Red Embers

OK, so you all know I live at the seashore, and I’m a fire chief and that I’m a fire inspector by trade (at least my current trade). I was relaxing at home… OK, I was taking a 30 minute breather at home on Saturday after a long class, but that’s not important. What I observed was though. Boat trailers were everywhere. The water is warming up and flounder season is right around the corner. It’s my understanding that the black drum are starting to bite in the Delaware. So the boats are getting fresh coats of bottom paint and new registration stickers. The motors are tuned up and ready for good times on the high seas. But I wonder what else has been done to prepare the boats, and indeed the occupants, for the summer season.

Have the life jackets been taken out? What shape are they in after winter storage? Can they be relied upon to keep a head above water long enough for help to arrive? What rules are applied to passengers in the boats? Our fireboat drove by today, and it’s still looking a bit rough from the dock pounding it took last summer. But I know that all the firemen’s life jackets are in better shape. They are each assigned and the department engineer inspects them about once a month. Odds are that our guys won’t need their life jackets. Odds are that most others won’t either, but does that mean they’re OK stowed in the mildewy hold of the boat? Shouldn’t you take them out and make sure they’re servicable. It will only cost a little time and not even a fraction of what you paid the mechanic to tune up the motor.

Hmmm… Look at that under the pile of brown spotted life jackets! It’s the fire extinguisher. You wondered where that got to when the mount broke on it last August, didn’t you? The gauge looks good. But is the dry chemical inside still powdery? It might cost all of $20.00 to get that serviced next time you run into town. You think you can afford that? After all you just replaced all of your tackle in anticipation of a banner fishing season! What about fixing that mount so you can actually find the extinguisher if you need it? It’s only a broken screw! The gear case oil cost more than the replacement fastener will.

You checked that mount out didn’t you? What, you found the flare gun? And it’s only out of date by a couple of years! How fortunate! I know, you’d replace it but you don’t know what to do with the old one, and heck, it’s never been shot. A new kit would cost about $60.00. That would almost fill the tank half way. Decisions, decisions! The radio guy already got you for $200.00 for installation of the new antenna.

So, the boats are going in. I wonder how many we’ll have to go help this year. I wonder how many will not return with their owners.

I never thought myself a blogger, but I was convinced by some that indeed some of my diatribes on the Parenting Club message forums are blogs-in-forum anyway. The only difference between a web log and a forum position statement is that I don’t have to defend my position to anyone. In other words, I can write what comes into my head and read or not read any comments from others as I see fit. Oh, the power! So I’ve decided to name it Red Embers. Corny as the name is, I have a blog account on another blog-place with that same name, but I’ve never written anything there, but it is my hope that as I write here, some of what moves me to write will be read and accepted.

Red Embers isn’t going to remove me from the Parenting Club Forums. I’m still going to give of myself as I have in the past. I have written on fire safety and family life in those forums for more than four years. Now Rod and Dee Dee have given me a place into which I can collect those thoughts and advice, and hopefully I will gain a readership from PC and elsewhere. It’s not that I think I’m the end all and be all of fire and safety knowledge… There’s plenty of that out there coming from smarter people than me. But I think I can offer some unique perspectives, since much of what I do professionally involves single family homes and inspections in those places. I see a lot of things that most people in my field don’t get an opportunity look at and be scared about. Most fire inspectors ply their trade in business uses and in multiple family dwellings where there are written rules that everyone must follow. The fact is that most civilian fire fatalities occur in one and two family dwellings. Even sadder is the fact that many of those fatalities are children.

I also spent 10 years as a full-time, paid EMT, and some of what I’ll bring to the blog-sphere will relate to my experiences working with families in that capacity. Moms and dads of all ages fear for the safety of their children. Hopefully I’ll be able to lean upon my experience as a father of over 23 years and a first responder for almost 30, and put into words and advice some of the topics that all parents are concerned about.

I have so many ideas, but as of now I don’t know where this will lead me. Hopefully we’ll all be pleasantly surprised. While I’ve read and am a member of many fire service related web sites and forums, I rarely participate in them. I prefer instead to spend my free time in non-fire related pursuits like Parenting Club. It’s not that I don’t have anything of value to add to the professional sites, it’s just that after spending eight hours of every day in service, I much enjoy the diversion that places like PC provide. The last time I looked, there wasn’t anyone doing just what Red Embers will do. That is to provide timely, professional fire and general safety advice to parents and families.

I have committed to this service, and hope that the readers will get something out of what I have to say. I know that I’ll never be short topics – I’ve already got a growing list. I will try not to make my writing too dry, and I’ll do my best to provide useful and topical links within my blog. I hope everyone looks forward to this as much as I do.