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Pitboss Lecture Series - America's Bravest

I touched briefly on the decay of Detroit in my initial lecture when I spoke of the documentary "Burn". I knew looking at the statistics that things were bad, but until coming across this GIF, I had no idea how bad. These are pictures of different neighborhoods as viewed from Google streetview over the course of updates every few years. Its really staggering.
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http://goobingdetroit.tumblr.com/
 
I have to brag a little bit, but didnt want to pollute another thread. When I originally wrote this lecture, I was a Lieutenant. I've since been promoted to my current position of Captain. I found out last Tuesday that as of this coming Monday, February 9th, I'll be promoted once again to Assistant Chief. I'm going to be in charge of ensuring our paperwork is in order with the State, writing grants, and ensuring we have the best rating attainable to help save our community money on their insurance. I'm thrilled for the opportunity, and I've always dreamed of wearing the White Helmet.
 
tsywake said:
I have to brag a little bit, but didnt want to pollute another thread. When I originally wrote this lecture, I was a Lieutenant. I've since been promoted to my current position of Captain. I found out last Tuesday that as of this coming Monday, February 9th, I'll be promoted once again to Assistant Chief. I'm going to be in charge of ensuring our paperwork is in order with the State, writing grants, and ensuring we have the best rating attainable to help save our community money on their insurance. I'm thrilled for the opportunity, and I've always dreamed of wearing the White Helmet.
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Big bossman, now. Congrats!
 
I searched for a 9/11 thread, because I'm sure we've had one before but couldn't locate one. Rather than start another thread, I decided to post this here.

It's 3 hours long, but if you've never heard the FDNY radio communications from 9/11, its chilling. Especially the first few minutes, around 1 hour and 9 minutes (first tower collapse), and 1 hour 37 minutes (second tower collapse). RIP to the 343 we lost that day, and the thousands others who also perished.

 
Good read. You are dead on with the marriage struggles. I was fortunate to only have minor emergencies when I was in. There were no building fires in my 4 years, just grass and minor aircraft stuff.
 
tsy talks about fire...

My marriage is significantly better after taking a step back in the FD. As an Assistant Chief, I had meetings 3+ nights a week plus calls. That alone is straining enough, but coupled with the emotional stress was too much.

I had two close friends who were forced into medical retirement due to PTSD. They both were given disability, and continue to go to therapy. They'll probably do so the rest of their lives. Both had their issues start when responding to a death of a small child. Those just tend to hit you so much differently.
 
In the military we worked 24 on and 24 off with a 3 day break every 2 weeks. If Uncle Sam called during your break you had to go in. That happened a bunch. My first wife couldn’t handle it and I had a bunch of friends that experienced the same.
 
Let me share some stories from my time. I did fire safety training for 6 months. This was my only job where I worked 8-5 while in the military. I had to do flight line extinguisher training. I had a tray that I would lay out and put fuel in (I think diesel fuel) and then I would do the lecture. When I was done I would ask who wanted to try to use an extinguisher and flip a match over my shoulder. It was a neat dramatic deal and everyone seemed to like it. One day my supervisor decided that he needed to show me how it should be done. He leaned over the tray and burned all of his facial hair off.
 
I was a party guy so I was sent to Crete as punishment. The same supervisor was sent to keep an eye on me. My wife had left me and I met this beautiful woman from Savannah on the flight to Paris. We talked the whole flight and really hit it off. We had a layover in Paris and she stayed with me. Anyways, we promised to connect in the States after my 3 month stay in Crete and she gave me her phone number and address so we could stay in contact. The fucker took it out of my bag and threw it away cause I should focus on my marriage.
 
We get to Crete and the fucker tells me what he has done and I’m pissed. He then goes and calls his wife to tell her that we are safe in Crete. She tells him that she was with 3 guys that night but nothing happened. He loses his shit and says he is going to commit suicide. He was locked up in a room under watch and I had to escort him to Germany on a medi vac plane. The Swiss Alps were awesome. I spent a couple of days in Germany before I could get a flight back to Crete. It was pretty cool. I outranked him when I got back to the States.
 
I did a 6 month stint as a 911 operator. A call came in from a 14 year old girl saying that she was going to commit suicide. If someone is calling you there is a decent chance that they do not want to commit suicide. I talked her into opening the front door and getting help.

Awhile later I get in trouble and I’m sent to substance abuse training. It worked out well cause it is next to the liquor store. One guy in the class is brought in with handcuffs and everyone avoids him except for me. We chat but don’t go into details.

Later (probably a year later) I’m on the rescue truck. We get a call to the legal building….first time ever we had to look at a map to see where we are going. Dude has stupid strength and is going crazy in the court room. I go to check his blood pressure and he hits me across the chin. I said screw this. We had 6 men trying to hold him down.

Final story. He was found guilty of screwing the 14 year old girl and sent to Leavenworth. I was there from beginning to end…and a fucked up middle.
 
If you ever wondered. They do come in different lengths. These are probably from the northern US where colder climates require a deeper water main.
 

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MHBDemon said:
Starting the online portion of my fire academy. In person runs March 30 - April 12.
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Get it! It's intense, but remember to have fun. When you get to the practicals, you'll always have at least one or two John Wayne types who think they can do it on their own. They'll be the ones who drop out eventually. Firefighting is the ultimate team sport.
 
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