IT'S ALL IN THE NUMBERS & "MEET OUR MEMBERS" PART 5

Ok, I know my post are always long and tonight will be no different. There are a lot of things I want / need to cover so hang with me here. First, Retired C-shift Battalion Chief Billy Obenchain has been admitted to Duke. Several things surrounding this issue. First, please keep Karen (wife), Zach (son, on the job @ the Deuce #2-C) and the entire Obenchain family in your thoughts and prayers. Second, the hat is being passed around the stations here on C-shift to help the Obenchain's with travel and accommodation expense while going back and forth to Duke. You can contact me here (station #9 540-853-2765) or Richard Lipes at the Deuce 540-853-2766. Lipes is also organizing a road trip to visit Chief Obenchain following shift change Monday morning (12-14-09). If you'd like to catch a ride down, again contact Richard or myself at the numbers listed above.
A brief update on Local 1132 President Rodney and #4-A Lieutenant Steve Jordan's dad is that he's out of UVA but not quite home. He is currently at Pheasant Ridge going through some re-hab. Please keep Steve, Rodney and the entire Jordan family in your thoughts and prayers as well.
Local 1132 Banquet is just a week away. Guys voiced concerns and wanted cheaper prices and the date move back to Christmas. Well, you asked and here it is. $40 per head and moved to the Hotel Roanoke. The best hotel in the City. The Banquet is Friday December 18th. One week from tonight! Contact Sec / Treasurer Tim Perry @ station #4-A or you shift VP for tickets.
Today is C-Shift, North Battalion Chief Dale Barker's last day on shift with us. This week we are seeing the begining of a big personnel shuffle within our Department and not even the Battalions were spared. Dale will take over as the Training Battalion on Monday. He will be missed here on C-North. We wish him the best of luck in his new position. Chief Slayton will take Barker's spot in the next few days. Here's a shot of Chief Barker(left) and the South Side Battalion Jeff Beckner (right) who will move to B-Shift South Battalion.

Alright, the title..."It's all in the numbers" ... the misfits caught a job this morning and in what is an unusual situation for Roanoke City any more, we had 4 on the rig. I gotta tell ya, I'm always proud of the job my boys do but this morning, they really stood out in my mind (as did everyone on scene, and I'll get to that in a min.). It's amazing the difference 1 man makes when stretching line, advancing on and attacking a fire. FDNY Chief V. Dunn once did a study on man power and even today, the numbers still hit home. Now I know this site is not for our opinions or political views but I really wanted to share this bit of info with you...check it out

Opie and Wheezy made a perfect stretch this morning (as they do 95% of the time). Due to the building construction and volume of fire, we entered charged instead of dry. Opie pushed the fire back to the room of origin, made the jamb and attacked the room and seat. A smooth, quick, text book advance and knock down because we had an extra set of hands from the start. Ok, Im not going to stay on my soap box here, you've heard it 1000 times already but,in my mind; it's the number crunchers...I know they can hear us, I just don't think they're listening. Anyway, here are some pics from the fire..





Now, as I said, it wasn't just the Misfits who did a bang up job this morning. We had multiple other companies on scene to back us up. L7, E1, L1, E8, E2, M2, L2, B2, B1, RS1, ST1 and maybe even more. Companies checked above and below for extension, ventilated, salvage and over hauled etc. No injuries to civilian or firefighters. Lt. Jooe Hodgin established command from E1 and maintained it throughout the incident. Here are a few more shots for ya...




Special thanks to Big Show off duty member "Chappy" for taking the photos for us this morning. Ok, on to the 5th installment of "Meet Our Members". Tonight we bring you a little closer to Lieutenant Robert "Bugg" Reid.

Bugg was hired 1-14-2002. Following his recruit class, he was assigned to Station #2-A where they almost ruined him (LOL just kidding guys). He was promoted to Lieutenant and sent to the land of Misfits in November 2007. He is married to wife BJ and has one daughter Cora. Here's a shot of the little cutie with her DaDa

Comming from 2-A, he's a Jeep nut but we're slowly beating that out of him :-) You'll notice on our blog that we really don't have a lot of pictures of Bugg and there's a reason for that. You, see, here in the City, our Lieutenants carry a tremendous work load...(no kidding). They are assigned as our drivers (engineers, chauffeur, driver / operators whatever you call em). They are Company Officers who bump up and run the company in the Captain (or 1st Lieutenant's) absence. It is their responsibility to conduct Company level training as well as many other functions. Bugg pretty much catches everything that I don't want or like to fool with. He keeps me straight on paper work, filing, computer work etc. Much like a Sgt. in the military, our Lt's are often the unseen member who runs the company. As a newly promoted Lt, Bugg has done a great job. On fires, when we're 1st in; he has to stay with and pump the truck. Thats one reason you don't see him in a lot of our pics. Another reason is because more often than not, he's the one taking the shots. Now, when 2nd in or when I'm off and he's in "the seat", he sometimes gets to do a little work


Now he does good on the line and can get in there a "do it" with any of em but, where he really shines is at the pump panel





Ok.maybe he shines a little in the "grab" department as well. He now has 2 confirmed grabs since becoming a misfit. Check em out here and here Our very own little "Cat Whisperer" LMAO! He's a decent cook and an excellent fretter (most of the time he's the one hiding in Tyrone's locker and is the man behind the mask)...






Regretably, I did not give him his nick name, that honor goes to Chief Beckner. Why Bugg?? Well, the sun glasses he wore at the time didn't help his appearance much...made him look like a........ BUGG. So there he is. I've been informed that yours truely is next up and last for C-shift's "Meet Our Members". The boys are gonna put it together next day (Sunday). Ugggggg! I can only imagine. Any who, that's enough for tonight. Sitting on 5, no EMS and a worker. It's clear and COLD on a Friday night in da hood. Gonna run some kool-aid through the Bunn (oh yea, Kool-aid in a coffee maker what do you think of that Fire Geezer) cause that's how we roll here at #9... WORD!
Captain Wines