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Upcoming History Talks

May 11 - 6:30 p.m. - Wake County Firefighter's Association Quarterly Supper / Meeting at Zebulon FD

Aug 13 - Time TBD - South Atlantic Fire Rescue Expo at Raleigh Convention Center

Exciting Recent Posts

Reality Check on Unintended Acceleration (2 comments, already)
Mystery Fence (2 comments, already)
Fire Commission Meeting Notice and Information, March 18
Saturday's Ambulance Accident in Durham County (9 comments, already)
Responders Driven to Distraction
Havelock's New Quint
EMS Arrival at Structure Fires? (20 comments, already)
Reputation Management in the Fire Service (3 comments, already)
Reflections
This Afternoon's Woods Fire in Cary (4 comments, already)
Apex Fire & EMS (22 comments, already)
Recursive
Maybe Some Drivers Really Don't Notice (9 comments, already)
Rob Lowe! Snow White! Merv Griffin!
The Shorn Squads
Heads on a Roll
Morse Code? (14 comments, already)
Caption This Photo / St. Baldrick's (4 comments, already)
Thoughts on the Survey
Razzing vs. Hazing - The Results (Only 1 comment)

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www.legeros.com/blog

About

This is a blog by Mike Legeros. Author, historian, photographer, buff. For your own megaphone, try The Watch Desk. New to this place? Read these Rules of the Road.

Last Comments

Mike (Mystery Fence): City of Raleigh water treatment plant at Falls of…
Guest (Saturday's Ambula…): So here is one way to help slow drivers down. On…
J.Boggs (Reality Check on …): Here’s a thought- PUT IT IN NEUTRAL
Donaldson (Reality Check on …): “Moving Forward” (whether you want to or not, and…
J.Boggs (Maybe Some Driver…): happened today in knightdale… Be CAREFUL with o…
Adam (Mystery Fence): Is that the one by the airport? By the Six Forks …
Look Again (Saturday's Ambula…): Charlie, how do you think that is an Orange Count…
Legeros (Saturday's Ambula…): Thinking more about my idea of a “Slow Down For S…
charlie (Saturday's Ambula…): JAS in some counties respond when requested to 91…
HH (Maybe Some Driver…): I have actually caused a driver to react the same…
work2much (EMS Arrival at St…): Since I work for a Wake county EMS agency I feel …
work2much (Saturday's Ambula…): Why would they have to speed. I guess SHP or Dur…
DJ (Apex Fire & EMS): Dispatch- if you want a soon-to-be-collector’s it…
Wondering too (Saturday's Ambula…): I thought JAS was a convalescent service, so why …
curious (Saturday's Ambula…): What type call would JAS be responding to in Durh…
Apex Batt Chief (Apex Fire & EMS): Dispatch call me at station on Friday and i will …
DJ (Saturday's Ambula…): Mike, I agree.
Joey (Maybe Some Driver…): That’s why Cary has the opticom system. People mi…
Days of Old (Reputation Manage…): In our Dept (Wake Co) we have no leadership to re…
Legeros (Apex Fire & EMS): You mean UNIFORM patches, not radio patches, righ…
dispatch (Apex Fire & EMS): If anyone in Apex can get their hands on a couple…
Legeros (Saturday's Ambula…): You know, you could make a pretty effective “slow…
Legeros (Reputation Manage…): I wonder if a “YouTube test” can be applied to so…
Silver (Maybe Some Driver…): Hey, Hey!!!! I don’t!!
He-he (Maybe Some Driver…): Was that in Cary? I swear I saw that same driver …
DJ (Apex Fire & EMS): OK, AC, so it was a little more that $0.04 worth.…
Brown (EMS Arrival at St…): Johnston County has the ability for all public sa…
dispatch (EMS Arrival at St…): RPD, no problem with your post. I understood wha…
A.C. Rich (Reputation Manage…): EXACTLY... This paper is DEAD-ON the money and a …
A.C. Rich (Apex Fire & EMS): DJ, that was NOT $0.04 worth… more like $20.00!! …
Legeros (EMS Arrival at St…): What unified incident communication— fire, police…
A.C. Rich (EMS Arrival at St…): We have a GREAT response system here in Raleigh/W…
Silver (EMS Arrival at St…): Rook’, a few years ago we didn’t get an EMS unit …
rookie (EMS Arrival at St…): wow…now I’m no expert but that is a safety issue …
Silver (EMS Arrival at St…): Raymond, here in Raleigh, EMS is on the initial d…
Silver (EMS Arrival at St…): When I worked over in the Bull City, when we resp…
Raymond (EMS Arrival at St…): Here in OKC EMS does not go to structure fires un…
RPD (EMS Arrival at St…): Thanks Dispatch. Hopefully in my first post I di…
dispatch (EMS Arrival at St…): Patching is always a possibility but its definate…
gen3fire (EMS Arrival at St…): RPD. There is already to much traffic on the rad…
RPD (EMS Arrival at St…): HEY NOW!!! I resemble that remark (well, not me …
DJ (Apex Fire & EMS): Having worked in a fully integrated EMS/Fire serv…
rookie (EMS Arrival at St…): I will qualify my earlier statements and agree wi…
Silver (EMS Arrival at St…): AMEN!! And/or to stay with their car versus locki…
sd (EMS Arrival at St…): Now if you can teach PD officers to get the crap …
CJS (EMS Arrival at St…): The way I was taught, was that if we (EMS) beat t…
Silver (EMS Arrival at St…): Burns, that’s because we’re too quick!! As far…
Silver (Apex Fire & EMS): Mike S., I’d say MOST fire based systems do. Unfo…
rfburns (EMS Arrival at St…): I’ve tried cancelling fire or downgrading to a co…
Swiman (Apex Fire & EMS): Fire based EMS systems work well once the bugs ar…
rookie (Apex Fire & EMS): Sorry, if they have only had a crash course in fi…
Legeros (Apex Fire & EMS): Rookie, can you clarify your comment? You’re not …
rookie (Apex Fire & EMS): From my experience, it is better with two separat…
RWECC (Morse Code?): Over the past few years there have been several c…
Silver (Apex Fire & EMS): A.C., I guess there are two different type system…
A.C. Rich (Apex Fire & EMS): Congratulations to Apex!! Fire based EMS is emer…
Army OEF vet (Hazing?): Very interesting topic. I pretty much agree with …
CHFD (This Afternoon's …): Chapel Hill runs reserve trucks almost every day.…
CFP 7021 (This Afternoon's …): Rook, it is one of the reserves for ladders and r…
WW (This Afternoon's …): WWFR T-198 also went to the scene for additional …
+ 1 - 0 | § Reality Check on Unintended Acceleration

Speaking of cars driving themselves, which we really weren't speaking about, but, hey, let's pretend we were, here's a nifty New York Times editorial by a psychology professor who makes a convincing case that unintended acceleration is a human problem instead of mechanical defect. Yup, it's exactly as you might suspect. People pressing the accelerator when they think they're pressing the brake. The car starts moving fast, they press the "brake" harder, and, zoom, there you go. Read the perspective. It's good stuff.

+ 0 - 1 | § Mystery Fence

Where's this place? Hint, it's above ground. Second hint, you can get there from here.
 

+ 0 - 1 | § Fire Commission Meeting Notice and Information, March 18

The Wake County Fire Commission holds its next meeting next week:

The condensed agenda. See full version in document form:

READ MORE

+ 0 - 1 | § Saturday's Ambulance Accident in Durham County

As this WRAL story reported on Saturday, a Johnston Ambulance Service overturned several times after striking a ditch on Highway 751 between Hillsborough and Kerley Roads. Both the driver and the EMT passenger were injured, and were treated and stabilized by off-duty Rockingham County EMS personnel passing by. They utilized equipment from the damaged unit. Both were transported to Duke Medical Center. Both were wearing seat belts. No charges will be filed, as the unit was responding to a call at the time of the accident.
 


Greg Hutchinson/WRAL photo

+ 2 - 0 | § Responders Driven to Distraction

Yesterday's New York Times published the latest in their Driven to Distraction series on "high-speed multitasking," this time turning attention to police officers and paramedics. Some 75 percent of police cruisers have mobile terminals, they cite an analyst. And about 30 percent of ambulances are similarly equipped.

The article talks about pros and cons, laws and regulations, and new technologies. New Hampshire researchers, they note, have been developing hands-free technology for police cars. Drivers can operate radio, lights, siren, and even the on-board computer by voice commands! There are also systems that use digital video to automatically read license plates in view of the patrolling officer.

Read the article and discuss as desired. What are your perception of the dangers of "multitasking while responding?"

+ 0 - 1 | § Havelock's New Quint

FireNews finds this article from the Havelock News about the town's new quint, an E-One aerial ladder that's temporarily stored at the main fire station until the new West Side Station opens in a couple more weeks. Read the original article, which includes video footage.
 


Drew C. Wilson/Havelock News Photo

+ 0 - 1 | § EMS Arrival at Structure Fires?

Discussion topic for the day, inspired by the latest comments in the Apex Fire & EMS thread. We've heard from EMS readers that they appreciate a patient status as soon as possible from first-arriving fire units. Among other things, they can cut back to a cold response. Does the reverse apply from firefighters, for EMS units first-arriving at structure fires? Is even a minimal size-up helpful, for incoming companies and chief officers? Obviously, all agency operating procedures apply in this discussion. What say you?

+ 1 - 0 | § Reputation Management in the Fire Service

That's the title of a white paper released by the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen's Association, which is a century-old organization serving members in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The contents of the 17-page paper identifies "social, cultural, and ethical issues impacting the fire service nationwide that demand increased awareness," to quote their news release. That is, bad behaviors by firefighters that damn not only them, but their departments, their communities, and the entire fire service.

Cheating, fire-setting, theft and misappropriation of funds, use and misuse of information technology, misuse of facilities, alcohol and substance abuse, and harassment and discrimination. And in the Internet age, when mass communication can happen in minutes, "actions of a small minority of bad actors can have grievous widespread consequences," they write. What are the action steps? The paper urges the development, dissementation, and enforcement of a Code of Ethics by all fire service leaders.

Read the white paper , copies of which are available at www.cvvfa.org. Also watch in coming weeks for the launch of firefighterbehavior.com, which will serve to raise further awareness of the issues.

See also Firehouse.com and Statter911.

+ 0 - 1 | § Reflections

Engine, engine, ladder in late afternoon. Central Station in downtown Raleigh. Click to enlarge:
 

+ 3 - 0 | § This Afternoon's Woods Fire in Cary

Ten acres of brush burned in Cary today, after an unattended fire at a homeless camp spread to surrounding woods north and west from Cary Town Boulevard and Trinity Road Extension. Reported around 3:15 p.m., the wind-fed flames spread in the direction of houses on Maynard Road, and apartments on Village Greenway. Crews were deployed on three (four?) sides, and contained the blaze within about an hour. All personnel were subsequently sent to rehab, with mutual aid engines called to the scene for relief.

Cary Battalion 2 was command on Trinity Road Extension. Medical monitoring and rehab were at the same location, and two firefighters were transported with minor injuries. Staging was Cary Towne Boulevard. The Forest Service responded, and deployed a plow, along with back-burning. Units on scene included: Cary E1, E2, E4, L1 (riding reserve service truck?), T7, Brush 9, B1, B2; Western Wake P191; Swift Creek Brush_, Tanker 6, Morrisville P1, Fairview E1, two Forestry units and plow; EMS 51, EMS 55, EMS 4, EMS 8; District 5, Truck 1. Pictures by Legeros later. Click to enlarge:
 


+ 0 - 1 | § Apex Fire & EMS

A reader observes both an updated patch on the Apex Fire Department web site (compare with the older patch), and an open position on the town web site for a full-time Shift Supervisor Paramedic for the "Fire and EMS Department." Guess that means the merger is official. Congrats to the newly combined departments. Next question, red over white ambulances coming?
 

+ 2 - 0 | § Recursive

Photograph of photographer taking photograph of photographer. From yesterday's live burn with Falls and other fire departments. Click to see the original by Lee. Or view the whole set.
 


Lee Wilson photo

+ 0 - 1 | § Maybe Some Drivers Really Don't Notice

Statter911 surfaces this provoking video from Firefighter Close Calls. Read Dave Statter's commentary on same. Is it really possible that the driver didn't hear the horn and siren, nor see the large red object appearing closer in his rear view mirror? Or are simply seeing an [anal opening] in action?
 
 

+ 1 - 0 | § Rob Lowe! Snow White! Merv Griffin!

Here's your Oscar warm-up, the jaw-dropping opening to the 1989 Academy Awards ceremony. Like the proverbial train wreck, you don't dare turn away. As many may know, Mr. Blogger was once Mr. Movie Reviewer. He "retired" from that vocation in 2001, after about 1,100 reviews posted on USENET and the web. Phew, there were some bad movies in that bunch.
 

+ 0 - 1 | § The Shorn Squads

Here are some of the public safety teams that participated in head shaving for St. Baldrick's at Napper Tandy's yesterday. Have a group photo to add? Send and we'll add! Left to right, top to bottom: Firefighters for Kids, Garner FD, Durham Highway FD, Stony Hill FD. Click to enlarge:
 


+ 1 - 0 | § Heads on a Roll

More fun with clippers at Napper Tandy's yesterday. Fathers and sons, fire and police, and great support from everyone. First and foremost the spouses! No cameras were harmed during the making of this montage. Read about the St. Baldrick's Foundation. See a list of the public safety teams. Click once or twice for super-size, super-scary version:
  

+ 0 - 1 | § Morse Code?

What are those morse code-sounding beeps we've been hearing on Headquarters for the last week or two? Seems like they started after the CAD upgrade, though I am sure I have heard them before? Those in the know, please dash off an answer!

+ 1 - 1 | § Caption This Photo / St. Baldrick's

A number of fire departments and firefighters trimmed their tops today for children's cancer at Napper Tandy's. Here's an optical illusion from eastern Wake County. Watch for more charitable fun at folk's expense. Large time had by all. Click to enlarge:
 

+ 1 - 1 | § Thoughts on the Survey

Where to begin, where to begin? Well, first and foremost, the hazing discussion and subsequent survey prompted a personal reaction. For several days, memories of my first few (and only few) years in the fire department flooded back. The looking glass brought retroactive understanding, both intellectual and emotional, about that formative period.

Career firefighter in Raleigh in 1989. Was I razzed? Some. Was I hazed? No. Was the station family challenging to understand and integrate into? You betcha. Yours Truly had zero awareness of the fire service back-end, and the subtle (and overt) nuances of the station family was a brave new world.

That's also a perspective seen in survey and blog comments. More people are entering the profession from outside occupations, noted one survey respondent. Does that make them less-suited for station life? Or maybe just a learning curve that's a little steeper?

Now let's apply that to the survey. What do the questions and answers look like to an outsider? For someone who wants to be a firefighter, they might be taken in stride. What about the rest of the world? What's a city manager, county official, newspaper editor, civic leader, or regular citizen to think, should they read those questions and comments? 

Yet, in the confined space of a fire station, hard play happens. People pick. Bonds form. Families become.

Another issue is the law, which we haven't discussed. Which of those behaviors in our survey are illegal? As one comment notes, restrained and unwanted physical contact is assault. (And which about 90% of respondents labeled as hazing.) For those chiefs and/or human resources officers reading, what's your (or your department's) tolerance for illegal behavior? Is the aforementioned behavior grounds for demotion or dismissal?

READ MORE

+ 2 - 0 | § Razzing vs. Hazing - The Results

Here are the results on our suvey on hazing.

Here's the original discussion.

Analysis and commentary at a later time.

Total of 104 responses, with 24 comments.

Thanks for participating.

Group hug.

+ 1 - 1 | § Caption This Photo / Millbrook Road Sinkhole

Meanwhile yesterday afternoon, a city bus suffered a sagging butt on Millbrook Road, due to a sinkhole created by a water main break. As this WRAL story reports, seven passengers and the driver were aboard when they started feeling that sinking feeling. Police detoured traffic around the site, between Auburn Road and Ivy Lane. Repairs were completed some time later. Unknown if the displaced passengers called disbelieving friends to tell of their hole problem, and were told "you're all wet." Thank you, and good night.
 


WRAL photo