I have to admit, it feels good to be back home. I've been riding the "car" (Battalion 2)for the past few cycles but got to return to the Officer's seat of the ol War Wagon today. Our Department recently switched shifts for our Operations Battalion Chiefs. After all the names shook out, C-Shift North Battalion got Chief Bobby Slayton. Chief Slayton was hired on with the Roanoke Fire Department back on December 6, 1965 (I was born in 1969). He was already a Battalion Chief when I got hired in 1991. Needless to say, we are gaining a LOT LOT LOT of fire experience. There are a few more tie ins with Chief Slayton, myself and Station #9 as well. For starters, Bobby spent many of his younger years right here at station #9 (C-shift). Here's an older pic that I stole..errrrr borrowed from Mikey Overacker. That's Bobby coming down the stairs at #9. 
Check out some more older pics of the station from over at Mikey's site here. The other tie in is that my dad (now retired) was assigned as Bobby's driver (aide) for years. He has pretty much seen me grow up, apply and get hired on the Department and make promotions to Captain. All of our Battalions are top notch but for me, getting Bobby feels right. Anyhow, since the moves, he hasn't reported for duty. He basically had the month of December off for vacation and we were beginning to wonder if he would return at all (now that he holds the record for longest on the job with the Fire Department... Captains Givens and Swanson respectfully bumped to 2nd and 3rd). Today, he quieted all the rumors and reported for his first shift as the C-shift North side Battalion (and just in time for ol blog boy Fleitz to bang out sick). Here's the pic of Chief Slayton this morning.. 
So, with Bobby on duty, I'm back in the saddle of E9 (where I belong). Welcome back to C-shift Chief, it's gonna be a BLAST! OK...I know the New Year's post was a let down. Excuses are like a certain body part..everybody has one, but in my defence, I do have a good one. It was Tyrone's fault! LOL. On Holidays, other than station chores and running calls, I pretty much give the boys the day off (no training, pre-plans etc). Well, Bugg got one of the new Atari games for Christmas .."Duty is Calling.. New Age Killing part 40", or something like that. Anyway, he brought it in and we plugged her up. While I was trying to pull together all my writing skills to make the last post of 2009 a good one, Tyrone was raining death and destruction on some poor unknowing souls at mega loud volume. Writers block, shell shock and just plain mayhem. 
.Regardless of the last posts quality, I felt like we've had a good year here at #9 and that the blog has done pretty good as well. I know we've had fun keeping it updated and as fate would have it, New Year's Eve was our busiest day ever for blog traffic with 798 hits! To follow up on the events of New Year's Eve and Day, Medic 9 had the honor (if that's what you want to call it) of running the last call in the City for 2009 and then the 1st for 2010. The engine had an interesting one as well. While staging for an assault, a man ran down the street to find some help for the person stabbed. Guess who he found... yep E9. When they didn't respond to his waves to "come this way" he decided he'd just go fetch em. When he couldn't coax them out of the Engine, he decided he'd just get in and make them get out. Oh yea, he got up on the side board and tried to get in the War Wagon. How'd that work out for him???? NOT TOO GOOD! Let's just say he didn't make it in and Roanoke's Finest soon had him in cuffs. The boys are fine and the patient (who was a few blocks away)received treatment after RCPD secured the scene (**TRAINING NOTE** on assault calls, stabbings and /or gun shot wounds, stage a SAFE distance away from the dispatched address and remain ALERT. If someone approaches you, LEAVE. Cops don't put out fires and Firemen don't...errrrr SHOULDN'T carry guns!). Nothing too exciting to report on today. I guess a little good and bad news. The good news is that it's NOT snowing again.
The bad news is that it's COLD. REAL COLD. I mean 20 degrees COLD! And WINDY too! Did I mention it's COLD? Well it is! The boys always laugh at me about wearing long johns and using an electric blanket on my bed.. well who's laughing now? I've warned em too... I'm sleeping with a halagan tonight and the first fool who tries to get under that blanket with me is gonna regret it LOL. I guess that's one downside to an older house.. the windows are old too and don't have the best seal. I'm in the Captain's office downstairs and can hear the blinds blowing in the upstairs bedroom from here. It's past "drafty" up there and just about at the right temp to hang meat. Another thing I wanted to share with you all is from last day. I was riding the Battalion so that means you run out of "The Deuce" aka Station #2. Well, that's where Zack Obenchain is assigned and he took the time to stop by for lunch with his crew. He again express thanks from his family for all the thoughts, prayers and support. He said that everyone is doing as well as can be expected. Here's a pic of Zack at the kitchen table and one with me
Oh yea, for all you Tech fans out there...that was a Tenn. Vols shirt he had on...poor little "tink tink" (**adults only** look it up..you'll laugh your butt off). Ok, that's enough for tonight. Don't forget to put a "cold weather bag" on the rig tonight if you haven't already. Everyone stay safe, warm and in house. We start 4 day in the morning...SEE YA GEEKS!
Captain Wines
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