I hope that all the moms out there have a great Mother's Day. At least we got some nice weather for the day. The other day I was going to work when a car on a side street came to a stop sign, barely stopped, and then cut off the guy in front of me to go flying across the intersection. It never ceases to amaze me how badly people have gotten with driving and how impatient they are. There was no one coming the other way and I was the only person behind the guy in front of me. If the guy coming out of the side street waited another five seconds, he would have had no traffic coming either way. But, he had to do a burn out and nearly cause an accident to save those five seconds. Frankly, I don't get it. I see this all the time, nearly every time I drive, which is really scary. I've seen so many people that put on their directional and then change lanes without looking. As if their turn signal somehow clears people aside. And forget rotaries. People don't know what to do. They just approach, gun it, and hope for the best. I don't think people even know what the word yield means. They think it means you go faster and those that have the right of way must let you in. And as if driving isn't bad enough, car companies add things like televisions and DVD players. Ok in the back seat for the kids (although I think kids watch too much TV as it is). But, in the front? If you are driving, do you really need to be watching a movie? Great advertisement, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll slam into a pole. Believe it or not, I don't really have too much of a problem with people on cell phones if they can be responsible. But, that's the key. Be responsible. Keep it short and make sure you are paying attention first and foremost. But, too many people are more into their conversations than watching the road. I guess some people even text message while driving. Are you kidding me? I can't even do that while sitting in the living room, much less while trying to drive. Unfortunately, I don't see it getting any better. People have taken multitasking to dangerous levels endangering not only themselves, but those around them.
Recently the Stoneham Firefighters have taken to wearing red t-shirts on Friday's to show support for our troops. I'm not exactly sure how this started, but wearing red to show support for our fighting forces began a while back, although many are still unaware of this practice. In addition to the shirts, we also made an agreement with the chief that we'll each pay a fee each time we wear the shirt, which will then go to a group that sends care packages over seas. The father of one of our guys is part of this group and the money goes towards shipping costs. I was somewhat surprised to learn that the Post Office does not offer discount rates when sending these packages out to men and women serving in the theater of operation. From what I understand, these packages can be quite costly to mail. Evidently, there is a bill in Congress to offer reduced rates when sending packages to the war zone, but who knows if/when this will come into law. I'm not really sure I understand what the debate is about. For those of you that follow, or don't follow, hockey there was a recent incident that the NHL made a fast ruling on. The NHL, according to most sports fans, has to be the most disorganized and poorly run professional sport. But, a few weeks ago an incident occured where Sean Avery of the New York Rangers was standing in front of the opposing goalie waving his arms in order to distract him. There was no rule against this, but within a day's time, the league ruled that this was unsportsmanlike conduct and that anyone acting in this fashion would receive a penalty. A day's turnaround is pretty fast for the NHL. But, they reviewed it, made a decision and that's that. Why can't something be done like this for the Post Office. I mean, it's pretty easy stuff here. If a package is being sent to a certain APO, then it's free or at least half price. These people are serving over seas in harms way at the orders of our government. One would think they would at least let friends, family, or just caring strangers send them care packages without having to take out a loan. The war didn't start last week. It's been going on for how many years now? Yet, Congress still has to debate this. It just sickens me because it is so simple. It just comes down to that if the government wants to take something, it's immediate. If you want something, no matter how much sense it makes, it takes an eternity. Come on Congress, get with it already.
My best wishes to the four Saugus Firefighters injured in yesterday's fire. Some real acts of heroims at that scene and they should all be proud of themselves. So to the media that speaks ill of firefighters, I say actions speak louder than words.
As you most likely have noticed, I've started my Metro project with two departments now complete. In addition to this feature, I have another special feature coming that I think is very exciting. I have been in contact with Roger Conant, the photographer that took the famous shot during the Worcester Cold Storge fire where the flames shooting up took the form of a firefighter. He has countless photos from the fire scene from that night all the way up to present day where the new firehouse is being built. He also has a great amount of interesting information from the fire and has offered to share his photography and information with the public through my website. This is a great honor and I am happy to assist with this project. More information on this coming soon.
And last for this week, I want to offer a job well done to my Boston Bruins. As a die hard fan, I think they did a great job to prove all of the hockey media wrong. The sports writers didn't have the Bruins making the playoffs by a long shot. Not only did they get in, but they made for an interesting series with Montreal. I think with all the young players they have, the playoff experience gained in very valuable. Through adversity and injury, they showed a lot of heart and fought through it all to bring honor back to hockey in Boston. As a fan, it was very exciting and I look forward to next season.
I'd like to offer my condonlences to Justin Petrillo and Dana Dockery on the loss of their father this week. I worked with Justin on Group 4 for a number of years and work with his brother-in-law Paul Dockery on Group 1. Bob Petrillo was a nice guy and I'm going to miss seeing him come to the station.
Anyone who read a Boston area newspaper or watched the news this morning can probably figure what I'm going to say today. What is it with Boston Fire and the news? I'm really starting to believe the talk that the media and the city are on a negative compaign against the department. For those that don't know, the Boston Globe had an article this morning about the abuse of the injury leave in the fire department. In a nut shell it focuses on an FBI investigation into firefighters that are out on long term injury or that retired with false injuries. What gets me is that I was watching Fox this morning and the news has become more opinion than fact. I sat there and listened to these people pick apart firefighters with no real facts for the better part of ten minutes. At the end...the end... of the segment, they said the FBI was investigatin twelve instances of this abuse. Twelve. Unless I missed something, twelve is not a lot given the size of the department. Even if they said it was a lot more, it wouldn't surprise me. This is not an usual thing in today's society for some strange reason and the fire department is no exception. Especially in Boston where they hire a lot of people at one time, it's expected that not everyone is going to be the perfect firefighter. Most are honest and good people, but it is expected that there will be those less than honorable people that will slip through the cracks. And some start off as honorable and then something happens to make them do something dishonest. The point of the matter is, this isn't unique to the fire service and in today's world if you have 12 out of 1500 employees trying to get one over on the system, that's not a big number. My wife fell at work a while back and injured her hand. She spent months in agonizing pain because of the workman's comp people. Why? Because of so many false claims, they have to do this long and involved process to make sure everything is legit. Meanwhile my wife suffered in pain and her thumb was literally pointing in the opposite direction. Finally when the doctor said she would lose all use of the thumb if she didn't have the surgery immediately, the comp people ok'd it. She still has problems now because they waited so long, but unless we lawyer up they'll sweep her under the carpet. The reason I tell you this is that it wasn't the firefighters that made the comp people hold off on the surgery. This company only represents private industry. So, there must be dishonest people in the private sector. Hmmm, crazy. Some think only the firefighters do dishonest things. But, the media doesn't seem to sell as many newspapers or get as many viewers if its just a normal person screwing the system. The firefighters are a more interesting story. After all, the reporters do have careers to propel. While it would be nice to think the media will back off and stop reporting stories without all the facts, I don't think they will. Like I said earlier, it's not news anymore. It's gossip and opions of the un-informed.
A friend of mine called me earlier this morning to tell me to turn on MSNBC. There was a fire in a large apartment complex in which firefighters were making rescues over ground ladders. It's kind of bizarre, because it actually ties into what I was going to talk about today. It's amazing how naive people have become about fire. While fire prevention has been great over the last twenty years or so, I think people have a false sense of security in the safety of the products in their home. Between what we see on calls and hear people say, I'm amazed. Not long ago I saw someone drying their clothes on a space heater. When it was mentioned that this was not a good idea, the occupant was clueless thinking that technological advances made the device safe to put her clothes on. And she's not alone. But, all one has to do is watch television and you can see that is not the case. How many multiple alarm fires have there been this year alone in New England? Even worse, how many fatals? In this last week alone, two people were killed in New Hampshire, two kids in Boston, and ten in Pennsyvania. And how about the "almosts"? We've all been to those where you say if the occupant called a few minutes later of if they weren't home, the house would have been gone. Fires may be down, but they are not out. And obviously some of these were unavoidable because of arson or an accident that the occupants couldn't have prevented. But, too many are caused by carelessness and if people don't start taking fire safety seriously again, then the big fires and fire related fatalities will only climb.
For those that actually read this page, I wanted to run something by you that I was thinking of doing. In 1993 a book titled The Fire Buffs Guide to Boston and the MetroFire Communities was published. It was a great book that gave the reader insight on all the Metro district departments along with station and apparatus listings. This was a fine read and I'm lucky to have come to know the authors. As a tribute to them and this publication, I'd like to run a special 15th year anniversary article. This would be a multi-part work that would show the changes that each department has undergone since the book was published. I have what I need for photos of current apparatus, but if I go through with this I would need help with photos of apparatus that was in service with these departments in 1993. The photos didn't have to be taken in that year, but I would like for the photo to reflect how the apparatus did appear at that time. So if a truck was refurbished after 1993, I would want the pre-rehap photo. So, if I can get some help with the older pics, then I think this would be a nice tribute to a true one of a kind book that was and still is a tremendous resource for fire buffs and firefighters alike.
This week I need to talk about photo submissions. Every so often someone comes along that feels I am indebted to the world and must post their photos. Recently I decided to not use one particular person's photos and he then felt the need to give me grief about it. If that wasn't enough, he then turned to personal insults that had nothing to do with the site or his photos. Hey buddy, if that's what makes you feel good about yourself, then glad to help you out. But, the fact remains that I receive tons of photos every week. Now that the weather is getting nicer, I anticipate to receive more as people start dusting off the cameras. And while everyone may not like it, guidelines are a must. I sincerely try and give everyone a chance and get at least one photo of theirs on the spotlight page. Lets face it, even if you sent me 20 awesome photos, it would be unfair to post them all. So if it's something I can use in the listings, I'll post them there and give you one or two in the spotlight section so others can have their photos posted as well. If I posted every photo that I received it would take an idiotic amount of time to download the page, especially if you are still on dial up. It's called spotlight photos for a reason. Some photos I just don't think belong there. And if you send them in a resolution less than 640X480 (or in close proximity to), I'm not going to use them. All photos are resized to that resolution and sizing up will make a photo look like crap. What I think some also forget is that I am responsible for everything on the site. I pay good money so that I can have a large archive with plenty of bandwith to download the photos and so that you don't have to look at advertisements and pop ups. I also do all of the coding myself along with the photo work which includes resizing and putting the credits on. This is very time consuming. Many weeks I spend over eight hours working on the site. And since I do have other things to do, this means getting up early and staying up late and even missing out on some activites with the family so I can get this thing done. There is a lot of sacrifice on my part to bring this site to you every week. Most of you understand this and appreciate what I have to give up in order to work on the site. For those that don't, please cut me some slack.
Well, it's official. My friend Sean is back in Mass after serving his tour in Iraq. It was good to see him again the other day and I know all of his family and friends are breathing a sigh of relief. Now we just have to get the rest of them home.
On May 10th, the Brockton Firefighters will be dedicating a memorial to the 13 firefighters killed at the Strand Theatre Fire, which occurred March 10, 1941. I think it is pretty top notch to remember these firefighters in such a way after all these years. It's easy to think about the more recent tragedies such as Boston, Charleston, Worcester and of course 9-11. But, to honor those killed before most of the members of that department were even born is a heartfelt gesture that shouldn't be taken lightly. While I'm just one firefighter with a webpage, I'm happy to say that I'm proud of Brockton's Bravest for not forgetting their roots and those that paved the way to the future. Back in those days, firefighters did not have the training or equipment that we have today. They were armed with nothing more than courage and determaination. Those men deserve to be honored and remembered just like the line of duty deaths of more recent times. It is very important that we recognize the sacrifices of all our brothers and sisters, from yesterday and today. I am working the day of the dedication, and even if I weren't, my family situation might have prevented my from attending. But, I do encourage all that can attend to do so and support Brockton's gallant effort to honor thirteen brave souls that perished on that fateful day. To learn more, you can visit www.brocktonfirelocal144.org.
Speaking of which, a few people had sent me a link to a story online. Some idiot actually had the nerve to complain that a line of duty procession was holding up traffic. That honoring a firefighter that had died in the line of duty serving his community somehow paled in comparision to this guy's agenda. Well excuse me Mr. Important. Have thee no respect for the dead? A man died serving his community and you have the nerve to complain about waiting for a procession. What if it was your house that this guy died at? What if he was killed trying to save your property? Would you have the same complaint? Truthfully, it wouldn't surprise me if you did. I've had to wait for funeral processions on many occassions, none of which were line of duty deaths. Just an average citizen that passed away. But I would never complain, because people are mourning and in sorrow. A loved one has died and the least we can do is let the procession by without complaning or trying to drive around it. Yes, sometimes these things occur while you are in a hurry, but that's life. No different than if there was an accident in front of you and the road was shut down. And when I say complain, I don't mean mumbling to yourself that the timing couldn't have been worse. I mean making a public outcry that processions should be banned because where you have to be is more important. But, this is America today. No one has respect for anyone, living or dead. Everyone has an attitude and is just in their actions. Why? Why are you so important? And why is your life so grand that you can't stop for two minutes to allow a funeral procession to pass? I say to this fellow he should be ashamed of himself. But, as always, if he needed the fire department later on today, they would still respond and do their utmost to help. That's the thing about fire, EMS, and police. No matter what you say or how much you put us down, we'll still respond when you need us.
Before I get to my rant of the week I want to say it was nice to meet Joe Schneiderman yesterday. Every so often I get to meet one of the great people that I've been communicating with for many years. Joe is from the Hartford CT area and is a historian for FDNY Rescue 4. It was a pleasure to finally meet him in person.
To lead into my gripe, I need to give some background. Despite my ramblings on this page, I do keep a good portion of my personal life private. But, I think this is important as I'm sure many people are going to find what I'm going to complain about to be all too familiar. My oldest sister has been battling cancer for a number of years. In recent times, her condition has taken a turn for the worse. My dad was also recently diagnosed with cancer and has begun treatment. So far he's doing ok and I hope that he'll continue to do so. Several weeks ago my sister was admitted to the hospital and has been there ever since. She has been in agonizing pain due to the cancer's location. It had been under control for a short time, but is inoperable due to the fact it is intertwined with blood vessels. The docs at the hospital have been trying to figure out the best course of action. They believe that getting her into chemotherapy would help as this particular combination of drugs has helped before. However, she is so weak that she needs to build up strength in order to withstand the treatment. So, they have been giving her medicine for the pain and attempting to build her up in the hospital. Then the insurance decided to get involved. First, they took one of her doctors off the case. They said he was not needed and to go get lost. Then they gave her a choice. She could go into a rehab and begin chemo immediately or go home and die. Nice, eh? Since the drugs they are giving her in the hospital are not available to the visiting nurses, there was no choice really. So they are in the process of getting her into a rehab and will be giving her chemo next week, despite the strong protest from the doctor that she might not be able to withstand it.
What burns me about this whole thing is that the insurance is not looking at my sister's well being. They are not doing this because they feel it will help. They are only trying to save money. It is cheaper for her to be in a rehab than the hospital. And they want her to have treatment because otherwise they feel it is a waste of money for her to be inpatient anywhere. This despite the fact that she would die if she did not have the medicines they are giving her that are not available for home administration. And they are not rushing the chemo because they think it's the best course of action. They just want some justification for paying the bill. The sadest part of this is that this is not an isolated and unique case. It has become the way of healthcare in the United States. Some person in an office miles and miles away from you can tell your doctor what's best even though they never met you. And the doctor has no choice if the insurance company won't budge. This is the way this country is now. It's all about money and no one cares about the welfare of the individual. We are not a country of for the people and by the people. It's a country of big business and those who are the greediest lead it and make decisions that are best for the special interest groups. And the insurance industry is at the top of that list. We are mandated to have health insurance, car insurance, and home insurance amongst other things. Yet, after paying into these plans for years that we actually need it, they put you through the ringer. They put up stipulations and look for ways not to pay or to pay the least. The Webster's definition of insurance is "coverage by contract whereby one party agrees to guarantee another against a specifc loss." GUARANTEE. But, there is no guarantee. They will look for every loophole possible to get out of paying. Or, they'll just cancel your policy. And the government is in their back pocket. So no matter how much the candidates say they'll change healthcare, in reality they won't change a thing. Because the real leaders, the big businesses who paid for their compaigns, won't let them. All the candidates say its time for change. I agree, but unfortunately, none of the people running for office will initate any change that will help the common person. And for those that need healthcare, we'll still be at the mercy of unnamed individuals in offices that we'll never meet.
I would have figured by now most people would know more about me than I know about myself, but I still get a bunch of questions asking me where I work and if I grew up in Methuen. I am on the Stoneham Fire Department where I have been employed now for 10 years. I didn't grow up in Stoneham however. My wife lived in Stoneham and I moved in with her when we got married. I also was a member of the Stoneham Fire Auxiliary, which of course my fellow firefighters like to rib me about from time to time. I grew up in Malden, which is where I graduated high school. I don't have a great memory from times before my high school years, but I do recall the Mack B Engine 2 and Mack mid-mount ladder that used to run out of the Maplewood station. I also recall seeing the Mack B Engine 6 out of Linden when we would travel to my aunt's in Revere. Like most places, Malden has changed a lot over the years, but it will always be a special place for me. And speaking of which, I'd like to thank the members of Engine 2 and Cataldo paramedics for responding to my parents house on Wed February 27th to help my sister. I wasn't aware of what was going on at the time, but my mother told me you were all very nice (I wouldn't have expected anything less). And lastly I currently live in Methuen. Circumstances which are far to long and involved to get into forced us to leave Stoneham and we lived in my parents empty downstairs appartment for a few years before buying our home in Methuen. So, that's it. Work in Stoneham, grew up in Malden, and live in Methuen. Got it? Good.
I really don't feel like ranting this week, believe it or not. I do want to say that we finally got some good news. My friend and fellow Stoneham firefighter Sean Fitzgerald will be coming home from Iraq soon. If all goes well he should be home by the end of the month. Now we just need to get Stoneham firefighter Justin Petrillo and everyone else home. I also want to say how much I appreciate all the work they are doing over there. For the guys and gals serving there now and to the ones that have done their tour and returned thank you. And especially to those that gave up their lives on this mission. You will not be forgotten.
Between the forecast constantly calling for snow and the crap on the news, I've gotten to the point I don't want to turn on the television anymore. There are so many news stations and so many hours of news, that I don't think we even know what is newsworthy anymore. Hey, there's a kid picking his nose, lets put it on at five. Whoa, a bird crapped on that guys head, that'll be on at six. Now they've brought up the two guys killed in Boston once again. I mean, for pity sake, let it go. So the report came out and the commissioner wants to have another one with the autopsy results included. Why do we need to know this? Becuase you know everytime they run the story they have to give us the background and why this is news. Like we didn't hear it a thousand times already. If the commish wants another report, good for him. Why does it have to be plastered all over the news? I think it's because they are sadistic and actually like hurting people. The news says they are just reporting facts to the people and say they are doing a service. They aren't doing a service, they are blood thirsty vampires only interested in a juicy story that hurts someone. Hey, here are some dead firefighters that might have had a substance abuse problem. Lets drag the crap out of this. That's nice, I'm sure the families really appreciate all the coverage. I'd like the tables to be flipped on the media for once. How would they like it that if they died or had a problem, that their laundry be aired for months and months. And let their kids see them in a horrible light and not be able to turn on a television, computer, or radio without seeing how their father is being berated by people that never met him. Then maybe they would have compassion. Nah, they wouldn't. Because the vultures would eat their own too. It's like they have the peverbial song stuck in their heads. Bash the firefighters, bash the firefighters, bash the firefighters. I had Hannah Montanah stuck in my head last week thanks to my daugher and that was bad enough. (Alice in Chains the week before, which is quite a contrast). But, I would listen to Hannah Montana all day every day over having to hear one more word about this foolishness. Let them rest in peach already and let their families heal.
It seems as though February is the month for crappy news. I won't get into recent developments into my own life at this time, but I do want to reflect upon something that took place last year in February. In February of 2007, Thad Root passed away. He was the father of my family's dear friend Cindy. In his younger years, he served the Marine Corps as both a soldier and a firefighter. I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with him on a number of occassions and enjoyed listening to his old stories. At his funeral, two Marines presented the family with an American flag that had drapped Thad's coffin. It was a touching moment, but due to one selfish individual, I feared that the flag might not rest in its rightful home. At many union functions I've heard our leaders say how various political people are "true friends to the firefighters". I'll leave my opinion on that for another time, but Cindy truly is a friend to the firefighters. She has opened her heart and wallet to our causes every time we've asked, and even when we didn't. She volunteered for the Leary Firefighters and donated money to the Mass Firefighters Memorial, amongst many other firefighter charities. In a time when everyone seems to want to put down our brothers and sisters on the front lines, she has spoken up and defended our honor. As such, I felt something should be done.
Shortly after Thad's funeral, I approached my captain and the union president with a request. I asked if I could fly a U.S. flag on our flagpole at the firehouse for one day in memory of Thad and then present the flag to Cindy. Normally this is a practice reserved only for Stoneham Firefighters that retire or die in the line of duty. However, knowing how I would never make a request such as this on a whim and how respectful I am of time honored traditions, both happily agreed before I could even finish explaining why. And so on March 3, 2007 a U.S. flag was flown at the Stoneham fire station from 0800-1700 in memory of Mr. Root. It was then presented to Cindy with a letter from our union president. It was presented to a real supporter of firefighter. One that gives without question or looking for reward in return. Not just in an election year. A true friend. When I was in the service, one word could sum up the best compliments anyone could give. So I say to Cindy and to all those that support us...OUTSTANDING! And to Thad, may he rest in peace. OOOHH RAH, Semper Fi.
Last week a friend of mine took me to a Boston Celtics game. I had a great time, it's been quite a few years since I've gone to a Celtics game. I thought it was kind of fitting that I would attend a basketball game in February as this month marks the passing of my brother-in-law and good friend John Jones. John and I had season tickets to Boston College basketball back in the mid-1990s. We had a lot of fun together and while at the game I thought of him. John was the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet and didn't have a mean bone in his body. He was a die hard Boston Red Sox fan and I only wish he could have seen the Sox win the World Series. He was also an avid train buff and I know that he would have spent a lot of time with my son, who also loves trains. I miss you John, you were the best.
On to a lighter subject, it is kind of interesting to people watch when you are at a venue such as a sporting event. Oddly enough, there wasn't much of interest at the last Bruins game I went to, but such was not the case last week with the Celtics. This poor fellow tripped while carrying his nachos and beer and fell down a number of steps. Gravity and momentum being what it is, the chip plate landed underneath him. The man was ok, but when he rose he was covered in chips, cheese, salsa, and beer. It's amazing how we find such things amusing, although I did feel bad for him. Then there was this guy that thought he'd sneak a kiss to his girlfriend (at least I hope she was his girlfriend). Well, the camera was watching and they tortured this guy for the rest of the game. They played this little scene backwards, forewards, and in slow motion numerous times. They took it in good stride, although I think towads the end they were getting a little ticked. Probably the best things about going to such an event is the interesting people right next to you. The man to my left took a bath in cologne and then ordered up a meatball sandwich and french fries. The combination of smells made body odor seem appealing. The kid behind me yelled for pretty much the entire game. I have kids and I know he was just having a good time. But, if you are familiar with pre-pubescent children, then you know their voices can reach octaves that would make a dog howl. At one point I thought of purchasing him a pretzel or hot dog so he'd shut up for a few minutes. And to the fellow that was with this child, the song is "Enter Sandman" not madman. And the "Departed Song" is I'm Shipping Up to Boston by the Dropkick Murphy's. Anything else I can help you with? No? Good. And lastly, why must people beep their horns at each other when they are sitting in the parking garage waiting to leave? Where to they think the car in front of them is going to go? Are there cars that have deployable helicopter blades that can then come out of the roof so that they can fly over all the other cars? I mean really, what is the purpose to that other than to annoy the crap out of everyone. Well, the Celts did win and I had fun, so that's truly all that matters.
The Super Bowl is over, so now everyone can go back to normal life. Don't get me wrong, I'm as bummed as the next guy. But the hype was way too much. The last week or so it has been the only thing on the news. All day, every channel, Super Bowl talk. What got me is that no one really had anything worth while to say. It was all speculation and babble. People came out of the woodwork to give their opinions and have their few minutes in the spotlight. I never even heard of half of these "famous" people they were interviewing. And if I had to see that lady propose to Brady one more time, I think I would have broken something. And now we get to see all the what if reports. If so and so caught the ball or if so and so did this. Guess what? They didn't. It's not going to change, so move on!
What really surprised me was the hype over Puxawhatever Phil and his shadow. Once they took a break from the Super Bowl, for a few days that was the second favorite thing to report on. Would he see his shadow? Would we have more winter? For pity sake people, it's a walking sweater. If you really think him seeing his shadow has anything to do with the weather, then I have a bridge to sell you. Give Phil his moment in the spotlight and move on. Then again, guess what we have to look forward to now that the game is over and that Phil is back in his hole? You got it, more politicans telling us to elect them and they'll take care of us. Sure they will. The sad thing is, I can't find one candidate that I actually like. I'm looking for an option F, but there isn't one. Yet, I get to hear all about them and their lies...I mean promises...every day until November. Yippee. And remember, your vote counts.
Lastly for this week, I want to tip my hat to the pilot of the Boston Medflight helicopter. I was stuck on 93 Saturday morning heading to work because they had to shut the highway down due to a bad accident. I was amazed to see that Medflight was able to land and take off with relatively no problem despite the high winds that were whipping around that morning. It was pretty impressive to see.
This has been an interesting week in what is normally my boring and mundane life. Well, this isn't exactly earth shattering, but we got a new PA system at the firehouse this week. It's a bit different than the old system with new alert tones. I have to say I wouldn't have thought that would be a big deal, but it's a takes a little getting used to. When you've heard the same tone for ten years and then all of a sudden it's different, you don't always realize it's the alert tone right away. A few times this week I thought it was the TV until I heard the dispatcher talking. We are also going to have the radio transmissions over the PA system now, which we never had. That will also take some getting used to. I'm going to think that I'm hearing voices when the private ambulance starts talking. I can see it now. "I must be going crazy, I thought I heard Andy talking to me."
Here's something that doesn't make sense to me. As the secretary/treasurer of our union, I am in charge of the soda machine. I know, that doesn't make sense, but that's not what I was going to say. I place an order for soda, water, and power aid roughly once a month. I order the product and within a few days after they deliver it, I get a phone call from Coke asking me if I need to place an order. ?? If I just recieved my order, why would I need to order more? I know it's just marketing, but it seems kind of silly to me. The only good thing is that if you get certain reps, they'll tell you to "have a classic day." I always get a kick out of that. What can I say, simple things amuse me.
My son is in cub scouts and we have to make a derby car for the soapbox derby. I can see a few of you chuckling now. A carpenter I am not, so asking me to cut this little block of wood into anything that resembles a car is just asking for trouble. My wife and I took turns using the dremel tool and somehow managed not to cut our fingers off. I don't think NASCAR will be calling to ask us to join a design team, that's for sure. But, the cutting part is done and now comes the sanding. Lots and lots of sanding. Yippee.
Speaking of my son, would you like to take a guess at what his 3rd grade class brought home for a homework assignment? Choose a presidential hopefull and write why they would like for him/her to become president. Are you kidding me? He's 8. Unless there is a candidate that wants to run a model train set through our front yard, I don't think he really gives a hoot. So, who did he pick you ask? Mitt Romney. Ugh. Why? Because he was the governor of Massachusetts. The sad thing is that most people that vote probably won't come up with a much better answer for whom they vote for.
And while I was at the station the other night, I called my wife to check in as I usually do. I could tell when she answered the phone that all was not well at the homestead. Sounded as though she was a bit miffed. I did the unthinkable and asked her what was going on. As it turns out my kids were fighing (oh no, say it ain't so). No real shocker there. But, this time my daughter pushed my son over the edge and he head butted her in the face giving her a black eye. Isn't that special. I also can't say it doesn't surprise me either. She can be rather mean to him and for the most part he puts up with it. But, I knew one day he would finally lose it. So, off she went with school with her black eye and story of how her brother tried to kill her. Seems as though they have made up, so they are friends again. For now. Have a classic day.
Bravo to Boston union President Ed Kelley with his campaign to try and set the record straight with all the bad press Boston Fire has been getting lately. I like the new word the female lawyer created on the radio show the other morning. I've been trying to use craparatus in a sentence as often as possible. I don't understand what the deal is with this negative campaign that is taking place against firefighters, but it's pretty lousy. Are firefighters not supposed to earn a living? Are they not supposed to have decent health insurance? I think it's just ridiculous and the public buys into it because the media is never wrong of course. They buy into it until they need us, then it's a different story. In case you haven't figured it out, my opinion of the media isn't very high. And the main reason for that is because they went from reporting news to doing whatever it takes to sell newspapers or retain viewership. They will beat a story to death if it means they might jump a point higher in the ratings.
This lack of dignity doesn't just apply to when they are reporting about firefighters. How about this story with the lady that took her own life and the life of her neice and nephew by running out into traffic on 495 last week? It's a horrible story and I feel terrible for the parents of those kids. I also feel terrible for the poor people that hit them. They were just driving along like they would at any other time and now they have to live with this for the rest of their lives. But, let them greive already will you. Every day it's plastered all over the news. The families and the drivers can't watch television or open a newspaper without having this story drawn out in every detail. Did anyone see the papers yesterday? They had a map of how the events unfolded. A map. What do we need a map for? I'm surprised they didn't count how many steps this woman took before she was hit by the first car. Let it go, let the family grieve, and find another story to report. Maybe one of people doing good in the world. Oh no, can't do that. It wouldn't bring in high ratings. I've got one word for that. Craparatus.
For whatever reason, Comcast has been a pain in the you know what with emails lately. A number of people have reported to me that emails were returned to them with some odd reason or no reason at all. This has happened at least on two separate days. I haven't called Comcast since by the time I was aware of it, the problem seemed to be fixed. But, just so you know, I do respond to every message (if you sent me 3 emails in a row, I'll probably just respond to one.) But, even if I just say "thanks" I reply to everyone. If you don't hear back after a reasonable amount of time (keep in mind I do work 24 hour shifts) then I may not have gotten the message.
Speaking of emails, I seem to be getting a lot of these survey emails lately. You know the ones where someone has a list of thirty or so questions about you. What's your favorite color, your favorite ice cream, favorite movie, favorite sport, and so on. If I have a few moments I'll humor the sender, but many times I just don't have the time to sit there and fill out all this information. My question is though, why do people really care what my favorite ice cream is? I have a number of favorites, but why does it matter? Are you going to pick me up a half gallon? And if you need to ask me what my favorite sport is, then you probably don't know me all that well. Everyone should know by now I am an avid hockey fan. Yes, I love the Red Sox and Patriots just like everyone else. But hockey is and will always be my first love. And when I tell people what my favorite movie is, they say "really? It's not Backdraft?" Is it a requirement of being a firefighter that you watch Backdraft every night? I like the movie, but I do like things outside of firefighting. When I say that if I had to pick a favorite, I'd say any of the Star Wars movies. People say "Really, that surprises me." Why? I've liked Star Wars since I was a kid. And when I was a kid movies were watched for fun and entertainment. It was a much simpler time. Before the dark times. Before children. I also like the war movies, especially those based on real events like the Band of Brothers series. But, sometimes we have just had enough of reality and need a break and want something ficticious. That's me. I'm surrounded by reality. It's everywhere. So, when I have a chance, I want to watch TV to be entertained by something that doesn't resemble reality. So before the next survey comes in, I can tell you that my eyes are brown, I like pizza, and Tom Fitzgerald is my favorite hockey player (he grew up with my wife) followed by the legendary Ray Bourque. Anything else you want to know? Well, it'll have to wait. The Pats are on soon and I have to get my ice cream. Go Pats!
Happy New Year everybody. I'm still doing a little catch up, so be patient with the fire calls and other stuff that I haven't gotten to yet. As I mentioned, 2008 brings my 10th year online and I have a few things I'm doing to mark this year. First, you will notice a few sections have new graphics. Special thanks to my friend Kevin White for his hard work to create these incredibly detailed drawings of the Stoneham apparatus. Next, at the top of the Spotlight page, I will have one special "anniversary" photo that I will pull out of the archives. It could really be anything, a person, a place, who knows. Hopefully something that won't get me beaned off the head with a frying pan by my wife. The year is still young, so we'll see what else I can conjur up.
Well, the holidays are over and it's back to being miserable again. All that shopping, spending money, cooking, cleaning, and of course eating for one day. And boy does it go by fast. Blink and you miss it. But, don't feel bad for too long. The credit card bills will be coming in soon to remind you of the joyous season. Anybody see Miss Spears got herself in trouble again? Got a little carried away with the booze. I think I saw Miss Lohan with a bottle as well. Hmmm. And they say firefighters have an abuse problem.
Just a quick update for today. The week between Christmas and New Years is always a busy week for us. I had asked last week if people would rather see larger photos in the spotlight section with the drawback being I'd have to post less. It received a large volume of mail with a large majority saying they want it to stay the same. Ok, it was more than a large majority, more like 99.9 percent. So, I'll leave the photo page the way it is and keep posting a large variety of photos for you to enjoy each week. I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Years. See you in 2008 for the start of my 10 year celebration.
I don't have a lot of extra time to write this week, but wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. The week before Christmas always seems to be a crazy time, but I hope everyone has finished their shopping and not waited until the last minute. (No, we wouldn't do that now would we?). Just a quick note, Westchester Collectibles is still looking for comparision photos, especially of the door lettering/decals, of the old Lynn Rescue Mack. If you have some photos, please forward them to me and I'll send them on to the company. I'm not getting anything for this, I'm just doing it as a favor to a friend who really wants to see this truck made. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and if you're working, please be safe.
2008 will mark the 10th year Firenews has been online. Crazy, I know. I've been thinking of some special things I could do in the upcoming year and have a few ideas. I plan on featuring some old pictures that will certianly get a chuckle out of some. I still can't believe I've been doing this for so long. Of course, in the early stages I had a following of only a few people. It's grown a little since then.
Yesterday I was at the post office and the line was ridiculous. It was like they were selling Red Sox tickets. One of the reasons it was so long, besides the fact there were a lot of people, is that there was only one guy at the counter. Christmas season and one clerk. At one point, another clerk came out, but then the first clerk left. Presumably for a break. This kind of further annoyed an already pissy crowd. If you think you know where I'm going with this, you may be wrong. I waited in line for over thirty minutes to mail but one package. But, do you know what? That's what you get when you reduce manpower. People in line were complaining and complaining. Yet, would they want to pay more for stamps so the post office could put more clerks on at the window? Probably not. They were saying the people in the back should come out and help. It's not their job. If Miss Secretary was told the janitorial staff was short and asked to empty the trash cans and give the floor a quick vaccuum, what do you think she'd say? Not my job buddy. Ok then, same here. I understand that stuff is expensive and that you're getting nickled and dimed everywhere. My wife works in retail and I don't have a side job that pays a lot of money. I don't have a big house or expensive furniture and my kids share a room. I understand. But, it's not the fault of the guy behind the counter. He's just trying to make a living like everyone else. You can't have good services if you're not willing to pay for them. Like my Dad always says, you can't have your cake and eat it too. I always thought that was silly, because why would you get cake if you're not going to eat it. But, the point is the same. You can't expect to have stellar service with enough clerks for everyone if you're not willing to pay a higher price.
Same goes in public safety. My department has gone from 12 Firefighters a shift to running 6 most of the time. We can't do the non-emergency courtesy stuff like we used to. But, many people don't get it. They vote down the over rides, then complain that it takes a while for someone to come and plug out a box. Or that we don't do lockouts unless there is a child in the car. Some have gotten mad saying that we always used to these things. And that they are unhappy they are going to have to pay for someone to come out and unlock their car. Well, sorry. But, you and your neighbors should have thought of that when you voted. You all made a choice and now you are seeing the result of that choice. While the average person may not vote on the price of stamps, their voices are heard. Last year when the stamp prices went up again people were outraged. Over 2 cents. So, the post office has to make a choice between putting on extra people or not raising costs again. And who do you think influences that decision?
So, don't blame the clerk behind the counter because there isn't enough help. Blame the people responsible. And don't be surprised if the people responsible are actually the ones doing the complaining.
I will be updating the fire calls later this week. I had the November ones done and then I mistakenly saved the new December page as Novembers. I go to undo that and wouldn't you know the editor freezes. So, I have to do all those incidents all over again. Needless to say I've had it for today, so we'll get to it a little later on.
Anyone see the news last week with the bill going before the legislature to ban spanking? At first I just assumed it was tougher child abuse laws, which I don't have a problem with. Anyone that harms a child should have very bad things done to them. But, this proposal was to make it illegal to give your child one smack across the behind. I thought, isn't this a bit of overkill? And how would they enforce that? Like the cops and courts aren't busy enough without having to deal with this. Where we have child abuse laws, I really don't see the point in this. If you don't want to give your child a smack across the butt as discipline, then don't. If you do, then do. My opinion is that every time a child does something wrong someone blames the parents. Sometimes that's true, and sometimes it's not. But, the more tools you take away from the parent, the harder the job becomes. Again, I don't advicate in any way doing harm to a child. We're talking about a few whacks to the butt with your hand. Every kid is different and we need a variety of tools at our disposal. My kids are pretty easy, so I'm lucky. Take away certain things and they are miserable and tend to think twice before acting up again. But, others might need a different approach. To be honest though, what really concerns me is that if this proposal passed, what doors it would open up in the future. People are never satisfied. Someone else would come along and decide that you shouldn't yell at your kids and that you can be charged with verbal abuse if you raise your voice. Or, if you take away their toys, you can be charged with theft because once you give it to them, it's their property. Sound ridiculous? Well, if someone said the legislation was going to vote on a bill that could ban spanking thirty years ago, they would have said you were out of your mind. Or that someone sued a restaurant because their hot coffee was too hot and won. Once you start the ball rolling, you never know where it'll end up next.
I think the problem with society is that we've gone from one extreme to another. At one time we didn't do enough. Now, we go overboard. At one time children were affraid because the courts protected the parents, even if the kid had serious injuries. Now, it's the opposite. They've empowed the kids too much, so that all they have to do is say they are affraid to go home and the forces of good and just are on top of you faster than you can say "what the?". Case and point. Someone I know's teen daughter got in trouble at home and was grounded. She was pissed and decided to get her parents in trouble and told her teacher she was affraid to go home. This kid never had an injury, was outgoing, and didn't present with any sign or symptom of an abused child. Yet, they called DSS and never even asked the kid why she was affraid. Eventually it all was straighened out, but it seems there is something wrong with this system. And do you know what happened to the kid? Nothing. No punishment from the school for her because she made a false report. What kind of message are we sending here?
It's come to the point that the solutions we are setting into place are far more complicated than the problem. There has to be a better way to go about things. How can we make it that bad people that hurt kids are punished and made not to harm kids anymore, while good parents aren't made to suffer because of mistakes or false claims? I guess this is a harder question to answer than some, but the last time I checked, this is America. If people are innocent until proven guilty, then assumptions shouldn't be made by those in power. Or mayby this is only the case if your are rich and powerful. Or if you may or may not have a white glove.
I hope that everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I actually thought it was the following Thursday while I was updating last week, otherwise I would have made mention of it then. I will be adding the fire calls probably tomorrow, my kids decided to share their cold with me and I've had enough website work for one day. From time to time someone will email me asking to forward a message to a photographer to ask for permission to use a photo. I have absolutely no problem with that, but I just want to make you aware that my address book went DOA a few weeks ago, so many of the photographer's addresses that I only communicate with now and again are gone. My daughter was doing extra credit for school and was on a math website when she accidently downloaded a virus that some knucklehead hacked in and loaded to the site. I mean really, why must one load a virus to a math website that little kids are going to be working on? Anyway, not knowing any better, she said yes to allow the program to run when my virus software tried to stop it. Then, it ate my address book. Very nice. So, if you email asking me to forward a request, I'll do the best I can with what I have available for information.
Well, here we are at the Christmas season once again. Altough the stores have been here for a few months now. I just have one question. What exactly is a holiday tree? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a Christmas tree? Oh, that's right, some people get offended because it has Christmas in the description. But, the tree is for, dare I say, Christmas. People that celebrate Christmas, buy a tree. People that don't celebrate Christmas...don't buy one, regardless of what it's called. You can name it a holiday tree, family tree, or happy tree and the same people are the ones that buy it. Why is it that some things can be taken away or renamed because one group of people are offended, but other's are not. I'm offended that people can burn and desicrate the American flag, but that's ok. It's freedom of speech and expression. So the flag that countless people died for can be burned so some idiot can express themselves, but you can't call a Christmas tree a Christmas tree. And how did they get that right to express themselves? Oh, don't get me started. We've got TV shows and video streams that make fun of everyone and everything and that's ok. But, you best not use the word Christmas or else Big Brother will come get ya. Why can't we just call things what they are? It's a Christmas tree. Period.
And lastly for this week, I have a little treat for everyone, especially those that have been in EMS for a long time. Due to some personal reasons, I'm most likley going to let my EMT expire come December 31st. That will end 15 years as a Mass EMT, five of which were with private ambulance services. To mark this moment in time, I am sharing this paper that I've had in my possession for quite a few years. This image was made up by a Lifeline Ambulance employee when I worked there back in the mid-1990's featuring Calvin of the cartoon Calvin and Hobbes. Some of the terms might have changed, but I don't think the reactions have. Just click on the image below to bring up a much larger one. Enjoy.
It appears as though my little page here has created quite a bit of interest from the readership. I've had a few conversations about this page recently and some think I should have a video cast, ala the Guy from Boston or the Kid from Brooklyn. I don't know about that, seems like a bit of work to me. Besides, what would I call myself? The Fireman from Stoneham? The kid from Malden since that's where I grew up? Or perhaps the Guy from Methuen, since that's where I live now? Too many decisions. Then I'd have to yell and swear and this is a family show for the most part here on firenews. I don't smoke cigars, so waving one of those around isn't an option. And I don't drink, so the guy that yammers on while splashing his beer everywhere isn't really for me either. I think this text version of my thoughts is good enough, so at least for the forseeable future I'll stick with it.
Last weekend I purchased a new computer. Since things aren't made to last anymore, the computer my wife was using was approaching the end of it's time. I reformatted my old computer and set her up with a new monitor and printer while I took the PC from the package deal. I didn't need a new printer, but if I just bought the computer and monitor, it would have cost me $50.00 more than if I took the package deal. So, I save money and get the printer. Ok then. The PC is pretty decent, although it needed a graphics card and power supply upgrade. It only took me a half hour to replace both and it still cost me less than if I bought the next model up from what I got. Things are going great, right? Sure. Anybody try Windows Vista yet? Interesting, is it not? I have been working on computers for a long time and I haven't been this confused since Windows went from 3.1 to Windows 95. And why is it necessary to come out with a new operating system every two to three years anyway? Oh yeah, money. Which brings me to the real fun part. While I'll figured out Vista over time, there is one thing that really gets me about the release of a new operating system. Some of your old programs won't work. Why do they make a system that existing programs won't work on? And the killer is that many of the companies that make the software, just don't care either. Case and point. I have an Adobe graphics program that I paid pretty good money for. It's only a year or two old at the most. It don't work on Vista. I go to the Adobe website figuring there must be a patch. Nope, and according to the press release, they have no intention of making one either. They blame Microsoft and tell the customer to be mad at them. But, they also don't offer a registered user a discount if they want to buy the Vista compatible version. You have to pay full price. And that's customer service? They don't even give you the upgrade price. Like I should be punished because my new PC came with Vista. Sorry, I didn't know I had a choice in the matter.
If you think about it though, this is the way it's getting to be. Companies want to make products that won't last and then just assume have you buy a new one rather than take any pride in the old product. Let's face it, who gets appliances repaired anymore? Toaster is on the fritz? Get a new one. TV not working good? Ditch it, get an HDTV. When you buy something, it's obsolete within six months, so why get it fixed. I don't bother getting a warranty on something, because you can't get it fixed easily anyway. You have to call a number that gets you someone in India that can't speak English. Then after an Irish jig, you might get the information you need. But, you'll most likely have to ship the item someplace, and get stuck paying the shipping cost as well. Then there are the in-store ones. Some are worth getting, like for laptops, since you really can't do much with the components on those. But most, end up costing more than if you were to replace what you purchased in the first place.
You're probably wondering what my point is, and to be honest, I'm not exactly sure. I just know that it would be nice if companies would think of the customer a little more and their bottom line a little less. Because if you put the service back in customer service, then it just might improve that bottom line a little bit. But, what do I know. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to call Ali Baboo to find out when my waranty expires.
Before I start with this week's rant, I wanted to offer my sincere thanks to everyone that had emailed or called me after I was sent to the hospital from the 4 alarm fire with smoke inhalation. It was very humbling and I thank you all for your thoughts.
In order to give you a background on what has brought to light my lastest Epiphany, I must divulge some information on a recent debacle with the Methuen Pop Warner people. I'm not really one for airing laundry publicly, but it's necessary in this case. In a nutshell, my wife was a coach this past season for my daughter's cheerleading squad. They lost the competition by a very close margin and my wife requested the scores so that she could see how the teams did and what the girls could improve upon for next year since they did a very good job. In cheerleading, the judges do not reveal the scores. This team wins, these teams lose, and that's it. Kind of strange if you ask me, I don't think any other sport would be content with that type of system. And, evidently, it's not nice to ask for the scores. My wife was not aware of this and had no malcontent when she requested them. Well, the director of cheerleading for Methuen Pop Warner pulled my wife aside and chewed her a new butthole calling her a sore sport, bringing into question her integrity, and making other false accusations. To boot, she did not afford my wife the opportunity to defend herself and walked away. Needless to say, my wife was upset by this and filed a complaint with the President of Pop Warner for being treated in such a rude and unprofessional way without even being allowed to defend her position. The President did not acknowledge her complaint, spoke only with the director, and then removed my wife from the cheerleading staff without even talking to her. To say that this lack of courtesy and due process irritated me is like saying the the bomb dropped on Japan contained a little bit of explosives. I launched several letters on my wife's behalf, which probably didn't help matters. My writing is very articulate and when people have to constantly look in the dictionary because their vocabulary isn't as diverse as mine, it tends to tick them off even more. Ultimately, we have decided that these people are not worth our time and effort and that this type of thing happens in every town because the people that run every Pop Warner are usually all parents that know each other. The likelyhood of receiving fair treatment is pretty slim. Now, there are many wonderful and giving people that donate their time to Pop Warner and I am not taking away from them. I'm not taking away from the many hours donated by the President or the Director either. I don't know them and on a normal day they are probably very decent people.
The purpose of me airing this is because there is something here that magnifies a huge problem in today's society. If the director had approached my wife and offered to discuss the situation instead of taking the power trip approach, none of this would have happened. But, this is not an isolated thing. Too many people today are more interested in just putting others down than actually engaging in a conversation to discuss an issue. Despite all of our technological advances, we have moved backwards as a society. We have email, cell phones, text messaging, GPS, and God only knows what else. Yet we actually communicate with one another less and less. People want to be heard, yet they don't want to listen. I'm going to say what I have to say, you're going to like it, and then that'll be it. I've formed my opinion without any fact and I'm sticking to it. I've heard this called the "ME" generation and I'm thinking that's a correct label. Too many people are self absorbed and aren't paying attention to what's going on around them. I'm right, you're wrong, and that's it. It's not possible that we both could be right, both could be wrong, and that there is a solution somewhere in the middle. For a society that preaches tolerance, we seem to have less and less courtesy for others. And why is it so many people feel that the world owes them something? Like because they exist, that we should forever be indebted to them. This especially baffles me with the teenagers. What have you done in your life that everyone owes you gratitude? Have you cured a disease? I think not. I feel that the problem is people no longer have respect for one another. I hear how great the world is compared to fifty years ago, yet fifty years ago a teenager had respect for adults. You'd never see a fifteen year old mouth off to a police officer or an adult. Is this world we are in today truly better? I'm not so sure. Because while technology and advances in civil rights are great, I think we've gotten away from our core values. I'd much rather spend less time on the computer and not be able to sue McDonald's because their hot coffee was too hot and in return have people respect each other a little more. Imagine being able to sit down with someone and work out your differences like adults. Just two people coming to an agreement and maybe even being better for it. No lawyers, no hate, no name calling. Just people working out their differences. I know, crazy. What am I thinking.
Well, believe it or not, this week's passage doesn't involve any complaining. I know, a firefighter with nothing to complain about. Before you call the devil and tell him to put on his winter coat, I just figured I'd focus on some positive things for once. I first wanted to give a job well done to my daughter and her cheerleading team. They missed advancing in the competition by one point and I know they were all pretty bummed out by it. But, to me when it comes to kids sports, it's not all about winning and losing. It's about the experience and having fun with it. If you ever saw my daughter cheer, you would know that she loves it. She always has a huge smile on her face and puts everything she has into the routine. It's pretty funny when you consider she's rather shy otherwise. I'm proud of her regardless of the score. She stuck with the heavy practice regiment and the games every Sunday all while trying to battle 5th grade studies. With only a few not so great test scores, she managed to balance it all.
Every so often, adults have that life evaluation period, usually around a birthday. Since mine is approaching this weekend, I guess that's why I've been thinking about that this week. People tend to focus on the negative, but I try and look at the good things too. I'm certainly not rich and I don't live in a high end home. The upper echelon won't be visiting me for tea and crackers any time soon. I'm not sure I know what a vacation is and the most traveling I do is going from Methuen to Malden to visit my parents. And the fact I haven't had a good night's sleep in years is a bit of a downer as well. But, I do have a lot of good things to look at. I have a wonderful wife (of 13 years next week) and am lucky to be with someone so compatible. Despite a few bumps in the road, we managed to work through the hard times and still enjoy each other's company. And I have two marvelous kids. Truth be told, I wasn't sure about this fatherhood thing when my daughter was born. I was pretty nervous actually as I never thought of myself as the kid friendly type. But, I think I've done ok. Even when I'm in a bad mood, somehow they can bring a smile to my face. Even if it was they that put me in that mood to begin with. And I've got some close family and friends that I wouldn't trade for all the tea in China. Of course, there is this website. While sometimes it's a headache, I've met a lot of great people over the years and have made some good friends because of it. So, despite being a poor, non-traveling insomniac, I think I've done pretty well for myself. And thanks to all of you that make this site what it is. I've enjoyed my conversations with you and look forward to what discussions the future holds.
It probably doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's been on my mind the last week. The media frenzy over the autopsy reports from the two firefighters that were killed in Boston last month has been insane. Why exactly is this such breaking news that it had to be shown as the top story for nearly a week? Putting whether or not this information is accurate or not aside, why isn't anyone focusing on the fact that this information was released illegally? According to the law, that type of information is private and not to be shared with the general public. Yet, the informant blatantly broke the law and, in my opinion, so didn't the media when they reported it. No one seems to be upset about that. Even if this information was true, it had nothing to do with the deaths of those two guys. They could have been born again christians who never even swore in their lives and they still would have been killed. But, thanks to this jerk, the families might lose their benefits. And just as sad, the kids have to listen to all this negative talk about their fathers. Heroes one minute, zeroes the next. Real nice, way to put people before your financial interests. Financial interests you ask? Why do you think people report stuff to the media? Certainly not to make themselves feel good, that's for sure. They get paid for information. And then if that isn't bad enough, I've had to listen to the public speak over the last week via every forum known to man. It never ceases to amaze me how people that have no insight on a matter can become instant experts after listening to one thirty second news cast. I've heard that all firefighters are drunks, that we are drinking in the firehouses, and that we have cush jobs. We're all drunks eh? Guess what? I don't drink at all. I know quite a few firefighters that don't drink at all. And those that do, I can say with certainty drink responsibly. Do now and again they get a little carried away? Sure. But, hello, so doesn't everyone else in every other profession and walk of life. Have you been to a bar, restaurant, or package store lately? Are the patrons only firefighters? Of course not. The people making these ridiculous accusations probably themselves spend a quarter of their paychecks on booze. And drinking in the firehouse? Give me a break. Cush job? You know what, it is a good job, but I wouldn't call it cush. How many birthday parties, holidays, and special events have you missed Mr. Citizen? My daughter's cheerleading competition is this Saturday and I'm going to miss it because I have to work. I'm also working on Thanksgiving and if I wasn't on vacation in December, I'd be working Christmas Eve too. And let us not forget about all the great things we get to see. If we don't turn a wheel I think it's a great day. You know why? Because I didn't have to see anyone suffer that day. No one in pain, no one having loss, no one suffering. Maybe if a firefighter does have a drinking problem, you should ask yourself why that might be. And maybe you should try dealing with what we have to witness on a weekly basis. Sickness, pain, suffering, and despair. It takes a special person do be in public service and for those that cast judgement last week, I don't think you'd last very long.
I went to my daughter's Pop Warner game last Sunday (she's a cheerleader, so I guess it's not "her" game persay) and have to say that's an interesting experience. I know many of you must have kids in sports, so you probably are going to understand what I'm about to say. Does anyone actually sit and watch the game? I sat down front so I could watch my daughter and take some pictures and I don't think the line of people ever stopped. I saw the same kids (and adults) walk past me countless times. Like they were nomads with no place to go. I also saw the same two kids looking for each other at least a dozen times. Hello! Stop for a moment and the other one will catch up to you. I can deal with kids because, well, their kids. But adults are another matter entirely. These two guys behind me were talking about sex the entire time. I work at a firehouse and I don't think I could talk about sex for that length of time without stopping for a break. And...we're at a Pop Warner game! Maybe a little inappropriate? Just a little? The woman next to me let her 10 year old daughter get a belly button ring and thought it was funny. A ten year old with a belly button ring? Are you serious? The world has gone mad. And forget about sportsmanship. That's right out with people today. My daughter's cheerleading competition last year was a true sign of that. Do you think people would give a courtesy clap to the other squads? Nope. Only their team. That's right, show the kids how to be. We shouldn't make all the kids feel good about themselves, just the ones that are from our town. We're not talking about the Patriots here, we talking about 10 year olds. At least when a kid from the other team gets hurt, they still cheer when he gets up. Hopefully that won't be next to go. Ok, that's it for now. No more cranking.
This certainly was an interesting weekend. On Sunday morning around 3 AM I woke up smelling smoke. Still half asleep, I tried to ascertain if this was coming from outside or inside my house. It was so strong, that I quickly got out of bed to check the house. Once I left my bedroom, the smell disipated and I realized the air conditioner must have been pulling it in from outside. I opened a window and knew that there was a building fire very close by. By this time, my wife had now come downstairs and opened the back door. She yelled to me that the apartment building behind us was on fire. Sure enough, there was smoke pouring out of the apartment building. As Methuen Engine 6 raced by my front door, we left the house to investigate. The brothers did a great job getting all the residents out of the building and battling the fire. When things calmed down a little bit, I asked the Engine 1 pump operator about having to call for a Lawrence ladder. I was a little shocked to have found that Methuen still didn't have a ladder truck. Their ladder was damaged when hit by a dump truck several months ago and they have been unsuccessful in getting a loaner truck. So, where so many chiefs and fire officials read my site, if any department has a spare ladder that they are willing to let Methuen borrow, please give them a call. My kids sleep on the third floor of my house and I'd really, really, really like to have an aerial in service in the city.
On another matter, last Friday was the funeral for Lowell FF Kelly Page. I was working and couldn't attend, but a number of my Stoneham brothers did go to the service. I don't know about you, but I've had enough of the LODD's this year. I know it's wishful thinking to say we wouldn't have another one ever again, but I'm hoping that this is it for a while now. At least for the rest of the year. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like this was not a good year for firefighters and I'm hoping that we can go on a good streak with no LODD's for a long time. Which brings me to the lack of media attention for brother Page. I really don't understand this. After doing a fantastic job with covering the deaths of Paul and Warren earlier this month, they dropped the ball and didn't mention Kelly's death at all. This is twice now in recent times that a public servant (Richie Powers being the first) that the media failed to note a line of duty death. Ok, maybe this wasn't as dramatic as dying is a blaze, but it still is worthy of recognition. If nothing else, just to remind the citizen's of how dangerous a job this is and to post a quick note with any fund that might have been set up to benefit the children of the fallen member. What are we talking about, ten or fifteen seconds? I guess showing the guy who got attacked by a sting ray a year ago fifty times in an hour was more interesting. Bravo to one of my Stoneham brothers who called one of the television stations and complained. He was given a BS story that they were not aware of it and would "try" to put something up the next day. As always, too little too late. I do want to give credit where it is due, the Lowell Sun did run a few nice articles about Kelly.
Click for Lowell Sun Article 1 - Click for Lowell Sun Article 2.
This past Tuesday was the sixth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. I can't believe that six years has passed already. Through various forums, I had heard discussions on what departments were doing to commemorate the anniversary. Some were upset that their department opted to do nothing. I can understand that, although I think what's most important is what we do as individuals. My chief considered doing something, but then opted for a time of personal reflection. Our station is not on a main thoroughfair, so only a few would see our little ceremony. I didn't need to remember the events of 9-11, since I never forgot them in the first place. Every day I still wear my 9-11 memorial bracelet with the name of Gerard Dewan of Ladder 3 on it. I never knew him, but chose his name since I worked with Mike Dewan at Lifeline many years ago. Ask anyone that knows me and they'll tell you that I'm not one for jewelry, but I wear that bracelet every day. I also have a tattoo on my left shoulder which honors all those that made the ultimate sacrifice. I remember when I got the tattoo, many of the guys I worked with had to see it for themselves because they didn't believe I actually did it. But, all this is really superficial. Ceremonies, bracelets, and tattoos aside there really was one thing we could do on that day that would honor those that died. Quite simply, go to work. I got up that morning, put on my uniform, and reported for duty as always. Because that's what firefighters, cops, and EMS guys do. I have do doubt in my mind that if a plane struck a building in NY last Tuesday that FDNY would respond to that call like they do to every other one. Despite all our differences and quirks, every man and woman on the job values their dedication to duty. If we didn't you would see the largest turnaround out of any profession. Yet, here in public safety, most who start here will finish here. Those that gave their lives in the line of duty expect two things from us. First, to take care of their families. And second, to get back in that truck, cruiser, or ambulance and do your duty. Respond to each call with professionalism and never do anything that would tarnish their memory. If you think about it, they're not really asking a lot. So honor those that made the ultimate sacrifice by continuing the proud tradition that they loved. For Gerard and all those that are no longer with us, we owe them that much.
Just a few hours after my last update, Boston lost 2 brave firefighters in a fire in West Roxbury. I found out about the deaths before I went to bed and was not able to sleep that night, worrying about the many friends I have on that department. The next morning I found out that the firefighters killed were Paul Cahill and Warren Payne of Engine 30 and Ladder 25. I didn't know either man, but somehow that provided little comfort. Every line of duty death hits me, but this was exceptionally hard. Boston is only a few towns away from where I work and I know many guys there personally. My wife was telling a friend of hers that I would attending at least one of the funerals. She asked my wife if I knew the men. When she answered no, her friend was curious as to why I would go if I didn't know them. She simply answered, that's what firefighters do. Not a profound answer, but pretty much as good of an answer as you can get. Thousands of firefighters showed up to both funerals in rather uncomfortable weather just because they had to. There really isn't a specific reason as to why, it's just something we do. I was only able to make the funeral for Paul, but did watch the funeral for Warren on TV. Both services were very well done and I commend local 718 on putting this together. For the amount of people that came and the short time they had to put this together, it was very well organized. Somehow I ended up in the church for Paul's service. I'm still not sure how it happened, but it was an honor and a privilege to be part of the service. I also think it's great, that despite our differences, firefighters can put everything aside and show their support when we lose one or more of our own. I saw guys and gals from everywhere. All over the country, Canada, and even Australia and Ireland. There really is nothing like the fire service. I will be posting a permanent tribute to Paul and Warren next week, so if you have any photos of the services or of anything that you think would be appropriate, feel free to send it along. As for brother Paul and Warren, your sacrifices will not be forgotten. Not by us anyway. Godspeed.
I have to say I am truly sick and tired of people blaming the public employees for all the problems of the world. Instead of focusing their energies on the corrupt and fiscally inept politicians we have in office, they instead blame us for the lack of funding. This latest attack comes from an article posted in last Sunday's Boston Globe from a David G. Tuerck, who is listed as the executive director of the Beacon Hill Institute and a professor of economics at Suffolk University. In a nut shell, he thinks that public employees should pay more on their health insurance so that the state would have more money to fix roads and bridges. He further goes on to say that "the problem is that the public employee unions control the state and local government." Really now? Is that why we had no control over our good health insurance being dumped in favor of a cheaper one that saves the town money, but really offers no benefit to the employees? Or the fact that I haven't had a raise in over two years. In the ten years I've been on the job, I've yet to see the town give us any benefits, only take them away. How is this controlling the government? All they want to do is take, take, take, but never give anything back. And then they cut our staffing, so that we have to work at unsafe levels. If we controlled the government, then we would have enough firefighters and police officers on the streets with top of the line equipment to do their jobs. But, guess what? We don't. Maybe a few towns do, but since you're talking about all public employees in the state, then you must recognize the many towns that do not have adequate staffing. Look at other places such as Saugus that just closed a station and is now running out of one firehouse. Or Springfield. The only people that are going to look out for the public employees is us. No one else cares. I like it how people keep sticking their hands in my pocket trying to take more money from me. Mr. Tuerck, why don't you stick your hand in your own pocket and give. I'm sure your annual salary supersedes that of mine and my wife combined. Or perhaps you should look at the federal government who spends billions of dollars helping fix other countries' problems. Maybe, just maybe, we should try and fix our own problems first. Never mind building infrastructure in Iraq, take care of the people here. The ones that live here, work here, and pay taxes here. Stop trying to take more money from me just because I work for a town and not a private industry. Ok, maybe you pay a little more for health insurance. But, many people also get some type of bonus or profit sharing when they work in private industry. What do I get? Nothing. Not even a thanks for coming to a house at 2 in the morning because someone has had a stuffy nose for three days. And, what makes you think that the government would actually use the money saved from me paying more on my health insurance to fix roads, bridges, and tunnels? They've been irresponsible with our money for so many years, why stop now? Maybe they'll give themselves another pay raise. Perhaps you should try working in a hazardous environment and then be told you have to may more for your health insurance. Firefighters, police officers, and EMS people face countless dangers every day and not from the things you normally think about. Hazardous material is everywhere that can make you ill and even give you cancer. People are constantly coughing, urinating, defecating, and vomiting on you. You face needles with God only knows what blood born pathogens in them from drugs users who leave their paraphernalia all over their residences. And everyday you face people that look down on you because they feel they personally are paying your salary. Like I'm a serf indebted to them. Please Mr. Tuerck, come out at 2 in the morning with us and face these dangers. Come out on a motor vehicle accident with us and deal with a teenager that has been maimed or killed. Come out of your office and work in the heat and humidity during the summer and cold and snow during the winter. And then see if you are so willing to pay more for health insurance. Perhaps the next time I get sick from someone sneezing on me, you'll be willing to pick up my prescription for me. Or the next time we get called to move a 400 pound person that needs to go to the hospital, I'll call you. Because I can't risk hurting my back and having to use my health insurance because it might make the rates go up.
My sincerest condolences to my long time friend Tom Pszenney on the sudden loss of his brother this week. Many of your know Tom from his many years in EMS. My thoughts and prayers are with Tom and his family.
I just want to make one thing clear when it comes to photos. All photos that are on my site are used with the permission of either the photographer or someone that has the authority to grant that permission. Now and again one might slip through the cracks, but I go through great lengths to ensure that proper credit is given. And, 99 percent of the photos on the site were sent to me directly. Only a small portion I went and got from a website, which was done at the photographer's request so they didn't have to email me a ton of photos. I do not, nor will I ever, scour the internet and lift photos to use on my site. Aside from the fact it's unethical, I do not have the time to do that. This past week, several people complained to their union accusing me of lifting photos from their union website and using them here on firenews. The matter was resolved quickly as the photographer sent the photos to me directly and I had full permission to use them. However, I was pretty irked over this. No one ever emailed me and asked me about it. They just assumed that I took the photos without permission. This kind of ignorance is why we have so many problems in the world today. People just assume and jump to conclusions. While you might think this is a trite matter to become upset over, it isn't to me. This site has been online for nearly 10 years and I have always operated it with respect and integrity. Anyone that is familiar with this site knows that. But, it's people like this that complain and whine when they don't have all the facts that sometimes make me wonder if running this site is worth the time and effort involved.
Ok, the update is finally online. Sorry for the delay, but the time to work on the site just wasn't there this last week. I've also added a few pages. A did a special article page for many of the great shots submitted from the Uxbridge General Alarm fire. And I've added a photo page for my friend Don Beckwith of California. Don was one of my first friends in the fire service and his father was a Stoneham Firefighter many years ago. He is a great guy and has sent me countless photos, patches, and other trinkets over the years. I'm going to be adding his west coast photos to this page as time allows and hope that you enjoy them as much as I have.
I want to wish my wife Marlene a speedy recovery following her wrist and hand surgery. She had screws drilled into the bone, so she'll be out of commission for a little while. So, please understand that I'll still be updating the site, but I may be preoccupied at certain times and it might take me a little longer to get to certain items. Thanks for your understanding.
Last weekend my friend and fellow firefighter Sean Fitzgerald left with his Army unit for a brief training period before deploying to Iraq. He along with Justin Petrillo from my department, that is currently in training, will be in country sometime next month. While I feel for all our boys and girls over seas, there is a higher sense of urgency when it's someone you know. Probably the saddest thing about this is that just about everyone that reads this will understand this feeling. So many of our family members and friends have been pressed into service. And I know they all serve proudly, although I wish I had a better grasp on what exactly our objectives are. There are so many gray areas that I'm not sure how our soldiers are supposed to do their jobs. All I can say is that I pray every night for every soldier's safe return. I ask that God be with them and help bring them back to us safe.
I figured after nearly 10 years being online, I should have a page where I can pass along info and speak my mind rather than using the news page. So here it is.
First things first, I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable forth of July. For those that have to work, please be safe and I hope it's a quiet shift.
Next, I want to wish the Milton, MA Firefighter that was struck by a car while working a speedy recovery. As if the job isn't dangerous enough without having drunk drivers trying to peg us while we work.
I also would like to thank CNN for the fantastic coverage of the Charleston memorial service. I thought it was great how they took a 20 minute break right in the middle of the service so they could bring us up to date on unimportant news items. I was anxiously awaiting to hear that the White House didn't say if they would close Gitmo's prison or not. That and telling us the space shuttle may or may not be able to land on that day. Given the scheduled landing time was over 3 hours away, I could see why it was so important to tell us that right then. They returned to the service after chopping off the start of the chief's speech. I thought the chief's words were really heartfelt right up until the end. I say that because I don't know what the end was. They decided to cut him off and not show the striking of the bell so they could discuss, amongst other things, the controversy of teenagers wearing baggy pants. A discussion on teens wearing baggy pants and how one town wants to outlaw it took precedence over a memorial service for 9 firefighters that died in the line of duty. And the reason this couldn't have waited another ten minutes would be? This was just the icing on the cake for me of watching emergency personnel receive hand shakes only to be stabbed in the back as soon as they turn around. While to most this was just the news being the news, for me it was a culmination of the general population's attitude. We are important so long as nothing else comes along, regardless of how seemingly unimportant that might be. Heroes in the morning, bums in the afternoon. I ask for nothing other than to show respect to those that died while giving up their lives for others. This is not just for firefighters, but for police, EMS, and especially our military. Give them the respect they deserve. But, apparently this is just too much to ask in this day and age.