20 TO LIFE

In Philly you don't get twenty years for murder...

Twenty years ago today I made a decision that changed my life forever. Lucky for me it was a change for the better. Today the Oberfrau and I celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary. In typical fashion for us it’s a low-key event. Since the kids were in school we got to do one of our favorite things… (not that silly). We slept in.  Then we went to breakfast and shopped for a new TV (ours is on life support). Tonight we may celebrate a little more, but we are both just glad for the weekend off and to be able to spend family time together with the kids.

When we started out we had nothing. In fact my decision to get married was at the time probably one of the most irresponsible things I ever did. No job, nowhere to live, few prospects that things were going to improve in a hurry. I had been rejected by the fire department due to a hearing disability and was involved in a bitter battle to get hired, a battle that I was losing through attrition. I did have one thing going for me: I had a plan that I was determined to follow and I had A’s support to see it through. With her Visa about to expire I had no wiggle room. SO against all advice we decided (after MUCH emotional trauma) to run away and get married.

We met when I was stationed in Germany with the 8th Infantry Division. After my discharge A followed me two years later after completing her schooling. Like every marriage ours has been a rollercoaster ride, filled with the ups and downs that life’s journey provides. Looking back we have done remarkably well and are thankful everyday for it. We have two beautiful, healthy children, we both have jobs, our bills get paid and we have our health. I thank God everyday for making that decision and following my heart that cloudy day twenty years ago. I am as much in love today as I was back then. I look forward to another twenty years with my soul mate. Happy Anniversary A.

Love D

PFD STUDY RESULTS: THE TALE OF THE TAPE

Everette Gillison (a former public defender with no emergency services experience to speak of) and Mayor Nutters hand picked public safety director comments while Fire Commissioner Ayers looks on.

A recently commissioned study of the Philadelphia Fire Department has been released. Needless to say the results paint a picture of a highly dysfunctional agency where rank and file firefighters and medics feel ignored, disrespected and marginalized by a highly autocratic and out of touch command staff. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Below are the results of the employee surveys compiled by the study group.

It defies logic that any agency would allow senior leadership to continue in light of the complete loss of confidence by rank and file this survey indicates. I can tell you from my point of view and in my opinion certain aspects of the study are 100% accurate. On the other hand most of the “solutions” called for by the same study would in most cases make things TREMENDOUSLY worse.

Most of them revolve around Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The system has been inundated with hundreds of thousands on non-emergency calls that are crushing the departments operations. Yet every time our senior command staff gets involved they only make things worse for the medics. This causes morale to be destroyed even further, and so it goes. I don’t know what will eventually come out of this study, but I’m not encouraged. We will most likely re-arrange the deck chairs… as the band plays on. LINK

Read the survey results below.

SHOP TALK: WALKING THE WALK

This is the fire that injured two firefighters the day before last. The video is pretty chilling. Watch closely as one firefighter comes out the front door. He has apparently lost his helmet in the midst of the battle to get this fire under control. Don’t pay much mind to the conversation of the bystanders. Their not exactly right. It is hard to see but there are hose lines already inside the first floor. While it did take a while to get this fire under control, below is a picture of what the fire looked like AS THEY ARRIVED. Note the front door: the fire has totally flashed over and is down to the floor. The fire is all the way through the property as indicated by the heavy smoke coming from the rear visible above the roof.

At this point in the job the first floor has been knocked down. With that much fire, the radiant heat is tremendous. The firefighter who is seen exiting was most likely the one burned and that ‘s why his head is smoking. The sad and disgusting part of this, is that he is now vulnerable to being disciplined by the department for getting burned. He will most likely be transferred as a result of his heroic efforts. One resident was rescued and transported to the hospital and will survive.

PHILLY FIREFIGHTERS HURT BATTLING BLAZE

In case people forgot, fighting fires is dangerous business, especially when resources are scarce, and fire stations are being browned out.

It appears that the injuries are not life threatening. That’s definitely good news.

Two firefighters and a resident were injured Monday afternoon in a Northeast Philadelphia house fire, the fire commissioner said. The blaze was reported at 1:35 p.m. in the 3600 block of Genesee Drive in the city’s Parkwood section, said Commissioner Lloyd Ayers. The fire was placed under control 53 minutes later.

The firefighters and resident, a woman, were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, Ayers said. The fire marshal was called to the scene because fireworks may have been stored in the house. (LINK)

Storing fireworks at home. Never a good idea, kids.

ROCK A ROLLA TUESDAY: BUSH

These guys really rock. Raw video showing Bush at their best.

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

Got our first round of the white stuff. It’s a good bet we’ll get hit a lot harder in the days and weeks to come. Have a great week!

STUFF LIBERALS SAY

Brilliant! Funny because it’s true.

PHILLY FIRE DEPARTMENT: APOCALYPSE NOW!

 

I’ll update this post when I get my thoughts together.

ROCK A ROLLA TUESDAY: PEARL JAM

Great video from the worlds most pretentious rock band.

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY

Happy birthday to me. Today I turn 45 and I celebrated with a nice long nap. Despite popular myth in  this town firefighters don’t get their birthday off. I’ll be in the firehouse tonight. It’s very cold out now and there is a good chance we’ll be working. Anyway I hope everyone has a safe and quiet week.