Let's increase the mayor's staff but cut the FD?!?! WTF!!!

(Photo Design and Credit To Brian Bastinelli)

Hey Everyone,

The more I read about what the mayor in Harrisburg is trying to do to the Fire Department just pisses me off more and more.

The idiot mayor is attempting to layoff 10-15 firefighters and shut down a firehouse in the downtown section of Harrisburg and sell two pieces of fire apparatus. YET the mayor in all her infinite wisdom has stated that response times will not be affected but she wants to boost her staff while slashing the FD???!?!?! Seriously?!?!

This after the fact of a tragic fire in the city where five lives were lost and she is intent on slashing her "volunteer" fire department as she puts it. Yes, the Harrisburg Mayor is that stupid she called a career department volunteer.

My own opinon as to why she wants to shut down this particular firehouse?? When she was elected, she lost big time in that district. So her wanting to do that is nothing more then political retribution.

Folks, I understand that times are tough and that cuts have to be made. Public Safety is NOT an area that should be cut, but yet time and time again it is one of the VERY FIRST to hit the chopping block. As I said, the mayor wants to increase her staff budget by a large sum of $$(I do not know the exact amount) and also her staff. The mayor also wants to buy a $6,000 camera just so she can take pictures of her at events and with her "constituients"

Does that sound like responsible government to you??

Does that sound like someone who is responsible and capable to lead a city??

I did not think so...

The Harrisburg Bureau Of Fire is one of the most well trained and one of the best departments in Pennsylvania. Some people may think that all their local FD does is sit around and wait for a call. They also do Medical Calls, Inspections, Fire Preventions, Trainings just to name a few. Harrisburg is also a member of PA USTF1 which is a urban search and rescue team and was one of the teams activated to respond to the attacks at Ground Zero on 9/11.

The mayor is basing all this on her "consulting" firm that she spent a large sum of $$ on to help Harrisburg get out of their mony problem. This firm who has NO experts on their staff in the fire service and have no experiance in the fire service are deciding what's best for the public's safety.

Does not really make sense to me. Would you rather have people who are not from the area and have no clue what life is like in your town base a desicion like that without a clue as to what they are talking about??

Folks, if you have a situation like this in your town.... Layoff's and shutting a firehouse are NOT the way to go, demand to your leaders that they look for cuts elsewhere..

Do you really want to take a chance with your family if a firehouse is shutdown?? I know I would not..

Ok, I normally don't go off on a political tangent but I needed to vent..

Stay Safe!

General Alarm...

This past Friday Night, Lancaster City Bureau of fire was dispatched for a reported house on fire in the Cabbage Hill Section of Lancaster City. First arriving Engine 2 from Station 6 up on the hill reported heavy fire visible from the rear in the middle of a row. Top photo is the City Fire Shift Commander buggy and reserve Engine 5 acting Truck 2

Reserve Engine 6 acting Truck 1. Both of Lancaster City's trucks are out of service and the last two reserves have been pressed into front line service. County Engine and Rescue from the Lancaster Township Fire Department are staged behind the engine.

Two old friends of mine, one is the chief of Willow Street Fire Company and the other one is a Captain on C shift. Both great guys and both great firemen..

The front side of the house. City crews did a great job with the limited manpower to hold the fire to where it was

Engine 6-3-1 from the Lafayette Fire Company, dispatched on the second alarm staged at the corner just down the street.

I was a little late getting to this one so I just shot some scene photos..

That is all.. Have a great day!

Photography on the fireground...

Hey all,

The photo is from a house fire my department assisted on this past Monday night. We were dispatched and the additional info was a reported fire in the kitchen. A chief officer from the department we were assisting arrived with fire showing from 3 sides of the house. After the investigation, the cause was unattended cooking.

Anyhow, as most of you know about the poor choice some jackwagon from Georgia made about photographing a deceased body at a accident scene and then getting the bright idea of showing it around to his buddies and unfortunatly, the video made it back to the parents of the victim.

My own thoughts about fireground photography and this moron. If he would have been a member at my firehouse, he would have received a blanket party back at the station(You have to be a fireman to understand what I mean) and most likely, would have been looking for a new station to be a member at. There is no excuse for what he did and I can't fathom as to why he would WANT to in the first place?!? I've been in the fire service for almost 21 years and those calls with deceased subjects are calls you want to forgot about. I will never take pictures of any deceased or anyone who is a patient from a vehicle accident or any distraught people at a incident scene. I never have and I never will. It's just not right to do that and it's just common sense.

The main purpose of taking photos on the fireground, is to record history. To use the photos as training and for investigation. If done correctly, it is a great tool to learn.

If you ever get the chance, go to Bradley Myers Photography Blog which is linked to my blog. Great photographer, fireman and friend. Brad is a career fireman in Harrisburg and I know his views are pretty much the same as mine. Look through any of his fire photos or any of mine and you will not find one photo of a victim, patient, distraught person at all.

Ok I am done ranting now...

Have a great day!

Fire...

Hey all,

These are photos of a fire I took in yesterday. I was at our firehouse when I heard the call get dispatched. I walked into the watchroom to listen and heard the EMS unit dispatched reporting heavy smoke showing from a mile out and arrived with heavy fire from the corner of the house. So I headed out with the camera. I arrived within 10 minutes of the call dispatched and this is what it looked it.

I hope you all have been doing well..

Have a great day!

Barn Fire...

Hey all,

Yes I know it's been quite awhile since I posted. I took these this past Sunday. Wyatt wanted to visit Hershey Chocolate World and he and I were leaving there when I heard the call go out. For those that are familiar with Hershey, we could see the header by the Derry Township Police Station. I'd say we were about 15-16 miles away at that point. Photos are about 25 minutes into the incident.

Top photo is my little boy watching operations. The photographer that is standing with him is the photographer of the department who was running the incident. She's also a good friend and coworker. She watched him for a few so I could get some scene shots. He was also helping to hand out water to the guys that came over.

The second photo is of a Junior Fireman watching Dauphin County Truck 88 back into position.

Third photo is a LT from Rheems Fire Department supervising overhaual operations...

That is all, have a great day!

My first wedding...

Hey all,

Yes I have expanded to photographing weddings now! Actually, a buddy of mine that I work with had his original photographer back out and left him in a jam, so he asked me If I would help him out to which I did. It was a long and HOT day. The wedding took place behind the fire station in which he is a captain at.

This is a photo of the ring bearers and the bride and her father walking down the path to the rest of us. I scouted the location earlier before the guests arrived and found a spot behind some trees where I could have a great vantage point and be able to capture the faces and reactions and emotions the bridge and groom were having. As of right now, I am still editing and processing all the photos as I shot over 1,400. It was fun to do it though..

That is all, have a great day!

I am still around...

Hey everyone,

These are photos taken from a multiple alarm row home fire in North York Borough. Photos are about 90 minutes into it when I first found out about the fire. I heard fire equipment from Lancaster being dispatched into York so I got curious and saw they had just struck the 4th alarm. So I took a ride over and the bottom shot is what it looked like when I arrived.

Don't worry folks, I am still around. I have been working a ton lately which leaves me little time to do anything else. With what free time I do get, I like to spend it with my wife and boy. I've been checking out all your blogs, I may not comment but I make it a point to visit at least once a day.

Bradley, thanks for the concern. I appreciate it. All is well and I will be at PPP on the 10th.

Skywatch

This past week, I was fortunate to photograph the fire apparatus from the BWI Airport Fire/Rescue Department in Maryland. I tried to time it a few times where I could get the aircraft in the background, because my thought was that would make a great post for SWF.

For other great photos, check out the skywatch link to the right listed under my links..

Airport Fire Protection...

Fire in a storm...

Hey everyone,

I took these on Tuesday. We had some pretty nasty thunderstorms roll through our area. My company was dispatched to assist on a working townhouse fire. I normally don't go out to photograph in this type of weather, but where the fire was at was litteraly 2 minutes down the road from me. This was one of the many reported fires that hit the area within a few hours. I have to admit, the NIKON held up pretty well in the rain..

Have a great day!

Everyone loves a parade

Photos taken from this past memorial day in Lititz. Make sure you thank a veteran!

First Aid Station...

Still more from Carlisle...

More from Carlisle...

Enjoy!

Fire in a feed bin...

Elizabethtown Engine 7-4-2 with a supply line to FDMJ Truck 7-5

The Incident Commander, Chief 7-11-2

Rheems Fire Department Engine 7-11-1 on the front side of the building

Another shot of Engine 7-4-2

FDMJ Engine 7-5-1 staged in the parking lot

Hey everyone,

Photos taken yesterday at a reported building fire at a feed mill in the village of Rheems. Police Department arrived with a working fire in a feedbin with 5 tons of grain product involved. The fire department arrived with just smoldering product in the bin. The incident was placed under control just as I arrived, but I stuck around and shot some scene photos.

Armed Forces Continued..

Hey Everyone,

Here are some more photos from the event I went to in Carlisle and the one in Lancaster. When I was at the event in Lancaster, I started chatting with one of the reenactors about the event and I asked him what got him interested in doing it. He said "I have friends who serve and I do this in tribute to them. The most important reason that I do this, is so people never forget."

I think that pretty well sums it up. Next time you see a veteran, please say thanks.

Have a great day!

On watch...

Hey Everyone,

This is a photo I took on Sunday at a WWII Re enactment held at the Lancaster Historical Society just west of Lancaster City. It is like the Army Heritage Days at Carlisle but on a smaller scale. It was my first visit to it and was pretty impressed overall.

That is all I have. Have a great day!

Armed Services Day 2010..

Hey Everyone,

This past Saturday I travelled to Carlise for the annual Army Heritage Days and to do some shooting with Brad and Shane Myers which is always a pleasure. Weather was good which is always a plus. The top photo is a member of the 82nd airborne(Brad correct me If I am wrong) coming in for a landing. The second photo is a snipers nest in a trench that you could walk through, that was pretty cool.

Of course, I save the best for last. The bottom photo is none other then Brad Myers himself, lining up to take another great photograph of solders getting inspected.

Brad, always a great time my friend. I would like to set up a date with you sometime and go out to Ship and photograph their rigs sometime.

I am sure Brad will have photos on his blog that he took on Saturday, so please make sure you visit!

Have a great day!