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July 1999 A brand new EMT walks trepidatiously into the ambulance yard. He's not completely lost; he's been a volunteer fireman for a decade. This medical stuff is all new though. He introduces himself to his assigned crew and mispronounces his preceptor's name. He has no idea what is in store for him. The sun is shining, the tunes… Continue reading The Spare (2021)
The tones drop, just like they have for the majority of my life. I've reached the point where I've been a firefighter for more of my life than not. (Scary thought, that.) A box alarm; routine. At least it's not another medical aid.Circumstances conspire: maintenance, a detail. The first engine responds as usual, but the… Continue reading Nostalgia again
I found myself engaged in a bit of reflection today, for various reasons. Then I stumbled across this: Code Red I haven't seen that video in a long time. It looks so old now. I was in Providence attending college and buffing the PFD when it was filmed. In my heart the PFD will always… Continue reading Code Red
And soon the bright flames were wet black ashes and the crackling sound of the flames was quiet and there was only the great purring of the red hose truck pumping water and the bright searchlights of the fire engines making the trees and bushes much greener than they had been before. While the sentence… Continue reading Random musings
July 24 - Now THIS is tailgating. Beth and I went to Skip's Drive-in in Merrimac for their annual Mega-Cruise. There were over 550 cars in attendance, which is actually down from last year's total. It's still amazing to see, and a great time for the price of a burger and fries. Beth is definitely… Continue reading Skip’s Mega Cruise (P365 – July 24)
An elderly gentleman. He sits in his bent car, with no recollection of where he came from or where he was going. Or at least he won't tell us. The collision was minor, but he has no idea why he suddenly made a left turn into a parked car. He can't or won't answer most… Continue reading Memories
Beth and Cricket playing in the yard. I got stuck in traffic behind a group of MGs today, including a '55, a '58, a 60-something, and a 70 something. Looked kind of fun.
The vast lobby of Big City Memorial Hospital bustles in the early fall afternoon. The revolving glass doors let sunlight and visitors in, while keeping the fall chill outside. The atrium soars three stories above; the hospital designers seem to have placed a roof over the space between two buildings, and then decided, “Hey, this… Continue reading Grace
It's a beautiful late summer Tuesday morning. Good Friend and I finish our checklists and head out for bagels in the A9. GF's news pager buzzes. He 'harrumphs' and hands it to me. A plane has flown into the World Trade Center. We assume it must be some idiotic private pilot with a Cessna, who… Continue reading Another Tuesday
All is peaceful. The only sound is the whir of the Coke machine. A window pane rattles as the wind buffets one of the six garage doors. Suddenly, a klaxon blares out. There is a loud CLANG-CLANG-CLANG as the alarm sounds. All across town, men are awakened to the insistent BEEP BEEP of pagers.All is… Continue reading Sounds
Notes from Mosquito Hill 