Posts Categorized: Dcfd
Waterways
As the radio crackled to life, sputtering forth the first clear transmission I could hear in several minutes, I stared at the black plastic clipped to my lapel in incredulity.
Shouldn't we move off this rickety-ass dock before th—
[FLOOOOSH]…
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Excessive habits.
*Note: Patient is stated to be 350LB*
Ugh. The text glowed white on a black background, eliciting inward consternation and outward groans for my partner and myself.
As Medic 19 lumbered up Georgia Avenue, I clicked "enroute" on the computer a…
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“The Lost Art of Firemanship” – an excerpt.
I was recently digging through the supply closet at the firehouse when I came across this withered citation in a battered frame. I had seen similar items littering the walls of other firehouses, but I had never paid much attention to them—nearby,…
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Andy Fredericks Training Days – Updated!
The first day of the Andy Fredericks Training Days was a great success! The largest group ever to attend the annual three-day conference arrived at the communal breakfast buzzing with energy and brotherhood despite the early hour.
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A consulting gig on 15th and East Capitol, NE.
4:06 a.m. - Engine 8 is dispatched on a single-engine local alarm for smoke in the area.
4:15 a.m. - Everyone else is dispatched to deal with what they found.
A great video clip can be found at this link; credit to Vernard Green on Medic 8 at the time.…
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The Best Camera.
You know what they say... the best camera is the one that's with you.
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Resolutions.
It's a yearly thing that I notice in my gym; right around this time of year, the stations seem to be busier, the cardio room is more crowded, and the wife can never seem to find an open elliptical machine. "What gives?" I always ponder, as I turn away from yet another several-deep line in front of a station. Then it hits me, just like it always does.
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Some old history for the new year.
Inspired by an image on the cover of the most recent Capital City Firefighter magazine, I re-read the brief history posted online about the DC Fire Department.
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one city block
"Victim, if you can hear me, keep tapping on something!"
It started slowly, almost imperceptibly. I pressed the headphones tighter to my head with one hand and turned the volume up.
tap... tap... tap...
It was definitely there, and it was …
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APEX 2010
The fuselage tore through the airport's chain-link fence like tissue paper.
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Washdown
The frantic, comical waving stopped as soon as I was within a few feet of him. "She just stopped breathing before you got here... and I think she used to have a pulse, too!"
That's probably a safe assumption.
As soon as MPD's latest hero stepped fr…
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Building Walkthroughs: How Thorough Are Yours?
Last tour, the engine went on a walkthrough of a new building in our second-due area: 2323 Pennsylvania Ave, SE. I humbly offer my writeup of our exploration of the building, and ask that readers contribute their thoughts. What questions would you have a…
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Traffic, heat, and fireworks.
Ah, some of the many things that plague us during the hot months of summer. I worked overtime at E13 (just south of the Mall) the other day, and I witnessed the difficulties of trying to navigate the major arteries in and out of DC. I live in the city, s…
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A physics nerd’s take on technical rescue.
Today was certainly no exception to my eager thirst for geeky science stuff.
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Confessions of a (former) Probationer.
My tags: significantly more beat-up since the last time we saw them.
Yes, that's right. The title says it all; not only have I completed my probation, but I'm willing to share all the stupid stuff I did while I was in that period. Some things are more…
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Trench drill; or, playing in the mud for fun and profit.
One of the unique things about being assigned to Engine 15 is the occasional need to support Rescue Squad 3 in their technical area of expertise: trench and collapse rescue. We're expected to know more than the average bear about the various tools an…
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Early morning basement fire.
I think I'm getting sick... photos only today, with brief captions. All photos © me unless stated otherwise.
/RL
This was our view on approach as the third-due engine company. E15 brought the 400' through the front door and backed up first-due E32…
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Recruit Class 362 on the Fire Boat; a quick photo set.
This past Friday, I was given the distinct pleasure of accompanying Recruit Class 362 to the Fire Boat for their class picture. They seemed excited and appeared in good spirits, seeing as their graduation is just over two weeks away.
(We all remem…
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RaisingLadders Photography on Facebook, Indy, and a few other items.
I've finally put together a Facebook page for the photography business; with the increasing functionality of FB's pages for services/businesses, it's almost like you don't need a home website anymore (don't worry, I won't be discarding RLP.com—I'm …
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Caught another one…
Bobo poking his head in and surveying the damage after the fact. Click on the image for full-size.
Expecting another "food on the stove" box alarm or "nothing found" gas leak (like the last two had been, at 2 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., respectively), I grumb…
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Obstacle courses; also, my farewell to The Farm.
"Shit. Uh, Sarge? There's no stairs back here."
We were second due on a reported basement fire, and we had seen smoke as we pulled up. The wagon had come through one of the legs in an H-shaped alley, and the house was dead smack in the middle of the…
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DCFD Hockey Tournament
Quick note: I've been re-building my photography website and creating promotional materials for several upcoming events, so that's been taking up the majority of my spare time recently. In a similar vein, however, I will be photographing the DCFD Hoc…
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The long-awaited Dublin Fire Brigade update!
A voice rang out from down the hallway, with it's owner appearing around a corner seconds later.
"Hey! We've got a call near the Liffey!
Glenn turned his head from us and cursed quietly.
"Are we goin' swimming?" he asked, tentatively.
"Na…
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Demotivational Posters, among other things.
I've been gearing up for Ireland and redesigning RaisingLaddersPhotography.com, so I haven't had much time for writing lately.
I do, however, have a few gems that I made a while back tucked away for just this occasion—enjoy the photos!
They'r…
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Finally, a first-due job… and a pretty good one, at that.
Our wagon driver's voice came from the front of the cab, punching through the audible mess of sirens and air horns as we screamed a left out of the firehouse.
"It's off! This one's off!"
The other back step guy and I looked at each other.
What? …
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