Side Mirrors

After all these years we have someone who knows how to adjust the side mirrors on your car. I tried this and wished I had known about this hint years ago. No need to thank me but a few donations would be nice. : ) This might even work for the big red rigs!

We're Back

Great Vacation.. England, Scotland and Wales! The photos are from the Edinburgh Fire Museum...Notice the Windsor Fire Shoulder patch!!!! Any idea who sent it?

Google Connects

Google does it again. I think this only works in the USA. Just watch the video and all will be revealed! Sounds like a great service.

Back.. Well Sort Of

Been a long time since I've been active on the Phoenix and I have an excuse. Hey, I always did have an excuse now and again. : ) Jeannie and I have been really busy with the Canadian Red Cross Disaster Management Training Department (And I had the notion that I thought I had retired). Although it's busy it's very rewarding at the same time. Extremely so!
Soooo....I'll jump back in here now and again when I have a brain storm but I find as the days go by I forget most of them. You know what that's like if you get email from Bob McGonigal! There seems to be a thought there but you just can't seem to capture it no matter how hard you try. : )

... and you folks in the stations.... be Safe!!!

Time To Catch Up

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. As you are probably aware the Blog has been kind of slow lately. That's because I just got a new computer and been very busy with all the new technology. This one has Vista on it which as everyone has most likely heard is supposed to be the Edsel of MS operating systems! It doesn't have major probs with it but the ones it does are really annoying. It reminds me of the one guy in the firehall that never really fit in and everyone tried to stay clear of. : ) For example; I'de love to install XP on it but XP doesn't have the drivers for my hard drive and ...... well....you understand. It's kind of like getting something fixed on the engine when you had to reason with Danny Bennett : ) I hope he's doing well I havent heard from him for ages. Anyway... that's why the Blog has been silent. Stay tuned and it should have some more info pretty soon. Be well.

What's New???

And the hits just keep on comin'! The Phoenix has a brand new app just over there to the left of the page! You can now vote on any poll. The first one I've decided is the upcoming election in the US. Go ahead and vote; it's free!

Toronto Propane Fire

The following story was taken from the Canadian Occupational Safety magazine (link below)

http://www.cos-mag.com/index.php/Digital-Editions.html.

As most of you may be aware Jeannie and I are heavily involved in the Canadian Red Cross and the article below is regarding comments made by John Saunders our Provincial Director, Disaster Management & International Response, about Toronto Fire and their exceptional response to the recent propane explosion in the city. It goes to prove that quality training is a very important part of the problem solving practice.

Some experts say the timing has made a huge difference. The first explosion happened around 4 A.M on a Sunday morning when most people are still asleep in their bedrooms.

“It was sheer stroke of luck”, says John Saunders, provincial director of the disaster management program at Canadian Red Cross. “There was nobody on the street, otherwise that could have been devastating.”

Saunders says the quick response by Toronto Fire Services was a huge factor in the containment of the fire and prevention of what could have resulted in more serious, even fatal, injuries.

“This type of incident could have very easily escalated with more multiple explosions had they not acted quickly on the scene. The professionalism that I saw from Toronto Fire is bar none.” says Saunders, whose team has been working with other organizations to provide shelter and clean up assistance to area residents affected by the blast.

New Feature

We have a new feature for the blog! Notice the upper left corner... ? Yeah, where it says 'Followers'? Well, click on that link and follow the instructions and become a follower, alright? If you become a bona fide follower of "The Phoenix" it helps my self esteem an awful lot and gives me the warm and fuzzies. Hummm... to heck with all this nonsense regarding my self esteem. I got lots of self esteem and I get the warm and fuzzies on a regular basis. Click and sign up...I know where you live!!! : )

The Knights' Code

At the funeral for DC Bob Leek his brother likened him to a modern day knight. He read the 'Knights' Code which I found to be very interesting looking at it from a firefighter's viewpoint. We should never forget who we are and what we do. Sometimes a false modesty can be harmful and does little for our profession. We should be proud. Here is the code;

To fear God and maintain His Church

To serve the liege lord in valour and faith

To protect the weak and defenceless

To give succour to widows and orphans

To refrain from the wanton giving of offence

To live by honour and for glory

To despise pecuniary reward

To fight for the welfare of all

To obey those placed in authority

To guard the honour of fellow knights

To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit

To keep faith

At all times to speak the truth

To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun

To respect the honour of women

Never to refuse a challenge from an equal

Never to turn the back upon a foe

Celebrating

Hey... this has been a time of celebration...

• Jeannie and I have been married one year on the 7th of July
• The littlest granddaughter graduated from Kindergarten
• Gord graduated from O.P.P as an Auxiliary constable
• As most of you know George's house was completed
  
• and last but not LEAST.. the blog just passed 25,000 "hits" because of YOU! THANKS!!!
  

15^th ANNUAL RETIREMENT

PIG ROAST

“RAY SEGUIN MEMORIAL”

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9/2008

GLADWIN, MICHIGAN

CONTACTS

DOUG HORSTEAD (989) 426-7425

WHITE STAR (989) 426-8940

ALL SEASONS (989) 426-5600

(SORRY…GUYS ONLY) P.S. BRING LAWN CHAIRS

I.C.E

Has everyone heard of "I.C.E"? That's the contact name in your cell phone that EMS personnel search for when they are trying to contact your next of kin in the event that you have an auto accident or other traumatic event. "I.C.E" stands for "In Case of Emergency". When the EMS person searches your cell they automatically search for "ICE" in your contacts and then contact someone designated to that number. It's a pretty simple thing to do and would do you well to enter a phone number in case you haven't done it yet. All you have to do is choose the number and then label it ICE. Pretty simple.

A recent story of a friend in Michigan shows how the "ICE" was used. Our friend was in a health store reading the label on a product when he suddenly lost consciousness. The clerk at the store immediately called 911 and waited for the EMS to arrive. When they did they asked if anyone knew the patient to no avail. One of the EMS folks found the patient's cell phone and did a search for ICE and found it. When her cell rang his wife thought it was her husband but soon found out otherwise. Because of the ICE entry she was actually able to get to the hospital before her husband and was waiting for him when the ambulance arrived.
Check your cell phone and make sure you have ICE in your contacts.

Hey, We're Still Here

We haven't left the building.. just kind of busy for the last few weeks. We've been rather active with a new "adventure" that we're working on. Keep checking this site for an announcement coming soon.

A Firefighter's Life

Thanks to the Heikkinen's for this one

You stay up for 16 hours He's been up for 48 straight You take a warm shower to help you wake up. The rain in the middle of the interstate keeps him awake. You complain of a "headache", and call in sick. He's chilled to the bone, hasn't eaten all day, has the flu, and then runs into a burning building You drink your coffee on your way to the mall. He pumps on a five years olds chest on the way to the hospital. You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket. He makes sure the pass device on his pack is working. You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you. He watches his buddy fall through four floors. You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls. He walks down the highway looking for the motorcyclists missing limb. You complain about how hot it is. He wears fifty pounds of gear in the middle of July and drags a body out of 1600 degree flames. You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong. He hasn't seen a mea l since last shift ate breakfast. Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes. He's worn the same stinking, wet, grungy clothes for the past 24 hours....no time for a shower. You go to the mall and get your hair redone. He holds the hair of some college girl while she's puking in the back of the ambulance. You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over. His shift ended 2 hours ago and he on for another 24 hours at a station thirty miles away. You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight. He calls his girlfriend to tell her he made it back alive....then leaves abruptly for another fire. You YELL and SCREAM at the engine that just past you because they SLOWED you down. He's in the back of the engine, going to cut somebody out of their car only to find out that their dead and their daughter is barely alive. You roll your eyes as a baby cries. He cries as he hears his new born cry in the hospital.... but he was taking a drunk teenager in when his boy was born. You criticize your FIRE DEPT. and say their never there quick enough anyway. He blows the air horn while the person in front of them REFUSES to MOVE while talking on their cell phone and doing their makeup . You hear the JOKES about fallen firefighters and say they should have KNOWN BETTER. He feels the floor give way while he's carrying an old lady from her bedroom and tosses on to the hard floor and falls into the unknown. You see the bright lights when you go by. He sees the broken bodies lying around the car. You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't. He looks into buying a bullet proof vest because he has been shot at trying to save the shooting victims life. You stay at home and watch TV. He takes his spare time to wash the wagon, restock the ambulance and maybe call his mother to tell her not to worry, he'll be home the next night Y ou crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable. He tries to sleep on his spring board bed but keeps getting woken up by the gong and bell, ah, one hour of sleep, it should do till tomorrow night. You sit there and judge him, saying that its a waste of money to have them around. Garbage truck workers make more than he does, but its NOT for the MONEY, its for the people who DON'T appreciate what he does.

A Different Kind Of Video

Sometimes it's not all about having a laugh at some of our friends. Sometimes it's just to watch something appropriate about Remembrance Day.

WFD Retirees of 2007

Happy Retirement go out to the following folks:

James "accident waiting" Arpan
Karen "PEI Rocks" Morrison
Tim "Help ME" Berthiaume
Al "Big Al" Reaume
Dan "WOMD" Dancey
Greg "I wanna be a DC" Reitzel
Dave "Norbert Nostalgia" Stroud
Tom "Ex Snorkel Driver" Lebert
Al "I hate Fire Prevention" Martin
Don "Whaaat?" Vernes
Bill "I love Peanut Butter" Loma
Ron "Been Trofed yet?" Trofin

You're about to discover the world's best kept secret .. enjoy yourselves and the best of luck to all of you. : )

Firefighters hesitating to risk lives - U.S. Life - MSNBC.com

Firefighters hesitating to risk lives - U.S. Life - MSNBC.com:

"SALT LAKE CITY - Fueled by drought and development, wildfires in the West are getting bigger and more aggressive, creating conditions so dangerous that fire bosses are increasingly reluctant to risk lives saving houses — particularly if the owners have done nothing to protect their property. From Southern California to Montana, seven firefighters have died this year battling blazes that have destroyed more than 400 houses — a dramatic increase from last year."

Miracles Still Happen

Everyone once in a while we need to stop and express our gratitude publicly, to give credit where credit is due.

Some of the Windsor firefighters may have been at the funeral service in Burlington for Firefighter Wayne Topping and knowing we were in the area noticed we were not present.

Well, we were at the HIU (Heart Investigation Unit) of Hamilton General Hospital recovering from a miracle.

Jeannie (my wife of 8 weeks) was admitted for a simple angiogram due to some significant changes noted by her cardiologist. Some of you may know she has coped (very well) with cardiomyopathy (heart disease) for about 30 years.

When the angiogram was preformed the cardiologist reported to her that they had found her problem and that they were going to fix it. When she asked if he meant “now” he replied “oh yes”. It is normal for this cardiac unit to proceed whenever possible to correct a problem while the patient is right there instead of making another appointment. Jeannie reports that during the procedure the doctors and staff were fantastic, always checking her condition and very attentive to her but she did hear the talk of “stents and sutures”. After the procedure we discovered that miracles still happen in a matter of moments. Jeannie’s main heart artery (LAD), the one that is responsible for sudden death heart attacks with usually no chance for CPR, was more than 90% blocked and the doctors began edging a catheter balloon in by millimeters, enlarging the balloon, followed by an 8mm stent. Just as they had almost reached the other side of the blockage the artery tore. This is where credit is due, the doctor and staff calmly, efficiently and, we believe directed by God, inserted a 2^nd stent (12mm) and sutured the artery around both stents in a mater of moments.

We thank God the physicians and staff for this miracle. Jeannie’s goal has always been to dance at her grandchildrens' weddings; recently we danced with them at ours. Less than 48 hours ago it looks like that goal will be a go.

We would appreciate you saying thanks for the miracles your have in your life, either big or small, and of course would appreciate your prayers and positive thoughts for a continued rapid recovery.