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Written and maintained by a retired career firefighter, this blog includes original posts and many articles or stories published elsewhere on a wide range of topics, which may include the fire service, travel, or other unsolicited viewpoints. Opinions expressed, other than those attributed, are my own. Please feel free to share as needed with appropriate attribution.
Keep RV Fire Escape Clear
Fires in occupied RV’s are rare, but as more and more RV’rs continue to extend the camping experience into winter months using propane...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
9/11 - Remembering the Blood of Heroes
As a retired career firefighter I do the same thing each year as September 11th approaches. Recalling the horrors of September 11, 2001...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
"We're gonna burn the witch!" - A Halloween Memory
Many years ago there was a story in my hometown paper about a neighborhood Halloween celebration that a few families tried to arrange...
Rick Ornberg
3 min read
Major snowstorms bog down firefighters too
Every time there’s a major snowstorm, folks empty out food stores stocking up for a few days of possible isolation, or hardware stores of...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Before Help Arrives: Simple emergency tool saves lives on the highway
One nightmare scenario involves a vehicle bursting into flames following a crash and the driver or occupant struggling to unlock a seat...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Visiting Fireman on 9-11
This year I wasn’t able to drive down for either and instead stopped by the local Oconomowoc, WI Fire Department’s Station 2 this morning...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Watch out what’s following the emergency vehicle
The first thing I learned when I moved to a rural area was that if a deer darts across the road in front of you, there could be another...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Progress and Old School: Need the best of both
Recently I read of a growing number of fire department EMS personnel no longer using long spinal boards for patient transport. The...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Ice Is a Challenge for Firefighters
Excerpt from “ 10-24: A Firefighter Looks Back ” From Chapter 11: Running Hot & Cold “[Ice resulting from hose line water streams] can be...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Breakfast for An Aging Band of Brothers
For many years since my retirement from the Fire Department in 1996, I've been fortunate to be part of a large group of retired...
Rick Ornberg
3 min read
"The Superman Suit" Excerpt from "10-24: A Firefighter Looks Back"
Just before entering a burning building, we’d usually crouch down by the chosen entry point in our full firefighting gear. With thick...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Hug a Fire Inspector!
Fire Prevention Week is approaching and is a time when fire departments open their doors a bit wider than usual. They host open houses,...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Are You a Fire Education Partner, or Just Another Commercial?
When your department wants to reach out to youngsters concerning fire and burn prevention messages, do you partner with local schools or...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Here's why it took the fire department 20 minutes to get there
First of all, it DID NOT take the fire department 20 minutes to get there. You may think it did, but not really. Chances are the actual...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
In memory of Prescott Firefighters
In the memory of Prescott Firefighters, these were among the toughest of the tough: Andrew Ashcraft, 29, Kevin Woyjeck,, 21 Anthony Rose,...
Rick Ornberg
1 min read
Point at something so they think you're in charge
For many of us, getting your photo in a newspaper is when you buy up a handful of papers and then harvest your photo for personal albums,...
Rick Ornberg
3 min read
Fathers Day Rush Hour Response
Rush hour had just reached its peak in the downtown area as bumper-to-bumper traffic inched through intersections. Compact cars, SUV's,...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
No firefighters should do fire inspections, town says
A town in New York has decided that firefighters should no longer make company inspections of commercial properties for reasons that...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Barricade Kids During Fire Drill? Dumb idea.
A Fargo, ND school has established a post-Newtown knee-jerk hysteria policy of instructing staff that in case of a fire alarm, keep the...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Saving Betsy
I’m sure that I’m not the only firefighter who may have saved more pets than people over the years. Most times evacuating pets is merely...
Rick Ornberg
4 min read
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