounding “NO”!

Every fire department should have a “Code of Ethics” that every prospective member should know before they join and would agree to follow if hired.

It goes without saying that current or active members would be guided by the same code of ethics.

If a prospective member has a criminal past, the code has already been violated. There are no second chances. A criminal past cannot be “undone”. Criminals cannot “take it back”, call a “do-over” or pretend that they were young and foolish and made a “mistake”. Breaking the law is not a mistake; it is a crime!

Most reasonable people are driven by the values that were instilled in them by a parent(s), their schools, churches and communities and are re-inforced by the laws of the land.

Though it is not intrusive to a civilized society; for those willing to break laws for personal gain, the laws are designed to discourage any thought of committing a crime by outlining the punishments if you do.

For those who perpetrate a criminal act, it is understood that they need to become gainfully employed once released from prison, but NOT in a public safety position in the public sector.

The private sector is better suited for a criminal assimilating back to Society.

It should be noted that, in my opinion, convicted felons are NOT starting a “new” life. They are resuming their lives with one strike against them.

I realize that you pay for your crime once, but you suffer the cost for the rest of your life-as it should be.

It is the fire department’s “Code of Ethics” that reminds a community that they will be served by the most ethical public servants that can be found and will be uncompromising with this mission.

Codes will not be ignored and rules will not be bent or broken.

Violations of the “Code of Ethics” will result in dismissal with cause.

Following are examples of verbiage often included in a “Code of Ethics” document:

  •  We will respect ourselves and the public that we represent and serve.
  • We recognize that our position as a public servant is a privilege.
  • The Public Interest will always be placed before individual, group or special interests.
  • We will not discriminate and will work to prevent and to eliminate discrimination where it exists.
  • We will accept “thank yous” and gestures of gratitude ONLY and will accept charitable donations in the spirit in which they are given.
  • We will not display negative or rude behavior towards the public.
  • We will not use our position of trust for personal gain.
  • We will always protect the confidentiality of our public’s information.
  • No drugs (legal) or alcohol will be consumed while on duty. When off-duty, at least eight (8) hours must pass after drugs (legal) or alcohol has been consumed before a member can respond to a call or callback.
  • Statements concerning the fire department will be issued through the Public Information Officer. Personal opinions shall be identified as such.

Keep in mind that it is a “Code of Ethics” and it does not take the place of pre-employment questionnaires, employment applications, criminal background checks or employment contracts. Having members recite a code of ethics may deepen and strengthen their commitment to them.

“Employment” is to be construed as career OR volunteer.

A volunteer fire department can be charged with negligent hiring in the same way a municipality with a full time fire department can.

And I have been advised that “Tort Immunity” will not cover it nor is there insurance for it. You pay cash if negligent hiring can be proven.

If that isn’t enough to discourage you from hiring people who have already proven that they cannot conduct themselves within the confines of the rule of law, then I don’t know what will.

Maybe, some of you weren’t cut out to be trustees.

Wait…

You probably thought that allowing the fire department to “elect” their members gets you off the hook?

Wrong again!

Under the law, you cannot abdicate any of your legally, sworn duties. Allowing the fire department to choose their members is, in fact, “hiring” them. And trustees “approve”, even if they are not directly involved with the decision.

Here, the fire department personnel committee makes the recommendation for a new member and the trustees approve it. Then, the probationary period starts. Once they make it through probation, they are “retained” and approved by the trustees.

But, be sure to use that argument in court: Well, your Honor; the fire department put him on the department. We had nothing to do with it.

Judge: And that’s exactly why you’re here! Get your checkbook out.

So; you might want to re-think that whole second chance mentality; at least where you claim to have the best interests of the public in mind.

TCSS.

The article written by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella is protected by federal copyright law. It cannot be re-produced in any form with the expressed and written permission of the author.

Please visit me at: www.fireemsblogs.com and go to www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on May 10, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Tell Her Before It’s Too Late!

No comments

MothersDayCard

Sunday will be Mother’s Day.

When I think of Mother’s Day, I harken back to my childhood days because, honestly; that is a time when I needed Mom the most.

I realize that Moms are there for us even as we get older, but by that time in our lives, we have learned to care for ourselves and more than likely have found a partner who can assist us in our times of need. The only problem with that is: now, if I fall down, I won’t be picked up and my “boo boo” kissed. No; I will be told to “get up-you’re embarrassing me”!

Looking back, I don’t think Mom ever got a day off

You would think that, when it was bed-time, she could kick back and relax. Not so in my house!

There were eight kids and someone was always sick with some type of childhood disease. Mumps, measles, chicken pox, colds, flu-you name it-Mom was up with us at night caring for us, so Dad could get up and go to work.

But, Mom also had to get up and “work”. She had to get the others up, fix breakfast, prepare an emergency fix for a garment of some sort, get us off to school and get the house ready, so when we came home from school, we would destroy it once again.

She had to do the grocery shopping, take us to our different functions, take us shopping for clothes when we could afford it and meet with teachers to discuss our progress or in my case, a lack of it.

She was the judge/jury and disciplinarian when there were matters that required it. More on that later.

She would take us to Sportsman’s Lake to swim and there were no lifeguards. You were on the honor system and a parent, guardian or adult child was responsible for you.

I remember when I was about five years old, we were swimming. I was suppose to stay near the shallow shore, but being the adventurer that I was, I kept going out a little farther when Mom wasn’t looking. After all, she had several of us to watch.

Well, wouldn’t you know it; I went out too far and dropped into deep water and I couldn’t swim!

The next thing I knew, this “body” landed right on top of me. Apparently, Mom didn’t see me and instinctively ran to the dock and jumped in, landing right on top of me.

She got me to shore and was again on top of me, making sure to get that nasty lake water out of my lungs. She was beating on me like I was a drum!

I swear that she beat me well after all of the water had cleared my system. Hmmm; me thinks that she was enjoying it a bit too much!

Was she glad that I hadn’t drowned or mad because she got her hair-do wet? Readers; you decide!

Regardless; Mom saved my life that day for sure.

I remember that when I got older, I was due for some punishment; most likely because one of my sisters and I had been fighting. Mom always took THEIR side. Women!

Anyway, I think that I was like 13 years old and had decided that, on this day, I was too old for any more spankings.

So, when Mom was in her back swing with her right hand, I grabbed her by the wrist. Knowing that the left hand was coming right behind it, I reached out and grabbed her left wrist as well.

She was stunned and speechless, but her eyes were cutting me in two!

I said, “Mom, I am too old for any more spankings. There will be no more. You need to come up with some other way to discipline me”.

She tried to struggle free, but I held on for fear that she would sneak a short, right hook in on me.

I said, “Mom; please promise me that you won’t hit me anymore”.

She promised, but cried harder than I had ever seen her cry.

And looking back, I believe that she cried because she realized that her “little boy” had grown up. Either that or she figured out that I was faster with my hands than she was. Readers; you decide!

However; Dad had made no such promise and proceeded to demonstrate rather liberally that HE would decide when the spankings would stop and it wouldn’t be on THIS day!

For the record, the last time Dad laid a hand on me was when I was 16 and was not home from a date at our pre-determined time. Thank you, Candy Burnett for keeping my interest past curfew!

Back to Mom.

When I was in the hospital for several weeks during my senior year in high school, it was Mom who would come and stay with me during the day, would go home and fix dinner for the family and then come back in the evening with Dad. What an angel! I still get emotional when I think of how much she gave me and how hard she worked; often ignoring her own health issues, but that was Mom. She was an extraordinary woman and a GREAT mother.

I honestly believe that I was a little snot the other 364 days of the year, but on Mother’s Day, her world for that ONE day was perfect and I was her perfect, “little boy”. She cherished the attention that she got on her special day and it was well deserved.

In retrospect, I should have worked a little harder at making every day her “Mother’s Day, but I was a dumb kid, trying to figure out more inventive ways to get into trouble.

After Mom passed away in 1999, I found a box of her mementos and I think that she had kept every card and letter that I had sent her over the years, but in that box, I found a card that I had made for her when I was much younger.

The card was made out of grade school-issued construction paper and I must have made it in fourth grade. It really touched me that she kept it for so long.

On the front of the card, it said, “To Mother. In all the world, there is no other can take the place of my dear Mother.”

Inside of the card was a typewritten verse, obviously the work of my fourth grade school teacher, Mrs. Quicksted.

It reads, “A Message to Mother. Mother dear, I bring a message from my heart this Mother’s Day. As with eagerness and gladness; Thankful words I’ll try to say I am happy. I am grateful for your care along the way! Mother dear, your gentle wisdom guards me as the seasons fly. And I know your loving kindness as the days and years slip by! So I sing my humble praises, to your goodness testify! Mother dear, may I grow sweetly in the ways of truth and grace. By your precept and example be safe guided in Life’s race; Then I’ll merit your approval finding in your heart my place.” From Arthur.

Mom; I hope that I found your approval and my place in your heart.

Love and respect to mothers everywhere on Mother’s Day and every day!

Posted by chiefreason on May 8, 2010 • Filed under: Days to Remember • Tagged: , , ,

Putting the Trust in Trustee

1 comment

As some of you know, I became a trustee for our fire district after having a fulfilling, active career as a volunteer firefighter.

I haven’t written many blogs from a trustee’s perspective, because I doubt that there are many trustees in my audience.

Over the years, I have been contacted by many firefighters who were having problems with their governing bodies. I have offered a diverse range of opinions, due to having been on both sides of the fence. I cannot recall a single instance where I was contacted by a trustee for advice.

I am self-effacing as a trustee, because I still have a firefighter’s passion. I still get jacked up when the guys are talking about a recent call.

I go to their training sessions to stay current with the skill sets.

I go to meetings in case they have questions. The “old” trustees didn’t like coming to our meetings and hated answering questions even more than going to meetings.

Though I might look like I am out front; in reality, I don’t get involved unless I am asked or unless there is slow progress towards a resolution.

In other words; I take what they give me.

I had MY time. Now; it’s THEIR time.

I am not, nor will I ever be your typical trustee.

You know the type. The typical trustee has never served on a fire department, but is “good with a check book”.

The typical trustee knows the color of a fire truck, but they know the color of money even better. But, you don’t spend it; you save it.

With the typical trustee, the most often, uttered reply will be, “We don’t have the money for that”. Second on the list will be, “Do you REALLY need that?”

Believe me; I was well-schooled on the “resistance fighters” known as our trustees. The fire department and I, as their leader, was the enemy, because we were always trying to take “their” money.

Though we were constantly denied money for much needed equipment, our trustees wouldn’t apply for grants, they wouldn’t increase the taxing rate, didn’t seek a referendum to increase taxes or look at viable alternative revenue streams, such as charging out-of-district users.

I literally had to take them on in order for our department to respond to calls on the interstate highway that runs through our district. They “got it” once they were told by our attorney that we could be sued and they ALWAYS followed the attorney’s advice-right or wrong.

That was in 1989. In 1990, they finally agreed to out-of-district charges; a flat rate of one hundred dollars.

The acrimony continued until we changed the process appointing them to having them elected.

A new era of hope and change arrived for our department.

Though we still have a dust up from time to time, anyone familiar with the “old days” can tell you how much better it is today.

Dealing with fire district issues as a chief in the “old days” made me better. I became more resourceful, more diplomatic and more determined to improve all aspects of our business; from communication to funding levels.

I did not want the department’s attention diverted from their mission to provide fire protection.

I made them a promise when I became a trustee. It was not an empty promise and I have kept my promise to them and our fire district residents.

When we take a vote, we have enough discussion to have a clear understanding of what we are voting on, so most of the time, the vote is unanimous.

My advice to fire department officers who interact with their fire boards is to remain respectful, diligent, patient and knowledgeable of the laws that govern the fire service.

Yelling only increases the temperature of the room.

You can keep your fire board engaged without them feeling threatened and you can do so without compromising your principles.

Communication is the key and any impediment to good communication must be removed.

There are many legal pitfalls for governing bodies. Fire districts should temper everything that they do with a proper legal review.

Too often, trustees are afraid of legal liabilities and choose to do nothing.

It is just as important for a trustee to continue their education as it is for firefighters.

Trustees who are unwilling to improve their trustee skills are just like firefighters who don’t want to train; NEITHER has any business being a member of their fire department or fire district board of trustees.

In a nutshell; trustees should be leaders too!

TCSS.

The article written by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella is protected by federal copyright law. It cannot be re-produced in any form with the expressed and written permission of the author.

Please visit me at: www.fireemsblogs.com and go to www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on May 4, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , ,

Can You Answer My Question?

2 comments

Do you hear that?

That is the sound of despair, hopelessness and fear. It is your victim.

They can’t get out without your help. The few minutes that have passed has emptied them of any hope that they will get out alive.

Blinding smoke, searing heat…what they are drowning in is what we flourish in; it ignites us and excites us, not because we want it to, but because Fire forces so many conditioned responses and extraordinary actions and tests our most primal instincts. We must rescue our fellow humans AND survive while doing it.

There is no “fight or flight”. It is more like “stay and pray”.

Your victim doesn’t want to die alone, but they don’t want anyone else to die like that, either. They are hoping that, if they are not rescued in time, then at least, in their final moments, they will hear the soothing voice of their God whispering forgiveness into their ear and then open the gate to their eternal peace.

You will move swiftly, stopping for a split second to gauge your own mortality and then push forward, because you have seen the face of your victim. You have looked into their eyes; the windows into their soul and the pain and anguish that you see is the fuel that you use to give you strength.

Their face could be your face or the face of someone that you know. It matters not, because they are a victim. You HAVE to get to them in time. Otherwise; you can only hope that they slip into an unconsciousness that will numb their senses to the horrific effects that only Fire can produce.

You cannot bear that thought. You have made your decision. You have committed your team. You have not only trained for this moment, but you have lived for this moment; a moment in which you could die!

You may hear the roar of the fire over the pounding of your heart. You will hear the water shooting from the nozzle and splashing against the walls and ceiling with terrific force. If you close your eyes, it almost sounds like you’re taking your car through the automatic spray carwash.

You will hear every step, every breath, the sound of the vent saw, a ladder hitting the side of the house, the sound of glass breaking and the radio chatter over the PA speaker on the engine.

There could be several endings to this, but one thing is certain; risk a lot to save a life is in our mission.

This is a scenario that has played out in our heads and in our communities for decades.

No nobler profession than that of firefighter!

The desperation, contemplation, exhilaration, extrication, celebration; it’s a roller coaster ride of emotion for victim and rescuer.

So, my question to you is this: why would you risk it all on an abandoned, unoccupied, vacant, dilapidated, dangerous piece of property that has no soul, no heart, no gratitude and only hate and contempt for those who dare to enter? See: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200837.html.

Or would you?

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on March 18, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , ,

The First Due Blog Carnival

3 comments

The Fire Critic is sponsoring The First Due Blog Carnival (http://firecritic.com/blog-carnival/) and it is the first-ever blog carnival for firefighting. All bloggers are welcomed to submit a blog by no later than March 22, 2010 and the topic for the first installment is:

 I AM A Firefighter Because…

I grew up believing that firefighters were the bravest, most honorable and unselfish people that walked the Earth.

I took this belief that I held of firefighters and put it into practice by becoming one.

It was necessary that I did this for ME. That may appear to be selfish, but please allow me to explain.

Quite simply; I would have most likely died a rebellious, young man had I not embraced the ideals of a firefighter.

I realize that this swims against the tide of the usual “to help someone in need” crowd, but at the time, I was the one in need of help and in some respects, it DID involve a fire; but it was the fire that was burning inside of me and about to flash over.

I also credit my participation in team sports while growing up for helping me to return to the right path. I believe that firefighting is the ultimate team for the extreme.

You see; because of my radical, rebellious behavior as a young adult, I destroyed my relationship with my parents.

A simple “I’m sorry” wasn’t going to fix the damage that I inflicted upon them

No; this was going to have to be a visible, spiritual change in me-one that they could see and feel and to know that it was genuine.

So, I joined the local fire department and the rest, as they say, is history.

I carried my mother’s compassion, because she was always the one who cooked and cleaned for us, got us safely to wherever we needed to go and took care of us when we were sick. They were perfect attributes for my time with the ambulance service.

Dad was a veteran of the Great Depression and World War II. He educated himself by reading whatever he could get his hands on, had a keen aptitude for taking things apart to discover what made them work, wasn’t afraid to work hard and get dirty, used colorful language if the situation called for it and was the most honest person that I have ever known. He would have been a GREAT firefighter.

To apologize to them and to honor them, I took the values that they had instilled in me as a youngster, misplaced as a young adult and re-discovered some years later and became a firefighter; someone who was more like them/someone that they could be proud of.

And though they never told me, they never had to tell me that they were proud of me. Others that they had told were telling me!

Mom always told me that when our tones dropped, Dad would not leave the scanner until we had completed our call. What she didn’t tell me was that SHE was sitting right next to Dad. How cool is that?

They are both gone now, but are still with me every day, reminding me of why I became a firefighter and why I still love the fire service.

Because, even though I became a firefighter for them and for me, I also learned from them that helping in a time of need is an innately, uniquely, precious commodity that is more valuable than the rarest diamond. You could NEVER buy the kind of hope and support that we provide to our neighbors in need or the pride that it brings to us as ones who are able to affect the outcome!

Yeah; I’m still telling Mom and Dad that I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry for the sacrifices that my family and I have made so that I could be a better person-a better firefighter.

And those ideals that I found in firefighters?

They were right there in front of me; in my parents all along and passed on to me.

It’s funny how Life can take your journey full circle!

TCSS.

Art

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog at: www.chiefreasonart.com

Posted by chiefreason on March 11, 2010 • Filed under: Miscellaneous • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Arrogance and Ignorance Is a Dangerous Combo

1 comment

This is what came to mind when I read the story of the Long Pine, Nebraska Fire Department (http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/nebraska-town-dismantles). Apparently, the mayor and city council decided to “dismantle” the fire department over some internal disputes between the mayor and the fire department. See a news piece here: http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/article_61573e48-1809-11df-9219-001cc4c03286.html.

I call it “arrogant”, because the action was taken by a small group elected to represent their residents.

Are we going to believe that the citizens WANT to be without a local fire department?

If they care about someone showing up at the time of their emergency, then they should NOT be happy at this turn of events in their community.

Citizens of Long Pine; throw out the elected officials who are behind this cavalier attitude towards your community’s safety. They are using YOU to prove a point and a very dangerous one at that.

In fact; have your police chief arrest them for aggravated stupidity!

I also call it “ignorant”, because once again, one city government wants their public safety problems solved at their neighboring community’s expense. Yeah; use their resources paid by their tax money for your emergencies. Call it “redistribution of wealth”.

It is also an ignorant notion because fire will grow for each minute that it takes Ainsworth to get there.

People should go to jail for putting the safety of their communities at risk.

When elected officials fail their oath of office by acts of their own neglect, then they should be arrested, charged, tried and convicted for it.

Go ahead and say it. Say, “But you won’t get anyone to run for public office if they can be arrested for making bad decisions”.

And I will say, “No; a bad decision would be to increase the sales tax because sales are down”.

Shutting down your fire department because a couple of city council members-including one that is ON the volunteer fire department and voted to dismantle it-has an axe to grind isn’t a bad decision; it’s a wrong decision and a very dangerous decision.

When government and its power are abused by the few who are elected, it no longer functions FOR the people.

And if you could go to jail for being arrogant and ignorant in matters of public safety, then new prisons would be popping up all over the nation.

This case in Long Pine is not an example of partisan politics, ladies and gentlemen. It’s elected officials abusing their privilege to serve their citizens. It’s elected officials serving their own self-interests at the expense of their citizens.

So, when they bring the process down to the personal level, replete with acts of revenge, then it is time for them to go.

You cannot justify a public body making private decisions on public safety without public comment and participation. It’s wrong AND illegal.

Is there more to the story?

There had better be.

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.

Posted by chiefreason on February 14, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , ,

The Tradition Expedition

No comments

In between my writing of blogs and participating in discussion threads, I read some of the other blogs.

I have my favorites and for the most part, I will keep you guessing, because I don’t want to influence the voting for the 2009 Best Blog of the Year (http://firecritic.com/2010/01/fireems-blog-of-the-year-2009-finalists-and-voting/).

However; I think that I have read almost every article written by Jason Zigmont of VolunteerFD.org. No; it isn’t a plug. In fact, I may have just cursed him. Sorry, Jason.

Jason’s recent article, “The Traditions That Hold Us Back” (http://www.volunteerfd.org/article/737135/) couldn’t be timelier.

I had just finished a blog on “tradition”, read Jason’s blog; then wadded mine up and threw it away, because he caused me to look at the subject of tradition once again.

To me, which is to say that it is my opinion that Jason writes with a style that is not layered to the point that you miss the point! His article, as usual, makes excellent key points.

Now; for my thoughts on the subject of “tradition”.

I don’t believe that a revolution to kill traditions is taking place in the fire service. Instead, I believe that there is an evolution of our fire services’ traditionalism that will define it for generations to come.

The oldest of traditions-that of generations of families sending their members into the proud service of their fellow Man as firefighters-will continue unencumbered.

However; another old tradition involving generations of families that will end up on the endangered species list is the practice of nepotism. Many of us can work with our relatives without enlisting them for some sinister scheme to control our workplace.

But, nepotism almost guarantees that anything bad that can happen WILL happen. I have no problems with a father/son combo, where no special treatment is imagined or real. My problem is with families who seize control of a fire department, plunders it for their personal gain and then leaves it on life support.

Yes; that is a tradition that we can do without and communities that allows it, are ignorant of it or don’t care about it, perpetuates the tradition. Firefighters AND communities must change it.

Another tradition that I hope to see less of are the LODD funerals. I am speaking to the NUMBER of funerals. Traditionally, no less than 100 LODD funerals a year are conducted in this country and countless more firefighter funerals of brothers and sisters taken by illness, disease and old age.

With that said, we must preserve the sanctity and solemn ceremony to pay our proper respects to our fallen brothers and sisters. It is a tradition that must never erode, fade or disappear.

We should not allow tradition that will constrain our thirst for new technologies, tactics or services to our communities.

We should do what we can to change the tradition that says that we can do more with less (See LODD funerals). We are at a point of diminishing returns and a new tradition of closing stations, reducing manpower and having rotating brown outs are taking hold (See LODD funerals). The veterans who have served on properly staffed and properly funded departments must remain engaged in the fight to get their resources restored and put the next generation on solid footing or we risk donning the Class A’s for more funerals.

We must preserve the tradition of firehouse cooking, but we need to eliminate high salt, high sugar and high fat meals. Healthy diets and healthy lifestyles will help battle the growing cardiac episodes and cancer rates in our fire service.

The firehouse, kitchen table discussions is a tradition that has not only continued, but has flourished by expanding to Internet website discussion boards (http://www.firefighternation.com/forum/topics/tradition-honor-this-is-for?commentId=889755%3AComment%3A4445098&xg_source=msg_com_forum).

Heated topics with heated debates cools quickly when the tones drop at the firehouse, but they  don’t cool as quickly on a website. Some will promote respectful debate while others will promote what could be akin to UFC matches. Hopefully, in the end, participants will invoke the tradition of handshakes from one brother to another.

The last tradition that I will touch upon is the tradition of driving fast to the incident-too fast to be more accurate. We must drive with due regard, with a sense of urgency and always with the safety of our firefighters and our citizens in mind. And wearing our seatbelts is a no brainer.

So; what is our finest tradition?

I believe that it is teaching, learning, making a difference and then going home to our loved ones.

We must always remember that the future of our fire service won’t be determined by the ones leaving, but the ones who are taking their places and we must give them every opportunity to succeed.

That will insure that their department and our fire service will also succeed.

In the meantime, we have to figure out which traditions to keep and which ones to write into the history books.

For more on the subject, see Tiger: http://tigerschmittendorf.com/

http://runtothecurb.wordpress.com/.

TCSS.

The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.

Please visit: www.chiefreasonart.com

Posted by chiefreason on January 7, 2010 • Filed under: My Size Up • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Every Class Has Its Clown

No comments

Well, it’s finally here for many of us.

I have been a part of conversations and shared a vision that has reached fruition as a new blogging platform. www.chiefreasonart.com has undergone a major renovation and been married to a new platform.

http://fireemsblogs.com  released yesterday and I am privileged and honored to be in such exquisite blogging célèbre.

As many of you know, I got my start on the battlefields of Firehouse.com discussion boards.

When it became clear that intelligent discussion was losing ground to personal attacks and baiting, I decided to move on to the International Association of Crusty Old Jakes (www.iacoj.com), where respectful discussion was its first rule.

Then, FirefighterNation was born. I was invited by its founder to join him as a blogger and it has evolved into what we have today; an integrated, superstore of fire and EMS bloggers. And though I hesitate to utter my name in the same breath as some of the others, I can tell you that it reads like the Who’s Who of fire/EMS blogisphere. I have been a fan of many of them for sometime.

What you will see is my usual stuff. Sometimes, it will be topical; tackling a controversial issue of the day or I will reminisce about the “old days”; you know, waxing nostalgic. Whatever it is, I hope that it is entertaining and educational. Ultimately, my goal is to spawn discussion, because without discussion, I am nothing more than a message board.

I will not hold anything back. The beauty of blogging is that I feel that it is the purest form of freedom of expression that exists. Firefighters have always been regarded as a lot that wears their feelings on their sleeves, are not always politically correct and in some cases, don’t wish to be and are brutally honest. Their bravery demonstrated at a fully involved taxpayer is no less demonstrated by their opinions on a wealth of subjects and issues. And they line up of both sides of the argument but always emerge on the same side of brotherhood.

I can’t thank Dave Iannone and Chris Hebert enough for the new look and the opportunity to share my thoughts, however demented or diminished.

I look forward to adding fresh content and though I will not be running news items, photos and videos, I will provide links when appropriate and will comment on some of the other bloggers’ sites and might even blog on one of their news items, if I feel so moved.

In any event, it’s new. It may need tweaking, but one thing is clear; a new milestone in blogging in the fire/EMS field has been reached. The Mad Scientist and his trusty assistant may have just created another “monster” indeed…and that’s meant in a good way!

So, raise your glass to the clown in the class!

TCSS.

Art

Posted by chiefreason on October 16, 2009 • Filed under: Miscellaneous • Tagged: , ,