New blogs to follow

Just found the blog of fellow FirePics.net member and private fire engine owner Chuck, who picked up a beautiful 1972 Mack CF just before Christmas last year. You will now find his blog in the blogroll list to the right.

Nice to see I am not alone in the fire engine ownership blogosphere.

Check it out: Mack CF



Following that, I put in some time on some more concerted searching, and turned up three more related blogs.

This one is about a very unique 1965 Ford/Wesco pumper that was in service not far at all from where I live today, and which has returned to the Pacific Northwest from a sojourn to Alaska.

Check it out: Project Fire 32

Additional information on Fire 32 can also be found here.


Next I turned up another American LaFrance, a 1954 Type 700 canopy cab pumper owned by Batesville AR from the day it was new until it was sold at auction in 2001.

Check it out: CFD Engine 33



And after finding the CFD E33 story, I found it linked to yet another American LaFrance being restored, a 1941 Type 500 from Chesterton IN that is apparently good friends with CFD Engine 33.

Check it out: Chesterton Engine 1

Blast from the past

I've been in Tacoma for a few days, and even caught a structure fire with my sister, getting to help her out with the canteen unit. It was a very strange feeling for me, being right there after it was over, watching the guys drain and roll hose. You're not supposed to stand around when there's work to be done, and I repeatedly found myself absently going for a line to break couplings, drain, roll, collect SCBAs to clean up and refill, all that. No, not my agency, not dressed for it, but dang I sure felt bad standing around, kept waiting for someone to gripe about what the heck Frank is doing not helping, who does he think he is being lazy? Weird.

Anyway, today sister and I met this morning to try to catch Joe Stiles, who now works in Fire Prevention - whose offices are fittingly at the building which used to be the fire station where Engine 17 started out with Tacoma.

Luckily, Joe was there. I didn't tell him this when I was there, but I think I had about as much trouble recognizing him that he did with me. He figured out who I was because sister was right there, but he does not look nearly as old as I assumed he would. Joe said he was fixing to read this blog not even 15 minutes before we showed up unannounced, so he's undoubtedly going to read this: Dude, you have not aged a day... on the outside, anyway!

We actually caught a 2-for-1 out of it. Unknown to me, the also-legendary Brian Trunk is also there now, at the desk next to Joe's. What a trip on the wayback machine that was for me. And here we all are:

Sister, Me, Joe, Brian.

It was great to have a chance to meet them again after all this time, and apologize for being the goofball I was and all the trouble I caused. They were graceful and downplayed it, but I know there is more than one way to define "enthusiastic".

Sister also grabbed a shot of me standing where Engine 17 first responded from in 1970. But since this is office space now, only the apron ramp in front gives a clue that this used to be Station 17.

The flat nondescript wall gives little clue

that this used to be where E17 rolled out.

I made one more stop later that day, to try to catch Ben Baltazar at Station 6, where Joe said he worked. Wrong shift, missed him. But, just like at the fire the other night, it wasn't hard to find people who - even if they had never met me personally - still knew who I was. Two of the guys at 6's actually remembered me personally after all this time, and also gracefully excused my antics, but I was glad to be able to continue the Apology Tour 2010 even though it's been over 20 years. Amusingly, though, just as they might have seemed ready to accept me as normal, they found out I bought an old Tacoma pumper. So I'm back to being nuts, I guess. :)

So, those of you on TFD now or ever before, as you guys are being dragged in here with my apologies for the rambling tripe that passes for a blog when I'm not working on Engine 17.... this one's for you, too: Sorry, and thanks for keeping me alive despite my best efforts to get dead early. I've spent the last seventeen years since I got the badge, trying to make up for it. Maybe one day I'll feel the debt has been repaid. If not, tell me when you're working, and I'll arrange to drop by with apple pie and ice cream for your crew.

And one more friendly shout out on behalf of the crew at 6's: Tacoma, stop teasing and give them their new engine, already!

Tacoma's Newest Engine 10

Tacoma Fire Department has invited all interested to attend the Housing Ceremony for the New Engine 10.

What: New Engine 10 Housing Cermony
When: Tuesday March 30, 2010, 09:00
Where: 7247 South Park Ave

The star of this blog, Engine 17, was Tacoma's Engine 10 at the time of her first retirement, in 1987. She was replaced by a lime-green 1987 Thibault pumper, which was (as far as I know) itself replaced at least once before 1996, when E10 then got the pumper that is being retired tomorrow (on the left below).



So Tacoma's new Engine 10 (on the right, above), will be (again, as far as I know) Tacoma's 4th E10 since the venerable American LaFrance was placed into reserve in 1987 and then sold in 1989.

The new pumper looks great!

If I had known about this event a little earlier, I would have tried to bring 17 for an appearance, but I doubt my work schedule would have allowed it anyway.

Hope all who can attend have a good time. Chances are excellent that the gig will be interrupted at least once, though, as 10's is a very busy house!

Other apparatus at the house

One of the other district units was up at Station 6 for a practice drill a few days ago, and the event highlighted the strange, warped perspective my young boys have adopted from living in a fire station.

Tender 4 (Tanker 4 for those not on the left coast) arrived, driving past the large living room windows, in clear view of where the 3-year-old and 6-year-old were playing Wii Fit. The big, shiny red truck passed right through their field of vision, just six feet outside the windows, and they didn't even bat an eye. Kept right on playing.

About twenty minutes later, a locksmith showed up for an appointment in his nondescript white van.

Both boys dropped what they were doing and came outside to see what the white van was all about.

Huh?

Two little boys oblivious to a fire truck in their own driveway, but who get wound up when a plain white van pulls in?

Squad 6 in quarters, Tender 4 visiting,
and the exciting locksmith van.

That's just bizarre. I guess they've acclimated.

On a slightly unrelated note, I apologize, but this slipped my mind when I discussed the other fire truck at my house.

There is another vehicle owned by the fire district that lives at Station 6 where we live, but it only gets used seasonally, and even then gets virtually no public exposure whatsoever. It does have a warning light on it, and has unit ID markings. A strike against it is its nontraditional green color. One of the things I like about it is its throwback open cab configuration, but it has a hard time getting up to any kind of respectable speed, and is a seriously rough ride. Sadly, it has virtually no storage space, and is really only good for one specific function.

What do we call it?

Lawn Mower 6.

The rabbits and moles on the big lawn may or may not
appreciate being warned out the way, when
Lawn Mower 6 responds Code 2 to staff the Squad.

Living the dream

This morning I drove all four of my boys to school in Engine 17. It's been about a month since we turned a wheel, so it was high time to get 17 out and run her around a bit.

I had promised the boys I would eventually do it, and earlier this week we finally picked today as the big day. It was quite anticipated. Unsurprisingly, our arrival amongst the family sedans and minivans dropping off other students created a minor stir. Young children with mouths literally open, and double-takes from most everyone else. The two little boys in front were grinning widely as they got out, and the two oldest emerged from the jumpseats with style, and retrieved their backpacks from the compartments they had stored them in. Two parents approached us to ask about E17 (is this yours??) and look her over. Fire Engine Envy.

I commented on my personal Facebook status about this morning's event, and got some nice replies. One of them laughed and said "you are living your dream"!

I guess I am. We have been very fortunate in so many ways.

But, I don't think I was living my dream this morning as much as I was imposing my childhood dream on my own children.

Not that they seem to mind. Judging by their faces: No problem, Dad!

I returned later in the morning to retrieve the 3-year-old from preschool, and this time brought the 1-year-old. Two car seats strapped in the front of a fire engine cab are very amusing to behold, and brutally cute when their occupants are all smiles.


Picked the rest of the boys up again at the end of the day, where the actions were repeated all over again. The 11-year-old got out there quick and made a show of standing on the running board while E17 idled and we waited for the other two. What a show off. Reminds me of myself.

Here is the end of February...... looking forward to warmer weather and opportunities to do some work on the old girl.

Chief can't help it

Seeing as how we live in a county-owned home that serves as a fire station, we are subject to the occasional inspection to verify we're not tearing up taxpayer-owned property, just as the dorm-room dweller resident firefighters at the traditional fire stations have to allow periodic inspections of their rooms. Essentially, the Chief comes through to see that we are not putting holes in the walls like rock stars at a hotel, and are maintaining the fixtures, keeping the gutters clean, etc.

Chief came by for the regular inspection yesterday, and we had the place shined up pretty nice just as anyone does anywhere when the Chief is coming. After we finished the walk through and he had notes on what needed attention or repair, we were outside and the inevitable question came.

"So, can I see your pumper?"

He hadn't yet seen it in person over the past six months.

Of course, Chief. Right this way.

Roles reversed, I would have asked the same thing. Any of us would. No one is immune!

Taps

US Navy Honor Guard preparing for the service.

Portland Battalion 4 and Engine 10 frame the flag-draped casket.

Portland fire personnel form up as the memorial is about to begin.

In a light rain, Grandpa was laid to rest.

Portland Engine 10 traveled over 16 miles, through seven other station districts, to attend. Three chief officers were also in attendance, and one of the ACs present was the son of a retired AC who had previously worked with Grandpa Blue at Engine 10. He said his father was deeply saddened by the loss, and had shared several touching stories about him upon hearing he had passed. He also noted that there were currently only nine personnel (out of 702 sworn), who still work for Portland that had been on when Grandpa retired. I personally thanked each of the Portland guys for coming out, it meant a lot to me.

The US Navy honor guard's 21-gun salute was the point I choked up. I was proud to attend in uniform and salute my grandfather along with the firefighters from Portland.

And now, we get back on the truck, as he'd want us to do.