No rest for A-Shift

Last day we had 7 runs on Engine 9. Nothing exciting but it kept us running. Today was even more running! We started the day with a Post Analysis of our last fire. It was very informative and constructive. Even if you learn to slow your radio traffic down, or anything you can improve on, it is well worth it. It was great to hear every one's input.

At this time we (E9) are at 8 runs. A few EMS calls including a possible Heart Alert started the day. A tree crew dropped a limb into some wires. They liked us so much they repeated the call on another set of wires later. Lunch was Subway, not a chance to get to the store. Dinner was pizza on the road. Just as we thought it was going good, 3 back to back calls. It was clear a call and then get dispatched immediately. Finally made it home to repair some old air lines in the station, install upgraded door alarms and change a few bulbs on reserve R-902. So when we finally hit the bed....working fire. E9 pulled the corner as E4 arrived with heavy fire showing from the C/D bedroom windows. E9 grabbed some high quality H2O and then got some work in. Hell of a job by the E4, M4 boys! They knocked the fire down immediately. L13 was in there doing their thing and we got to help out as well. Poor FF (Are you gonna eat that?) Franks learned he may need to hold off on the Swiss Rolls and Little Debbie Brownies for a while as he caught the hydrant and crested the hill. He did manage to make it and did some strong work inside. Attaboy!!!

Here are some post incident pics, enjoy and we'll be seeing you next day! Be safe yous guys.

ONE OF THOSE DAYS FOR C-SHIFT

The good news is that we have seen the sun shine more today than we have all last week. The bad news is that we haven't got to sit and enjoy it much, Sunday or not. It's been one of those days where you just never know what you're gonna have when you get there. For a change, the Engine has been busier than the Medic, and we've run more with our brothers over at Station #4 than our own "road doctors". Thanks for covering our backs guys! There was also a good bit of Department wide news passed on this morning. Rhett recently posted on RoanokeFire.com about a City incentive and 9 possible retirements from our ranks ( read here ). Well, the Rumor has been confirmed and the list posted. It was also passed along that 2 maybe 3 additional names have been added to that list (despite missing the deadline for the incentive...which I believe has already passed). Congratulations to all the members who have earned their way off the job. I guess the biggest news of the list is that our brothers on A-shift will be loosing BOTH Battalions. Chief Trout from the North and Chief Ferris from the South Battalion. I worked with both at one time or another and wish them both the best in their post-department endeavors. I guess the "shocker" of the list comes from right here at Station #9. Our very own B-shift is loosing their tallest member Josh Holms. Josh was hired 12-11-2000 and has served as a Firefighter / Paramedic since. I know Josh will be missed, but I'm also sure he will not be a stranger to our house. Good luck Josh and all the others who are retiring.

I guess I shouldn't have said anything about Josh being tall because some guys here at #9 are sensitive about their height..so, I apologize Josh...you're NOT that tall. With that said, at least I know now that the new set of turnout gear delivered to the station today was not intended for you...

LOL... ok ok I couldn't resist and was only kidding. Oppie's son has out grown his little set of gear and he graciously passed it down to my grandson "The Buckaroo". I posted before about the Buckaroo's first Fire Truck and now he has his first set of gear. He'll only be 1 yr old 4-17-09 but is working (eating) hard to grow into the gear. He has been around the station since the day he came home from the hospital. He LOVES firehouse beans and always cleans his plate...errr high chair.

So that covers the new turnout gear ( Thanks again Opie and Kyler). The calls and station stories today have been gut busting. Tyrone has been his normal self...if you can call ANYTHING about Tyrone "normal". If I could figure out how to sell tickets to watch his antics we would be able to afford some of those fancy appliances like they have up at the "Hippie Hotel"...recliners, dust free rugs, humidifiers, compactors, linen services, vibrating beds etc. Ok, maybe they don't have all of that BUT they DO have a pool. Don't believe me? They even posted it on their site here . Now, they are calling it a "Bio retention pond" but here in North West, that's a pool!

A-shift took a beating last day and it has somewhat carried over to us. Steady runs and work all day. Tyrone, Wheezy and the boys whipped up a great breakfast. The trucks had all the rain / wet road grime washed off and the calls began. A mix of fire and EMS but nothing serious so far. Our War Wagon remains torn apart down at the City Garage so we are riding one of the 1991 Grumans... Reserve 902. Here's a shot of us out with Medic 4 and several of Roanoke's finest.

On another incident, after "waking up" a diabetic with a D50 (glucose) cocktail, we got to referee an argument between the patient and her sister as to what they were going to watch on TV... "Deal or no Deal" or my "Tiger Woo"... yes her Tiger Woo, NOT Woods. Not sure who won, but it was fun to watch and none of us wanted in the middle (shoulda been here Sheppard). Anyway, we are settling in for what we hope is a quiet night. We're hoping to watch "Nitro Circus" @ 22:00 (10pm) on MTV. If you haven't seen it, WATCH IT! Go pee first. Also check out their site here and find the big wheel episode...it's worth the time. That's all for tonight unless something more exciting happens. Everyone stay safe and in house. We go on 4-day tomorrow and back on Friday. Peace out!

Celebrity Look-A-Like Day at A-Shift

Hello to the followers of our little blog. We are back for another fun filled cycle at #9. Honestly not too much today. E9 is sitting in a sad state at the garage. Hopefully returning soon. Reserve E9 has run a few calls, nothing to brag about. M9 hung out on a vehicle into garage call along with E5 and all the HTR folks. Snapped a pic for your viewing enjoyment. Also added are our celebrity look-a-like pics. FF/Paramedic Devin (John Belushi) Turner is working for Dixon today. He nearly caused a riot for autographs. After the day winded down FF/EMT-I Duanne Noell did his impression of Paul Shaffer, the funny little dude in charge of David Letterman's band. Hey, you be the judge. We plan to sleep for the rest of the night. Hope you do the same. Until Monday.....be safe out there.

P.S. Welcome home to the Green Peace Super Hippie Winter!

P.P.S. Wheels is still broken for possible 2-4 more weeks. Get back here dude!!!

Middle day blaghs

Another cold and rainy day. We hope Bugg is enjoying his vacation this cycle with all this nice weather and all. Rumor has it that he worked his 2nd job today (a substitute elementary school teacher) and got to go on a field trip. We hope he stayed in line, didn't touch anything, didn't beat up any kids for their snacks and wore his helmet on the bus. It's been a pretty quiet day for us so far, the Medic only has 6 in the books and the Engine...well don't tell anyone but we're working on a no hitter. Our morning was somewhat brightened a little. Wheezy was at the Regional Training Center getting his learn on again so we had a fill in from station #2 (aka "The Deuce" because 1 is never enough). Lt. Tina Obrien made the trip and even decorated the kitchen with some fresh flowers.It almost had us feeling like we were at that "other" station...you know the "green" one. Flowers, the fragrance of a woman and a pocket book on the doghouse of the engine..UGGGH! Well, Wheezy made it home just in time for lunch and after filling his little tummy, opened the barber shop. Yep, we do it all here at the rock. Our little Tyrone was on the verge of being transferred to the Hippie Hotel. We weren't sure if he was going for the standard hippie look or starting a mullet...(you know all business in the front and a party in the back) but either way, he needed a cut. Well, the flowbee was out of service (a whole other story involving Coon and his grooming obsession) but luckily I had some cow clippers in the truck. Now, don't panic, Wheezy is a professional and we've passed several heads through 9's house of hair. Some turn out better than others.. here's an exampleWe also learned a valuable lesson today about where you park a vehicle around here. I know we're in a budget crunch and everything but maybe, just maybe we should put in for some type of eco-friendly parking shelter like they probably have over at you know where.
Ok, #13 has already had a stabbing and the runs are starting to pick up City wide so we're heading up stairs to try to hide. Back on Sunday, stay in the house, and BE SAFE!

We're back

Wednesday's often feel like Monday and today was one of them. About 08:10 or so this morning, I think every company in the city was on the road and not many were in their 1st due. We ended up over on Preston for a commercial alarm that even had Engine 4 running with us. Then it was rush rush and musical apparatus to get all the Captains down to the Captains Meeting at Fire Administration. Thank goodness Craig is not on C-shift because we were able to adjourn before noon. After lunch, we checked out a pretty good online class about light weight construction. I haven't figured out how to add the link yet but I will. Medic 9 has been steady as usual. The Engine caught a chimney fire with 13 and our hippie friends over at #3. Of course we beat them in but staged at a hydrant giving them the chance to go past and get a little work. All I could see in the back of E3 was Winters' smiling as they passed and YES she has pics on their site...check em out. Here's our shot at arrival.Other than that, nothing exciting. It's cold and rainy days like today that make you want to go back on 4 day break. Speaking of which, Trout Camp was this past weekend. Some City guys, a few other locals and even some brothers from Lynchburg Fire Dept. get together every year for a mock "opening day" of trout season. Everything a man could wish for in a trout camp except for a fishing pole. Here are a few pics...note Wheezy's home away from home "Ol Smokey" and the last pick is of Wheezy and Lt. Sharp from that other station and shift (not sure if Wheezy is showing the "shocker" or "show stopper").

I should also mention that our condolences go out to one of our favorite County Brothers. Apparently Hollins #5 caught a job today and went to work...well, everyone at #5 except Brandon Sheppard. Apparently our boy Brandon was out putting on band-aids and missed the job. Just remember Brandon...sticky side down!

And, just to let our friends over at #3 know that they are not the ONLY eco-friendly firefighters in the City, we too used our composter / disposal tonight. Of course ours doesn't smell as bad .. well we don't get close enough to tell anyway and I can assure you it's not as fancy. You see, we just throw the leftovers out back and watch the rats fight. They eat, poop ...errr fertilize the lawn thus beginning the cycle and giving back to mother earth. That's all for tonight, no short jokes or videos for Tyrone, maybe next day. Stay in the house and BE SAFE!

A-shift

Well here we are again. Not too much excitement to report on today at #9. Did the usual in the morning, headed down to #1 so Captain Weeks could attend the Captains Meeting. A few alarms here and there for the Engine and a couple of EMS calls for Medic 9. FF Dixon will be at the wheel tonight as well as the pump panel if need be. Big Matt Wheels continues to be broken. No idea of when he'll return. One of the injured from last days fire was back today. Other than that, we got nothing. If we run into anything interesting these last 10 hours, we'll be sure to blog it. Until next Saturday, be safe. Oh, and enjoy the big tough guy with the glass ankles in our little picture. Sorry buddy! Had to do it.

You wanted a post, so here it is.

There has been much discussion about the lack of posts from B-Shift here at #9. So we are going to clear the air for all you loyal readers of this blog so there will be no question of our integrity or work ethic. We'll try and make this "short" and to the point, unlike some other posts on here which take hours to read in their entirety.

We come to work in the morning and relieve the off going shift, because we're supposed to.
We check off the trucks and clean the station, because it's our job.
We go to the grocery store and get groceries, because we need to eat.
We come back and cook lunch, because we get hungry.
We train in the afternoon, because it's the best time of the day to do it.
We cook dinner in the evening, because once again, we're hungry.
We try and relax a little in the evenings, because we get tired.
We go to bed at night, because, once again we're tired.
We get up in the morning, and go home.

If we're dispatched to calls we run them. If it's a fire we put it out, if it's a code we do CPR, etc, etc, etc.

We come in and do our jobs, because that's what we signed up to do.

Working Fire A-Shift

Well I had a bunch of ideas to poke at "The Hippies" with, however as the day went on more interesting events unfolded. We started out with the relaxing Saturday routine. Daily duties and another artery clogging breakfast. Thank you Lipitor for keeping the damage to a minimum. After a run to a local building that had yet another vehicle in the fire lane (we've posted on this place before), we enjoyed an oriental delight by Chef FF/Medic Duanne-Banzai-Noell. Shortly after dinner Batt 2, M9, E2, E5, L2 and RS1 responded to a worker on Loudon Ave. They advised smoke showing while in route and E9 was in route for the working fire engine along with M3, Batt 1 and E1. Batt2, E5 and M3 started operations as we arrived in the area. So to help folks out we jumped on one of the NW red hydrants. Pretty standard stuff, right?

Upon arrival to E5 we got out of the beast just in time to see heavy fire now rolling from the door and living room on the A/B corner. Black smoke banked down to the floor. I think my feet hit the curb when the Evacuation was sounded. Dispatch tones went off and it was called. E5 had 2 inside initially. Accountability was immediately taken on the front lawn and all companies were PAR. Its was said one FF was thought to have been inside during the evacuation. Later, I was told by more than one that they had that sick feeling. It took a few seconds to get the PAR but felt longer. E9 grabbed a 2 1/2 and we were waiting for water. We then got the order after units finished hitting it from outside, to make an offensive attack. We knocked the rest of the fire down and along with Lt Simmons and his L2 crew, assured there was no extension. We were advised that we had 2 FF's injured. Both in route to the ER with minor injuries. Later we found both were treated and released.

I snapped a few pics as well as the arriving video. FYI note the wire mesh and metal frame bolted over all of the basement windows. It was a walk out basement on side C, with a ghetto fabulous dead bolt, bungee cord security system, you can't make this up. I think I played part of a song trying to get the bungees off of the door and let E2 in! That's it for now. You guys get better quick and get back out here. If you need anything, let us know!

In closing it doesn't seem right not jabbing the hippies. So while FF Winter is out cruising around Florida on another Green Peace mission saving the whales or something, and the #3-A folks are still licking their wounds from the shut out beating #9-A gave them in pool on St. Patrick's day, remember to be safe and we'll catch yous guys next day!

QUICK RUN DOWN FOR C-SHIFT

Let me be the first to say that YES B-shift I am sorry for busting your chops about posting on the blog. I had no idea the issues ran so deep. Rest assured that C-shift will do all we can to ease your burden whether it be building steps for easier access to the Engine, duct taping old phone books for booster seats, installing a center cab roof mounted mirror for driver / officer visibility or anything else that may help. You can count on us! That said, I just wanted to give a brief run down of the day for us. A-shift had an interesting tour yesterday. Several calls, some heavy damage MVA's and even a gun shot wound in the side parking lot of the station. Our day started off a little bit more to the normal side but you can feel the tension in the air. We were out of service all day due to training at the RTC. The class was "Suspended Ceilings" presented by retired County Chief Poff. A good class for anyone on the job ... things to think about and good refreshers. The class also touched on light weight construction and the hazards there. I will put a link up on the top left of our site for those Brothers and Sisters out there who aren't in the City. Engine 5 covered a stabbing call for us while we were getting our learn on. They later said it wasn't much to it, apparently just a steak knife. Dispatch has warned of "shots fired" in our area multiple times so it seems as though hostilities are picking up a little for the weekend. I hope its quiet and we get some rest tonight. We are all looking forward to putting this cycle behind us and starting our 4 day break. Monday, Wednesday, Friday cycles SUCK! Anyway, here's the photo of training..Chief Poff entangling Coon in drop ceiling track, cross pieces, duct work and wiring...

The most fire we've see this shift has been from Coon's cooking tonight. Zuga better hurry up and pay his tax for the new grill...I'm not sure how many more infernos this ol baby will take.
Speaking of fire, the South Side has been catching. Station 6 in particular. Not just fire but some unusual call as well. Seems as though they have a thing with school buses this cycle. Check out their blog for the details and Lt. Gibson's ( "Smurf" ) first official post ( they even made a bigger web site found here ). Ok, to close I wanted to talk about Tyrone for just a moment. It seems he has been getting a lot of comments following our Wednesday post where the "monster man" was in his locker. Apparently, everyone has been getting a good laugh out of that video as well as some of the other post / videos involving him. Well, for the record, Tyrone is not here strictly for our amusement. He is married. He has a beautiful wife and is a wonderful father to 2 loving boys. He is an excellent Medic and a DAMN good fireman. He has SO much more going for him than just his comical side. A serious firefighter and a "lady's man" to boot... see for yourself.

WHY WE DON'T POST

Ok OK, we're tired of all this "why doesn't B-shift post" crap! Everyone should know by now that we have some VERY legitimate reasons. We can't believe you guys continually keep bringing up the subject and embarrassing us in front of all your readers. It's time we set the record straight.

1st. It's hard enough to do all the fire and EMS reports now that everything has been moved to a "paperless" system. Computer usage is not easy for all people. It's harder for guys like us to see over the desk. Also, due to the size of our fingers, it's much harder for us to use a keyboard (we wouldn't want to embarrass the house by mistakenly misspelling a word because our fingers hit 2 keys at once).

2nd. Now that our problem is out in the open, you should know there are other problems around here. Have you guys ever heard of ADA? Go ahead laugh...but these are serious issues. All the jokes and name calling. "Crawl Space Commandos" my tush! Think of the risk involved with something as simple as us just responding to an incident. Make a run when the Captain can't see the Operator and vise versa. Do you guys even realize how tall the dash board is or how low the seats are on our War Wagon??? Poor engineering if you ask us.

Try looking over that through OUR eyes. It's not just the apparatus either.

3rd. The station is just as inaccessible. How would you like to take your morning "reading session" with your feet dangling? Ever try to take a dump while your legs go numb from the knees down? Try catching a run in the process and fall flat on your face after jumping off the toilet beacause your legs were asleep?4th. Let's talk kitchen. Do you realize the hazards of cooking when you can't reach the stove. Ever pulled a hot pan / skillet / pot over on you? THEN...THEN if you are able to prepare a meal (and live through the burns), think of the logistics of cleaning up... DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE!

Feel bad now? Well you should. We try hard..we REALLY REALLY do. It's not all our fault! So next time you are wondering why B-shift is the ONLY shift here at the "Rock" that doesn't post regularly, we have 4 words for ya.. GET OFF OUR BACK!

A-shift adventures

Well the day started like any other. Got in and knocked out the daily duties. Washed the beast even with the threat of rain. Tried to be a smart ass and get 13 gals of fuel, but only 12.9 would fit. Hit the local Food Lion for the eats of the day. Beef stew for lunch and Spaghetti for dinner. Simple and good! On the way back we got the first call: The same nasty spot on Shenandoah #9 is all too familiar with. Seems a cement truck didn't like the Toyota full size pick up stopped in the road and took a big bite out of the rear. Blew the cap off of the truck and pushed her into another full size pickup driving the bed into the cab. Folks, anything smaller than these trucks and we would have had a horrible outcome. 1 driver refused and went POV to the ER, M9 transported another that was released today. Amazing they were walking around when we got there. Lesson learned: You may save some cash and the environment with those cute little compact cars, but full size gas guzzlers will keep you alive! Please take note of this lesson, you hippies out at #3.

Got some grub in the belly and took a few to rest and digest. Well seems that dispatch didn't approve of this and rang us down to enjoy the life saving festivities of a multiple GSW victim out in our yard. After a cautious look around and flagging one of Roanoke's finest over, our pt arrived by POV. Yep seems word is out, house on fire or moments to live....just stop on in at #9!Took care of our newest customer and ran the "Gold Alert" on over to every one's favorite Trauma center for some well needed care. Excellent teamwork and a great job done by all. Fellas worked smoothly and were in route in less than the 10 minute goal! Always a treat to turn over a talking pt to the Trauma Room staff. Lesson learned: #9 will work rapidly and efficiently to care and transport a pt in a safe manor. #3 will ask you to take the bleeding out side and they will be right with you after they mop up your mess on their pretty floors.

Next up, yet another MVC. This one was a step down from our pickup sandwich although serious as any. E9 and M9 handled with RS1 and E5 efforts appreciated. Batt2 and Ch2 were in the area and assisted with traffic control and pt care as we shut down Orange Ave NW westbound. Yet another patient transported, and another wreck cleared. The remainder of the day we visited our friends at the local Tower for some EMS festivities. A few other stops for some more EMS fun with some second due medic units, so Dixon and Harrington (on loan from #5) could continue to take the NW beating. Strong work Johnny! Lesson learned for #3: we are better than you, and we know it.

Bed time for the Engine, Medic 9 is still out there. Its too late to care where. Like a kitten you feed, Dixon will make his way back home. You guys be safe, keep it in the house. #3, be safe and keep it in the bio-dome. Good night. Wheels get better, we miss you.

IT TOOK UNTIL 23:30 TO GET THE SHOT!!

Alright, tonight's post will be shorter than most C-shift postings but I promise it will be just as good as the 3 pagers. Our day was normal. The Medic has been humping all day..sitting on 11 or 12 runs as of now. The Engine, not so busy with runs but has had a full day with house chores, training etc. Training today was HTR (Heavy Tactical Rescue). David "HAMMER" Lucas developed and made a new tool to speed up assembling an elevated lift point. He made it in his mind, broke out the welder, built it and brought it in for testing / approval. A very good idea that needed just a little tweeking (and better mounted hitches on our HTR truck). Give a farm boy / fireman a few pieces of metal, a rubber hammer, welder, some chewing gum, 2 coat hangers and a piece of aluminum foil and he'll make anything! All kidding aside Luke, great thinking and well done. Thanks for the effort and hard work.. YOU'RE A CHAMP! (of course you knew that..cause you have the belt).That covers today's training. I also wanted to follow up on a few comments from past post (some posted to the blog, others delivered verbally). The first was something to the effect of does Wheezy do windows? Well, normally he would BUT since he sucked this cycle off, he didn't have to. But, if it makes you feel better, Opie does.

We had a lot of response concerning the St. Patrick's Day gathering. YES, that was the Melrose Misfits at Corner Stone... B and C shift (A was pulling the tour). NO we do not have pictures and if we did, you wouldn't see them here. Other comments on that event / post concerned the pony rides at the Union hall. The kids had a BLAST and NO firemen rode. That's not to say that they didn't try or haven't tried in the past. If you ever happen to come to work with your saddle in the back of the truck and decide to bring it inside to keep it from being stolen... just remember to HIDE IT or this may happen..Another topic of comments is the length of my post, my typing abilities and stamina. Well, YES I actually do most of C-shifts postings myself despite my illiteracy. Yes, it takes hours because I type with 2 fingers and yes, I do often injure myself but I keep typing anyway.Alright, to close, we've been wondering all day what our post would be about this evening and it took until 23:30 to figure it out and get the shot. But, we did it.... A past comment wanted more video of scaring the crap out of each other, well ask and you shall receive...you just gotta love our little Tyrone... every company should have one ENJOY!!

Now I know this is similar to a previous post from A-shift but it is still worth watching and we couldn't resist. The next video is about 1 minute and 16 seconds long. It starts slow but stick with us..you'll be glad you did. Notice how he takes the wallet from his mouth and uses it as a weapon.

We're back on Friday...STAY SAFE.