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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.
Another Country Road
Published in American Motorcyclist Magazine, April, 1983 - Copyright 1983© By Rick Ornberg Cruising along the highway with only the high...
Rick Ornberg
3 min read
HAND SANITIZER EXPLODES INSIDE CAR! - Well, not actually....
Recently there was a story on the wires concerning a fire department warning of the dangers of sealed bottles of hand sanitizers heating...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Judging Cowardice Is A Scary Thing
I’ve watched recent news coverage of a Sheriff’s Deputy who now faces charges of failing to act during the Parkland School mass...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
NEW TRICKS FOR AN OLD FIRE DOG
One of the goals of my book, 10-24: A Firefighter Looks Back, was to highlight some of the changes from when I first joined the...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Check for a key before using a fire axe
A friend and I were having a discussion on management techniques and lifestyles and how they’ve changed over the past several decades and...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Earn your own hero “strutting rights”
It happens every year. Twice a year as a matter of fact. Spring and Fall are great opportunities to take a few moments and replace...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
MY Total Eclipse of 2017
After months of pre-planning and a few last-minute destination changes as the weather in some areas became “iffy” at best, I eventually...
Rick Ornberg
3 min read
Make mine an "Old Style" for awhile
I’m Johnny Come Lately with news of how Old Style has again issued a run of specially designed cans sporting the a Fire Service axes and...
Rick Ornberg
1 min read
HELP! I've fallen and can't get up! Down and helpless on the Washington coast
"This is bad. This is real bad," I thought. Once I started to see more clearly after slipping between a few huge driftwood logs on Ruby...
Rick Ornberg
5 min read
Firefighters shot while entering home: Update of protocols called for
Recently, two Maryland firefighters were shot by a homeowner who did not realize they entered his home following a request by the owner’s...
Rick Ornberg
2 min read
Could just One More Sentence save lives?
So far this winter we've all been subjected to massive coverage of snowstorms around the country, partly because it's news but partly...
Rick Ornberg
3 min read
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 - Remember 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
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
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