The Intrepid Firefighter Always Fight Fire With Fired-up Courage

...The Intrepid Firefighter Always Fight Fire With Fired-up Courage
Just as firefighter Jimmy Santos closes his weary ash-colored eyes and places his head on the narrow cot in his lower Manhattan firehouse, the sirens began to wail. He immediately jumps up and reaches for his fire-proof coat, hastily throwing it on over the rest of his uniform, one that still reeks of smoke from the office complex that was ablaze just hours before. He slides down his firehouse's pole, picks up the remainder of his gear, and joins the rest of his company, who are clambering onto their fire truck.
"Where's the fire?" Jimmy asks, as the truck's red lights begin swirling.
"Over on 13th and Sixth," his Captain replies. Why does that location sound familiar, Jimmy wonders. Sixth and 13th, he says to himself, trying to jog his memory, which has been kind of foggy of late. Four major fires in two days will do that, he knows.
"Is the ARA Corporation at 13th and Sixth?" he yells above the clamor, coming to his senses.
"Yeah, apparently something in their kitchen caught on fire," the captain shouted back. "Most of the employees evacuated, but a few people are stuck there."
"Oh, no. That's where my brother's wife, Christine, works!" Jimmy exclaims. He doesn't mention that she's also pregnant. He needs to stay focused on rescuing all individuals and stabilizing the building. Since 9/11 and the horror that he witnessed and survived as he watched the Twin Towers fall, he is still having a hard time concentrating. You need to focus, he reminds himself, as he feels his head begin to throb. His brother needs his help. Maybe I should call him, Jimmy thinks fleetingly. No, that would worry him more. He decides that he'll find Christine and bring her home to the small Cape Cod house she and his brother just moved into, a few streets away from his own duplex where he lives, upstairs from his parents. Think good thoughts, he says to himself.
The smell of smoke reaches Jimmy's nostrils, and he turns his head up. He can see the flames clearly, as they begin to engulf what looks to be the third floor. As soon as the fire truck pulls up alongside the six-story building, Jimmy looks quickly at the evacuees congregated across the street. No Christine. "How many are missing?" he asks the police officer waiting for them.
"Looks like three men and one pregnant woman," the policewoman replies. "They are stuck in the kitchen and have been communicating via cell phone, so they are all hanging in there. But, hurry--you'll have to go up the stairs. The elevator is out of service." Wasting no time, Jimmy puts on his gas mask and rushes into the building with an extinguisher, a few of his fellow firefighters right behind him. The others douse the building's exterior with the truck's hoses and set up a safety net, in case anyone needs to jump. He reaches the third floor in a matter of seconds and surges through the office, his heart pounding. "Christine, can you hear me?" he yells, as he pulls the pin from the fire extinguisher and begins trying to put out the blaze. He can't see a thing, including his guys--the smoke is just too thick. Why isn't anyone answering, he wonders, panicking. Beams above him start to shake, and he realizes he does not have much time. Heading in the direction of the greatest heat, he nearly stumbles on four crouched bodies. He touches what looks like Christine's blond head, and her petrified eyes look up at him. "Jimmy! Thank God!"
"We have to move fast," he urges, as he instructs Christine's three co-workers to move behind him while he and the other firefighters fight the flames that have practically filled the office's kitchen. As soon as Jimmy sees a window, he proceeds to open it and sticks his head out, looking for the safety net below. He spots it as his company sees him at the window. Jimmy signals them to place the net directly below him. He then guides the three businessmen, who are coughing heavily, to the window, and tells them how and where they must jump. At the same time he lifts Christine, who is clutching her belly and staggering. "We're all going to get out of here fine!" he shouts to everybody. "Let's go!" And down the stairs Jimmy and Christine go, while the rest of the firefighters help the businessmen, who are about to jump into the safety net below.
Two minutes later, Jimmy and Christine are safely outside. After placing Christine on the gurney provided by the ambulance corps, who then take her to the hospital to check on her and the baby, Jimmy runs around the corner, soot flying from his normally jet-black hair. He breathes a sigh of relief upon seeing the safety net in place and learning that everyone landed OK. He then stumbles to the nearest pay phone, calls his brother, and lets him know that Christine will be all right as well. It's this bravery, unselfishness, and respect for humanity that makes Jimmy and all the other firefighters worthwhile persons in more ways than a million!
About the Author Prolific author Simeon W. Johnson is a successful author of five books: an entrepreneur With a book and gift boutique: JohnsonandJohnsonGift.com. A former Radio and television electronics technician... He received a master's certification in radio and TV electronics From National Technical Schools, Los Angeles, CA ... He also earned his FCC First Class General Radio and Telephone License

Firefighter Shares 3 Reasons to Select Profitlance as an Online Business Opportunity

Being a Firefighter I work and unusual schedule of 24 hours on and 48 hours off. This schedule is pretty common in the fire service and it offers me the ability to research internet traffic at all times. I have spent a lot of time researching what program I should invest in. I looked at many different programs but they all seemed to simply be an e-book or a very cheap looking website that you had to pay hosting fees for.
Are you ready to start learning about the internet? Well, ProfitLance is ready to share with you everything Michael Andrew knows! This course is very complete. I have learned many important internet secrets from Profit Lance. You can also find the website I created at the bottom of this article. I created the webpage as the result of what I have learned from Michael Andrews site, ie Profitlance.
Here is some of the major reasons why I joined. Let me start by telling you an incredible fact:
According to Internet World Stats dot com, there are 212,080,135 Internet users as of July/07. This is just in the United States. Nielsen/NetRatings has estimated that this is approximately 2/3 of the entire population of the United States! Any percentage of this type of number could mean significant revenue for your Internet business. This is provided you have the right internet marketing experience and desire. You learn everything you need to know in the profit lance course.
In 1996 I paid several hundred dollars for a set of two binders fulled with printed material on how to make a website profitable. I have since purchased many less expensive products in an attempt to extract any tips. Here is an obvious statement that many people simply refuse to accept, "If it sounds to good to be true, it is". I am guilty of getting caught up in the excitement of a new program or a slick website that promises millions of dollars overnight. My suggestion is that you save the money and invest it in a program or course that teaches you and requires you to put what you learned into action.
Distractions have been my biggest obstacle. Here is the first rule that seems so simple yet causes many people to fail! Avoid distractions! Distractions are major obstacles to success, so clear your mind of distractions, find a quiet place and concentrate on what you want to do. If you are on shift at work, retreat to your bunk room. If you are not at the fire station, or at another job, print this email out and read it during a break. Profitlance's e-book section has a ton of self help proven formulas that will definitely help anyone. Regardless of where you absorb this information, it is equally as important to remain focused and have a positive attitude as you absorb this material. There is a ton of information in Michael Andrew's course.
Here is the another reason why I joined Profit Lance and it is very important to understand.
It does not matter if you have not yet decided on what product or service that you would like to sell. Do not let this distract you from your desires. Once you log into the members area you will clearly appreciate how much information he provides and be able to understand how it all works and how you can make money on the internet or market any product. Maybe, the biggest reason I joined is because Michael Andrew actually returns your email! I researched a lot of other programs and encourage you do to the same. I believe a honest person or company should at least return your email. Profit Lance was the only person to respond to my email. This means that Michael Andrews is standing behind his product and has a sincere desire to help.
If you are not ready to join the profit lance course and are still researching your options you should at least start to cultivate your desires and then your mind will be right for when you find the perfect product. I would recommend that you right down a simple paragraph that best summarizes what you want to achieve. Many successful people have done exactly the same thing. One of the most popular books that describe this method is by Napoleon Hill, and it is entitled Think and Grow Rich. It was soon after reading this book, that I developed my own personal motivational mantra that really seems to motivate me to even right this article.
The only question at this point is whether you are willing to make time to create additional revenue? One of the main attractions for me was the ability to work towards the following goals of being able to work from home, set my own hours and provide a great income for my family.

Kids Will Say the Darnedest Things

"Good afternoon, Charlie, welcome to Bart's House Party!”
Charlie blushed revealing his obvious embarrassment. “Hi!”
“You know why you’re here, right? This is National Firefighter’s Week and from what I understand, your daddy is a firefighter.”
The studio audience was immediately captivated by this adorable 4-year old on center stage.
“So, Charlie, tell me. What do you like best about your dad being a firefighter?”
Charlie squirmed in his child-sized chair, shaking his head while giggling … “I can’t tell you.”
Children like Charlie were why Bart’s House Party was the most popular weekly family show. Bart took Charlie’s response as a queue to ask another question.
“Well, if you can’t tell me that, let me ask you another question. What makes your dad’s job as a firefighter so funny?”
Although the studio filled with laughter, his parents were getting a bit nervous not knowing what was he might say.
Charlie had a keen eye for details, even at his young age. Pointing to Bart’s tie, it appeared he tried to change the subject.
“I like your tie. My dad has some stuff with fire on it, too!”
With a surprised look, Bart continued his interview. “Oh? Does your dad have something with fire on it?”
“Yep!”
“Well, Charlie, can you tell me? What does your dad have with fire on it?”
Charlie’s dad was a local hero. This particular year had been an especially difficult one as he nearly lost his life more than once in daring rescues.
Charlie’s mom had always made it her goal to keep life at home light and fun, saving her prayers and tears for the midnight hour when all were asleep. She never wanted Charlie or husband to know of her ongoing battle to trust God for his safe return after every fire.
Charlie motioned for Bart to come closer to him. Bart leaned down as he began to whisper in his ear, careful to hold the microphone so he could be easily heard.
“My dad’s underwear has fire on it.”
Charlie leaned back in his seat with a newfound boldness. No longer intimidated, this little tale-bearer began to unveil his childlike insight.
“I saw mommy do it. She bought daddy new underwear and sewed fire on them. I know why, too! She always says that daddy is cool so I guess she thinks he needs the fire to keep warm … she’s so silly!”
Bart was doing his best not to burst out laughing as he continued the interview.
“Why is your mommy silly?”
Charlie just looked at Bart for a moment with one of those looks. “She thinks putting fire on his underwear is going to keep him warm! See what I mean?”
“I do! Does your daddy wear the fire on his underwear in the summer, too?”
Charlie sighed deeply, “Of course! We have air conditioning! But, mommy doesn’t know that daddy isn’t really cold … he’s COOL! There’s a big difference, you know!”
“Oh? And, what’s the difference between being cold and being COOL?”
As the camera zoomed in on Charlie, it was obvious he was now enjoying all the attention!
“You know! Being COOL is when you’re like my daddy who helps people and puts out fires and rides in a fire truck. Being cold is when you’re outside in the snow!”
The applause was nearly deafening as Bart walked toward the audience. “Ladies and Gentlemen, please meet Charlie’s dad, the ‘cool’ firefighter!”
With the spotlight on Charlie’s parents Bart escorted his parents to take their place on stage by Charlie.
“Tell me, mom, what about it? Is Charlie right? Why do you put fire on your husband’s underwear?”
Obviously blushing, she carefully chose her words. “I’m so embarrassed! I never thought he would tell our secret. But the little flames I put on my husband’s underwear are a reminder to him that my love for him will never grow cold.”
The audience’s standing ovation made it clear that little Charlie was a star that day. Charlie’s mom was presented with a beautiful bouquet of roses as his dad was awarded the “Firefighter of the Year Award” by Bart’s House Party!
Not many years later Charlie followed in his dad’s footsteps as a firefighter. His wife continued the family tradition of sewing flames on the waistband of her husband’s underwear as a reminder that her love for him never grows cold.
It's true ... "Kids will say the darnedest things!"

Presenting - Ralph Noble - Firefighter, Lifesaver and Creator of the Most Famous Mural in the Beach

Michael Prue’s office has been a great source of interview contacts and connected me with some very unique people. On this cold February morning I made the trek into the Beach to meet another one of Michael’s suggested interviewees: Ralph Noble, a long-term fire-fighter with a deep local attachment and some very interesting stories to tell.
Ralph welcomed me into his living room and in a quiet, modest way started to respond to my questions. His attachments to the Beach run deep: Ralph’s dad was born in 1918 and lived on a local street called Willow Avenue. Ralph himself spent his formative years around Warden and Kingston Road. After living for some time in the suburban communities of Sutton and Alliston Ralph moved back into Toronto, and right into the Beach. He met his wife Lida at a dance at the Balmy Beach Club and just got married last December.
His first job was as a life guard at the Leuty Lifesaving Station. In the mid 1970s Ralph joined the Toronto Harbour Police which later became the Metro Police Marine Unit. In 1982 he left the police services and became a fire fighter. Ralph explained that today most fire fighters take two or three year long college programs and only about 20 to 30 applicants out of 1000 are actually hired. Before they even start, many of the trainees already have medical training, defibrillation, first aid certificates and a Class D drivers licence. Then they undergo a ten to twelve week long training program that also includes high angle rescue, which essentially means rappelling down the walls of an office tower. Auto extrication, as it would become necessary during a motor vehicle accident, is also part of the training.
For eight to nine years, Ralph Noble worked in a heavy rescue truck and was involved in water rescue, high angle rescue and specialized works for the Mississauga Fire Department. In his spare time he plays hockey on a fire fighters team, and he sometimes gets to play against his colleagues from the local Fire Station 227.
With the Toronto Harbour Police Ralph participated in numerous water and boat rescues. During his tenure with the Harbour Police there was a 100 foot observation tower at the foot of Reese Street. He added that doing night shift by yourself on the tower was not a lot of fun. Today cameras are facilitating the surveillance process.
Ralph specifically remembers one boat rescue at the National Yacht Club one year in the month of April. Gale force winds were howling and one boat, originally anchored by three lines, had almost torn loose as two lines were broken. The temperatures were so cold that the boat was starting to get covered in ice. Ralph tried to rig it, but that did not work, so he had to jump onto the boat to secure it. Braving the Arctic wind and the bone-chilling temperatures he successfully leaped on the boat and attached the mooring line. His artful boat rescue was caught on camera by a Globe and Mail photographer.
One time in Mississauga, Ralph and his colleagues had to rescue some of their colleagues who had rolled over in their fire truck. A vehicle had cut off the truck which caused it to roll over and trap three fire fighters underneath the truck. Being able to rescue his colleagues’ life is one of Ralph’s most meaningful memories.
The next story illustrates that a fire fighter is never off duty. Ralph was taking a walk with his dog Fiona at the bottom of Kenilworth Avenue in minus ten degree temperatures. All of a sudden he heard a cry, so he stopped; then he heard another cry. Ralph saw a woman’s head bobbing up and down in the icy water, and concluded that this was a suicide attempt. Ralph shouted to the woman whether she would be able to swim to him while another passer-by called 911.
The woman was not able to help herself and was virtually immobilized from severe hypothermia. Ralph immediately took off his jacket and shoes and swam out to her in five degree water. To rescue the woman, Ralph tossed her his dog leash to which she held on and slowly came on shore. Ralph himself was in the freezing water up to his nose. Once they got into three foot deep water, Ralph walked her back to the boardwalk by which time the first police car had arrived. Two ambulances showed up on the scene and the first one took the woman to the hospital. Ralph was taken to the other ambulance to warm up, and he also was suffering from serious hypothermia. He smiles and adds “There was definite shrinkage that day.” He got to spend the entire day at home to slowly warm up his body to recover.
Ralph’s heroic act drew major attention from all across the city, and he received numerous awards for his bravery. Among many other honours, he was given the Ontario Provincial Firefighters’ Award of Bravery, handed out by Lieutenant Governor James K. Bartleman. Ralph Noble also received the 2005 Merit Award as Firefighter of the Year and the Fire Chief’s Citation for Valor.
Another one of Ralph’s significant memories is the 1981 sinking of the Captain John, which was a restaurant ship permanently anchored at the foot of Yonge Street in Toronto. Its original name was Normac, a ship that had served with the Detroit Fire Department and as a ferry between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island. After being struck by one of the Metro ferries, the restaurant boat took on water and a crew of workers was able to keep it upright for several days with pumps. Ralph and his colleagues also went in with additional pumps, but the ship was overcome with water and sank. Several of the Toronto Harbour Police divers including Ralph had to dive in a few days later to salvage the pumps.
A big legal battle ensued between the city and the restaurant owner, and in the end a new “Captain John” was created, using the MS Jadran, a former Adriatic cruise ship, which is now permanently anchored at the foot of Yonge Street. The Normac meanwhile was raised and is now used as a floating restaurant in other communities.
Ralph himself has been drawn to the water all his life and got his captain’s license. With his masters licence he is able to operate boats up to 60 tons in the Toronto Harbour. Ralph also works part-time as a captain for the Kwasind and the Hiawatha, two of the oldest boats in Toronto that serve as private ferries to shuttle members of Royal Canadian Yacht Club back and forth to their Island Clubhouse.
But Ralph’s talents extend beyond life-saving and captaining. Ralph Noble is a gifted artist and has completed numerous signs for stores and cottages. One of his favourite projects was a sign for a Mississauga park that was going to be dedicated to one of Canada’s most famous hockey players: Johnny Bower. Ralph refers to Johnny as “his hero”, and he handmade a sign saying “Johnny Bower Park” which was put up at the park's gate to honour his hero. Ralph even had a chance to meet the hockey star himself and invited him to his house. He says it was a thrill to meet his idol.
Ralph’s artistic pièce-de-résistance, however, and something that will link him to the Beach forever, is the famous “Legend by the Lake” mural at the Balmy Beach Club. For the 100th anniversary of the club’s founding in 2005 Ralph had created a banner which he donated to the club to be used at the Easter Parade. Several magnetic signs were also produced from his design.
Throughout 2005 there were several meetings with the Balmy Beach Club’s administrators because they were planning to revitalize and decorate the wall fronting the Boardwalk. Based on his earlier design, Ralph created a huge mural that stretches more than 140 feet horizontally across the building’s wall. He primed the wall, and did the layout work overnight, using an overhead projector which enlarged and displayed his design against the surface (and attracted every bug in the world). The mural took him about three months of work, and at the end Ralph Noble had created one of the true landmarks in the Beach.
Ralph’s wife joined us and affectionately called him “Sign Santa” for all his charitable design and sign projects. Alluding to his shyness, she also refers to him as a “reluctant smiler”, and discloses that Ralph’s looks often remind people of Pat Quinn, Toronto’s hockey coach, or Bill Clinton.
Ralph Noble is certainly a hero, many times over, and now he has a permanent place in the Beach.

Saving Firefighter Ryan

Simply put, room and contents begin to burn at a very rapid rate during the growth stage of the blaze. Heat is radiated from burning combustibles, then reradiated by the walls and other structural elements. This "thermal feedback" causes an even greater acceleration of heat. Finally, the entire room and its contents ignite with violent and explosive force.
Our culture and its technology have served as a major contributor to the problem of flashover. Up until the 1960's, the average residence contained natural products made up of woods, cottons and other fabrics. Back then it often took a blaze from 8 to 10 minutes to grow from inception to the fully-involved stage. But in our present day world of synthetics, plastics and hydrocarbons, the same room takes only 2 to 3 minutes to reach the peak of fire growth. This accelerated rate of burn has become a major concern for firefighting teams and the officers who command them.
Oddly enough, it was a prevention tool designed to save lives that first brought Flashover to our attention - the home smoke detector. In days gone by, fires were typically unreported until they vented from a window, sending the fastest civilian running for the Gamewell Box. Today, because of the effectiveness of early warning systems, departments are now notified of fires much, much earlier.
Companies now arrive on the scene during the growth stage, entering the structure at the worst possible time, just prior to flashover. Combine this with the standing practice of aggressive interior attack, and one can quickly understand why firefighters have become more aware, and much more concerned, of the phenomenon. The simple fact is - we're seeing it much more often.

Low Tech System with High Tech Results
In Europe, where line of duty deaths, and interior attack, are quite rare, the multi-national fire community was shocked, when in 1987, two Swedish firefighters lost their lives to a flashover incident. In response, training officers in Stockholm saw the need to create an awareness program for the brigade's firefighters. They developed a rudimentary simulator that allows attack teams to identify potentially dangerous environments during the early stages of the firefight. Their primary goal: to demonstrate to suppression teams how to escape a flashover and exit safely.
On the fire training grounds near Stockholm, I prepare to videotape the special fire training simulator designed by the Swedes. I was expecting a high-tech block structure, with thermal sensors, gas jets, and emergency sprinklers. Instead, I'm led to a series of overseas shipping containers, that have been laid out in random fashion to represent various firefighting scenarios.
According to Roland Lindquist, Director of the Raddnings Verket, (The Swedish Fire Rescue Services Board) the system was adopted by all departments in Sweden by 1990. Instructors there further refined both classroom and hands-on curriculum, and today every Swedish firefighter is required to take this special training course. It's dubbed the Swede Survival System, and it's taken Europe, and this nation, by storm.
View firefighting images on Flickr
6,000 miles away from Stockholm, in America's heartland, Indianapolis firefighters carry on a tradition that's been passed down from generation to generation -- mounting an aggressive interior attack. Like so many departments nationwide, Indy fire administration have armed all front-line personnel with the very best in protective equipment. A secure envelope, that guards firefighters from intense heat and vicious flames. But some say that this very same envelope denies firefighters the use of an important God-given safety regulator – the sense of feel. In short, present day protective gear is so damned good, it's difficult to determine when to bail out.
A 3-alarm blaze in Indy's downtown section, found three firefighters deep inside the bowels of the beast. A huge structure, the Athletic Club blaze was stubborn, and difficult to ventilate. According to other interior personnel, the trio entered a smoky room in search of the seat of the fire, but within moments the room erupted in an explosion of flame, instantly snuffing out their lives.
IFD was determined to prevent similar horrible accidents from ever happening again. They imported the Swede Survival System, and since its installation, EVERY IFD firefighter and officer has received extensive flashover training. Many, more than once.
In other departments throughout the USA, training officers have adapted the system to meet the needs of America's aggressive firefighters. Their goal, to show an uncontrolled blaze in a SAFE, controlled atmosphere. And to date, nearly fifty departments and agencies have answered the call.
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