Art "Chief Reason" Goodrich's Blog (109)

Blog Note: I wrote this piece for the friends in my hometown. No fires, no fire trucks, no HOT topics and no politics. Just some childhood memories that, if you take the time to read, it may lift your spirits and unlock your mind to reveal similar memories of your own. It may give you a moment of pause to remember a simpler, innocent time in your life when you didn’t carry the weight of the…

I wrote this story in 2003 and first released it on September 25^th of that year; two years after the tragic death of then 19 year-old Firefighter Bradley Golden, who died in a live burn training exercise in Lairdsville, New York. I have posted it every year since then to keep a promise; to honor and to remember Brad. I do not do it to keep the emotional wounds fresh. I do it because there are so many important lessons to be gained by…

During the 2012 election cycle, my blog took on a heavy political tone.

After-all, our nation had just suffered through four years of Obamacare, stifling EPA regulations, IRS shenanigans, Fast and Furious gun program, an ambiguous Afghan War strategy, Benghazi and on and on.

So, in an effort to express my concerns and my opinions based upon my many years of study of the political arena…

After getting all caught up on the back-and-forth going on between Captain Tom Kenney of the Providence, RI Fire Department and the city administration AND the Providence Journal newspaper, it is very clear that there is mutual disdain, to put it mildly.

Let me say right here/right now that I HATE sensationalist headlines.

You know the type if you have spent time on the Internet. It is a…

The headline from “The Hawk Eye” newspaper on December 23, 1999 read: They Gave The Ultimate.

Asst. Chief Dave McNally, 49 at the time, Firefighter Jason Bitting, 29 at the time and Nathan “Nate” Tuck, 39 at the time all died in the line of duty while trying to rescue three children from…

It is estimated that, within the last ten years 1,500,000,000 articles and books have been written on Leadership. That is not a typo.

So, if someone tells you, "I have read every book that there is on Leadership", you might want to do a fact check. I mean; the time commitment alone to accomplish that should raise a red flag.

 …

A Jake and Vinnie Halloween Special

In 1906, at the top of the bluff overlooking the scenic river valley, bank president Cyrus Edelstein built a beautiful, three-story, brick mansion for his young bride, Samantha.…

The definition of arson: criminal setting of fires, deliberate burning of property, destruction of property by fire, fire-raising, firing, incendiarism, malicious burning of property, set conflagration, willful burning of property.

The sentence for arson: As of 2011, in the United States, the minimum sentence for Arson in the third degree, which encompasses fires intentionally set to vehicles, buildings or homes…

They are questions that are often asked by both those wishing to be a firefighter and by those trying to understand why someone would be a firefighter: what does it take and why do you do it?

I will often reach back into my past and resurrect some of the mental tools that I used during my time as a firefighter. It is a characteristic that is so ingrained into your being that it is yours’ to be used for the rest of your…

Hope He’s Had His Shots!

Episode #11

“Sid; what the hell is going on? We gotta get done so they can get water on this fire or we’re gonna lose her. Sid? Sid! Goddammit, Sid, Jake thought out loud.

As he turned the…

Funny; You Don’t Look Like a Glow Worm!

Episode #9

Sidney (Sid Vicious) Wilkerson grew up in the flatlands of North Central Ohio. Sid was born into the third generation of firefighters in his family. His granddad was a volunteer firefighter in Sid’s hometown of Coffey, Ohio. His dad retired as an assistant chief from the Lucas County, Ohio Fire Department. Sid’s brother is riding rigs in Cincinnati as an engine company…

Truck Ops According to Jake - Episode #8

Vent. Enter. Search.

Three words that detonate an adrenaline “explosion” in a truckie!

Sure; squirting water is fun and there are times when positioning the big bores can be pretty demanding, but THAT is mundane, when compared to standing on a roof that is so hot that your boots stick to the tar;…

Firefighters Are Priceless; Politicians Aren’t Worth 2 Cents!

Episode #6

As Vinnie was getting ready, Jimmy Mac was shaking like a V-Twin; trying hard to hide his laughing. He slapped Jake on the shoulder. Jake could be heard growling, “f****** new guy” under his breath as…

Jake regains his composure and yells at the two, wet firefighters in the hallway, “Firefighter Vinnie Cappaletti; meet Lieutenant James (Jimmy Mac) McDonnell”.

Vinnie extends his hand and Jimmy Mac hands him his coffee mug and says “Straight up black”.

Jimmy smirks at Jake as he comes into Jake’s office,…

Well, another election is over.

Here in Illinois, fire district board of trustees members for those fire districts that elect their boards are elected on the odd numbered years known as Consolidated Elections.

Yesterday, April 7, 2015, I was again re-elected to a 6-year term as our fire district’s board member.

Campaigning for office is a very…

 It is estimated that, within the last ten years; 1,500,000,000 articles and books have been written on Leadership. That is not a typo.

And if someone tells you, "I have read every book there is on Leadership", you might want to do a fact check. I mean; the time commitment alone to accomplish that should raise a red flag.

 …

As much as it pains me to say this: I was around when the first commercial cellphone was introduced to the world in 1973-invented by Martin Cooper.

Now, the only “portability” of telephones that existed prior to that date was “car” phones. Car phones were hard-wired into your vehicle. Typically, the transceiver box was mounted in the trunk with power being connected to the ignition. The antenna was mounted at the rear of the car near the roof…

I wish to take this opportunity to wish all my friends and fellow bloggers a very Merry Christmas.

Thank you PennWell, www.fireengineering.com,  and especially Bobby H., Erich R., Scott Nelson and the best blog manager around, Peter Prochilo.

You have provided me with a platform to share my diverse thoughts to a very…

It’s not hard to remember December in 1999.

That year, in the month of December alone, this nation’s fire service lost EIGHTEEN firefighters in the line of duty.

Two fires accounted for half of that total.

On December 3,…