The Fill Line

August 2014

A column for firehouse reading by Thomas J. Parsons / Connect at labwdp@academicplanet.com

While out Scoot-a-Pootin near and far. As you start to read this, do you realize I submit two pages worth of
reading? I saw the format of the Ellis County Firefighters web page and if you want the full effort you have to
click on more.
Ray Bowman of Littleton CO and member of the Mile High Hook & Ladder has joined the Fill line recipients.
He is the editor of the Silver Trumpet and owns two very immaculate vintage apparatus, a 1948 Kenworth Quad
and a 1948 IH KB-8 Brush Truck. The KB-8 was seen in an issue of Fire Apparatus Journal. I see a new life for
a rig, specifically the International engine owned by Edgewater CO has a new career as a training rig in
Michigan. Macomb County Community College acquired it from a dealer. (Rick, you have a picture of it as an
EFD engine, note top of p.9 in 7/8 FAJ). The EFD was Colorados 13th established fire department in the state,
but was absorbed by the Wheat-Ridge Fire District as station 73 in 2013.
If you know of an interested party that may be interested in carrying this column for a broader audience,
please let me know. So far input has been nil, so all readers must be greatly impressed with this column, but
just how many of them there are remains a secret. Remember what happened the last time you sat on a secret.
The Next North Texas SFFMA meeting is Sat. Sept 20th, one week before Tellicos barn dance. Chrissy
Rogalski notes that they started adding training classes to the district meeting so they start at 1 pm. Classes so
far are; Courage to be safe, Wild-land, Haz-Mat, and a SFFMA Cert class. Mark your calendar.
Midlothian (TX) Fire has received their new aerial truck. From initial reports it is a Pierce and has a 1500
GPM pump and 100 aerial. A color continuity of black over red will allow the new rig to blend in with recent
pumper purchases. A closer inspection is due soon. All current front line rigs conform to their new black/red
color combination. Plano (TX) Fire Rescue will scale back their use of backboards on transports. The devices
have been termed uncomfortable by patients, and studies show they may have been unnecessary, or harmful
to the patient. The study shows specific criteria that will be used as shown by the National Association of EMS
Physicians and the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
A group has shown interest in preserving history of the Texas fire service with the accent on the network of
volunteer fire departments in North Texas. Initially, the project will reflect times before the great influx, (post
WWII-current) resulting in the DFW metropolis, as we know it today. This regional focus would include
apparatus, facilities, personnel, as well as boundaries that departments covered in the day.
Meanwhile, keep the hoses dry, and well see you out while scoot-a-pootin. Do the important stuff.
The answer for: July. It was a newly designed engineers or MPO (Motor pump operator) badge after a merger
between the Los Angeles Forestry Dept, and the LA Fire districts over 60 years ago. The new design had a 1949
General-Pacific fire engine as its center emblem, (one of nine pumpers ordered that year was assigned to engine
51). Engineer Mike Stoker of the show Emergency (based in Los Angeles County) wore the badge (with the
emblem of the first E-51) on duty as well as on the set. The same badge design is still (reportedly) used today.

Question of the month: August. More Emergency. Upon finding their radio is unable to connect with Rampart
Hospital, Johnny Gage of Rescue #51 has to use a landline to call Nurse McCall. What was the phone number he
used? I bet Chad Christensen knows this one.

The Firehouse kitchen. The brown out day provision allows the closing an engine or truck for a shift, to save
the city some money, and allows various personnel to have time off with no monetary compensation. Firehouse
#13 is closed today while the members figure out how to spend their day away from their historical station.
Captain Snut will enjoy his brown out day at his house trying to complete the numerous projects that seem to
accumulate over time. He keeps a list that is posted on his fridge, ever present to remind him of the little jobs,
ah, the pride of home ownership. With the recent passing of Mrs. Snut, the Captains life is only filled with his
garden, the gang, and a need to accomplish something before he joins her in that fara-way place. He silently
hopes she went to the right place.
The lady next door has a key to the small bungalow and checks his home while hes on shift, and even gets
his mail when hes away. The neighbor is not prying, nor intrusive, but once her husband starts talking, it is

hard to get away from the monotone voiced retired military officer. The house appears spotless with the
cleaning of the morning and he decides that the grass will be mowed and maybe that spot near the side of the
house will get free of weed this sunny day. He just knows this will be the year of The Flickering Flower
Award at the firehouse as Dink and Reach have joined forces with the good captain to spruce up the stations
yard. Books will help too, if he can have his volunteer radio blaring away, but Curbs remains inside protecting
himself from the elements.
The row of cut grass widens as he nears the house and notes the hedge trimmer that he has forgot and left
leaned against the wall. It has a lisp of rust, must have been distracted, he thinks, and makes a mental note
that he will need gasoline for the power mower. Captain Snut muses that his mental note pad must use
disappearing ink, as thoughts will mysteriously drift away before they will register.
Suddenly he spies the mail carrier stop at his box. A bill, some trash from a finance company, and a card from
a hearing aid company promising a dinner if you attend. (He figures he can get a free meal, and could slip out a
side door when the presentation starts). Yard work will stop as he returns inside to sort the mail between the bin
and the desk, and he decides to write a check for the bill and ready it for the next day. The picture of his smiling
wife on the desk looks upon him as he seals the envelope.
There are some dated newspapers by the chair, and he picks them up and will set them near the back door, I
can drop them at the recycle when I gethummm, now what was that I was going to get, and the captain
shakes his head, and he chuckles. The sun begins to hide behind some imposing dark clouds and Captain Snut
decides to put up his yard gear, in a moment that never arrives. Gotta watch the weather news, he thinks since
the TV is always on at noon at the firehouse kitchen (during lunch), why not here and he makes a bologna
sandwich and retrieves a soft drink from the fridge.
The news shows the normal breaking story stupidity, but today has a feature with Dinks mother, Mrs.
Fedderson, the local historian showing some newfound writings from a renowned author during a library
renovation. I could write a book about the firehouse, Captain Snut thinks, and knows somehow it would be a
best seller, and he may even be on the early morning talk shows. In a small burst of remembering, he knows
there are some notes of his runs, and the activity of the firehouse over the years. I just know I have them placed
in a notebook or something, but where did I put it? The TV weather girl suspects rain this afternoon, but will
only give her report if you will stay tuned after an endless commercial break.
Humm, that sandwich was real good, he thinks, and heads back toward the kitchen but is diverted when he
remembers he had planned to do laundry...
Prayer portion. Geneses 2 v.2 tells us that on the seventh day, God finished the work that He had done and
He rested on the seventh day from the all the work that He had done, and hallowed it. For me, Sunday fire duty
was a fat day, breakfast, a little TV news, spread the newspaper out, and then down time the rest of the day.
What, are you dreaming? Of course in reality, the routine included rotation to the dispatch center, endless
paperwork to catch up on, and the spattering of calls that dot the day and evening. There is no rest for
emergency services providers in the world, and while it sounds good, the fire and emergency service seemingly
never rest.
Lord we give thanks for Your protection over our emergency service providers, be they here or there covering
this country every day to include Sunday. We thank you for Your protective hand keeping us safe from the
elements, or the dangers of the trade, the assurance though tough times. We ask for Your touch in the lives of
emergency providers of those with the personal challenges of today, be it financial or physical needs, or those
unknown. We pray for an expansion of readership of this column that someone may be moved through the
prayer portion to know You as their Savior and expand on the Word. We pray especially those unknown among
us for an acceptance of the Lord in their life. Use us as vessels of light during our tour, and let us be fruitful in
our efforts as providers of the right answer in emergency situations. You are the calm, we praise and honor You
Lord! We honor the name of Jesus Christ and will not be ashamed to include You in our midst and share Your
word with others.
Thats all for now, meanwhile and well see you out while scoot-a-pootin. Connect with me Thomas J. Parsons
at phone: 972-878-0562, or e-mail me at: labwdp@academicplanet.com

** Remember! Dont leave the station with out your FILL LINE!