Old Fire Apparatus Photos

Credit: Rick Decorie

A retired firefighter kindly shared with us his photos of Old Fire Apparatus... thanks Rick Decorie!

Now we want to see your photos of Old Fire Apparatus and Equipment!

Post them to our Facebook Page for Public Safety Stores!!

Here are the rest of Rick's photos... enjoy!

Credit: Rick Decorie

Credit: Rick Decorie

Credit: Rick Decorie

Credit: Rick Decorie

Credit: Rick Decorie

Credit: Rick Decorie

Credit: Rick Decorie

Credit: Rick Decorie

Now share with us your Old Fire Apparatus photos!!

Google Glass

New products are all around us.

• Most become flops, like this Clairol® Yogurt Shampoo
• Others are interesting, like the K2 Multi-Tool Rescue Shovel
• A few take off to be hits, like this Firefighter's Water Misting Station for Heat Relief

So along comes the latest progression of hands-free living... Google Glass.

Its a pair of glasses.  Its a wearable computer.  Its a head-mounted display.  Its voice-activated.  All in one device that sits on your face.  Here's how it feels.

So why do you care?

Well, some people think the product would be useful in emergency situations...

Perhaps our Police, Fire and EMS could also use the product to document incidents and communicate visually with other First Responders... in Jetson Style!

However, lawmakers in West Virginia are not excited about people driving while wearing the Google Glass.

If you have thoughts, let us know!

Most Stressful Jobs of 2013

Last year we looked at the Most Stressful Jobs of 2012.  Those included several jobs in Public Safety -- Enlisted Soldier, Firefighter, Military General, Police Officer.

CareerCast.com just announced the 10 Most Stressful Jobs of 2013.  And the list again includes several jobs in Public Safety:

1. Enlisted Military Personnel
• Stress Score = 84.72
• Median Salary = $41,998
2. Military General
• Stress Score = 65.54
• Median Salary = $196,300
3. Firefighter
• Stress Score = 60.45
• Median Salary = $45,250
4. Commercial Airline Pilot
• Stress Score = 60.28
• Median Salary = $92,060
5. PR Executive
• Stress Score = 48.52
• Median Salary = $57,550
6. Senior Corporate Executive
• Stress Score = 47.46
• Median Salary = $101,250
7. Photojournalist
• Stress Score = 47.12
• Median Salary = $29,130
8. Newspaper Reporter
• Stress Score = 46.75
• Median Salary = $36,000
9. Taxi Driver
• Stress Score = 46.18
• Median Salary = $22,440
10. Police Officer
• Stress Score = 45.60
• Median Salary = $55,010

The most stressful task in any job (according to CareerCast) is being responsible for the life of another person.  Other stressful aspects include travel, working in the public eye, physical demand and danger.

So if you can explain how a Newspaper Reporter or Business Executive has a more stressful job than a Police Officer, jump over to the Public Safety Stores Facebook page and let us know!!

Nonetheless... we greatly appreciate all you Public Safety personnel who faithfully PROTECT AND SERVE your local communities!!

NYFD Firefighters - Rope Rescue

Amazing rescues happen every day.  And we like to talk about them!!

Here are a few examples:

• an Off-duty Police Officer bravely intervened when he saw a man being robbed
• a Firefighter jumped in 48 degree water to rescue a drowning woman
• Firefighters and Navy Seebees rescued a mother and two kids from their car which was teetering over the side of a bridge
• First Responders protect people, sometimes from themselves

Here is another remarkable rescue.

Two Con Edison workers were left dangling 13 stories off the ground when their scaffolding failed.  But NYFD Firefighters were there to rescue them!

Here's the video...

The value of CPR

Randy Stevens, 51 years old and in good health, was home with his girlfriend a few weeks ago... when his heart stopped.

Thankfully, his girlfriend is a paramedic.  And she collected herself well enough to begin CPR.

Randy's heart actually stopped 6 times, while he nearly died.  But Paramedics arrived to continue CPR.  And they gave him 6 shocks from an AED.

Fortunately, Randy is a strong person and he survived.  In fact, he made a full recovery and was home in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with his girlfriend and their seven children!!

Randy and his girlfriend have become strong advocates for CPR training - in every home.  They say Randy is living proof that it really works!

Hats off to Randy's girlfriend, Lisa, for her responsive.  This reminds us of previously mentioned stories where... a team of heroes saved a man's life... an Off-duty officer intervened in a threatening situation... and a Firefighter jumped in 48 degree water to save a drowning woman.

Here's a video of Randy saying THANKS to the Paramedics who saved him!

A Team of Heroes - Dispatch, Police, Fire, Paramedic, ER

Raoul Meekcom lives in Tualatin, Oregon with his wife Sandra.  But last month Raoul had a heart attack which should have taken his life.

However, thanks to 45 minutes of excellent work from the 911 dispatcher, a police officer, a firefighter, a paramedic and an ER doctor... Raoul is alive today!

Sandra called 911 as soon as she found her husband lying lifelessly on the bathroom floor.  The response started with 30-year dispatcher Rita McQuiston coaching Sandra through CPR techniques and chest compressions.

Then Tualatin police officer, Chet Lemon, arrived to take over the CPR.

Then Tualatin Valley fire chief, Mark Cross, came and contributed to the effort.

Then Tualatin paramedic, Jeff Hunter, showed up to help revive Raoul.

Then an ambulance took Raoul to the Emergency Room.

And finally ER doctor, Jerry Tran, brought the effort to a positive conclusion... after 45 minutes, Raoul's body responded!

Raoul does not remember anything from that day.  But he knows who does remember that day... his wife, 911 dispatcher (Rita McQuiston) and the multiple first responders who saved his life!

Check out this video of Raoul and Sandra meeting their heroes!

Hero In Action - Randy Regan

We have featured quite a few American Heroes.  Some who perform on big stages, such as Brad Snyder in the 2012 Paralympics or Vincent Hancock in the 2012 Olympics.  Others who serve in relative anonymity, such as Kevin Killian or the Santa Barbara County Fire Dept.

Here's a story of another gentleman who faithfully goes about his daily work in loyal service to his community.

Randy Regan is a Firefighter and 20-year veteran of the NYFD, Ladder 20.

He says, "I've lived in New York my whole life and you see a lot of strange things."  So when he saw a woman floating on a log in the Hudson River earlier this year (March 2012), he simply knew she needed to be rescued.

He was riding his bike through NYC at 7:30am, headed to work.  He knew the water would be cold if he jumped in to help the woman.  In fact, the water was 48 degrees!

But he took the dive, swam out 40 feet, and brought the woman to shore.  She surely would have been in serious trouble without Randy's rescue effort.  He asked two other women to call 911.  When the Police and EMS arrived he continued on to work.

Remarkably, Randy still arrived for his 9:00am shift a few minutes early!

See Randy's full story on the NYC website.

He's a humble man who plays off the event as just being part of his job.  But this is a great example of how American Heroism preserves and protects our quality of life!

Thanks for your service Randy!!

Check out this video of Randy talking about what happened...

Firefighter Invents a Water Misting Station for Heat Relief

Mike Robinson is a reserve firefighter in Knoxville, TN.

He was experiencing the heat of firefighting, and especially the heat of summer, when he designed a better (and less expensive) water misting station.

As we all know, the summer heat fuels very active wildfire seasons.  Even now, firefighters are battling wildfires in Washington, Northern California, Southern California, Oklahoma, Idaho, Oregon and more.

So Mike developed a water misting station which hooks up to any fire service apparatus with water and a pump.  It blows water through a stainless steel nozzle, which produces a mist cloud capable of lowering the ambient temperature by as much as 30 degrees.  Pretty cool!!

Protect yourself from the heat with Mike's idea, and others such as:

• Cooling vests
• Cooling bandanas
• Sunblock
• and Heat stress monitors

It's been a hot summer with active wildfires burning vigorously.  Year-to-date 6 million acres have burned, fueled by widespread drought conditions.

The heat is on!  Find a way to chill out!

Public Safety Professionals who were London Olympians - Final Results

 

The 2012 London Olympics have come to a close, and Team USA won the Overall Medal Count.

Over the last two weeks we have mentioned many athletes from the Public Safety community -- Police, Fire, EMS and Military personnel -- who were London Olympians.

Two of them earned GOLD MEDALS -- Kayla Harrison and Vincent Hancock!!!

Today we give you the results of everyone we mentioned, and many more we did not have a chance to mention.  Proudly enjoy what these world class athletes (22 total) achieved for Team USA and the Public Safety community!!!

Dennis Bowsher - US Army
Modern Pentathlon - 32nd place

Dremiel Byers - US Army
Wrestling - Quarterfinals

Glenn Eller - US Army
Shooting - 22nd place

Joe Guzman - US Army
Boxing Coach - Various

Vincent Hancock - US Army
Shooting - GOLD MEDAL!!!

Kayla Harrison - EMT and Firefighter to-be
Womens Judo - GOLD MEDAL!!!

Jamel Herring - US Marines
Boxing - Round of 32

David Johnson - US Army
Shooting Coach - Various

Weston Seth Kelsey - US Air Force
Fencing - 4th Place

Ben Lee - Palo Alto, CA Police Department
Badminton Coach - Various

Justin Lester - US Army
Wrestling - Quarterfinal

Charles Leverette - US Army
Boxing Coach - Various

Spenser Mango - US Army
Wrestling - 9th Place

Michael McPhail - US Army
Shooting - 9th Place

John Nunn - US Army
Race Walk - 43rd Place

Jason Parker - US Army
Shooting - 30th Place

Joshua Richmond - US Army
Shooting - 16th Place

Keith Sanderson - US Army
Shooting - 14th Place

Daryl Szarenski - US Army
Shooting - 23rd Place and 28th Place

Eric Uptagrafft - US Army
Shooting - 16th Place

Sandra Uptagrafft - US Navy
Shooting - 28th Place

Jimmy Watkins - Kern County Fire Station #55 (in Bakersfield, CA)
Cycling - 6th Place


And one more time for the grand finale ... GO TEAM USA!!!

Army Sergeant Shoots to Olympic Gold - Vincent Hancock

We have mentioned several members from the Public Safety community who are competing in the 2012 London Olympics - an EMT, Firefighter, Police Officer and Army Soldiers.  One has already earned a Gold medal - Kayla Harrison.  Here's another Gold medal winner!!

Vincent Hancock won his first World Championship in Skeet Shooting when he was 16 years old (in 2005)!  Now at 23 years old he has 2 Olympic Gold medals!!  Here's a look at his history of Gold medals, this does not include the long list of additional medals he has earned:

• 2005 Championship of the Americas - Gold (tied World Record)
• 2005 World Cup Changwon - Gold (set World Record)
• 2005 World Championship - Gold
• 2006 Spring Selection - Gold
• 2007 Fall Selection - Gold
• 2007 World Cup Italy - Gold (set World Record)
• 2007 Pan Am Games - Gold
• 2008 World Cup Suhl - Gold
• 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS - GOLD (set Olympic Record)
• 2009 National Championship - Gold
• 2009 World Championship - Gold
• 2010 National Championship - Gold
• 2010 Fall Selection - Gold
• 2011 Pan Am Games - Gold
• 2012 National Championship - Gold
• 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS - GOLD (set Olympic Record)

Vincent is the first Olympian to win back-to-back Gold medals in the Skeet Shooting event.  He broke his own Olympic Record to win this Gold by hitting 123 of 125 targets in Qualifying, and nearly achieved overall perfection by hitting all 25 targets in the Final for a total score = 148 of 150.

Vincent is stationed in Fort Benning, GA where he is a Sergeant with the US Army Marksmanship Unit.  He is also married with two children.

CONGRATS to Vincent and Go Team USA!!

Celebrate with Vincent and watch this video of him talk about winning Olympic Gold (again!) for Team USA!!

EMT Going for Gold - Kayla Harrison

Kayla Harrison has a history of success!  And she'll be going for Gold in London.  Kayla competes in Judo and would be the first American man or woman to ever win Olympic Gold in this event!!

Go Kayla!  Go Team USA!!

And back home, in Boston, Kayla has more than just Judo on her mind.  She recently received her EMT certification.  After retiring from Judo, she wants to become a Firefighter - she is #1 on the list of hires at the Marblehead Fire Department.  And she is currently engaged - to a Firefighter!  CONGRATS!!

Click here for Kayla's complete story via ESPN

Here's a complete schedule of Olympic Judo events

And check out this video from one of Kayla's recent matches...

Firefighter AND Olympian - Jimmy Watkins

The 2012 London Olympics are here!  Go Team USA!!

One amazing aspect of the Olympics is that these athletes have the patience to train for 4 long years before competing on this famous international stage.  And because the Games occur every 4 years, most Olympians will only compete in them a couple times.  Maybe this is extraordinary to me because I'm (personally) impatient.  But the enduring stories of Olympic athletes are truly inspiring!

So here's a great Olympic story.  Jimmy Watkins competes for the USA Cycling team as a sprinter.  Most Olympians dedicate their full-time attention to training.  But not Jimmy.  He's a husband, a father, a firefighter... and then an athlete.

Jimmy is a firefighter in Bakersfield, CA (Kern County, Station 55).  His experience is primarily as a hotshot (wildland firefighter), so he'll be missed during this active wildfire season.  And incidentally, he went to Colorado Springs last month to train with his team in the altitude.  But due to smoke from the very wildfires he would normally be fighting his cycling team had to relocate to Los Angeles.

Jimmy starting cycling when he was 21 years old to train for his firefighting job, but he quickly realized there might be more.  And his competitive drive now has competing in the 2012 London Olympics!!

Go Team USA!

Click here for a great video clip...  Jimmy Watkins on Bakersfield News17

MLB Star to Become an EMT-Firefighter

UPDATE:  Bryce Harper was added to the 2012 MLB All Star Team!!

If you haven't heard of Bryce Harper, then you must not care about baseball.  Bryce Harper is a rising (19 year-old) star for the Washington Nationals.  So much so that he narrowly missed a roster spot on the All Star Team this year!

But he's not getting ahead of himself.  When asked this week what he would do if he weren't playing baseball, he stated his desire to be a Firefighter.  And in case his job in baseball doesn't work out, Bryce plans to spend the offseason getting his EMT training - so he can "do the firefighting thing."  He said its to give him something to fall back on :-)

Well, its an honorable profession.  Doesn't pay as much as the MLB.  And firefighting is more stressful.    But it's rewarding, which is why a huge majority of the 1.2 million US firefighters are volunteers!  And Bryce knows what he's talking about when he says he'll focus on getting his EMT, since 70% of the calls to fire departments are for medical reasons.

Hats off to Bryce Harper, and the heroes who "do the firefighting thing."

Fire Chief of the Year

Have you submitted your nomination for Fire Chief of the Year?  The deadline is June 15th!!

This 17-year tradition (dating back to 1995) is publicized by Fire Chief magazine.  And the 2012 award will be presented at the Fire-Rescue International Show in Denver this August.

Your Fire Chief is likely a brave individual who takes on many responsibilities - like Firefighting, EMS, managing your Department and purchasing your Fire and EMS supplies.  Its no wonder being a Firefighter is one of the most stressful jobs of 2012!

Take this opportunity to show your Fire Chief your support!  Click here for more information, and check out this video...

A little Firefighting, a lot more Doctoring

As you know, Fire Departments respond to far more EMS calls than actual Firefighting calls.  In fact, an EMS event occurs literally every second in the US!  60-70% of all calls to a Fire Department are for "medical" reasons, not "fire" reasons.

But most firefighters joined the Fire Department not for the gentleness of doctoring ... they joined for the action of firefighting!!

So, to rub a little salt in the wound, firefighters often grow weary of medical patients who become "frequent flyers."  These are medical patients who call on the Department so many times they might as well get a loyalty card and a frequent flyer number!

Firefighters get frustrated that this takes away from their first love - firefighting.  But sometimes their loud complaining can have unintended consequences - by leading Politicians and the Public to believe the EMS function should be privatized.  And perhaps parts of it should, but keep in mind the EMS work brings in quite a lot of money to a Fire Department.  It would be a tremendous loss of resources, and potentially jobs, if Fire Departments began to loose out on the EMS side.

Marc Scrivener wrote a terrific article about this in the Fire Chief Blog.

For now, Fire Departments offer both excellent EMS and firefighting services.  And the complexity of being superb at both is one of the reasons being a firefighter is ranked among the most stressful jobs of 2012.

So to firefighters everywhere ... you do a great job, keep it up!!

Quick Stats on the Largest Wildfire in New Mexico History

The current wildfire burning in New Mexico is the largest in state history.

Here are the quick stats so far:

• been burning for 2 weeks in the Gila National Forest
• burned 200,000+ acres
• destroyed 20+ structures
• being fought by 1,200 firefighters
• injured 6 people

But ... only 10% contained!

Some say this could be a preview of what's to come.  Given the dryness of this past winter in the Western US and several state's drought conditions, this could be an especially active wildfire season.

It is important to be sure the public is prepared to respond to local wildfires.  For example, look at the awareness campaign from CAL FIRE: Ready, Set, Go!

And remember, it is also important to be sure wildland firefighters stock up on wildland firefighting equipment, like turnout gear and other firefighting supplies.

Most Stressful Jobs are in Public Safety!

CareerCast recently ranked the most stressful jobs of 2012.  The factors were things like Competitiveness, Hazards encountered, Own life at risk and Lives of others at risk.

These are the five most stressful jobs (and average incomes):

• Enlisted Soldier   ($35,580)
• Firefighter   ($45,250)
• Airline Pilot   ($103,210)
• Military General   ($196,300)
• Police Officer   ($53,540)

4 of the 5 most stressful jobs are in Public Safety!!

Firefighters, Police Officers and Military serve the public under extraordinary demands ... and now, with super tight budgets and limited resources.

To all of you Police, Fire, EMS and Military members ... we support you!!  Let us know how we can help!