Most of us will spend the weekend grilling burgers and visiting with relatives, or lounging on a beach somewhere, or watching a baseball game in an opulent stadium, overpriced beer and hot dog in hand. And most of us will have forgotten the meaning of the day.

So when you partake in your Memorial Day festivities this weekend, try to remember a few things.

When the smoke from the grill blows into your eyes, try to imagine the terror of the young pilot as the smoke fills the cockpit of his F4 Wildcat, spiraling into the sea off Guadalcanal.

When you sample those pork ribs, remember the Iowa farm boy whose life blood stained the surf at Normandy.

When you eat a bite of potato salad, think of an Idaho preacher’s kid who died with a prayer on his lips, asking God to forgive him for the enemy soldiers’ lives he had taken.

While you enjoy the warm summer sun on your face, take a moment to think of the frozen bodies of American soldiers strapped to jeeps and tanks at the Chosin Reservoir.

When you welcome your niece’s new boyfriend to the table, remember the black kid from Mississippi who died right beside his white buddies in Vietnam, though he wasn’t even allowed to eat in the same restaurants back home.

When you scold your misbehaving grandchild, think of the little boy whose only knowledge of his father will come from stories told by family, because Daddy died on a dusty street in Fallujah while he was still in the womb.

When you fetch your wife another glass of tea, think of a young wife living in base housing at Fort Benning, as she hears the news that her husband died at Ia Drang.

When you invite Grandpa to say grace before the meal, think of young men cut down by a hail of fire from a Maxim at Belleau Wood.

When you reflect with pride on your daughter’s recent graduation, think of a young woman cartwheeling into the sea in her F14 Tomcat after a failed carrier landing.

When you look with distaste at the tattoos on her new boyfriend, think instead of the former gang kid from Detroit who found a way up and out of poverty in the Army, only to die from an IED blast in Baghdad. And remind yourself that what matters is how he treats your daughter, not the ink on his arms.

Whilst you enjoy your beer and bratwurst, remember the 19 -year-old Army private who died in a training accident in Grafenwohr in 1960, one of  many young men who knew they’d be little more than a speed bump should the Russians ever come pouring through the Fulda Gap. Yet still, they served.

When you sit at the table, think of a Navy Captain, a husband and father, who died at his Pentagon desk on September 11. His death was no less honorable.

If you’re traveling today, think of the passengers of United Flight 93, for in a field outside Shanksville they became the first soldiers in our war on terror.

When your boys fight, as boys will do, remember the boys on both sides who died at Gettysburg.

If a loved one can’t make it to the gathering today, think of Mrs. Bixby and her five sons.

While your kids play in the pool this afternoon, think of other kids not much older, trapped below decks as the Arizona went under at Pearl Harbor.

If you have bemoaned the layoffs of friends and co-workers in the recent economic crisis, think of the Navy SEAL who lost every single one of his teammates on a rainy night in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

When you take a shower tonight, think of young men reeking of machine oil and sweat, desperately trying, and failing, to surface their wounded submarine somewhere in the Pacific in 1943.

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I tell you of these things not to spoil your appetite or your day, but to remind you that the things we enjoy in our lives are made all the sweeter when you consider what made them possible.

Remind yourself also that your sacrifice is infinitely easier. All you need do is sacrifice a moment of your time every few years to pull a lever. The way to honor a dead soldier is not simply to fly a flag on Memorial Day. Vote to preserve the freedoms they died defending. Elect leaders worthy of those rough young men and women who stand ready to do violence on your behalf.

And stop by your local Veteran’s Cemetery and put out some flowers on the grave of your choice. It need not even be the grave of someone you know.

Bring your children along, and explain to them why. It’s important.

THE SCENARIO:  You are dispatched to a late night smoke detector and burglar alarm activation in a strip center.  You arrive to find this!  (Just pretend there aren’t lines and ladders already in place).  WHAT WOULD YOU DO?  Give us your RECEO VS considerations.  Enjoy!

• RESCUE profile
• EXPOSURE considerations
• CONFINEMENT issues
• EXTINGUISHMENT strategies/tactics
• OVERHAUL considerations
• VENTILATION strategies/tactics
• SALVAGE considerations

• PLEASE REMEMBER… We want to critique this video, however First Due Friday is a CONSTRUCTIVE tool!  Mudslinging comments WILL NOT be posted.  Thanks and enjoy!

Dubbed "Britain's Fattest Teenager"

GEORGIA DAVIS, 19, WHO WEIGHS ABOUT 900 lbs., took seriously ill Thursday at her home in south Wales.  She was having trouble breathing and suffering chest pains when her mother called for the emergency paramedics.  Georgia, who was once proclaimed to be Britain's Fattest Teenager, has been confined to her bedroom on the 2nd floor of her family's government house for years and was unable to get herself to the barriatric ambulance that had been special-called to the incident.

Thus began an 8-hour removal operation the involved 40 people, paramedics, firefighters, police officers, builders, scaffolding crews, and social service workers.  It began at 9 am when the construction crew started cutting a 10-ft. by 10-ft. hole in the exterior wall of the house while others demolished an interior wall between the bedroom and the front wall.

Wales News Service

Next the scaffolders erected a 20-ft.-long bridge from the hole to the elevated street out front and constructed support structure for the ramp to hold the 1/2-ton weight load.  Special braces were set up inside the house to keep the roof from collapsing over the missing wall.

The Sun

A crane was brought in to lift the young woman out of the building and place her on the special cot that weighs about 500 lbs. itself.

Around 5 pm the journey to the hospital was finally underway.  This morning she is reported to be "very ill."  No other information was disclosed.

For more details and photos of this story read the account in The Sun HERE.
Wales Online has a more detailed STORY HERE.

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photo from WDBJ 7

A school bus in Botetourt County rolled over at approx. 08:20 am on Wednesday morning  (5/23/2012).

The bus had 39 students and the driver aboard.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation but it is believed to have been related to an on board argument.  The driver, it’s said; was distracted and looking into the rear view mirror prior to the accident.

That driver, Mary Elizabeth Esque of Eagle Rock Virginia; has been charged by Virginia State Police with “Reckless Driving”. She has also been temporarily suspended from her duties as a driver while the investigation continues. She has no prior driving citations.

Follow and “LIKE” Ironfiremen.com of Face Book HERE 

The bus involved was not equipped with seat belts or safety restraints.  Of the 39 students aboard, 13 were transported to local hospitals with what has been described as minor injuries. The call to 911 actually came from one of the on board students as the driver worked to remove others from the overturned vehicle.

Listen to the 911 call , video and more HERE

PHOTOS from WDBJ 7 HERE

The incident was one of the first “tests” for the newly hired Carr Boyd ( related article HERE ).

Boyd was recently hired as the County’s Emergency Services Director despite a lot of opposition and controversy from local Volunteer Chiefs.

This MCI ( Mass Casualty Incident ) was apparently handled very smoothly and efficiently. Responding units were Botetourt’s career staff from Fincastle and Read Mountain Stations, volunteer members / equipment from Fincastle, Eagle Rock and Troutville, and mutual-aid from Roanoke County.

The Incident Commander was Division Chief Jason Ferguson.

I’m happy to see that the hiring of Carr Boyd has not resulted in the ” hurt feelings and busted noses” as suggested by Buchanan’s Volunteer Fire Chief Billy Joe Carter.

Read “Volunteer vs. Paid… Respect my Authoritah !!“

The search for this position drew a lot of attention to Botetourt County’s Emergency Services (mostly here on Ironfiremen.com).  For many, it was an unneeded position. With a “school yard” type attitude, most of the opposition to the position was due to the fact that the Director has the authority to assume Command of an Emergency Incident. Some of the Volunteer Chiefs felt as if the new Director would exercise this authority and take command of all of “their” Incidents.

It almost seemed like their concern was more for their “ego” rather than the citizens and visitors of Botetourt County. Sadly, my investigation into the issue brought to light several more serious issues in Botetourt County Emergency Services.

Read “Volunteer Leadership“

For more from Ironfiremen.com, use the search box (top right) and keyword “Buchanan”

The fact that Boyd did not “take” command of this incident says a lot to me about his tactics. Obviously, Chief  Ferguson was able to and DID handle the situation appropriately. Boyd did not “take” command because he “out ranked” Ferguson …. it was about competence.  I believe Boyd would have handled himself in the same manner had a volunteer Chief been in “command” and doing a good job.

I think Director Boyd “passed” his first test and is doing a good job thus far. I look forward to seeing what improvements he can bring to Botetourt County and their provision of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

My child was not on that bus but to every member and Department represented on scene … THANKS and WELL DONE!

Is your Department ready to handle a school bus accident, roll over or extrication? We have a GREAT source of information for you right here on the Fire/EMS Blog Network…..

Click to visit “First Due Tackle“

Stay SAFE and in House!

Captain Wines

For complete A to Z on how the pedestrian airbag works, check out the Technology update May 2012 | PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION AIRBAG from our friends over at Moditech.

Moditech’s extrication expert Jörg Heck provides a quick reminder for us. “Switching the ignition to the off position and, if possible, isolating the vehicles electrical system are very important measures to keep in mind. In addition, rescuers should always maintain a safety distance from an undeployed pedestrian protection airbag, while working on the crashed vehicle with heavy equipment. Therefore it’s essential to know what’s inside!”  Remember as more safety features are added rescuers need to keep learning and adding to their mental toolbox!

Volvo is not the only auto maker with pedestrian airbags, the 2014 BMW X5 will have one!

Serious Allegations Presented

THE FORMER FIRE CHIEF OF NEW HAMPTON, New Hampshire Fire Department, David Clement, 53, has been indicted on 12 counts of sexual assault in Merrimack County.  Court records identify the victim as a relative of Clement's.  These charges are in addition to similar charges that have been filed in Belknap County, according to the Merrimack County Attorney.  The Concord Monitor is reporting:

Clement retired from the New Hampton Fire Department in 2008.

The sexual assaults began in May 2002, when the victim was about the age of 8, and continued as late as July 2011, the indictments allege.

Five of the charges are "pattern sexual assault," meaning the alleged actions occurred on more than one occasion. The indictments charge that the assaults took place in Loudon.

Murray said the investigation began in Belknap County and that authorities there then referred allegations of abuse they believed happened in Loudon to Merrimack County investigators.

Clement is scheduled to be arraigned on June 6.  Read the entire report in the Concord Monitor HERE.

Hat tip:  Mark Donovan

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Friday Morning – Holiday Weekend Approaches

We have a couple of announcements that have a historical bent to them today.  To lead it off, it has been pointed out to us that a manuscript important to the history of firefighting in the U. S. was recently uncovered.  It is a 4-inch wide by 10-inch long list of the members of Ben Franklin's volunteer fire company, The Union.  The country's leading manuscript collector and dealer, Tom Lingenfelter of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, was going through a thick pile of assorted papers.  History.com – the website for the History Channel cable tv channel – has an article about this that tells:

Lingenfelter came across the list of Union Fire Company members while sifting through his enormous collection of historical manuscripts. "It got my attention when I saw Ben Franklin’s name on the list," Lingenfelter said. "It was in a pack of old business papers, and I don’t remember where I got it." He said the papers seem to have belonged to Union Fire Company cofounder Joseph Paschall, a prominent merchant and member of Philadelphia’s Common Council. Paschall, whose name appears first on the roster, served as the fire brigade’s clerk.

Roughly 10 inches long and 4 inches wide, the paper features the names of 26 men, scrawled in ink under the heading "The List of the Names of the Union Fire Company." Each name is marked with Xs in pencil and pen, an indication that the list might have functioned as an attendance sheet.

By comparing the collection of names to the Union Fire Company’s book of minutes, Lingenfelter concluded that the document dates to 1736, the year of the department’s founding. He said that the group’s rules, also recorded in the minutes, offer a potential reason for the list’s existence: Each member was required to keep two copies of the roster. This particular copy likely belonged to Paschall and appears to be in his handwriting, Lingenfelter said.

Read the entire article HERE.  It includes a brief history of the Union Fire Company as well.  Lingenfelter operates his manuscript business through his website Heritage Collectors' Society and on the page announcing this treasure he writes:

At the time this list was made, Paschall was serving as the Union’s clerk. The job of clerk rotated monthly between members, as did the position of names on the list. Since Paschall’s name headed this list, he was the current clerk of the company. It most certainly was the list he carried with him as is evidenced by the folds in the paper. A lack of holes indicates that it had never been posted. Additionally, the list matches the sequence of members recorded in the manuscript minute book of the Union Fire Company now in possession of the Library Company of Philadelphia signifying that Paschal was the Company’s first clerk.

To read more, go to his webpage HERE.  It's for sale, so if you think you'd like to buy it for your personal collection, click on over and send Tom your inquiry.

Tom Lingenfelter image

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The other historical note for today comes from an obituary notice from The Telegraph on Wednesday.  The lead sentence tells it all:  Eugene Polley, the inventor of the television remote control and the man hailed as the founding father of the modern couch potato, has died aged 96.

Mr. Polley spent his working career with Zenith Electronics, joining Zenith Radio in 1935 where he invented and developed new technologies for his employer.  He had 18 patents registered over his career and the Flash-A-Matic television remote control is the one he will always be most closely associated with.  The Telegraph's obit. tells us:

During World War II, he dedicated himself to developing US military radar systems with the company, and later worked on newly-invented video disks and push-button car radios.

In 1997, he was presented with an Emmy Award alongside Space Command inventor Robert Adler for pioneering wireless remote control devices for consumer television.

Mr Polley was said to have been rightly proud of his invention, keeping the original remote control to show to visitors to his home in latter years.

It is difficult to list all the scores of related appliances and gadgets that are still benefitting from Polley's invention.  You can read the entire obituary HERE.

Isn't it a shame that people who create the things that are more universally a part of our everyday lives are so often forgotten?  So write his name down and sometime during your holiday weekend when you are with a group of friends or relatives, hoist a drink and dedicate a toast to Eugene Polley.  And don't forget the real reason for this holiday, the remembrance of those brave military members who gave their lives to preserve our great nation and this wonderful quality of life that we are allowed to pursue.

And let's not forget that we need to get this equipment checked out, either.  While you get started with that, I'll make sure we have a fresh pot started.  See you back in the day room.

There was no NHL playoff game last night, so no update today.  Rangers vs. Devils tonight at 8 pm Eastern on NBCSN.

Note #2:  If you haven't checked back to our posting yesterday about the dump truck into the firehouse in Pennsylvania,  scroll down or go HERE to see the additional photos and the surprising discovery of a car and driver mashed up under the truck's cab and burned up.

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We found this video on youtube.  It was used at a FF1 class and we felt it was important to pass it along.  We want everyone to buckle up and drive safely.  Click here for additional information.

Stories From the Street:

"One minute you're on top of the world, the next the world is on top of you."

http://www.emsworld.com/article/10720979/stories-from-the-streets-fleeting-greatness

Today Providence, tomorrow, the world!