Two Good Scares This Week

Scare #1; Fire alarm at my house

I worked a 24 hour shift from the morning of Sunday the 31st until the morning of Monday the 1st, Labor Day. At 03:30 AM Monday as I was sleeping at the firehouse my phone buzzed. Then buzzed again. Then again. Then it started vibrating non-stop which meant I was getting a phone call. It was my alarm monitoring company telling me there was an active fire alarm at my house, and is everything all right? I told them I was not at home and I have no idea what the problem may be and to dispatch us immediately. Here's what really scared me... the buzzes were alerts from alarm system app; first reporting the alarm, then reporting a power failure. When an actual fire occurs the electrical system is damaged so my immediate thought was "Holy shit! There is a real emergency!!" I yelled to wake up my partner to get ready to go to my house. As I got dressed I called my wife and she answered saying she did not see anything and did not know why the alarm was going off. I told her we were on the way. We were dressed and had half our gear on before the tones dropped to respond. We respond with what's called "One and One" meaning one guy in each engine. We rolled out to my house lights and siren. My partner was in front of me and went up the driveway first and I pulled up behind him. The garage door was up so I grabbed my portable radio and the TIC (thermal imaging camera) from my engine and went inside. My wife was in the kitchen in her jammies with all four dogs with the alarm still sounding. I punched in the master code to clear the system and stop the siren.

There was no fire, just a faulty detector on the first floor. I have all my sensors tagged in the system with their physical location but the monitoring company said they did not have a specific sensor location. When I mentioned to my wife about the power failure, she told me she tried unplugging the base unit to silence it. Unfortunately, it has built in battery backup good for at least 48 hours so all she ended up doing was scaring the bejeezus out of me. 

I am not happy with the alarm equipment company. The smoke detectors have reached the end of their 10 year life this year, but have been rendered obsolete before they could be replaced. Like back in 2018! I found this out talking to customer service who told me I would have to upgrade my ENTIRE system at my expense to the tune of about $2000 to keep what I have. None of the sensors are compatible. THAT is not happening. So, I will eliminate the smoke detectors and the system will be a burglar/break-in alarm only since those sensors will work forever. I have the hard-wired smoke detectors that came with the house, which were all replaced in 2021 and still have 3 years of life left. They all have battery backup and are connected together so if one goes off they all go off.

 

Scare #2; Almost bought it on "The Beast"

Tuesday was a gorgeous sunny day with temps in the high 70's. I decided to go for a loop cruise late in the afternoon just before 3 PM. My security camera showed me pulling away from the house at 2:51 PM. I planned on heading north and east on the back roads of Windham County so I took a right out of my driveway. 

The speed limit on my road is 35 MPH and that's about how fast I was going until I locked `em up about 300 yards or so up the road from the end of my driveway.

I say locked `em up, but in actuality my bike has ABS which brings it to a quick stop without going into a skid and possibly laying it down. A jackass that lives a couple of miles from me drives like a raving lunatic on my road all the time. I had to jump out of his way at my mailbox when he went screaming by at 60 several months ago. I got his license plate while he was parked at the local convenience store so that if I observed him driving like a nut again I could report him. But in this incident I didn't know it was him because he wasn't driving his normal blue Chevy Avalanche.

He was driving an older kind of beat maroon Chevy pickup with a roof rack. He came around the curve at a high rate of speed and overshot the curve putting him on a direct head on path to me. It happened very fast and I had nowhere to go but to sit stopped and brace for impact. At the last second he swerved and missed me, and then threw it in reverse to come back to where I sat so "I could yell at him" he said. That's when I saw who it was and I laid into that motherfucker without removing my helmet. I told him what a fucking asshole he was, that he drives like a fucking lunatic, that I know he drives the blue pickup and little white Nissan van, and where he lives. I told him he will be getting a visit from the state police, threw my bike in gear and took off. He continued on his way. I went up to his house to get his house number, but of course, an asshole like that doesn't bother having a visible house number. It was at that point I realized I was so shaken by the incident I needed to go home and park my bike. I actually had the shakes. I have other means at my disposal to get the guy's name and proper address, which I did and then called the state police routine number, not 911. I told the desk trooper what happened and he said they would send a trooper to my house to talk to me. The state trooper came by just before 4:30. Another young 'un younger than my own daughter. I explained the whole situation including the incident at my mailbox. He took me by surprise by asking if I thought he was targeting me. I told him definitely not. While I was at my mailbox he came speeding around a blind corner and probably didn't even see me. And on my bike I had on a full face helmet so he had no clue who I was. I was asked if I had dashcam video and I said I didn't. The state trooper left and said he may or may not get back to me, but there will definitely be a record of this situation in case there are any future incidents. I assume his next stop was to visit that jackass.

Because of this incident, I pulled my old GoPro Hero 3+ camera out of storage and will use it from now on as a dashcam on every ride. My wife ordered me 3 new batteries with charger, a windshield clamp, and a ball swivel mount off Amazon so I can put the GoPro protected behind the windshield without obstructing my view or interfering with the controls. People ask me how I can do something as "dangerous" as ride a motorcycle? I remind them what I do for a living, and that just going in to work each day could be my last. I tell them I thoroughly enjoy riding motorcycles, and WILL NOT deny myself such pleasure because of "what if?" I live my life.

Wednesday afternoon I ventured out again.... kinda like the "get back on the horse" ride. I did the 35 mile loop ride I attempted Tuesday. On the way back I stopped at the firehouse to speak with the Deputy Chief who was out front putting in some mums. I parked my bike near his SUV on the front ramp. As I was talking to him, that jackass drove by, saw my bike, stopped and turned around in the parking lot to drive by again. He didn't see me at first because I was behind the SUV, but I looked right at him and he knows he was seen. He doesn't yet know where I live or that I am on the FD, but he will definitely find out if he fucks around.

Not Happening I Guess

The new gig I referenced in this post that is. Sometime on Tuesday August 26th I was supposed to receive an email from one of the owners as an invite to interview. I had updated my resume' in anticipation of sending it back to her in a reply. Nothing. My buddy that would have been my manager there probably thinks I am pissed at him because he has made himself scarce. I'm not mad at anybody. I have a job. If they are not interested in my services, then once again as always.... their loss.

In the meantime, I will keep looking around for other employment opportunities. 

Patriot Guard Mission - By The Numbers

I did a Patriot Guard mission today at the CT Veterans Cemetery in Middletown. The weather was spectacular... bright sun, cool temperatures, and a light breeze. I rode down on "The Beast" and most of the others rode bikes as well except for a couple of much older guys. I composed this blog post in my head while standing the flag line as the family and mourners arrived.

12 CT Patriot Guard Riders stood in honor of the deceased, US Navy Chaplain Rev. Charles Clark who served in Vietnam.

1 of those twelve was the 12 year old granddaughter of a PGR member that performed her first mission. She did well and received her customary PGR "Mission Accomplished" pin when you do your first one. You can get them for milestones 10-20-30-40-50, etc. The "Mission Accomplished" pin is the only one I wear on my leather vest.

2 US Naval Officers in brilliant dress whites rendered honors with the folding of the flag.

5' x 9' Is the standard size of a casket flag, which is never meant to be flown, only draped over a casket.

13 The number of folds required to put the flag into the triangle for presentation. The flag is folded from the striped end towards the stars. The presented flag when folded is all blue with white stars. Each one of the folds has a meaning which can be found here.

3 The number of riflemen in today's rifle salute detail 

3 The number of volleys fired

24 The number of notes in a standard blowing of Taps. Double that when there are two buglers and one follows the other in a haunting echo from a distance away out of sight.

9 was the number of fired shells from the rifle volleys.

3 was the number of shells recovered and placed in a small velvet bag for presentation to the same family member that receives the flag, AFTER the flag is presented. 

ONE -- the number of military personnel that makes the flag presentation to the spouse, eldest child, or surviving relative of the deceased. I received my father's folded flag since my mother predeceased him and I am the oldest. Sometimes I am within earshot. I could not hear the naval officer today, but this is what he said:

"On behalf of The President of The United States, The United States Navy, and a grateful Nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service."

 

After the service, I mounted up and headed homeward. The weather called for possible showers early this afternoon so I did not want to get caught in one. I wanted to stop at BJ's in Manchester for gas and I could grab lunch at Baja Fresh Grill in the same shopping center. This also took me right near wifey's work place, so I stopped in to see if she would meet me there for lunch. Alas, she had a noon time class she was leading so I went solo. I made it home dry and sure enough while at home a heavy shower lasting a full two minutes came by. Later this afternoon I will do some yard work.

New Gig?

I am looking into a new job as a production line mechanic for a regional food manufacturer about 30 miles from home. First shift Monday thru Friday 7 AM to 3 PM starting pay will be about a $12 per hour raise. This kind of work is right up my alley. Electrical, mechanical, electronics, PLC's, preventative maintenance, and my manager would be a buddy of mine. He actually told me about the job. Probably going in Tuesday to fill out an application. He will be informing them tomorrow that he has a possible candidate for the opening and to find out the process to apply. He got his job offered while doing some contracting work there.

The FD is not going to be pleased if this pans out. As a taxpayer in the town I work in, it is in my best interest to give and honor the 2 weeks notice so they can get coverage, but it will still be a shit show. I will leave on a good note as best I can (even though I would love to stuff it up their asses and tell them why I am REALLY leaving). I will remain with the department as a volunteer, and may take myself off the line as an interior fire fighter and just be driver/pump operator.

I saw myself as a short timer in the FD, shorter if an injury (or worse) were to take me out. This line of work may take me past my normal retirement date if I like it enough, and the chance of serious injury is way less. I will be able to squirrel away much more in retirement savings when SSI kicks in. Other benefits are sleeping in my own bed every night, getting to commute on "The Beast" in good weather, and having staggered hours from my wife making the care of our animals no longer a point of concern.

Nepotism - The Nightmare Has Returned

I posted this on X earlier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to document the latest problem below, redacted heavily for SafeSECS of course. This is not the version I will be discussing with the involved chief officers, leaving off the personal opinion paragraph.

 

Incident #2025-XXXXXXXX   Location totally redacted

 

At 23:48:17 on Wednesday August 13, 2025 Station XX was dispatched for a Fire – Service Call “RESIDENTIAL LOCKOUT / ADULT / 2 CHILDREN”. The response was with A-XXX only since there is a complete lockout kit on board.

8-13-25 23:53:07 A-XXX responding

8-13-25 23:57:09 A-XXX on scene

Upon arrival, found two adult females and two children under 2 years old waiting outside at the end of the sidewalk. They told us they were not locked out of a vehicle, but had lost the keys to the building and the apartment at the location they left to come home. The Knox Box was accessed and the keys to the front door and the “Apartment Master” were retrieved. I followed the resident upstairs to Apartment #XXX. Upon arrival at the door, I observed heavy damage to the door and the exterior housing of the deadbolt. The resident stated she had tried to break open the apartment door using the fire extinguisher from the hall. The apartment master key went into the deadbolt but would not turn. I could not determine if it was an incorrect key or that the resident had damaged the lock making it inoperable. An inspection of the door jamb behind the weather stripping in the immediate area of the dead bolt showed a gap that would easily accommodate a forcible entry attempt. The plan was to get a Halligan bar to see if the door and jamb would give enough to pop open. If that did not work, no further attempts would be made so as NOT to cause more damage than what the resident already caused. Knowing C-XXX was on the air responding from home, I called him on the radio to stop at Station XX to grab R-XXX. He acknowledged.

8-14-25 00:07:05 R-XXX Responding

8-14-25 00:10:14 R-XXX On Scene

As we were discussing the plan and about to get the tools, EMT X. XXXXX called C-XX at home and reported that we “were going to break down the door.” C-XX via telephone through EMT XXXXXX ordered crews on scene not to perform forcible entry.

For the next 15 minutes multiple phone calls were then made to property management to try and get maintenance out ASAP. Maintenance was not immediately available. The residents took shelter inside the vestibule to wait for maintenance to arrive. The keys were secured back in the Knox Box.

8-14-25 00:25:41 All units cleared

FAILURES

1). Non-fire qualified personnel not understanding proper forcible entry techniques and PANICKING. WE are trained in forcible entry and do not “break down doors.” Is there NO FAITH in our abilities to perform the task or use proper restraint?

2). Breach of the “Chain of Command.” This went in both directions. There were TWO Chief Officers on scene (C-XXX & C-XXX). At no time were they consulted by EMT XXXXX or C-XX. One could go as far as to say they were totally ignored.

3). Making command decisions from miles away via telephone relayed by non-fire personnel, instead of speaking DIRECTLY to those on scene with DIRECT KNOWLEDGE of the plan. Or by responding to the scene if concerns were so great.

 

OPINION

True, there was no life safety or medical emergency need to gain entry to the apartment. There was only the need for shelter from insects and proper care of the children. Only one attempt to get the deadbolt to pop free was going to be made. The door was already severely damaged by the resident. Nothing the FD was going to do was going to result in further damage. But unqualified people with no clear understanding rendered concerns that were not necessary, and have now caused tension in the workplace and fostered distrust between team members.

PERSONAL OPINION

There were MANY reasons I left the XXXXXXX Fire Department in 1995 and took a 10 year hiatus from the fire service. A major one was the nepotism of the XXXXXX family which seems to now be the case with the XXXXXX’s and the XXXXXX FD.  XXXXXXX XXXXXX was appointed “Administrator” without that position being offered to anyone in the department or publicly. The lines are now being blurred between line officer and operations and admin of the paid staff, with actual “power” being derived via a phone call to Daddy. All qualifications for line positions have been permanently suspended, and this as well as future situations are proof that this has not, is not, and will not be advisable for the department going forward. There is also the fact that XXXXX constantly leaves a mess in the kitchen, both a sink full of dishes and a disgusting greasy mess on the stove top. The Chief’s response to a complaint early on is “some peoples definition of a mess is different than others.” Therefore, his messes are left for him to clean up on his next shift.

If I can get another job lined up I WILL be terminating my employment.

 

 

All I can say is pretty fucking sad to have to be dealing with this once again. Nothing can be done about it because nothing would change. That would first require an admission that there is a problem. I can only escape it on my own. I will however, remain a volunteer, because I am very close to 20 active years and Lifetime Membership, getting me a lifetime town benefit. Once that is awarded it is for life.