FReeper Canteen~Tribute To Firefighters~August 3, 2006

The Canteen Crew

[AZamericonnie]

 

The Canteen Pays Tribute To



The badge of a fireman is the Maltese Cross. This Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection and a badge of honor. Its story is hundreds of years old.



The Maltese Cross is your symbol of protection. It means that the fireman who wears this cross is willing to lay down his life for you. The Maltese Cross is a fireman's badge of honor, signifying that he works in courage - a ladder rung away from death.



Today, fire and rescue remains a mix of paid, call, and volunteer responders. While urban areas such as New York, NY and Boston, MA are typically served by large, well-coordinated paid responders, there is no requirement demanding either paid, call, or career firefighters and many departments are so-called "mixed" departments - full time responders handle the day-to-day needs of a department and work with either call or volunteer responders when more manpower is needed. Other departments are completely "call" or volunteer, depending on local tradition, needs, and, most importantly, financial ability.



In popular literature, firefighters are usually depicted with Dalmatian dogs. This breed originated in southern Europe to assist with herding livestock and run along with horses, and in the days of horse-drawn fire vehicles, the horses were usually released on arrival at the fire and the Dalmatians would lead the horses to a safe place to wait until the fire was out. Dalmatians also filled the role of protecting the horses' feet from other dogs as equipment was being transported to the fire scene. In reality, most fire dogs were mutts pulled from the street.




Bucket Carriage used by Continental Bucket Co.No.1, of Jamaica, Long Island NY. Iron stanchion in center of machine bears metal plate, “Jamaica 1787-1907”. Four-wheeled carriage equipped to carry 50 buckets to use in places where there were no hydrants.



Glass Fire Grenades ranging from ½ pint to 2 quarts in size, filled with water or saltwater. These provided an effective means of quelling a small fire from 1868 to 1903. In later years they were filled with carbon tetrachloride and used to the mid 1960’s.






Click Here to see some of Austin's finest at work!






Now there's a handsome firefighting family!

“If Prometheus was worthy of the wrath of heaven for kindling the first fire upon earth, how ought all the gods honor the men who make it their professional business to put it out?” -- John Godfrey Saxe, (American journalist, poet, and lecturer) circa 1850



Click here to see some of Ft. Worths Finest in action!




The Fire Bike was a motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers on the American reality television show American Chopper. It was put together by everyone at the OCC, the project holding more emotional weight with its ties to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Click here for more information




10/13/2005 - SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq -- Firefighters assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron render a final salute in memory of Sgt. Brian E. Dunlap, an active firefighter and a member of U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, who was killed in action Sept. 24 in Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Randy Mitchell)
Click for the rest of the article


The Firefighters Memorial Fountain at dusk. The memorial, at 31st Street and Broadway in Kansas City, was created to honor those killed in the line of duty.




Keeping up the fight - Phoenix firefighters battle a three-alarm fire at Bowen Poles in northwest Phoenix (Pinnacle Peak and I-17) Feb. 4. No one was injured in the fire.





Click here for recipies



RAPID RESPONSE
Years ago, when I was working on a small town ambulance, it was not uncommon for my wife and me to stop at the local grocer to buy food for dinner after a call. I had gone in to get a head of lettuce and some apples. Unknown to me the floor was wet from the newly installed produce sprayers. Down I went, hitting my head hard. When I came to, the manager of the store was sitting beside me telling me not to move, that he had called 911. At the same time my pager went off and he looked at me and asked, “What was that? I said "My pager, I am 911." He looked at me, shocked " Boy, you guys are fast!"

More jokes here...


Fireman History Quiz



















A heartfelt thank you from the Canteen to all Firefighters & your families for your service & sacrifice!

[tina07]

Are you FDNY? God Bless You and your brother firefighters.

[FFforFreedom]

You just passed on your best wishes yourself.

I'll look for the cook book recipies link and give you a couple of my favorites.

You did a fine job. We love our jobs. I'm always impressed by the new young men and women coming into our department.

[FFforFreedom]

No I'm no FDNY. I'm in Austin TX. Been doing this about 13 years. Work a busy downtown house.

[FFforFreedom]

Ya know, I don't watch much about that day. I have made myself watch the documentary made by those two French documentary guys.

That day is so very ingrained in me that it takes a breeze to bring it all back.

I'll share something I really don't talk about. I'll tell you about that morning and my experience.

[FFforFreedom]

That's a very big loss.

I hope they have fun with their new rig. STAY OUT OF THE WIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[luvie]

Okay. Please tell me....if you can.

The one by the French brothers is the one I was talking about.

[tina07]

God bless you either way! My husband's been a firefighter for 13 yrs. also, volunteer.

[MEG33]

It was a pleausre to be able to honor our Firefighters.. I have personally had a house fire(Manasard roof being re tarred, roofers left because it was starting to rain a bit....The evidence burned that they were probably heating seams with a torch but that is another story)

..The firefighters did their usual great job of trying to protect my furniture with tarps, etc, minimal damage, considering ,to my furnishings..fire damage was to roof, attic and the ceiling collapsed in one area....

My story is of the extra mile they went when a three inch rain occurred soon after the fire and the roof tarps wouldn't hold..They came and pumped the water out of my living room for me, graciously and cheerfully. I have never forgotten it..I am sure I called them in a "now what do I do moment".

Thank God for Firefighters..they do far more important things but this meant a lot to me.

Thank you for serving us, saving lives and risking and sometimes losing your own in service to your fellow man.

[FFforFreedom]

On the morning of 9-11 I got up, put the coffee on, and turned on the news. That's my routine. There it was. The first tower was smoking and there was talk of the Pentagon being hit. I remember thinking, damn thats big, as I watched tower one burn.

I walked into the bedroom and woke my wife. I told her there was something big going on and she needed to come see.

We watched as the plane went into the second tower. As any fire fighter does, especially if you work high rises, I was climbing the stairs with those guys, thinking about water supply, collapse, priorities, and obvious loss of life.

I was climbing those steps in my mind when it collapses. I knew there were hundreds of fire fighters in those towers.
I know I should have been thinking more about the civilians. My heart was really with those fire fighters.
That morning is very fresh in my heart and mind. I lost my innocents that day.

I stopped in at my routine gas stop on the way into work. A young couple was laughing and flirting. I was upset but speechless. I was thinking to myself, your country just suffered the largest attack in the history of the nation, thousands of people are dead, we're at war, and you're flirting.

I spent the rest of the day in shock. A young woman entered the fire house, tears flowing down her cheeks. She hugged me. I didn't know what to do.

We hung up a large flag, lit candles, mourned our brothers, and prepared for war.

The next shift on my way into work. I stopped into the my routine gas station to fill up. My cell phone rang. My younger brother, who I'm very close to, called to tell me he was just three blocks from the towers when they collapsed. He was overtaken by the cloud of dust and caught in the stampede towards the bridge. He had two children and wonderful wife. I had no idea he was there.

Fire fighters are very close to this war. Many of us are fighting. Many of us are supporting our troops and their mission.

Thanks for this thread.

American Firefighters stand behind our troops and their mission.

[FFforFreedom]

There is nothing more important than keeping our people happy.

Our job is to protect your property. We enjoy it, and most of us want to go the extra mile to do a good job.

Sounds like you have some good fire fighters working your city.

Thanks for your support.

[FFforFreedom]

I'm very active supporting the volunteer fire service from attacks by the union.

I have the highest respect for volunteers. We do the same job.

Thanks for your service.

[MEG33]

(((((((((((HUGS)))))))))) to you all.

[luvie]

Adam....that's why I thank you every chance I get for being a firefighter! You are a hero who risks your life every time that alarm rings, and you need to know that there are those who appreciate what you do. God bless you...your brother...and all the first responders!

You ARE my hero!! That was quite a story. I could not have imagine what was going through your mind...if you hadn't just told me.

[MEG33]

TEXAS FireFighters,in a Dallas suburb..of course! ;)

[FFforFreedom]

I graduated from Plano

Have family in Frisco

[FFforFreedom]

Thanks, you're a sweet heart and very kind.

I think you folks in the Canteen are the real heros.

If you visited the nursing homes I do, you'd see I'm really a chicken trying to get myself wacked in a fire before I end up in one of those.

Thanks for your support, and God Bless you and the family

[FFforFreedom]

Signing off. Gotta get some sleep.

Thank you so very much for your support of the American Fire Service.

800,000 volunteers and 350,000 career.

We have about 100 line of duty deaths per year.

The best job on this planet.

God Bless and Keep you all.

The American Fire Service stands behind our troops and their mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[luvie]

God bless you! I am proud to call you my friend! Thank you for your service to our country.

In every way that you have done so!

Good night...stay safe, hero!

[tina07]

I'll pass your thoughts on to my husband and I know he respects you just the same.

[MEG33]

This was years ago when I lived in Richardson, just south.. Last time I was up there I could not believe the changes driving up the freeway.