May 2016 - Fire Fighters Local 311

Old Firefighter Times
May 2016, 111th Issue
G. Michael Fuss, Editor
mfuss@tds.net
Dear Friends:
What a short winter. Just the way we like them.
The Administration is now timing to see how long it takes to get
out of the station on a call. Come on now!!! Really? This poses a
safety issue because they now have to be responding in so many
seconds. I have a couple of ideas. Lets have all Chiefs spend five
days in a station (24 hr. shifts) and have them timed to see how
long it takes them to get out the door. The next new station built
should be a two story building with poles, so that especially at
night it’s a faster response like it used to be.
They also have an electronic voice (named Betty) to dispatch some
of the calls. What a mistake!!! When we had the old system with
humans, it was great. Now you hear “Attention Engine Seven, a
fire call 213 West Goofball Avenue.” That’s it. It doesn’t say what
the call is and is hard to hear at times. They don’t use it all of the
time and I can see why. The stations also have to answer on a
portable radio. Get the station consoles back and get rid of Betty!!!
Some rigs are getting on location and the dispatch is so far off on
the response times it’s ridiculous. One call they were on location in
30 seconds because they were the closest rig and the dispatch recorded 5 minutes. When is the Administration going to wake up.
They’ve been sleeping longer than Rip-Van-Winkle. Good morning
sleepy heads! It’s Bettys time to sleep!!
MFD Retired
John Clark
Rick Lavold
In Memory
Bob Burns (Worked at Stations 3, 4, 7, 8 & 9) - April
Betty Wilcox (Glen’s wife) - April
Carol Gorsuch (Mert’s wife) - April
George Joseff (Fire Maintenance Div.) - April
Brian Borgrud
Get-Togethers
3rd Tuesday of the Month- 11 am
Esquire
1st Monday of the month - 8 am
Green Lantern Breakfasts
Fire Admin & Station 1
Grand Re-opening
May 20th, 10 am - Noon
Shorts
Had a nice visit with John Kammer. He’s doing fine. Saw Billy
Conway and he is enjoying retirement already. Saw Butch Butler,
Dick & Anne McCann, John &
Sandy Kelsey, Scott Hermanson,
Jeff Miller, Davey Crockett, Rich
Riphon, Greg & Don Knudtson,
Neil Rossmaessler, John & Don
Bingham, Duane Neitzel, Dick
Brown, John & Joann Kammer,
Phil Vorlander, Nancy Ryan, Jim &
Sibel Gilbert, Lorna Mutch, Barb
Reuter, Don Shillinglaw, Lionel
Spartz, Laura Augustine, Chick Lillis, Mike Minash, Bill Spohn, Gary
& Judy Hahn, Wayne Wolf, and
they are all fine. Visited with Rene
& Irene Garza. They came to
watch our band in Jefferson and
they are doing great.
News on the MFD
The Department purchased a new fire boat in February. No one had been trained on it and they stripped the
old one down (Ralph E. Chamberlin) had to put all the equipment back on until they had someone trained to
operate it and put the old one back in service. Go figure!
Mikey’s History Lesson
Station No. 8 “B” Shift
1967
Don Bingham, Terry Olstadt
Station 7B Shift - 1969
George Reilly, Dale Ellingson, Marv Kammer,
Captain Ed Durkin, Jim McAusland
I have a new CD out with 21 Johnny Cash Songs on it. It turned out really nice. $10 gets you a CD with all
the songs above. What a deal.
MFD Training Center - Smoke Shack
1967
Garvers Seed & Supply Fire
(3200 Atwood Ave)
Truck 1 & 8 - August 31, 1964
Chief Ralph McGraw
(Note: You could distinguish who a chief was
then. Not like the present.)
Rescue 61 - New Station 1 - 1969
1967 International
Accident Involving Engine 8
Corner of North & Johnson St.
1948 American LaFrance - Former Engine 3
November 14, 1964
Station 9 “C” Shift - 1967
1st Row - Dick Lindauer, Captain Ed Bokina,
Charlie Dirienzo
2nd Row - Ken Mlsna, Doc Griffin, Jim Ward,
Werner Schorr
Station 1A - 1975
1st Row - Paul Payas, Bob Johnson, Denny Croft, Bill Custer,
Jim Sharpe
2nd Row - Clair Dirienzo, Luther Leatherman, Gil Gonzalas,
Craig Herling
Know Your Fireman From the Past
Nick Graebel
Gene Buechner
Ron Ruland
Andy Langum
Kenny Gibbs
Mike Goikovich
Bob Niebuhr
Bob Fleming