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Bobby Halton's Blog (142)

We Mourn the Loss The staff of the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) is sad to report the passing of Battalion Chief Steven F. Auch, age 56, of the Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department (IF…

We Mourn the Loss

The staff of the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) is sad to report the passing of Battalion Chief Steven F. Auch, age 56, of the Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department (IFD).

Steve was appointed to the IFD in 1978, and his assignments included Station 21, Engine 12, and Engine 11. In 1986, he was…

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Added by Bobby Halton on February 2, 2011 at 9:00am — 3 Comments

Bobby Halton's January editorial

Here is my January editorial it's interesting because I wrote it about three months ago. It is somewhat timely given our recent tragedy in Chicago. Fortunately I know the Chicago Fire Department very well and I know that they were very prepared and will conduct a very thorough and very complete investigation. But I guess the question is for the rest of us, are we ready if something catastrophic should…

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Added by Bobby Halton on January 17, 2011 at 4:00pm — 3 Comments

A Chance to Be Part of the Solution

Since 1928 America's serious firefighters have gathered under the banner of the fire department instructors conference. We are now 70 days away from the 84th FDIC conference. Starting on March 21 three days after St. Patrick's Day will be our annual pilgrimage to Indianapolis where we show our dedication, our resolve and our unrelenting pursuit of mastery of this the worlds most complicated profession.

Some might question my use of the word complicated but they would be wrong they are…

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Added by Bobby Halton on January 4, 2011 at 4:09pm — No Comments

LODD Funeral Information Updated 12/26 from Local 2 Chicago

Direct from IAFF Chicago Local 2 Funeral Information

On behalf of the Brothers and Sisters of Local 2, we would like to thank everyone from around the country on their overwhelming support and condolences during this tragic time.

Arrangement for FF Edward J. Stringer are as…

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Added by Bobby Halton on December 24, 2010 at 3:30pm — No Comments

Bobby Halton's December Editorial

There are times when regardless of the possible consequences you have to take a stand if you don’t you can’t look yourself in the mirror. I hope those who find this offensive will remember it is an opinion they are entitled to theirs. There are problems with the 911 memorial all due to an overly politically correct mindset which is dominating our political landscape. Well I know they (the directors of the memorial and museum) have nothing but the best intentions but in my opinion they are…

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Added by Bobby Halton on December 18, 2010 at 3:49pm — 4 Comments

Your Opportunity to Recognize a Hero

Your Opportunity to Recognize a Hero

There can be no better way to memorialize the memory of a great man than to recognize others who remind us of that man's character, integrity and dignity. With that thought in mind I am asking everyone in the fire engineering…

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Added by Bobby Halton on December 9, 2010 at 1:00pm — No Comments

Oklahoma City and Tulsa Firefighters Need 5 Minutes of Your Time

The Tulsa fire department has request:

In October of 2011, the Tulsa and Oklahoma City Fire Departments will present city officials with a option to integrate the ambulance transportation services into the local fire service organization. We appreciate you taking a few minutes of your time to complete the following survey. Your information will be used in gathering best practices from across the nation and assist in guiding the planning process. Also, please take a moment to forward… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on November 19, 2010 at 2:36pm — 3 Comments

Budget cuts at the FDNY, your hometown, everywhere

We've got an interesting link here to a scheduled press release where the New York City mayor is going to propose shutting down 20 fire stations at night in order to help alleviate some of the budget shortfalls anticipated in New York City.

With the coming "austerity" which is surely the next buzzword will be getting used… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on November 18, 2010 at 1:03pm — 4 Comments

Pure Speculation, Not Judgment

I read two line of duty death reports from the USFA yesterday…we all need to read them. It does not say how or why these good men died, but that is the point. Not knowing gives us an opportunity to look at ourselves and speculate what might have caused their deaths and focus us on what we should be doing to protect ourselves, those we care for, and those that we work with.

I copied… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on October 26, 2010 at 3:42pm — 1 Comment

Chief Bobby Halton's October Rant

Socialists or Capitalists

Oct 1, 2010

BY BOBBY HALTON

I have a great friend; he is provocative, insightful, and funny. He is the kind of guy that you never know what he is going to do next. He voted for President Obama then showed up at the Courage and Valor Fun Run this year wearing a T-shirt with former President George W. Bush’s picture on it and the caption “Miss Me Yet?” He is not afraid to change his mind or speak it; he has courage in his convictions, and… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on October 12, 2010 at 10:56am — 10 Comments

Chicago Firefighter Christopher Wheatley, 31, has died in the Line of Duty

Chicago Firefighter Christopher Wheatley, 31, has died in the Line of Duty after he fell 3-4 stories while operating at a fire in the Loop area restaurant this morning, according to CFD's Commissioner Bob Hoff. He said Firefighters were operating at the Avec Restaurant on Randolph Street around 0130 Hours to handle a reported small fire when FF Wheatly slipped and fell from the ladder that extended to the roof of the structure.

According to Commissioner Hoff: "They had to go up to… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on August 9, 2010 at 9:21am — 1 Comment

Turning Heroes into Villains

It never ceases to amaze me how the small minded and weak tend to dominate the world of politics and government. I am convinced that these weasels who are so common in government work are constantly trying to get back at the rest of us who actually made the team in high school. I recently wrote about how difficult it is to make decisions on the fire ground. I spoke about how the mind works and how a complicated and dynamic environment like the fire ground can become very confusing very quickly.… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on July 30, 2010 at 2:00pm — 7 Comments

Bridgeport's Fallen Wake & Funeral Arraignments

Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters of Connecticut

The Following is the official Wake and Funeral Arraignment Announcement from UPFFC , Secretary Louis P. DeMici

WAKE & FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS:

The viewing for Brother Velasquez will be held on Thursday, July 29, 2010 from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Klein Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06605; (203) 337-6195.

The viewing for Brother Baik will be held on Thursday, July 29, 2010 from 4:00 to… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on July 27, 2010 at 2:34pm — No Comments

FIREFIGHTER CANCER SUPPORT NETWORK’S ANNUAL GALA FUNDRAISER

FIREFIGHTER CANCER SUPPORT NETWORK’S ANNUAL GALA FUNDRAISER TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!!! Don’t miss out on this amazing event! This year will be another fun-filled evening, with top-notch entertainment and spectacular auction and raffle items.

Firefighters are faced with life threatening tasks daily. Additional threats while fighting fire, for which they are trained, is the devastating news of being diagnosed with cancer as a result of their duties. Founded by a 19-year… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on July 12, 2010 at 2:51pm — No Comments

US Department of Labor’s OSHA seeks applications for $2.75 million in new targeted topic safety and health training grants

US Department of Labor’s OSHA seeks applications for $2.75 million in new targeted topic safety and health training grants

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is soliciting applications for $2.75 million in Susan Harwood Targeted Topic Training Grants to provide training and education programs on safety and health for workers and their employers. For fiscal year 2010, the program offers 28 targeted topic areas including crane… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on July 6, 2010 at 11:06am — No Comments

What the Fourth of July means to America's Firefighters

We need to exalt clearly what we celebrate on July 4th; it is not car sales, it is not the moronic political statism and the progressivism nonsense that we see spewing from our federal government today. On July 4th we celebrate a moment—perhaps the most important moment—in the history of mankind, when liberty, freedom, gifts from God were defined as rights for all mankind. In that same moment, the protection of these divine rights became the mission, vision, and work for all future generations… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on July 1, 2010 at 11:30am — 6 Comments

A Sacred Duty Honoring the Fallen

Every now and then there comes a cause, that at the fire service, all firefighters just have to get behind and support 100% The Tour of Duty Run is one of those events. The Tour of Duty Run is a journey that will end in New York City, early on the morning of September 11 2010. The fire-fighters of America and Australia are coming together as allies to remember our fallen colleagues, our… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on June 28, 2010 at 2:16pm — 2 Comments

Cochran Resigns as US Fire Administrator / Who's Next?

The mayor of Atlanta today announced that Kelvin Cochran is going to be returning to his position as the fire chief of Atlanta. Chief Cochran was fire chief there for little less than a year when he took the position of US fire administrator in the Obama administration.

The position of US fire administrator is really underutilized currently however I feel it could be an extremely important asset to the American fire service. We have an opportunity to have our voices heard by the… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on June 9, 2010 at 3:00pm — 5 Comments

The Firefighters National Day of Prayer

Today is National Prayer Day it was established by our forefathers in 1775, on the eve of Revolution, the First Continental Congress called for "a day of publick humiliation, fasting, and prayer."

When our forefathers said public humiliation they did not mean humiliation as it would be interpreted today what they meant was being respectful and being grateful to a higher power for the blessings that been bestowed upon this nation and its people. A lot of people today claim not to believe in… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on May 6, 2010 at 12:45pm — 3 Comments

On the Failed Times Square Bombing

The entire country, and in particular the New York City public safety system, breathed a collective sigh of relief this week when an improvised explosive device (IED), placed inside an SUV and left to detonate in Times Square, failed to detonate. This morning a naturalized citizen from Pakistan was arrested as he attempted to board an airliner for Dubai. As we congratulate the alert citizens of New York, the New York Police Department, the Fire Department of New York, the Federal Bureau of… Continue

Added by Bobby Halton on May 4, 2010 at 3:39pm — 3 Comments

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