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Ben Fleagle Male Fairbanks, Alaska United States: Share on Facebook MySpace Tweet

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"WATASH"

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Profile Information

Lives in:: Fairbanks, Alaska

Department:: University Fire Department

Title/rank:: Captain

Years of public service:: 24

Agency structure:: Paid fire department

Top issues in your department:: Finding ways to overcome manpower issues, ever increasing costs and time shortages and still provide the 22,000 people in our service area and on the campus with excellent service.

Professional Qualifications:: AAS degree in Municipal Fire Control.
Alaska State and IFSAC FFI, II, Driver/Oper.,Officer I, Instr. I, and RIT Tech., Swiftwater Tech I and II, Ice Rescue, Low to High Angle Rope and Confined Space Technician.
Calif. State FF I and Heavy Rescue I.
I have been teaching in the public and private sector since 1997.

Topics you provide training for:: Taught technical rescue with Tim Kelahan's Rescue Co., formerly of Fairbanks Alaska, from 1997 to 2002, teaching Swiftwater, Ice Rescue, Confined Space and Rope Rescue.
Currently Adjunct teacher for Community Technical College of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Am currently teaching or have taught Building Construction for Fire Protection, Advanced Rescue Practices.

I offer lectures on company leadership and devotion to the profession.

Lead instructor for a class developed from the Alaska State RIT guidelines and the R.I.C.O. concept. Focus goes beyond the basics of RIT technician and into officer performance, company teamwork and skills for needed for reaching and extricating downed firefighters. Throughout the class firefighters are pushed to their limits as they work in company sized teams to achieve a rescue or complete survival objectives.

Areas of expertise:: A student of the art of firefighting, leadership and brotherhood. Join me on my blog at www.leatherhead109.com or find my writing through FireEMSblogs.com

DrillMaster for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Comm. Technical College FF I Academy, with 12 years of experience in taking folks off the street and developing recruits.

Bio:: Joined the fire service in 1990 in Southern California hired as a Paid Call Firefighter in Orange County Fire Authority (then Orange County Fire). Entered career service in 1994 through the Federal Fire Service, re-entering the municipal sector in 2001 as a Captain at the University Fire Dept. Have spent the past twelve years teaching technical rescue, building construction, leadership and rapid intervention.

Awards:
Recieved the Fairbanks Lions Club Community Service Award,
Alaska Interior Fire Chiefs Company Officer of the Year, Alaska Interior Fire Chiefs Instructor of the Year, 2013 F.O.O.L. of the Year for the Fraternal Order of Leatherhead Society.

Founding President of the Farthest North F.O.O.L.S., a Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society and the 2007 recipients of the John Mickel Award for Brotherhood. In February of 2015 I was appointed Secretary for the F.O.O.L.S. International E-Board.

Web site:: http://www.leatherhead109.com

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Ben Fleagle's Blog

TAKING CARE OF YOUR LEATHERHEAD

So I decided it was time to either get a new helmet or restore mine to a serviceable condition. Upon close inspection, (this means taking stock of my helmet's grievances) I found the liner worn in several areas although the ratchet was functioning, the attachment points were in a bad way, the earlaps were ripped and heavily soiled, the paint was badly cracked and chipped in multiple places and the exposed leather was beginning to dry out. Time to… Continue

Posted on December 2, 2009 at 2:00am — 8 Comments

BRÁITHEREACHAS THAR GACH NÍ - Brotherhood Above All Else

BRÁITHEREACHAS THAR GACH NÍ

Key Note for October 10th 2009 – Interior Firefighters, Alaska State Firefighter's Association "Fireman’s Ball"

When people ask me about the “Brotherhood”, I often find myself at a loss for words to define it for them. Because for me, the “Brotherhood” we are speaking of is something felt very deeply, something that has taken years to mature and show itself, but which once exposed ran to full throttle, without reservation. I find that it is something… Continue

Posted on October 16, 2009 at 12:00pm — 9 Comments

9/11 "The American Fire Department"

This morning I was preparing to head off to the 9/11 Ceremony the FOOLS were holding at the downtown house. I was heading out with mixed emotions, wondering if what I had written out for opening remarks would be appropriate, would it be taken well? Should I re-write it? My stomach hurt. There are so many things to consider when speaking to a large group and then again, ...sometimes you need to just shoot fromt the hip.

When I was preparing my remarks I was thinking, "What more can be… Continue

Posted on September 11, 2009 at 8:19pm — 6 Comments

"Braithre Thar Gach Ni" Brotherhood Above All

I was asked to speak on Brotherhood at a local department's awards dinner. This is my pre-speech draft:

When I was young, I remember visiting the firehouse my Uncle worked in. The house in Pikesville Maryland, across the street from the Old Confederate Soldiers Home, housed Engine 2. It was a place of massive red trucks, squeezed together between brick walls and dark lighting, and tall men. I was too young to really understand what was going on around me, but there was a sense… Continue

Posted on April 4, 2009 at 9:00am — 3 Comments

The Show Goes On

To My Brothers and Sisters in the Service:

So its been a few months now, and I still miss the Chief. The new guy is good. I like him, together with the other officer on our shift, we are forging a new team and it is working out well. I still miss Phil. I keep expecting him to come into the battalion's office at the big house, ...shouting out his familiar greeting. We all miss him. But as the film says, the show goes on. Rest in Peace, Brother.

Its been a long hard winter,… Continue

Posted on March 13, 2009 at 8:00pm — 1 Comment

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At 9:59am on July 6, 2012, Jason Jefferies said…: Thanks Bro! I'm really enjoying the transition to FSW. 100% positive writing, no whining, no "keeping up with the others." It eases my mind and keeps me in my happy place, training and equipment. Take care, boy I sure could use some Alaskan weather right now! It's HOT!!!! Myabe I'll fly up and have a cup of Joe with ya soon!

At 6:42pm on March 24, 2012, Paul Combs said…: paulcombs7@gmail.com

At 10:24am on August 12, 2010, Dan Rice said…: Hope all is well brother, I got to read the last blog posted and enjoyed it very much. good job brother. Stay safe

At 8:56am on August 8, 2010, Larry Glover said…: The guys absolutely loved the pictures and the videos. Thank you for the Respect and Honor You and your guys showed for it. Hopefully it was a great learning tool for your recruits. Thanks again and thanks for the patches and memorial stickers.

Keep Traditions Alive!!

At 3:15pm on August 4, 2010, Tony Gillan said…: Cant wait to meet a lot of you guys in person, its gonna be a blast.....

At 8:56pm on August 1, 2010, Tony Gillan said…: It worked this way Brother, See ya in Sept at the convention...

At 12:59am on May 10, 2010, Michael Bricault (ret) said…: Thanks for the kind thoughts Brother. I agree with you... throw the tv out of the day room and get rid of the X box too.

At 6:44pm on April 17, 2010, Dan Rice said…: Brother Ben,
I hope things are safe and sound for you. I was finally able to make contact with a local FOOLS chapter here in Ohio. just wanted to drop a line and say hi, be safe.

At 6:53pm on April 8, 2010, Christian Cossey said…: Yeah, I fractured my hip, over-extended my knee, re-fractured my clavicle that I just had surgery on in December, bent the plate that they put in that same clavicle, and got a nice gash on my forehead lol. And it wasn't from a motorcycle, it was from my BMX bike while I was dirt jumping. There was a jump about six feet tall and I got about five feet of air on top of that plus I over cleared the landing, so I fell about 11 feet to flat bottom compacted dirt. Plus when I threw my bike to get away from it, it bounced back and landed on top of me lol. This time I'm really going to take the time to heal up a little before I start riding again. Fishing sounds fun. I wish I could go fishing... Lol.

At 12:06am on April 8, 2010, Christian Cossey said…: I'm been taking it kinda slow since the incident, riding bikes is my escape from all the s*** in life. That's why it's so hard not to have an adrenaline rush if that makes any sense at all.

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