Wow what can we say about Chief Wonderful? We had a great celebration of his life through out the week and on Saturday. He will be forever in our hearts and on our minds as we continue to carry on the task that he has always held so near and dear to his heart. Chief Rounds will forever be remembered for his love of the job by all those he touched in whatever he did.
Never before in my life have I ever scene a gathering of brothers and sisters in Fairbanks who traveled from near and…
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Added by Brad Hoff on November 30, 2008 at 8:00pm —
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This is a week to recall and reflect on two historic fires; Friday marked the 66th anniversary of Bostons Coconut Grove nightclub fire. The Boston Fire Department responded 5 alarms to Box 1521 that night where 492 lives were lost and 166 injured. Many of the doors to nightclub were bricked up or bolted shut and the entrance was a revolving door.The night…
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Added by Bobby Halton on November 30, 2008 at 6:30pm —
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Added by Brotherhood Instructors, LLC on November 30, 2008 at 2:00pm —
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I have not been on here lately,I have had the flu for almost and week,now.
I guess the flu shot did not work to well.
I hope to be back on when i get to feeling better.
Stay safe ,and may God Bless all you fire fighters.
Added by Brenda Tenney on November 29, 2008 at 1:28pm —
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In a time of uncertainty and grief in our lives and in our country I hope that we can all remember why it is important to be thankful to God for all that He has given us and left us to take charge of in our country and in the absence or a loved one or friend who has left us the torch to continue the job at hand.
I am thankful for a website community like this where we can come together and share our thoughts, training and lives.
This year I am very thankful to God…
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Added by Brad Hoff on November 27, 2008 at 1:00pm —
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Brothers and Sisters,
Recently, a video of a VES operation in Indianapolis surfaced on several web-sites including this one. The responses on this site were, for the most part, thoughtful and informative. However, on others, not so much. This is not an indictment of those sites, one in fact is a very good site providing a great deal of useful training information. In any case, the level of criticism leveled at the participants was, in my opinion, over the top prompting a response…
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Added by Art Zern on November 26, 2008 at 8:30pm —
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Fellow brothers and sisters because the Ray Downey Courage and Valor award is so special to the Fire Engineering family and to all of the FDIC faithful, I felt it important to make a a special request of all of the members of the fire engineering training community to consider nominating a worthy candidate. Please watch the video by Ray Downey's sons Battalion Chiefs Chuck and Joe, and then go to the link for the Courage and Valor award nomination form and nominate someone from your…
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Added by Bobby Halton on November 26, 2008 at 4:00pm —
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Retired Fire Chief, Carl "Bud" Gray of the Arcanum Fire Department passed away early Tuesday morning. He was 80 years old. Bud served the village for over 40 years as a firefighter with many of those as chief. He was one old dog who could be taught new tricks. He called me one day and wanted to know if I would be interested in becoming the training officer for the department. He explained that he wasn't very happy with the way things were going. So, began a long relationship for me with the…
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Added by Robert Rhoades on November 26, 2008 at 7:30am —
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To a Brother, Mentor, Friend and Chief who too many of us was an honorary dad. It is sad to think of a fellow Brother in the Fire Service as what was and what has and what could have. You see the only thing we are asked to do is to pick up where they left off and do the right thing in hope that we can somehow fill some huge boots that are now empty. We must remember and never forget one's dedication, one's sacrifices to the public, to one's family and to us and the lessons taught to us to carry…
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Added by Brad Hoff on November 25, 2008 at 2:30pm —
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I had occasion the other day to spend a considerable amount of time with one of today's youth. I was interested to speak with him due to all the discussion nowdays about the state of today's younger generation. I know it seems to be a topic the fire service is finding more and more worth while to address. I see this issue raise in the specific areas of training and management of new firefighters. So on to my meeting, I hope you find it as eye opening as I did.
I was taking an…
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Added by Marty Mayes on November 24, 2008 at 4:27pm —
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>I wrote this about the Chief late at night, a few hours after I found out he had passed. It has been three days since then and this is the first time I have let this out.
21 November 2008
Today is the first time in my young career as a fireman that I have had to deal with losing one of our own. It was not to fire, an apparatus accident or a heart attack on the job. It was not one of these but it is no less heart breaking. It is no less devastating, personally or…
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Added by Keenan Mulvaney on November 23, 2008 at 9:30pm —
4 Comments
November 22, 2008
Dear Fire Service Colleague;
I am presently researching command simulation training and command training centers.
I am a Fire Captain with the San Jose, California Fire Department.
I am also a student at the National Fire Academy (NFA) in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The NFA is part of the United States Fire Administration, which is under the Department of Homeland Security.
I am enrolled in the Executive Fire Officer Program,…
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Added by A. J. Cabral on November 22, 2008 at 7:54am —
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I am sitting alone at last. The firehouse is quiet and I can hear the pipes playing in my head. My Chief has fallen. While we ran from tone out to tone out, he slowly let go. As his boys ran the beat, he went to sleep. I miss him, you know. For some silly reason he used to call me "Watash". I think I'll write that on the back of my helmet. He believed in me.
He was our bull dog, our champion. He loved his men. We loved him. You couldn't help it.…
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Added by Ben Fleagle on November 21, 2008 at 2:30am —
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Ever had to make the choice between ropes, etc. and utilizing a readily available on site crane or lift platform?
Added by Sam Williams on November 20, 2008 at 3:40pm —
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Hi everyone I created a group called Our Family in Need . It's a group where anyone can list and share requests for helping our own in need or prayers and condolences for our Brothers and Sisters in the Fire Service and their immediate families. What I listed below is also in my new group.
I have a friend who is a Battalion Chief in a local fd. He has been fighting a good fight with cancer and just got sick and is now in the hospital for the last few days. It appears they have not…
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Added by Brad Hoff on November 20, 2008 at 2:30pm —
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Fire instructors play a critical role in the development of firefighters. When the recruit begins training, their first exposure to the fire service is the instructor. That experience can often determine the firefighter’s view of training and future classes. Looking back through one’s career in the fire service, or life in general, it is easy to pinpoint teachers and instructors who have made a great impact. What were some of the characteristics of these instructors? What was it about them that…
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Added by Michael Finney on November 19, 2008 at 1:19pm —
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The staff of Fire Engineering is deeply saddened by the loss of Detroit’s Walter P. Harris Senior Firefighter Engine 23, 6th Battalion. Walter was killed in the line of duty while serving his community. Walter is remembered as a loving gentleman and an outstanding firefighter. Our deepest sympathies to the Harris family, the members of the Detroit Fire Department and all of Walter’s many friends. Fire Engineering thanks Dennis Walus for providing us with Walter's information.…
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Added by Bobby Halton on November 17, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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In the wake of this sad week for firefighters, I can't help but feel bewildered by the attitudes of some firefighters.
Two of our brothers and sisters died this week while completing routine training exercises.
While there is no evidence or even speculation that the recent deaths of FDNY-Probie Jamel Spears, 33 and Volunteer-Cecilia Turnbough, 42, for Dale City Fire-VA were in poor physical shape or that a lack of fitness in some way contributed to their death (nor am I implying…
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Added by Katy Luetke on November 13, 2008 at 2:00pm —
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We have about 6 young men ,that is in training .(Explorers)) One issue that requires particular attention is what the Fire and Emergency Service Explorer will be allowed to do at the emergency scene.Many departments allow Explorers to respond on the apparatus with trained personnel.A solid policy must be established as to what the Explorer may not do once he or she arrives on the scene.
Explorers may not be substituted for trained personnel
''''''''must be equipped with personal…
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Added by Brenda Tenney on November 11, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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I would like to recognize Bill Corbin's outstanding achievement in receiving the 2008 Henry S. Parmelee Award from the American Fire Sprinkler Association. Firefighters everywhere were excited during the recent ICC code hearings and our success in getting residential sprinklers past. But we know that the fight is far from over and men like Bill Corbin will help us to maintain this outstanding advancement in fire protection. We would also like to recognize our good friends at the American Fire…
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Added by Bobby Halton on November 11, 2008 at 12:00pm —
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