Funding & Staffing

Who better to explain what happened and expose the GOP leaders who continue to utilize 9/11 to seem compassionate all the while not giving a damn about the first responders who worked at Ground Zero than Jon Stewart on the Daily Show. Even if this is Political humor, the humor is typically not to far from the truth. The House bill passed at 268 to 160 (17 Republicans voting for the bill and 157 against). Only 3 Democrats voted against the House Bill. The Senate bill failed. The vote was 57-42, short of the 60 votes in favor needed to proceed under Senate rules.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has offered the Sissonville VFD to place ads on their helmets. The funds could help Sissonville rebuild after a devastating fire at their firehouse.

As for learning how to actually extinguish fire, simulators don't seem to be a reasonable trade off. Even after hours of classroom to learn fire behavior, building construction, reading smoke, extinguishing agents, hose and appliances, water streams, and all that other stuff I feel that actual firefighting in the very least a Class B burn building is necessary to effectively teach what it is like to put out a house fire....and I mean a hot and smoky class b burn building with plenty of fire.

After the tragic fire that claimed 9 firefighters, the expert panel of leaders who researched the department and created the Routley report, other findings, and the most recent technical draft study on the Sofa Super Store fire behavior by NIST (National Institute on Standards and Technology) I really thought that Charleston was coming to the front.

Omaha Fire Department's record keeping is being questioned. The State Auditor has stated that with the records available, an audit is not possible. The issues involve a SAFER Grant, The Kloewer Fund, and Union leave hours. The SAFER Grant for 18 positions was awarded and subsequently canceled after the inability to maintain proper staffing.

Tempers also ran high as the jury heard about the fire board, which is embroiled in internal struggles that have immobilized it. The situation is so dire, the fire chief has been banned from the property. Fire board members themselves worry, the "out of control" environment that is plaguing the department, might lead to physical altercations.

I got to wear the boots on numerous EMS calls, MVA's, fire alarms and one fire. In short, I think that I gave these boots plenty of wear for a decent review of use. After all, we don't fight fire day in and day out...unless you are one of these know it all trolls on the message boards!

The Fire Critic is here to tell you that I have two new friends. I have found these magnum ion mask boots to be extremely pleasant to wear while working. They are definitely Fire Critic approved!

I am not not looking to hire anyone myself. I am simply looking to put together a helpful post of firefighter friendly consultants so that firefighters can hand in a proposal of their own that they paid for and that sides with the beliefs of the boots on the ground.