December 31, 2004
Tsunami Bloggers
December 30, 2004
"Beyond Tuesday Morning"
More tributes for firefighters
Link to NY Daily News
'Beyond Tuesday Morning' by Karen Kingsbury.
Testimonials from New York firefighters touched by a novel about 9/11 will be cited in the promotion of a sequel due next month.
Karen Kingsbury's "Beyond Tuesday Morning," whose cover shows a windswept view of lower Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry, will continue the story begun in "One Tuesday Morning," published last year.
Jamie Bryan, widow of a firefighter who died in the collapse of the twin towers, is now a volunteer at St. Paul's Chapel, the 9/11 memorial and spiritual oasis near Ground Zero.
She's pulled her life back together, but a chance meeting at St. Paul's with a visiting Los Angeles policeman, with whom she feels an unexpected connection, challenges her to look forward, not back.
Copies of "One Tuesday Morning" - characterized as an "inspirational romance" by Publishers Weekly, and became a best-seller in the Christian book market - were sent by Kingsbury and her family to New York firehouses.
"We lost seven good men on that day and I also was almost killed," a firefighter wrote back.
"For the last two years, I have been in a dark place, a place that was not good for me or my family," he added. "But now you have made me see the light I have been looking for."
The prolific Kingsbury writes for three publishers. After "Beyond Tuesday Morning," due from Zondervan, her novel "A Thousand Tomorrows" will introduce Time Warner Book Group's Center Street imprint next spring."
'Beyond Tuesday Morning' by Karen Kingsbury.
Testimonials from New York firefighters touched by a novel about 9/11 will be cited in the promotion of a sequel due next month.
Karen Kingsbury's "Beyond Tuesday Morning," whose cover shows a windswept view of lower Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry, will continue the story begun in "One Tuesday Morning," published last year.
Jamie Bryan, widow of a firefighter who died in the collapse of the twin towers, is now a volunteer at St. Paul's Chapel, the 9/11 memorial and spiritual oasis near Ground Zero.
She's pulled her life back together, but a chance meeting at St. Paul's with a visiting Los Angeles policeman, with whom she feels an unexpected connection, challenges her to look forward, not back.
Copies of "One Tuesday Morning" - characterized as an "inspirational romance" by Publishers Weekly, and became a best-seller in the Christian book market - were sent by Kingsbury and her family to New York firehouses.
"We lost seven good men on that day and I also was almost killed," a firefighter wrote back.
"For the last two years, I have been in a dark place, a place that was not good for me or my family," he added. "But now you have made me see the light I have been looking for."
The prolific Kingsbury writes for three publishers. After "Beyond Tuesday Morning," due from Zondervan, her novel "A Thousand Tomorrows" will introduce Time Warner Book Group's Center Street imprint next spring."
December 29, 2004
Tsunami -- Satellite view of beach before and after
December 25, 2004
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
To all the readers and surfers who pass through here Merry Christmas!
Enough of this "happy holidays" bs. No political correct, athiest, secular, ACLU pleasing or wannabe culture changing anti-American bs tolerated here.
God bless America and our brave troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Enough of this "happy holidays" bs. No political correct, athiest, secular, ACLU pleasing or wannabe culture changing anti-American bs tolerated here.
God bless America and our brave troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
December 21, 2004
Perfect Christmastime firefighter series
Firefighters are a band of brothers
By Erin Smith/ Staff Writer, Townline.com
Friday, December 17, 2004
(This is the first in a series of stories about the fire stations in Allston and Brighton.)
Monstrous plumes of black smoke fill the air, and the enveloping darkness only seems to amplify the roar of the inferno gnawing at the walls of the house.
But an experienced firefighter knows the ears are more reliable than the eyes in detecting flames.
"It's not like TV. You can't see your hand in front of your face," said Lieutenant Charles Popp of the Union Square firehouse, Ladder 14 and Engine 41.
Popp, like many seasoned firefighters, has learned to rely on the temperature his ear lobes to gauge his distance from the flames. The ear lobes, an important tool of the trade, tell firefighters the location of the fire's center.
In fighting fires, location is everything. If a hose is too far away from the blaze, water might not reach far enough to extinguish the flames, but getting too close to the fire's center could be life threatening.
"The worst part of the fire is the beginning when you're going through the door because you can't see and I think, 'I don't have to be here,'" said Popp.
But Popp, who began working as a firefighter 20 years ago, is also quick to add how much fun he has fighting fires.
In recent times, fires in Allston-Brighton have been few and far between after decades of aggressive fire prevention campaigns and improved safety equipment. Fire companies now spend most of their time responding to medical emergency calls.
The tools have also changed. Firefighters' protective jackets now have three layers of fire-resistant material in place of the former rubber raincoat material; oxygen tanks with masks are now a requirement; and compressed-air foam now often flows through the hoses instead of water. A computer laptop inside the truck even receives 911 addresses and messages from dispatch.
But despite all the technology upgrades, "The Brotherhood" itself has largely remained unchanged. Firefighters at the Union Square station spend so much time together during and after work that they tend to be more like close-knit families than co-workers, teasing their newest brothers with embarrassing nicknames, like "Okie."
During the long hours between alarm calls, the members of Ladder 14 and Engine 41 sit down at the station's long wooden dining table after working together to cook family-style dinners of spaghetti or ribs. Shift families root for the Red Sox together on game ...................(click title bar to continue!)
By Erin Smith/ Staff Writer, Townline.com
Friday, December 17, 2004
(This is the first in a series of stories about the fire stations in Allston and Brighton.)
Monstrous plumes of black smoke fill the air, and the enveloping darkness only seems to amplify the roar of the inferno gnawing at the walls of the house.
But an experienced firefighter knows the ears are more reliable than the eyes in detecting flames.
"It's not like TV. You can't see your hand in front of your face," said Lieutenant Charles Popp of the Union Square firehouse, Ladder 14 and Engine 41.
Popp, like many seasoned firefighters, has learned to rely on the temperature his ear lobes to gauge his distance from the flames. The ear lobes, an important tool of the trade, tell firefighters the location of the fire's center.
In fighting fires, location is everything. If a hose is too far away from the blaze, water might not reach far enough to extinguish the flames, but getting too close to the fire's center could be life threatening.
"The worst part of the fire is the beginning when you're going through the door because you can't see and I think, 'I don't have to be here,'" said Popp.
But Popp, who began working as a firefighter 20 years ago, is also quick to add how much fun he has fighting fires.
In recent times, fires in Allston-Brighton have been few and far between after decades of aggressive fire prevention campaigns and improved safety equipment. Fire companies now spend most of their time responding to medical emergency calls.
The tools have also changed. Firefighters' protective jackets now have three layers of fire-resistant material in place of the former rubber raincoat material; oxygen tanks with masks are now a requirement; and compressed-air foam now often flows through the hoses instead of water. A computer laptop inside the truck even receives 911 addresses and messages from dispatch.
But despite all the technology upgrades, "The Brotherhood" itself has largely remained unchanged. Firefighters at the Union Square station spend so much time together during and after work that they tend to be more like close-knit families than co-workers, teasing their newest brothers with embarrassing nicknames, like "Okie."
During the long hours between alarm calls, the members of Ladder 14 and Engine 41 sit down at the station's long wooden dining table after working together to cook family-style dinners of spaghetti or ribs. Shift families root for the Red Sox together on game ...................(click title bar to continue!)
December 17, 2004
New York's Bravest pull man from burning apt.!
Bravest Pull Man From Bronx Blaze
NY Post (December 17, 2004)
Firefighters rushed into a burning Bronx building and rescued a man trapped on the second floor early yesterday.
The fire started at 10 a.m. in a bedroom in Apartment 2C at 535 Havemeyer Ave.
Noel Jones, 22, was hanging out the window gasping for air when firefighters arrived at the scene.
"We pulled up to the building and saw flames and black smoke," said Firefighter Douglas Ferretti, 43, of Ladder Co. 47.
"The occupant's arm and head were sticking out the window for air. He couldn't get out because of the window guards."
Ferretti said he propped a ladder to climb up to Jones' window, and then used a special crowbar known as a halligan to break the window guards. He quickly grabbed Jones by the legs and brought him down to safety.
Meanwhile, firefighter Frederick Burnett ran inside the flaming apartment and made sure no one else was inside.
"The fire was rolling. I just stayed low, there was a lot of smoke," said Burnett. "It was like an oven in there,"
Firefighter Sean Murphy added, "I'm glad [Jones is] OK. He would've never made it out if he tried to get out the normal way."
Authorities said the fire may have been started by someone smoking in bed. Lorena Mongelli
Copyright 2004 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
NY Post (December 17, 2004)
Firefighters rushed into a burning Bronx building and rescued a man trapped on the second floor early yesterday.
The fire started at 10 a.m. in a bedroom in Apartment 2C at 535 Havemeyer Ave.
Noel Jones, 22, was hanging out the window gasping for air when firefighters arrived at the scene.
"We pulled up to the building and saw flames and black smoke," said Firefighter Douglas Ferretti, 43, of Ladder Co. 47.
"The occupant's arm and head were sticking out the window for air. He couldn't get out because of the window guards."
Ferretti said he propped a ladder to climb up to Jones' window, and then used a special crowbar known as a halligan to break the window guards. He quickly grabbed Jones by the legs and brought him down to safety.
Meanwhile, firefighter Frederick Burnett ran inside the flaming apartment and made sure no one else was inside.
"The fire was rolling. I just stayed low, there was a lot of smoke," said Burnett. "It was like an oven in there,"
Firefighter Sean Murphy added, "I'm glad [Jones is] OK. He would've never made it out if he tried to get out the normal way."
Authorities said the fire may have been started by someone smoking in bed. Lorena Mongelli
Copyright 2004 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
December 12, 2004
Firefighter oral exam question/answer
You respond to a house fire and during the initial entry and search you notice a twenty dollar bill on a dresser drawer in the master bedroom. Later you discover the money is gone and you know for a fact only you and your captain were the only two persons who entered that room.
My answer;
I would ask the captain if he secured the money that was on the master bedroom dresser. If he said yes then I would know that he knows I am aware the money was there. I would have to assume he really did secure it.
--While this answer does not cover all the ethical or legal questions that come to mind I was told my answer was "close enough".
For a good link on Firefighter's Code of EthicsClick here
My answer;
I would ask the captain if he secured the money that was on the master bedroom dresser. If he said yes then I would know that he knows I am aware the money was there. I would have to assume he really did secure it.
--While this answer does not cover all the ethical or legal questions that come to mind I was told my answer was "close enough".
For a good link on Firefighter's Code of Ethics
December 06, 2004
Firefighter exam sample questions
I recall one question in my captains test oral interview that I guess I answered correctly:
Here goes.
You respond to a house fire and during the initial entry and search you notice a twenty dollar bill on a dresser drawer in the master bedroom. Later you discover the money is gone and you know for a fact only you and your captain were the only two persons who entered that room.
What do you say? Do you say anything?
Comment on what you would say!
(my answer in a day or two)
Here are some firefighter exam sample questions found among many such sites on the internet.
Petersons firefighter test prep.
Here goes.
You respond to a house fire and during the initial entry and search you notice a twenty dollar bill on a dresser drawer in the master bedroom. Later you discover the money is gone and you know for a fact only you and your captain were the only two persons who entered that room.
What do you say? Do you say anything?
Comment on what you would say!
(my answer in a day or two)
Here are some firefighter exam sample questions found among many such sites on the internet.
December 04, 2004
New Yorks Bravest are the U.S. Bravest
News captures emotional hospital reunion
of Iraq war hero and father
By ALISON GENDAR
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Injured National Guardsman Daniel Swift reunites with his dad, retired NYPD Detective John Swift.
LANDSTUHL, Germany - A wounded soldier, crutches under his arms, a Santa hat perched on his head, freezes in the hospital corridor at the sound of a familiar voice so far from home.
"Pops?" East Harlem Firefighter Daniel Swift calls out as he spots his dad, retired NYPD Detective John Swift, barreling down the Army hospital hallway. "Hey, Pops!"
"How ya doin', Danny? You okay?" the father says, engulfing his son, crutches and all, in a loving bear hug.
"Doing good now, Dad," Daniel Swift answers, something he never expected to say just three days after surviving an Iraqi ambush that killed two of his friends - including fellow FDNY Firefighter Christian Engeldrum - and sent him and two other Army National Guardsmen to the hospital.
"Doing good now," he says.........
Read storyHere
of Iraq war hero and father
By ALISON GENDAR
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Injured National Guardsman Daniel Swift reunites with his dad, retired NYPD Detective John Swift.
LANDSTUHL, Germany - A wounded soldier, crutches under his arms, a Santa hat perched on his head, freezes in the hospital corridor at the sound of a familiar voice so far from home.
"Pops?" East Harlem Firefighter Daniel Swift calls out as he spots his dad, retired NYPD Detective John Swift, barreling down the Army hospital hallway. "Hey, Pops!"
"How ya doin', Danny? You okay?" the father says, engulfing his son, crutches and all, in a loving bear hug.
"Doing good now, Dad," Daniel Swift answers, something he never expected to say just three days after surviving an Iraqi ambush that killed two of his friends - including fellow FDNY Firefighter Christian Engeldrum - and sent him and two other Army National Guardsmen to the hospital.
"Doing good now," he says.........
Read story
December 01, 2004
Sniper fire kills FDNY Firefighter in Iraq
BY MAKI BECKER
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Brian Grant in January 2001 photo. Army private, 31, died last week in Iraq.
"The war in Iraq claimed the life of another member of the FDNY family over the holiday weekend.
U.S. Army Pvt. Brian Grant, the 31-year-old son of a retired Staten Island firefighter, was killed Friday when he came under sniper attack in the city of Ramadi.
Grant enlisted in the Army last February "because of all the people that were killed on 9/11," his father, John Grant, said yesterday.
"He wanted to go do the right thing," said John Grant, 70, an Army veteran who served 24 years in the FDNY before retiring in 1982. "He was very patriotic."
Brian Grant's family was stunned when he suddenly enlisted, but understood his decision.
One of his brothers is a city firefighter, another is an NYPD officer and a third is in the Army Reserves. Brian Grant's father said his fourth son "wanted to serve one way or another."
"He did it to make it a better place here for us," said his older sister, Maureen Grant. "He did it for everybody back here."
Brian Grant was born and reared on Staten Island and moved to Dallas. He was working as a sales manager for Cintas commercial uniform company when he decided to enlist. He originally was deployed to South Korea but got new orders to go to Iraq in August.
Always good-natured, he sent home letters from Iraq filled with upbeat messages and funny stories about pesky sand fleas. "He always kept his spirits up," his mother, Carol Grant, said.
"He would say, 'Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. I'll be okay,'" his sister said.
After he was felled by a sniper's bullet, two Army officers arrived at his parents' door in Florida and told them the horrible news. "As soon as I saw the uniforms, I knew," John Grant said.
The family plans to hold his funeral services on Staten Island and then bury him in Arlington National Cemetery.
"He was only in, like, nine months," his father said."
Originally published on December 1, 2004
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Brian Grant in January 2001 photo. Army private, 31, died last week in Iraq.
"The war in Iraq claimed the life of another member of the FDNY family over the holiday weekend.
U.S. Army Pvt. Brian Grant, the 31-year-old son of a retired Staten Island firefighter, was killed Friday when he came under sniper attack in the city of Ramadi.
Grant enlisted in the Army last February "because of all the people that were killed on 9/11," his father, John Grant, said yesterday.
"He wanted to go do the right thing," said John Grant, 70, an Army veteran who served 24 years in the FDNY before retiring in 1982. "He was very patriotic."
Brian Grant's family was stunned when he suddenly enlisted, but understood his decision.
One of his brothers is a city firefighter, another is an NYPD officer and a third is in the Army Reserves. Brian Grant's father said his fourth son "wanted to serve one way or another."
"He did it to make it a better place here for us," said his older sister, Maureen Grant. "He did it for everybody back here."
Brian Grant was born and reared on Staten Island and moved to Dallas. He was working as a sales manager for Cintas commercial uniform company when he decided to enlist. He originally was deployed to South Korea but got new orders to go to Iraq in August.
Always good-natured, he sent home letters from Iraq filled with upbeat messages and funny stories about pesky sand fleas. "He always kept his spirits up," his mother, Carol Grant, said.
"He would say, 'Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. I'll be okay,'" his sister said.
After he was felled by a sniper's bullet, two Army officers arrived at his parents' door in Florida and told them the horrible news. "As soon as I saw the uniforms, I knew," John Grant said.
The family plans to hold his funeral services on Staten Island and then bury him in Arlington National Cemetery.
"He was only in, like, nine months," his father said."
Originally published on December 1, 2004
