The AAAARRRGGHHH!!! is not meant for the crew that I rode with last night on the Special Hazards Unit of the Providence Fire Department – not by any means. They are wonderful guys and were very good to me, as always. So were the rest of the folks at Washington Street last night. I enjoy their company and they always treat me like family.
However… when I arrived at the firehouse yesterday afternoon, I was told that I missed not one, but TWO fires – one on Sunday night and one on Monday during the day. “They come in threes”, one of the guys said. This is true… and I prayed a LOT that I would be there for the third.
We got a run around 6:30 pm to go to the Olneyville section of the City for a possible natural gas leak situation. I got some great shots there and the footage shows how multiple companies work together in a situation such as this to make sure that people are safe and the scene is quickly controlled, investigated and the situation corrected. There were several companies involved in the call… Special Hazards, Engine 14, Tower Ladder 1, Ladder 6 and I believe Ladder 2 was also there, but it was tough to see all of the vehicles and stay out of the way at the same time. Once someone from National Grid arrived on scene to locate the gas leak, it was only a matter of ten or fifteen minutes before we were all dismissed and headed back to quarters.
We only got two other calls – one to a possible fire at the Hartford Projects… my heart nearly jumping out of my chest all the way there, only to find that it was nothing; then to a location over near Admiral Street for a “still box alarm” (which means a reported fire) which we got turned back from. That ended up being a police matter, for some reason that I never really ascertained.
So, when morning came and I sat and had a coffee with my friend, Okie, before heading home, we made arrangements for me to go back tonight and film a sort of “tour” of the Special Hazards Unit. When I arrived back at the station this evening, the first thing Okie said was that they had caught a fire during the day and the Hazards was “first in” – meaning the first company to arrive on the scene. He says that never happens. Of course it doesn’t! It would only happen when I’m JUST MISSING IT!
I was convinced, at that point, that my Grampa was looking down on me and chuckling! As if missing the THIRD fire wasn’t bad enough, as I stood talking with Okie while Fran took stills of the Hazards for me, the bell tipped. Of course the bell tipped – because I wasn’t RIDING WITH THEM!!! Another gas leak situation. So, rather than trying to get this all set up again, we waited for the Hazards to return. At one point, Fran and I were the only people left in the station. Every single truck in the house was out. My brain was hurting by that point and frustration was beginning to get to me.
So, the Hazards returned and I filmed my bit with Okie. As I filmed with him and saw all of the equipment that this Heavy Rescue Vehicle carries, I began to see things in a different light. I got the footage I needed and Fran took some more stills for me. We said goodnight to Okie and off we went.
When I got home tonight I visited Michael Morse’s blog and clicked on a link to the blog of another Providence Firefighter, Chris Brown. Chris is also on the Hazards. I read an entry that he wrote about a man who had been electrocuted. That was it… my “different light” had settled in and I was viewing my quiet night with the Hazards as a blessing. It dawned on me, between filming with Okie and reading Chris’s blog that I could easily have seen things last night that I would never, ever be able to handle.
All firefighters see, smell and deal with scenes that would steal an everyday person’s sanity in the blink of an eye. It is difficult to wrap your head around that until you ride on these trucks and talk to these people. I learned something tonight, too. “Special Hazards” is not really an appropriate name for that unit. Yes, the Hazards deals with things like chemical spills, gas leaks, anthrax scares and the like. In all actuality, the Special Hazards Unit is a Heavy Rescue Unit. That means they repel down the sides of Providence’s skyscrapers if a window washer’s platform gets stuck too high up for a ladder truck to reach. If someone is preparing to commit suicide by jumping from a bridge or an overpass in the City, the Hazards gets called. If someone gets fried by a downed high voltage wire, the Hazards goes in with special tools to make sure that the person’s body is safe for firefighters to handle and isn’t surging with electricity.
I’ll admit it… there are some things that I just do not want to see. So thanks, Grampa… for busting my chops and keeping me away from that stuff.
Once again, I have an entirely new understanding of and respect for the members of the Special Hazards Unit… those Heavy Rescue kids are pretty incredible.
26 September, 2007
I know this has nothing to do with the documentary, but Michael is a very dear friend and as you've read, I had the honor and privilege of riding with him and Ray Thibault a couple of Saturdays ago.
The photograph to the left was taken by me earlier this year at Chester Barrows Elementary School in Cranston, RI. The man in the foreground is Lt. Michael Morse. The man in the background is his brother, SFC Robert Morse of the RI National Guard's 1207th Transportation Company. A little background on why they were at the school... My Mom, Pat Blackman, is known as "Grandma Muggle" to several classes at three different Cranston elementary schools. She started out about six years ago visiting my niece, Amberlee's class at Chester Barrows to read to the class. The teachers fell in love with her, as did the kids and it turned into what is now known as the "Grandma Muggle Club". The kids have done numerous service projects, including making place cards for the food trays at the Veterans' Hospital, donating to the "Put Your Two-Cents' Worth In" campaign which has raised money for various charity events and they have also adopted RI soldiers serving in Iraq, sending them letters and care packages. Robert Morse was "adopted" by the Grandma Muggle Club. When he came home on an "R & R" leave, he only had two weeks to spend with his wife, kids and family. He took an entire afternoon out of that time and he and Michael visited the kids at Chester Barrows Elementary School. Not only did he do that, but he also schleped home two Muslim prayer rugs that he had made for the kids, which had the logo of the 1207th and the name of the school in English and Arabic, as well as certificates from the commander of the 1207th officially thanking the kids for their support. The kids were fascinated with both Robert and Michael - asking all kinds of questions about Iraq and the fire department. I skulked around the classrooms while Robert talked to the kids and as I was photographing the event, I noticed something. Every time Robert mentioned returning to Iraq, Michael would suddenly look absolutely forlorn. The kids didn't notice - in fact, I'm sure I was the only one who did. I decided to try to capture that image... the love of brothers - never really spoken, but always there.
I caught this image after several tries. It had gotten to the point where Michael was pretty much ignoring the fact that I was shooting at all. Knowing Michael, he probably assumed that I was taking a picture of Robert. But I got the image and I'm so glad that I did, because Robert is home now - safe and home. Thank God for that. I look forward to having a chance someday to take another photograph of them, simply enjoying each other's company and content in the fact that they've each endured so much in their own right, but survived.
I am honored to know such wonderful men... men who lay their lives on the line for the protection of others. Selflessly dedicated, loyal, kindhearted... that is what I see in "The Morse Boys".
16 September, 2007
See? Everybody Gets Their Fifteen Minutes
<--- photo taken at Chester Barrows Elementary School - June, 2007 by Erin L. Blackman (Handsome bugger, isn't he?) :-DIt gives me GREAT pleasure to post this piece. The following article appeared in today's Providence Sunday Journal about Lt. Michael Morse and his book, "Rescuing Providence", which I am very much looking forward to reading. I am so excited for Michael and so proud to call him "friend". Congratulations, Michael.
Bob Kerr: The story of the city with feeling
01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, September 16, 2007
I don’t like lying to people who I know will be dead in minutes because it doesn’t seem fair. It’s hypnotic in the back of a rescue when the fight for life is lost and resignation appears in the victims’ faces. I tell them to hang on, to keep fighting, but they know the truth. I can see it in their eyes. I am the last thing they see before leaving this earth forever.
— Lt. Michael Morse in Rescuing Providence
Many of us try to peel back the cover on the city now and then — look into those seldom-seen places where people do crazy, mean, loving, funny, desperate things. But Michael Morse does it again and again and again. There are times when he might want a break from it, maybe a whole hour to put his head back and not deal with all that injury and pain and assorted madness.
But then comes the call: “Rescue 3 and Engine 12, respond to Hawkins and Admiral for a reported shooting.”
And he is off again, into the rescue wagon and off to another human pileup in Providence — and another chance to see the city with a writer’s eyes.
Morse has been an emergency medical technician (EMT) and firefighter in Providence for 16 years. He is one of those people, like most who work at firehouses, who are hooked on the job. Despite the falling-down fatigue that comes with call after call, he would have it no other way.
He has been a writer for a lot of years too. It is tough to say just when that part of him kicked in. He remembers his days at Bishop Hendricken High School, where he did not light up the honor roll. But he got that B in English once. There were some early indications that he could do things with the language.
And he has. He’s written a book, and it’s so damn good that I can’t stand this guy. I mean, just where does he get off climbing out of a rescue wagon and writing with this kind of feeling and pace and vivid recollection?
It’s called Rescuing Providence, and it covers one 34-hour shift around Easter weekend of 2004.
“I was driving to work one day and just decided to write a book about this,” he told me.
He started taking notes. He would finish a call and write down the most memorable details. When he got home, he typed up the notes.
“I would live it, then relive it.”
Sometimes, he says, he would remember something a couple of days later and think, “that was interesting.” And he would write it down.
He has been published before, in Rhode Island Monthly and on the editorial pages of The Providence Journal. He wrote a wonderful piece about the challenges EMTs face when removing drunks from city streets.
When he finished his book, he says, he sat back and waited for the publishers to knock down his door. Instead, they sent rejection slips. Morse’s wife, Cheryl, says there really were enough rejection slips to paper a good part of a room in their house in Warwick.
Then came the day when Morse was mowing the lawn and Cheryl came out to tell him that the call had come from his agent: A publisher had picked up Rescuing Providence.
It will be officially released in a few weeks by Paladin Press. Morse isn’t sure how much promotion he’ll do. This is all very new to him.
But buy this book, and not just because it is drawn from the streets of Providence. Buy it because it gives us all the chance to go to the places and meet the people that we too quickly pass by. Buy it for the opportunity to know the incredible things that happen when a stranger from the Fire Department shows up to sew people up and calm people down and sometimes deal with the mean and dangerous side of the city.
There was the time Morse was called to the scene of a stabbing after a street brawl. As he approached the injured man, he was told by another man, “If he dies, you die.”
“You stupid bastard,” I told him, focused on the patient and annoyed at the interruption. “Your friend is bleeding to death and you have to bust my balls. Get out of the way, or your friend will die on those steps.”
What makes Morse’s book such a pleasure to read is not just the accounts of the rescue calls but the way he blends in the memories of the way the city used to be and his life with Cheryl and their two daughters and the special connection that develops with the people who work alongside him. He tells of going food shopping with his grandmother on Federal Hill. And he tells of dealing with the changes that had to be made when Cheryl discovered she had multiple sclerosis.
Then, late in the book, is the reminder that on any call, an EMT can face the worst kind of human tragedy. Morse was working out of the Branch Avenue station when a fire call came in. A mother had left two babies with a babysitter and gone out for a drink. The babysitter left the babies because she wanted to have some fun and assumed the babies were asleep. Both babies were burned to death.
Morse recalls he was in the station the next day, blaming himself for the disaster and saying, “I’ll never wish for another fire.” Chief Ronny Moura, whom he describes as a “grizzled veteran firefighter and all-around tough guy,” overheard him.
“Kid,” says Moura, “any firefighter worth half a sh— wants fires. Quit crying and get off the cross. We need the wood.”
And so it goes for those who do the work that EMTs and firefighters do. No one on the outside can possibly understand.
But we can read Rescuing Providence and get a rich and varied taste of it.
“I hope people feel what I feel,” says Morse. “I hope they come away with a better understanding of our profession.”
A reader of this truly fine book will surely do that.
bkerr@projo.com
15 September, 2007
Rescue 1 – Mundane to Amazing
Saturday, 15 September '07
So, I dragged myself out of bed at quarter to five this morning and got ready to ride along with Lt. Michael Morse and FF Ray Thibault on Rescue 1, which is housed on Allens Avenue. I say I dragged myself out of bed – but that really isn’t true. I was excited to be riding with Michael. We had talked about it several times, then as I stated in my last blog, he was injured, so it had to be postponed. We finally had our day, though – and what a day it was. Got to see a bunch of guys I hadn't seen in a while and others I'd seen only last week, but it was quite nice to see all of them.
I arrived at the station at seven this morning, just about the same time as Michael. It was quiet for the first couple of hours, but as per usual, the boys at the station did their morning cleaning. The weather was gross – rainy and depressing, but I was looking forward to the sun coming out in the afternoon. That was what they were claiming on the news, anyway.
We got a call to assist a young man who was having some sort of blood pressure issue, turned out he hadn’t taken his medication today - a “taxi ride”, essentially, to RI Hospital. Our next call was to the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Elmwood Avenue. One of the parties involved was extremely disoriented and it was thought he might have a head injury. Turned out that the man is a regular customer at Borders, where I work. That was somewhat odd. We brought him to RIH to get checked out because he was exhibiting signs of a TIA. We had a couple of calls for pregnant women with abdominal pains, but no babies born on the rescue today – another call for a woman with low blood sugar.
It was fairly quiet after that, until we got a call to Pine Street for a man with a head injury. When we arrived on scene, Engine 3 was already there. I knew two of the people on the Engine – FF Donna Luce and FF Vinny Clemens; the other two guys were fresh out of the academy. There was a palpable difference with this call. Things happen so fast on these runs that I barely know what’s happening until it’s all over. This time, though, there was an extreme sense of urgency. Turns out the guy that we were picking up had fallen down a narrow, cement staircase in the basement of a house. He was unresponsive, but still breathing. When the team brought him out and placed him onto the gurney, I could see that the guy was completely out of it. His arm was falling off the backboard – they had to keep laying it over his stomach. They got him to the rig, got the gurney in and Michael, Ray, Donna and one of the new guys all got into the back of the rescue. I hopped into the front seat to film through the opening. The scene was incredible to me – no one said much, they just each did their job. Ray got the vitals, Donna set up an IV and Ray started the line, Donna got the guy’s blood sugar level, Michael took down all of the information and tried to get the guy’s friend to give some information. He wasn’t much help, so finally Michael gave the patient’s cell phone to the friend and told him to look for a home number. He apparently found it and called the patient’s wife. I filmed as this was happening and it was truly a remarkable sight. Each firefighter did their job and Michael clearly led the team through the whole run.
That having been said let me digress and tell you a little bit about Michael. He is a very laid-back kind of person and does not consider himself to be a “leader” – and maybe he isn’t, in the traditional “barking orders” sense of the word. He just knows what he’s doing and he is probably one of the best EMTs on the job, so people just naturally look to him for guidance. At least that is what I witnessed today.
Now, back to the patient with the head injury – a forty-seven or forty-eight year old male, pupils dilated, unresponsive and (as Michael said) a “cracked melon”. The team had to take every precaution – apparently, they were made aware of the fact that the patient was intoxicated. They did not know whether he had taken any drugs or had a seizure – no idea what had caused the fall. They tried administering a drug that is used on people who have overdosed on illegal drugs to counteract the overdose. If the man responded to the drug, then they would know that he had overdosed. If not, then it was something far more serious. Unfortunately, the man did not respond to the medication. As a precaution, Michael decided to keep two other firefighters in the back of the Rescue with him. Quite often, when a patient has overdosed or been the victim of a head injury, they can awaken and become extremely violent. In a case such as that, they will have other firefighters remain onboard the rescue. This is another reason why an Engine company is dispatched to all Rescue calls. Ray Thibault and Vinny Clemens stayed in the back of the rig with Michael while we transported the patient to RIH. One of the new guys from Engine 3 drove Rescue 1 and Donna and the other new recruit took Engine 3 to the hospital. The patient was brought to the hospital and the whole time we were en route, the patient’s cell phone was ringing.
All I could think was that his wife must not have answered when the friend called her. She was probably trying to call him back.
After he was brought into the ER at RIH, the crew from Engine 3 headed back to quarters and a while after that, Michael and Ray came back out. Michael was telling me what was happening. In the space of less than twenty minutes, Engine 3 had arrived on scene and begun treatment. Rescue 1 arrived and everyone pitched in to get the guy stabilized and rushed to the ER. The ER immediately brought him to the Trauma Unit and the Trauma Team had him intubated and were evaluating him for further treatment.
We arrived back at the station a short time later and I was actually getting ready to leave when we caught another call. There was a woman suffering from complications of diabetes. She had already lost a couple of toes and would probably lose another. We got her to the ER – it was probably less than an hour since we had picked up the guy on Pine Street and Michael emerged from the ER and told me that he was in surgery. They believed that he had a bleed in his brain.
I witnessed something truly remarkable today – the Providence Fire Department’s amazing teamwork. I feel very privileged to have been party to that sight. I feel badly for the patient and his family and I do hope that he recovers and will be all right. His chances of that are much, much higher because of the speed and precision of the work done by the men and women of the PFD.
As amazing as that was, it was just as amazing to me that Michael really doesn’t realize what he and his Brothers and Sisters really do. I showed him part of the film footage from that run and he was amazed, himself. He sat watching it and saying, “wow” through it. He’s so focused on his own duties and has faith in what his fellow firefighters are doing that he has never had the chance to see just how incredibly impressive it really is.
So I also had the privilege of showing one of my Everyday Heroes just why it is that I call him that. With any luck, the others will also see just how incredible their job really is – and so will my audience when this is all said and done. I got something else out of it, too - again, that sense of having been adopted. "Hey, Erin, can you grab that glucometer for me? Thanks." "Hey, would you mind helping us transfer her to the hospital's gurney?" (That was answered with a, "sorry, Cap, I'm not on the job - I'll get Ray for you.") I even saved a c-collar from blowing away in the wind, hauled a bag back to the Rescue, held doors, closed compartments... stupid, maybe, but it was very telling to me. I'm trusted - and that means more than I could ever express in words. I'm proud - VERY proud - to feel that from these people. So thanks for that, Michael and Ray... you made me feel like one of your own.
Michael got a call back – he will be working tonight, as well as tomorrow’s day shift. Who knows if he’ll see home tomorrow evening? The beat goes on, people… never ending – twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Just when you think it’s gonna be all taxi rides and drunks, someone who truly needs you comes along – and you’re THERE for them; on your game, go team go – Bless them all.
My eternal thanks to all who participated today, especially Michael and Ray for dealing with the third wheel. Hope I stayed out of the way… and maybe showed you just how special you really are.
So, I dragged myself out of bed at quarter to five this morning and got ready to ride along with Lt. Michael Morse and FF Ray Thibault on Rescue 1, which is housed on Allens Avenue. I say I dragged myself out of bed – but that really isn’t true. I was excited to be riding with Michael. We had talked about it several times, then as I stated in my last blog, he was injured, so it had to be postponed. We finally had our day, though – and what a day it was. Got to see a bunch of guys I hadn't seen in a while and others I'd seen only last week, but it was quite nice to see all of them.
I arrived at the station at seven this morning, just about the same time as Michael. It was quiet for the first couple of hours, but as per usual, the boys at the station did their morning cleaning. The weather was gross – rainy and depressing, but I was looking forward to the sun coming out in the afternoon. That was what they were claiming on the news, anyway.
We got a call to assist a young man who was having some sort of blood pressure issue, turned out he hadn’t taken his medication today - a “taxi ride”, essentially, to RI Hospital. Our next call was to the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Elmwood Avenue. One of the parties involved was extremely disoriented and it was thought he might have a head injury. Turned out that the man is a regular customer at Borders, where I work. That was somewhat odd. We brought him to RIH to get checked out because he was exhibiting signs of a TIA. We had a couple of calls for pregnant women with abdominal pains, but no babies born on the rescue today – another call for a woman with low blood sugar.
It was fairly quiet after that, until we got a call to Pine Street for a man with a head injury. When we arrived on scene, Engine 3 was already there. I knew two of the people on the Engine – FF Donna Luce and FF Vinny Clemens; the other two guys were fresh out of the academy. There was a palpable difference with this call. Things happen so fast on these runs that I barely know what’s happening until it’s all over. This time, though, there was an extreme sense of urgency. Turns out the guy that we were picking up had fallen down a narrow, cement staircase in the basement of a house. He was unresponsive, but still breathing. When the team brought him out and placed him onto the gurney, I could see that the guy was completely out of it. His arm was falling off the backboard – they had to keep laying it over his stomach. They got him to the rig, got the gurney in and Michael, Ray, Donna and one of the new guys all got into the back of the rescue. I hopped into the front seat to film through the opening. The scene was incredible to me – no one said much, they just each did their job. Ray got the vitals, Donna set up an IV and Ray started the line, Donna got the guy’s blood sugar level, Michael took down all of the information and tried to get the guy’s friend to give some information. He wasn’t much help, so finally Michael gave the patient’s cell phone to the friend and told him to look for a home number. He apparently found it and called the patient’s wife. I filmed as this was happening and it was truly a remarkable sight. Each firefighter did their job and Michael clearly led the team through the whole run.
That having been said let me digress and tell you a little bit about Michael. He is a very laid-back kind of person and does not consider himself to be a “leader” – and maybe he isn’t, in the traditional “barking orders” sense of the word. He just knows what he’s doing and he is probably one of the best EMTs on the job, so people just naturally look to him for guidance. At least that is what I witnessed today.
Now, back to the patient with the head injury – a forty-seven or forty-eight year old male, pupils dilated, unresponsive and (as Michael said) a “cracked melon”. The team had to take every precaution – apparently, they were made aware of the fact that the patient was intoxicated. They did not know whether he had taken any drugs or had a seizure – no idea what had caused the fall. They tried administering a drug that is used on people who have overdosed on illegal drugs to counteract the overdose. If the man responded to the drug, then they would know that he had overdosed. If not, then it was something far more serious. Unfortunately, the man did not respond to the medication. As a precaution, Michael decided to keep two other firefighters in the back of the Rescue with him. Quite often, when a patient has overdosed or been the victim of a head injury, they can awaken and become extremely violent. In a case such as that, they will have other firefighters remain onboard the rescue. This is another reason why an Engine company is dispatched to all Rescue calls. Ray Thibault and Vinny Clemens stayed in the back of the rig with Michael while we transported the patient to RIH. One of the new guys from Engine 3 drove Rescue 1 and Donna and the other new recruit took Engine 3 to the hospital. The patient was brought to the hospital and the whole time we were en route, the patient’s cell phone was ringing.
All I could think was that his wife must not have answered when the friend called her. She was probably trying to call him back.
After he was brought into the ER at RIH, the crew from Engine 3 headed back to quarters and a while after that, Michael and Ray came back out. Michael was telling me what was happening. In the space of less than twenty minutes, Engine 3 had arrived on scene and begun treatment. Rescue 1 arrived and everyone pitched in to get the guy stabilized and rushed to the ER. The ER immediately brought him to the Trauma Unit and the Trauma Team had him intubated and were evaluating him for further treatment.
We arrived back at the station a short time later and I was actually getting ready to leave when we caught another call. There was a woman suffering from complications of diabetes. She had already lost a couple of toes and would probably lose another. We got her to the ER – it was probably less than an hour since we had picked up the guy on Pine Street and Michael emerged from the ER and told me that he was in surgery. They believed that he had a bleed in his brain.
I witnessed something truly remarkable today – the Providence Fire Department’s amazing teamwork. I feel very privileged to have been party to that sight. I feel badly for the patient and his family and I do hope that he recovers and will be all right. His chances of that are much, much higher because of the speed and precision of the work done by the men and women of the PFD.
As amazing as that was, it was just as amazing to me that Michael really doesn’t realize what he and his Brothers and Sisters really do. I showed him part of the film footage from that run and he was amazed, himself. He sat watching it and saying, “wow” through it. He’s so focused on his own duties and has faith in what his fellow firefighters are doing that he has never had the chance to see just how incredibly impressive it really is.
So I also had the privilege of showing one of my Everyday Heroes just why it is that I call him that. With any luck, the others will also see just how incredible their job really is – and so will my audience when this is all said and done. I got something else out of it, too - again, that sense of having been adopted. "Hey, Erin, can you grab that glucometer for me? Thanks." "Hey, would you mind helping us transfer her to the hospital's gurney?" (That was answered with a, "sorry, Cap, I'm not on the job - I'll get Ray for you.") I even saved a c-collar from blowing away in the wind, hauled a bag back to the Rescue, held doors, closed compartments... stupid, maybe, but it was very telling to me. I'm trusted - and that means more than I could ever express in words. I'm proud - VERY proud - to feel that from these people. So thanks for that, Michael and Ray... you made me feel like one of your own.
Michael got a call back – he will be working tonight, as well as tomorrow’s day shift. Who knows if he’ll see home tomorrow evening? The beat goes on, people… never ending – twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Just when you think it’s gonna be all taxi rides and drunks, someone who truly needs you comes along – and you’re THERE for them; on your game, go team go – Bless them all.
My eternal thanks to all who participated today, especially Michael and Ray for dealing with the third wheel. Hope I stayed out of the way… and maybe showed you just how special you really are.
31 August, 2007
Everybody Gets Their Fifteen Minutes Of Fame...
even when it isn't really wanted. Having a background in journalism, albeit an amateur one, I do understand what the "real" story is. For a journalist, the real story here is about a woman who, although she has no ties to any fire department and nothing to gain from her efforts, is taking on the task of shooting a documentary about the job of firefighting... blah, blah, blah.
It's funny - I look at my work the same way that firefighters look at their work - I'm just doing my job. It's nothing spectacular, nothing to make such a big deal about. I just got pissed off that no one really understands what firefighters do and all that their job encompasses. I got mad at people saying stupid crap like, "oh, they have it easy... four days on, four days off, hanging around the station..."
NO!!!! That is NOT what really goes on!!!
There is serious ABUSE of the 911 system in MANY cities and towns. People treat it like a taxi service. "I have a hangnail and it's killing me. Take me to the hospital. Yeah, I know it's three o'clock in the morning, but still..." It's maddening. So, rather than sitting here and just kevetching about it being maddening, I decided to DO something about it.
I'm not impressive because I decided to do this. I'm just a person who understands what firefighters deal with and I think that everyone should understand it and respect it.
So, the fact that Rita Lussier of the Providence Journal and Laurie Johnson of the Warwick Beacon and Johnston Sunrise wanted to write about the project, I thought, "cool - people will know about it and start looking for it on television. The more, the merrier." Then I had the interviews with them and by their questions, it dawned on me that their story was about me, not the project.
Do I refuse? No - because despite the fact that I feel totally weird about having these people ask me so many questions about myself and why I'm doing this, I know that it's still bringing attention to the project itself. If people know, they'll look for it. It's a catch 22, really.
It's bizarre - this is about my Everyday Heroes. It's not about me. It's about getting people to understand and respect firefighters. It's about telling their story and making people realize that it's not just firefighting that they do. The training, the rescue calls, the extracations, the cooking, the cleaning, the having to buy new appliances and mattresses that the Cities don't provide... it's about the mundane stuff and the fact that every single time the bell tips, God only knows what's going to happen. They could get hurt just driving to or from a call. Poorly maintained vehicles could cause accidents. It's about learning to appreciate the fact that we have these people, willing to risk their lives for us at any given moment.
It's about my firefighters, NOT me.
Having said that, I feel these pieces should be added to my blog. After all, it is a chronicle of what's been happening while I'm shooting the film.
Where There’s Fire, There’s a Hard-working Bunch
05/23/2007 - by Rita Lussier
After working all day at Borders bookstore in Garden City, Cranston, Erin Blackman will be up all night riding along on Engine 8 in Providence. There might be an accident or a fire, a domestic dispute or an explosion. Maybe even all of the above. There’s just no way to know.
Several years ago, when firefighters couldn’t agree on a contract with the City of Providence (they still haven’t — the standoff is at day 1,049), Erin was surprised at how many people didn’t really understand the job they do day in and day out. There is a misperception, she says, that firefighters just sit around the station playing cards and watching TV, waiting for the bell to ring.
And then it hit her. She has a digital video camera. She has friends at television stations. “What am I doing just sitting here?”
Well, Erin is no longer just sitting here, there or anywhere. When she’s not working, she’s riding along on fire trucks, spending time in fire stations, interviewing firefighters and putting it all together in a documentary that’s currently titled: Everyday Heroes: A Walk Into the Fire.
She wants to make this point very clear. The film she’s working on is not political in any way. As Erin told me, you understand what she does at the bookstore because you buy books there. You understand what a bank teller does because you go into the bank to cash checks and make deposits. But unless your house goes up in flames, you really don’t have any firsthand knowledge of a firefighter’s job.
Well, if Erin has anything to say about it, you soon will.
At first blush, it’s surprising that a 35-year-old woman who lives in Johnston would want to spend her spare time this way. But truth to tell, if fate hadn’t thrown her a curve ball, Erin might have become a firefighter herself.
From what she tells me, the calling runs in her family. Her grandfather, Edward Conway, was a firefighter in Providence for 30 years until he fell off a fire truck and landed in the middle of Branch Avenue. If Erin hadn’t suffered a bad accident when she was 16 that left her with an injured back, she might have followed his example.
But if there are any lingering regrets about the obstacles life has thrown her way, they’re now gone. The documentary project has given her the chance to not only experience the life she once dreamed about, but also to put her perspective as a lay person to good use. What she sees for the first time through the camera and how she relates that in her film will help those of us who are unfamiliar with the firefighter’s job to view it in a new light.
As often happens when things are meant to be, the pieces fell quickly into place for Erin. The Providence Fire Department granted permission for filming, and she’s received a lot of assistance from Providence firefighter Jay Fabrizio, whom she credits as co-creator. In addition, she’s relying on the talents of Fran Paliotta for still photography, Brian Bucacci for editing and Michael R. Shipp for music, to get the documentary ready to air by next fall.
What has surprised Erin the most about her adventure so far is the “sheer level of exhaustion that occurs from the adrenaline rush you experience when the bell tips. You have to jump and fly – get yourself to the truck as fast as possible and head out to the scene. When you go through that five, six, twelve times in a ten- or twelve-hour period, it takes a toll on your body.”
Although she never expected to gain anything for herself out of doing this, Erin tells me she already has. The way the firefighters have welcomed her into their circle, she says, has given her “an incredible sense of belonging, protection and kinship that I’ve never found with any other group.”
It’s the kind of camaraderie that must come along with a job where at any given moment you might have to take A Walk Into the Fire. I can’t imagine how that feels but, thanks to Erin, next fall I will. We all will.
For the Moment
Rita Lussier
A World in Which Every Workday Risks Life and Limb
By LAURIE JOHNSON
Carol Channing had it all wrong.
Firemen, not diamonds, are a girl’s best friend, according to Erin Blackman of Johnston, who’s currently filming a documentary on firefighters.
“The general public is not aware of all they do,” said Blackman, “so I picked up a video camera to prove it.”
The working title of Blackman’s project is “Everyday Heroes: A Walk Into the Fire.”
She started filming last November and hopes to complete the 60-minute tribute by early this winter. Blackman’s friend, Fran Paliotta of Fran Paliotta Photography in Johnston, is helping in the effort by offering cutting-edge still shots of Blackman’s subjects.
“It’s strictly a labor of love; I’m not getting paid for it,” said Blackman, who at age 36 wistfully recalls her dream of becoming a firefighter. Injuries from a car accident at age 16 forced her to look in other directions. She finds it ironic that her grandfather, Edward Conway, was forced to retire after 20 years on the Providence Fire Department when he fell off the back of a fire truck and injured his back in 1951.
The lion’s share of Blackman’s work to date has been done with the Providence Fire Department. Blackman totes a camera on ride-alongs onboard engines and rescue trucks. She signs a waiver each time, renouncing all rights to sue in case of an injury. The fire and rescue runs Blackman has documented have been fairly routine ones. She plans other ride-alongs including one with a ladder company. There will also be stints at the fire dispatch desk and with fire-prevention officers, who investigate the cause of a blaze.
Blackman said she treasures her time spent with Providence’s Engine Company 8, housed on Messer Street, whose members went out of their way to make her feel like one of them, she says. She learned that when firefighters assess a scene, it goes far beyond the rescue call.
“These firemen really know their neighborhood,” said Blackman enthusiastically.
During her ride-along, the firefighters would point out landmarks around a fire scene plus name the kids watching near the trucks while the firemen worked. There was even an elderly woman who brought the firemen cookies.
Another of Blackman’s experiences came courtesy of the Johnston Fire Department. The controlled burn of a house on
Peck Hill Road earlier this year made for some very fiery scenes for Blackman’s documentary.
Johnston firefighter Paul Brazenor recalls Blackman’s enthusiasm that day.
“She caught a nice little blast of heat when one of the walls of the house came down,” he said.
Blackman filmed as firefighters set up a water curtain to protect nearby houses and woods.
Brazenor, 36, is a school chum of Blackman’s. Both attended the Oliver Hazard Perry Middle School in Johnston. When the opportunity came along, Brazenor, who still lives in Johnston, was only too glad to let Blackman do some filming. He wishes there were more people like Erin who understood the pressures that firefighters face.
“Yes, we do feel unappreciated, especially in light of what town councilors have been saying about us,” said Brazenor, referencing recent news reports about the department’s expensive overtime budget. Johnston firefighters have been working without a contract since 2004.
“Because of overtime, we do have some guys making over a $100,000 a year,” he said. “Sure it’s good money, but people forget we are working [extra] to earn it and that means time away from our families.”
“Just because we have beds at the firehouse doesn’t mean we sleep at night. The calls can and do come anytime,” Brazenor added.
“The sheer exhaustion your body deals with is incredible,” Blackman said with a sigh, talking about one-on-one interviews with individual firefighters – scenes she refers to as intense.
She marvels as subject after subject responds with the perfunctory, “it’s my job,” when asked how they have the courage to enter a burning building.
“I don’t think we are heroes,” said Brazenor stiffly, but then with warm pride noted the accomplishments of his late uncle, Cpt. Robert Tessier, who retired from the Providence Fire Department after a 20-year career.
“You know, it isn’t always fire that turns out to be the most dangerous part of the job,” said Blackman. “There’s stress and exposure to chemicals. On the rescue trucks, there’s the constant worry about needle sticks, airborne diseases and TB.”
That’s why Brazenor, who’s in his 12th year fighting fires in Johnston, calls it a slap in the face for firefighters to have to pay for health insurance.
“The fact is we risk our lives every day on the job,” he said.
Blackman, a longtime firefighting advocate, hopes her work will lead to more respect for firefighters and better working conditions for them so, in her own words, “these insane lack-of-contract issues will stop.” Channel 36 has already offered to work with Blackman to bring her project to fruition.
It's funny - I look at my work the same way that firefighters look at their work - I'm just doing my job. It's nothing spectacular, nothing to make such a big deal about. I just got pissed off that no one really understands what firefighters do and all that their job encompasses. I got mad at people saying stupid crap like, "oh, they have it easy... four days on, four days off, hanging around the station..."
NO!!!! That is NOT what really goes on!!!
There is serious ABUSE of the 911 system in MANY cities and towns. People treat it like a taxi service. "I have a hangnail and it's killing me. Take me to the hospital. Yeah, I know it's three o'clock in the morning, but still..." It's maddening. So, rather than sitting here and just kevetching about it being maddening, I decided to DO something about it.
I'm not impressive because I decided to do this. I'm just a person who understands what firefighters deal with and I think that everyone should understand it and respect it.
So, the fact that Rita Lussier of the Providence Journal and Laurie Johnson of the Warwick Beacon and Johnston Sunrise wanted to write about the project, I thought, "cool - people will know about it and start looking for it on television. The more, the merrier." Then I had the interviews with them and by their questions, it dawned on me that their story was about me, not the project.
Do I refuse? No - because despite the fact that I feel totally weird about having these people ask me so many questions about myself and why I'm doing this, I know that it's still bringing attention to the project itself. If people know, they'll look for it. It's a catch 22, really.
It's bizarre - this is about my Everyday Heroes. It's not about me. It's about getting people to understand and respect firefighters. It's about telling their story and making people realize that it's not just firefighting that they do. The training, the rescue calls, the extracations, the cooking, the cleaning, the having to buy new appliances and mattresses that the Cities don't provide... it's about the mundane stuff and the fact that every single time the bell tips, God only knows what's going to happen. They could get hurt just driving to or from a call. Poorly maintained vehicles could cause accidents. It's about learning to appreciate the fact that we have these people, willing to risk their lives for us at any given moment.
It's about my firefighters, NOT me.
Having said that, I feel these pieces should be added to my blog. After all, it is a chronicle of what's been happening while I'm shooting the film.
Where There’s Fire, There’s a Hard-working Bunch
05/23/2007 - by Rita Lussier
After working all day at Borders bookstore in Garden City, Cranston, Erin Blackman will be up all night riding along on Engine 8 in Providence. There might be an accident or a fire, a domestic dispute or an explosion. Maybe even all of the above. There’s just no way to know.
Several years ago, when firefighters couldn’t agree on a contract with the City of Providence (they still haven’t — the standoff is at day 1,049), Erin was surprised at how many people didn’t really understand the job they do day in and day out. There is a misperception, she says, that firefighters just sit around the station playing cards and watching TV, waiting for the bell to ring.
And then it hit her. She has a digital video camera. She has friends at television stations. “What am I doing just sitting here?”
Well, Erin is no longer just sitting here, there or anywhere. When she’s not working, she’s riding along on fire trucks, spending time in fire stations, interviewing firefighters and putting it all together in a documentary that’s currently titled: Everyday Heroes: A Walk Into the Fire.
She wants to make this point very clear. The film she’s working on is not political in any way. As Erin told me, you understand what she does at the bookstore because you buy books there. You understand what a bank teller does because you go into the bank to cash checks and make deposits. But unless your house goes up in flames, you really don’t have any firsthand knowledge of a firefighter’s job.
Well, if Erin has anything to say about it, you soon will.
At first blush, it’s surprising that a 35-year-old woman who lives in Johnston would want to spend her spare time this way. But truth to tell, if fate hadn’t thrown her a curve ball, Erin might have become a firefighter herself.
From what she tells me, the calling runs in her family. Her grandfather, Edward Conway, was a firefighter in Providence for 30 years until he fell off a fire truck and landed in the middle of Branch Avenue. If Erin hadn’t suffered a bad accident when she was 16 that left her with an injured back, she might have followed his example.
But if there are any lingering regrets about the obstacles life has thrown her way, they’re now gone. The documentary project has given her the chance to not only experience the life she once dreamed about, but also to put her perspective as a lay person to good use. What she sees for the first time through the camera and how she relates that in her film will help those of us who are unfamiliar with the firefighter’s job to view it in a new light.
As often happens when things are meant to be, the pieces fell quickly into place for Erin. The Providence Fire Department granted permission for filming, and she’s received a lot of assistance from Providence firefighter Jay Fabrizio, whom she credits as co-creator. In addition, she’s relying on the talents of Fran Paliotta for still photography, Brian Bucacci for editing and Michael R. Shipp for music, to get the documentary ready to air by next fall.
What has surprised Erin the most about her adventure so far is the “sheer level of exhaustion that occurs from the adrenaline rush you experience when the bell tips. You have to jump and fly – get yourself to the truck as fast as possible and head out to the scene. When you go through that five, six, twelve times in a ten- or twelve-hour period, it takes a toll on your body.”
Although she never expected to gain anything for herself out of doing this, Erin tells me she already has. The way the firefighters have welcomed her into their circle, she says, has given her “an incredible sense of belonging, protection and kinship that I’ve never found with any other group.”
It’s the kind of camaraderie that must come along with a job where at any given moment you might have to take A Walk Into the Fire. I can’t imagine how that feels but, thanks to Erin, next fall I will. We all will.
For the Moment
Rita Lussier
A World in Which Every Workday Risks Life and Limb
By LAURIE JOHNSON
Carol Channing had it all wrong.
Firemen, not diamonds, are a girl’s best friend, according to Erin Blackman of Johnston, who’s currently filming a documentary on firefighters.
“The general public is not aware of all they do,” said Blackman, “so I picked up a video camera to prove it.”
The working title of Blackman’s project is “Everyday Heroes: A Walk Into the Fire.”
She started filming last November and hopes to complete the 60-minute tribute by early this winter. Blackman’s friend, Fran Paliotta of Fran Paliotta Photography in Johnston, is helping in the effort by offering cutting-edge still shots of Blackman’s subjects.
“It’s strictly a labor of love; I’m not getting paid for it,” said Blackman, who at age 36 wistfully recalls her dream of becoming a firefighter. Injuries from a car accident at age 16 forced her to look in other directions. She finds it ironic that her grandfather, Edward Conway, was forced to retire after 20 years on the Providence Fire Department when he fell off the back of a fire truck and injured his back in 1951.
The lion’s share of Blackman’s work to date has been done with the Providence Fire Department. Blackman totes a camera on ride-alongs onboard engines and rescue trucks. She signs a waiver each time, renouncing all rights to sue in case of an injury. The fire and rescue runs Blackman has documented have been fairly routine ones. She plans other ride-alongs including one with a ladder company. There will also be stints at the fire dispatch desk and with fire-prevention officers, who investigate the cause of a blaze.
Blackman said she treasures her time spent with Providence’s Engine Company 8, housed on Messer Street, whose members went out of their way to make her feel like one of them, she says. She learned that when firefighters assess a scene, it goes far beyond the rescue call.
“These firemen really know their neighborhood,” said Blackman enthusiastically.
During her ride-along, the firefighters would point out landmarks around a fire scene plus name the kids watching near the trucks while the firemen worked. There was even an elderly woman who brought the firemen cookies.
Another of Blackman’s experiences came courtesy of the Johnston Fire Department. The controlled burn of a house on
Peck Hill Road earlier this year made for some very fiery scenes for Blackman’s documentary.
Johnston firefighter Paul Brazenor recalls Blackman’s enthusiasm that day.
“She caught a nice little blast of heat when one of the walls of the house came down,” he said.
Blackman filmed as firefighters set up a water curtain to protect nearby houses and woods.
Brazenor, 36, is a school chum of Blackman’s. Both attended the Oliver Hazard Perry Middle School in Johnston. When the opportunity came along, Brazenor, who still lives in Johnston, was only too glad to let Blackman do some filming. He wishes there were more people like Erin who understood the pressures that firefighters face.
“Yes, we do feel unappreciated, especially in light of what town councilors have been saying about us,” said Brazenor, referencing recent news reports about the department’s expensive overtime budget. Johnston firefighters have been working without a contract since 2004.
“Because of overtime, we do have some guys making over a $100,000 a year,” he said. “Sure it’s good money, but people forget we are working [extra] to earn it and that means time away from our families.”
“Just because we have beds at the firehouse doesn’t mean we sleep at night. The calls can and do come anytime,” Brazenor added.
“The sheer exhaustion your body deals with is incredible,” Blackman said with a sigh, talking about one-on-one interviews with individual firefighters – scenes she refers to as intense.
She marvels as subject after subject responds with the perfunctory, “it’s my job,” when asked how they have the courage to enter a burning building.
“I don’t think we are heroes,” said Brazenor stiffly, but then with warm pride noted the accomplishments of his late uncle, Cpt. Robert Tessier, who retired from the Providence Fire Department after a 20-year career.
“You know, it isn’t always fire that turns out to be the most dangerous part of the job,” said Blackman. “There’s stress and exposure to chemicals. On the rescue trucks, there’s the constant worry about needle sticks, airborne diseases and TB.”
That’s why Brazenor, who’s in his 12th year fighting fires in Johnston, calls it a slap in the face for firefighters to have to pay for health insurance.
“The fact is we risk our lives every day on the job,” he said.
Blackman, a longtime firefighting advocate, hopes her work will lead to more respect for firefighters and better working conditions for them so, in her own words, “these insane lack-of-contract issues will stop.” Channel 36 has already offered to work with Blackman to bring her project to fruition.
29 August, 2007
I HATE It When They Get Hurt...
Thursday, 23 Aug 2007
I was supposed to be riding with Lt. Michael Morse on Rescue 1 tomorrow night, Friday, 24 August. It was a rather cool week, nasty weather and Friday is supposed to be the first hot day of the week. Surely the night will be chaotic with people trying to salvage their last few days of summer.
But…
One of the most difficult things about having friends who are firefighters is the frequency with which they get injured. It’s horrible when I watch the news sometimes… “Fire in Providence today… two firefighters taken to the hospital with injuries… no word on their condition…” It can be terrifying – especially when I break out the cell phone and start dialing any of the sixty some-odd numbers I’ve stored in there of members of the PFD and no one is answering. It’s bad enough to me to know that any of “My Firefighters” has been hurt, but the fright can turn to panic when I find out that the company involved in the incident is filled with my close personal friends.
On that note… let’s get back to the “but”… My cell phone starts to vibrate, but I’m working at the bookstore and we’ve got a ridiculous line filled with parents and their teenage kids. Ninety percent of those kids are being reprimanded by the parents because they have waited (AGAIN!!!) until the very last second to complete their summer reading. Obviously, I can’t answer my phone. A short time later, I’m able to take my afternoon break – ten minutes without listening to, “when the hell are you going to stop doing this, Little Timmy?” I take my cell phone from my pocket and look at the screen – it was Michael who had called and he’s left me a voice mail message. I dial in to my voice mail and listen.
“Hey, Erin, it’s Michael Morse. I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news – well, not bad news, really, but, well… I hurt my back during my shift today…” I wasn’t quite as panicked as I sometimes feel, because it was Michael, himself, telling me that he got hurt. We’ll have to set up another time for a ride along and he’s telling me that he feels awful about it. About that time I felt I'd rather be listening to Timmy's mom yelling at him for not having read "Of Mice and Men" yet.
I return his call… getting his voice mail. “Michael, it’s Erin. No worries about the ride along – I’m not concerned about the filming. I’m worried about you. I hope that you’re relatively okay. Give me a call and let me know how you’re doing. We’ll set up another time – I still want to film with you. Just please take care of yourself.”
My sister calls me an “empath” – says that I worry too much most of the time. I can’t say that she’s wrong. My best friend has been telling me the same thing for the last twenty-nine years. I just can’t help it, though – it’s who I am and what I am. When I call someone “friend”, I MEAN it. I worry for them, I feel their pain, I keep them in my thoughts and prayers.
My firefighters, though… man, that can be rough. Every time I hear a siren (and yes, I CAN tell the difference between a police siren and a fire siren, though I worry for all of them) I say, “keep them safe”. Even if I’m just rolling down the road and I see a fire engine, “keep them safe”. These people lay their lives on the line every single time they get on the truck and roll to a call. Just look at what happened with Ladder 6! Crazy drivers trying to cut off fire trucks in their little Toyota Corollas. Oy, they drive me nuts.
THIS is the very thing that has compelled me to do this – to take on this massive project that sometimes overwhelms me. It’s WORTH the work… because THEY are worth the work.
Be well & stay safe, everyone. I love you, my friends – and I MEAN that. Oh, and please do get well soon, Michael. Looking forward to rolling with a PFD Legend. :-)
I was supposed to be riding with Lt. Michael Morse on Rescue 1 tomorrow night, Friday, 24 August. It was a rather cool week, nasty weather and Friday is supposed to be the first hot day of the week. Surely the night will be chaotic with people trying to salvage their last few days of summer.
But…
One of the most difficult things about having friends who are firefighters is the frequency with which they get injured. It’s horrible when I watch the news sometimes… “Fire in Providence today… two firefighters taken to the hospital with injuries… no word on their condition…” It can be terrifying – especially when I break out the cell phone and start dialing any of the sixty some-odd numbers I’ve stored in there of members of the PFD and no one is answering. It’s bad enough to me to know that any of “My Firefighters” has been hurt, but the fright can turn to panic when I find out that the company involved in the incident is filled with my close personal friends.
On that note… let’s get back to the “but”… My cell phone starts to vibrate, but I’m working at the bookstore and we’ve got a ridiculous line filled with parents and their teenage kids. Ninety percent of those kids are being reprimanded by the parents because they have waited (AGAIN!!!) until the very last second to complete their summer reading. Obviously, I can’t answer my phone. A short time later, I’m able to take my afternoon break – ten minutes without listening to, “when the hell are you going to stop doing this, Little Timmy?” I take my cell phone from my pocket and look at the screen – it was Michael who had called and he’s left me a voice mail message. I dial in to my voice mail and listen.
“Hey, Erin, it’s Michael Morse. I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news – well, not bad news, really, but, well… I hurt my back during my shift today…” I wasn’t quite as panicked as I sometimes feel, because it was Michael, himself, telling me that he got hurt. We’ll have to set up another time for a ride along and he’s telling me that he feels awful about it. About that time I felt I'd rather be listening to Timmy's mom yelling at him for not having read "Of Mice and Men" yet.
I return his call… getting his voice mail. “Michael, it’s Erin. No worries about the ride along – I’m not concerned about the filming. I’m worried about you. I hope that you’re relatively okay. Give me a call and let me know how you’re doing. We’ll set up another time – I still want to film with you. Just please take care of yourself.”
My sister calls me an “empath” – says that I worry too much most of the time. I can’t say that she’s wrong. My best friend has been telling me the same thing for the last twenty-nine years. I just can’t help it, though – it’s who I am and what I am. When I call someone “friend”, I MEAN it. I worry for them, I feel their pain, I keep them in my thoughts and prayers.
My firefighters, though… man, that can be rough. Every time I hear a siren (and yes, I CAN tell the difference between a police siren and a fire siren, though I worry for all of them) I say, “keep them safe”. Even if I’m just rolling down the road and I see a fire engine, “keep them safe”. These people lay their lives on the line every single time they get on the truck and roll to a call. Just look at what happened with Ladder 6! Crazy drivers trying to cut off fire trucks in their little Toyota Corollas. Oy, they drive me nuts.
THIS is the very thing that has compelled me to do this – to take on this massive project that sometimes overwhelms me. It’s WORTH the work… because THEY are worth the work.
Be well & stay safe, everyone. I love you, my friends – and I MEAN that. Oh, and please do get well soon, Michael. Looking forward to rolling with a PFD Legend. :-)
18 July, 2007
The Interviews – Parts 1 & 2
Friday, July 13, 2007 and Saturday, July 14, 2007
The Interviews – Parts 1 & 2
Friday morning I began filming interviews for the documentary. Some of the eight people that I filmed are good friends, others I’ve met once or twice, but all of them were fascinating to me, for different reasons. I somehow managed in a single day to span a wide spectrum of people. Some talked of wonderful moments and tragic moments, some got misty-eyed, some made me cry, but mainly it was an incredible study in human behavior. Some people just walk out of the station and leave the emotional baggage there; others take their experiences and integrate them into their everyday lives as lessons learned. There are some who go out and participate in sports to drive out the emotions, some who write it down and others still who simply talk it out with their fellow firefighters and go on from there.
It was amazing to me to learn of just some of the experiences that these people have lived through and they have managed to stay sane and move ahead. They truly are a unique breed of people – despite the fact that each of them is an individual and they are each different from the other, I found that there is a standard… they all love the job. They don’t seem to mind laying their lives on the line for total strangers. In all honesty, they really don’t seem to look at it that way – “I’m just doing my job,” they say.
Well, that may be true, but I’m still of the opinion that firefighters are Everyday Heroes. I don’t mean to offend any of those who took the time to talk with me, because some said that they actually do not like to be called heroes. I simply cannot think of any other way to put it – except maybe…
Everyday Extraordinary People.
The Interviews – Parts 1 & 2
Friday morning I began filming interviews for the documentary. Some of the eight people that I filmed are good friends, others I’ve met once or twice, but all of them were fascinating to me, for different reasons. I somehow managed in a single day to span a wide spectrum of people. Some talked of wonderful moments and tragic moments, some got misty-eyed, some made me cry, but mainly it was an incredible study in human behavior. Some people just walk out of the station and leave the emotional baggage there; others take their experiences and integrate them into their everyday lives as lessons learned. There are some who go out and participate in sports to drive out the emotions, some who write it down and others still who simply talk it out with their fellow firefighters and go on from there.
It was amazing to me to learn of just some of the experiences that these people have lived through and they have managed to stay sane and move ahead. They truly are a unique breed of people – despite the fact that each of them is an individual and they are each different from the other, I found that there is a standard… they all love the job. They don’t seem to mind laying their lives on the line for total strangers. In all honesty, they really don’t seem to look at it that way – “I’m just doing my job,” they say.
Well, that may be true, but I’m still of the opinion that firefighters are Everyday Heroes. I don’t mean to offend any of those who took the time to talk with me, because some said that they actually do not like to be called heroes. I simply cannot think of any other way to put it – except maybe…
Everyday Extraordinary People.
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