WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:04.280 Disclaimer. We'd like to know before the start of this interview that the opinions 2 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:08.560 about to be expressed by the guest of tonight's Getting Salty Experience Podcast are that 3 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:13.359 of the guest and do not directly or necessarily reflect the views of the host 4 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:34.359 of the Getting Salty Experience Podcast. You're listening to the Getting Salty Experience podcast. 5 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:49.920 Hello Load Darren van E. I shadowed them out, he said, 6 00:00:49.960 --> 00:00:52.320 good morning. So I'm like, where the fuck is this guy from Darren 7 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:58.719 van Morning? Look aback, Get Salty Experience podcast, the one that brings 8 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:02.399 the fire outs, gets your table to you even Roofie with a flashlight because 9 00:01:02.439 --> 00:01:03.840 he has no power. But that's the kind of guy he is. Bro, 10 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:10.640 He's he's he's dedicated, his dedicated guy. He's got his phone and 11 00:01:10.680 --> 00:01:14.159 the flashlight and the light is just shining on those drapes. It makes him 12 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:21.519 look even more beautiful. I got no every every gods every morning I called 13 00:01:21.560 --> 00:01:23.079 it. Picks up the phone. I'm like, I'm just glad you picked 14 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:34.480 up today, little buddy. Welcome back to the greatest podcast first respond to 15 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:41.760 podcast ever featuring Gowns with the Good Hair, No Power coming coming to you 16 00:01:41.879 --> 00:01:45.840 live from the dungeon, coming to you live. He's got no you got 17 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:49.719 no heat either. Nothing. I just pulled out the generator. Tom, 18 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:51.719 I just I said, I told my wife, what do you think you 19 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:53.920 know? Usually I don't wait, I don't. I don't stop pulling out 20 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:59.400 the thing until then I'm like, she's like blue and she's shivering. Then 21 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:01.239 you pull it out. Well, it's like, well the fire is going, 22 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:07.480 you know, the fires going. But the man that would be out 23 00:02:07.400 --> 00:02:12.960 about an hour and a half. But then she called her cousin up the 24 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:16.639 road, and cousin said that there's a transformer out, and the guy said 25 00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:20.360 that it's probably gonna be a while. So then I started calling out the 26 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:23.439 generator. I started it up. It was running great. Get cocked out. 27 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:25.639 I checked the gas. It looked a little shitty. I changed the 28 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:29.919 gas. Now I can't get it started against. Oh my goodness, that's 29 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.759 not like you, bro. I know, I'm not happy you're slacking. 30 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:37.960 Yeah, I usually you're on top of ship like that. And uh so 31 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:39.520 my wife just said to me, oh, I don't want I don't want 32 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:45.319 to repeat what you It must be the heart, don't you know? You 33 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:47.919 got to say it don't stress me now, I got that. Don't don't 34 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:58.360 get any take it easy. I could go, oh god, that's scary. 35 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:02.639 That's scary. See right right up his nose nostrils. Man, if 36 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:07.319 you're in the cave there just about Oh, you got a lord charge from 37 00:03:07.400 --> 00:03:10.319 the left coast today. Bro, this guy looks like a tough guy and 38 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:17.280 he brought like a hard charge and he kills and he kills stuff, which 39 00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:24.439 Louis likes. Both of you guys like this guy. This guy working out. 40 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:29.599 Where do you get this guy from Sarah Goose, oh Tony Sarah Ghost 41 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:31.960 to gaming? Yeah matteract. He said, this would be the only guy 42 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:37.039 who's gonna recommend me. Really, this guy is the guys. And by 43 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:42.840 the pictures he showed me, he's got some uh crazy he was only in 44 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:47.360 the rescue for twenty two years. That's all just a couple I want to 45 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:52.080 he supposedly got trapped right. Oh, that's that's early on. You know, 46 00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:53.919 he had a couple of pictures that had in the back of my neck 47 00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:55.719 was standing up, was like, oh, look at this scary video to 48 00:03:57.080 --> 00:03:58.960 the video and you know, it sounds a little bit like hole cold and 49 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:05.520 if you close your eyes when he hey brother, brother, Pip dodge brother 50 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:14.680 and I hoisted tie over my head. Brother, give me give me again. 51 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:25.439 Let me tell you something on top of the game today. All you 52 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:29.000 okay, you're frozen for a second there. Let's get to the commercials. 53 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:30.959 Yeah. And I love to call him chief. I gotta call him Tony, 54 00:04:31.720 --> 00:04:35.079 Tony blog blog. Here we go. Listen to our boy, Vince 55 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:41.120 called Tony. Give me the blooney. That's what I'm not gonna fall for. 56 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:46.480 The banana, the tailpipe. You're not alright. Here we go. 57 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:51.639 We gotta hump Armor to firehouse flooring was recently installed in Station number seven, 58 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:58.639 the newest of the Cab County fire stations in Decatur, Georgia. Meeting Deputy 59 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:03.759 Chief Smith of Supports Services, Vince explained that Armour tough interlocking flooring is the 60 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:09.600 only floor that is tough enough to withstand the abuse of fire apparatus along with 61 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:15.680 fire personnel at a very busy station. Chief Smith explained the flooring in all 62 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:18.959 of our stations over the years gave us multiple problems. We need a floor 63 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:23.720 that can last as long as the walls and the roof. That's why we 64 00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:28.360 chose Armour. Tough. The installation team came from New Jersey and in three 65 00:05:28.439 --> 00:05:32.879 days they had completed their work without any disruption to our daily operations. We 66 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:38.279 were very impressed with not only the product, but with the workmanship as well. 67 00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:43.920 I highly recommend Armour Tough for your station's floor. Calvin's Today for a 68 00:05:43.959 --> 00:05:48.759 no obligation. Quote at nine oh eight nine one seven seven six nine seven 69 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:56.759 coll Vin's for a floor. But don't ask them to take you off a 70 00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:59.279 dinner because you got out here around I roof, you did it a little 71 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:02.639 long time. We're gonna get him. We're gonna get him in India though 72 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:06.800 paid last time, didn't pay last time? Yeah, but I wasn't there 73 00:06:08.199 --> 00:06:12.839 paid. And then I got into an argument with at the tables. Right, 74 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:16.959 there's a little tightly when we got guns tonight. That's it. That's 75 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:19.600 it because you have your normal two on Thursday. Brother, at least that's 76 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:24.879 what you told me, all right, So roough with your flashlight? Do 77 00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:29.160 you think bring him in here the whole Colgan on the West Coast? Are 78 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:32.680 you ready? Guns ump suck? Yeah, bro, I hope I pronounced 79 00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:39.399 his last name right. Coming to the stage, Beka Chee Chief Tony Smurdell. 80 00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:50.800 There you go. Let me wait, well, let me tell you. 81 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:53.399 Did you do that for me? Let me see how it goes. 82 00:06:55.839 --> 00:07:00.759 Let me tell you you can do it. Got the pipe of the twenty 83 00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:05.639 four pythons. Alright, let's let's get patriotic before we get too far and 84 00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:13.720 getting silly with ourselves. Here we go. I pledge allegiance to the flag 85 00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:18.839 of the United States of America and to the Republic, for which it stands, 86 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:39.240 One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all that. 87 00:07:39.439 --> 00:07:43.879 That's kind of world. Yeah, Louis doesn't have power. Still the best 88 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:47.560 country in the world. All right, let's go back. We gotta go 89 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:50.720 back pretty far. This guy got on back in the seventies, before most 90 00:07:50.759 --> 00:07:55.879 of you young Whipp's snappers were even born. I can tell you that not 91 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:58.839 that Gods, of course, he's an old man. But uh, I 92 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:03.560 would ask you how you got interested in the fire show, but the business. 93 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:05.839 But you told the story that your dad was a Hart Charger, Right, 94 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:09.040 he got on a nineteen sixty fourth. So let's go back. Let's 95 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:13.079 turn back the clock to the early days of Tony Smurdell. Where'd you grow 96 00:08:13.160 --> 00:08:16.000 up? We know your dad got you involved, But give us your first 97 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:20.480 take on. Yeah. No, I grew up in San Francisco, and 98 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:24.120 it was really excited growing up in the sixties and seventies in the city. 99 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:26.959 You know, my mom would bring us down to the firehouse to visit Dad 100 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:31.680 down there. She bring all the neighborhood kids down there, and he cooked 101 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:35.200 lunch for us, hot dogs and beanies and weenies and ice cream, and 102 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:37.879 all the kids in the neighborhood looked up to my dad. My dad was 103 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:41.440 big Terry, my little brother was little Terry. But it's pretty interesting growing 104 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:45.919 up and getting the firehouse life. So I got a big taste of it 105 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:48.679 from from early on, and I just knew that's where I wanted to be 106 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:52.039 man having fun and fighting fires man. I know from the Jump Street. 107 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:56.360 Then I did. I did, And it was very love firehouse right everything 108 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:58.120 about it. And it was very lucky to get an apartment back in the 109 00:08:58.519 --> 00:09:03.919 seventies and eighty because there'd be like six seven, eight thousand people testing to 110 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:07.759 get in for a couple hundred jobs. So how big is that the pub 111 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:13.799 there's about two thousand people. There's about three hundred on duty every day right 112 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:16.480 now. I've been out for twelve years, so things have changed a little 113 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:20.000 bit with the medics coming in everything. But yeah, they still use wooden 114 00:09:20.039 --> 00:09:24.399 ladders there, still use wooden ladder. That's why I wore the shirts and 115 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:28.759 I feel, oh, let's see that iron men and wooden ladders. Baby, 116 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:31.919 oh that's right there, fella. Yeah, you got the fifty foot 117 00:09:33.639 --> 00:09:37.039 three hundred and sixty five foot fifty foot ladder and the thirty five Oh they're 118 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:41.639 all woods. You know, engines got the aluminiums on them. But bussy 119 00:09:41.080 --> 00:09:48.399 oh waesome, I mean yeah, so it was really cool, you know, 120 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:50.039 growing up as kids. And then we used to go to summer picnics 121 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:54.919 at the firehouse and and you know, talk a little bit about the guys 122 00:09:54.919 --> 00:09:56.720 that I worked with younger, but we've turned out that we were at the 123 00:09:56.759 --> 00:10:01.639 same picnics together because our parents are ads all worked in the fire department. 124 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:05.000 I told you when I first got the station seven, there were six of 125 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:09.240 us that were unassigned kids there, and five out of those six were fireman's 126 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:11.759 kids. Wow, and sitting down around talking bullshit in one night, remember 127 00:10:11.799 --> 00:10:13.480 that you were there? Yeah, I was there, were you there? 128 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:18.679 It's like and it's a small degree of separation in San Francisco. Man, 129 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:20.639 you know, you tell I'm from San France, I'm from San Francisco where, 130 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:24.200 well, actually I'm from the East Bay, or you don't know I'm 131 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:28.399 from now if you're from the city, it's a small degree of separation. 132 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:31.320 The first question anybody asked, what high school did you go to? From 133 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:35.480 the high school? You got the three Catholic schools and the public schools, 134 00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:37.559 and Tuesday that what high school? What year? And then it's off to 135 00:10:37.639 --> 00:10:41.240 the race. You know that guy his sister, I married a sister of 136 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:43.960 blah blah blah, and on and on and on. Yeah, so it's 137 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:50.519 pretty guns pulled up few pictures of his dad's don Man, Well, did 138 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:54.200 your father push you towards that or that you just you were already there? 139 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:56.919 No, no, no, My dad had thirteen years in when he died. 140 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.320 He died in nineteen seveneven that was two years before I came in. 141 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:05.240 But he was a tough guy. Me and my brother, we were powerlifters. 142 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:09.720 We powerlifted for years. And one afternoon, hey, dad, once 143 00:11:09.799 --> 00:11:11.320 you come down to the gym and work out with this. He's got a 144 00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:15.799 cocktail and one hand and a mall bro and the other goes hee you an 145 00:11:15.879 --> 00:11:20.000 f you your little punks, I'll drag you down a smoky hallway and you'll 146 00:11:20.039 --> 00:11:24.279 puke your guts out and die rotten. And we look at a shut up 147 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:31.639 old man. Had no idea what he was talking about until I got in 148 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:35.519 and worked with the men that my dad worked with, and then I realized 149 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:37.759 what he's saying about puking your guts out in a hallway because I got to 150 00:11:37.799 --> 00:11:41.039 work with a lot of guys that my dad worked with, so it was 151 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:46.720 pretty cool. That was cool. So you take the test? What you 152 00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:52.320 take the test? I took the test probably in nineteen seventy seven, seventy 153 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:54.120 six, so he knew you took the test. He knew that was the 154 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:56.879 direction you were going in. I did. I did well. You know 155 00:11:56.919 --> 00:12:01.399 when I ran the family business when my dad in seventy seven we took over 156 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:03.320 to the family business. I always wanted to be fire. I took the 157 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:07.320 test, but that didn't come to fruition until seventy nine when I got hired. 158 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:13.240 What was the family business? Like? Were you collecting? What are 159 00:12:13.240 --> 00:12:16.600 you doing? It was eggs bro, not that exciting eggs My dad was 160 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:22.320 the eggman, so he he would take he would have trucks come up from 161 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:24.720 the valley bring eggs and he sold them all. He had clients throughout San 162 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:28.519 Francisco and what not. Like the old days, they didn't make a lot 163 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:31.879 of money. Fireman did not. A lot of guys had second jobs, 164 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:35.679 hobby job, just to make ends. Me. You know, mom didn't 165 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:39.559 work. We had three kids, so most firemen had jobs to make ends. 166 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:43.000 Me. My dad was an eggman, so when he passed in seventy 167 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:45.799 seven, me and my brother took over and ran the family business for a 168 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:48.559 number of years after that. But I hit the lotto, dude in seventy 169 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:52.399 nine, man June, And you know, I tell these young kids, 170 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:58.159 I go bro Getting into the fire service is better than winning the lotto. 171 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:03.240 Yeah, people who win the lot of and in a couple of years they're 172 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:07.759 broke, divorced and disarray. You know. In the fire service, Holy 173 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:11.159 shit, man, they pay you for thirty years. If you're lucky. 174 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:13.600 A lot of our brothers are not. They'll pay you another thirty years. 175 00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:18.440 But beyond that, man, you you the best of friends, the best 176 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.759 friends you'll have. And I got lifelong friends for forty years that I started 177 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:26.720 day one within the fire department. So it's it's it's truly a blessing. 178 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:28.679 Yeah. I mean I think about it now and how excited they is to 179 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:31.759 think about when it was time to go back to work, and like, 180 00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:33.960 holy shit, I can't leave to go to work. Man. One of 181 00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:35.600 the job is like that. There is no other job like that. You 182 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:39.279 know, when we started, we had four days, you know, you 183 00:13:39.320 --> 00:13:43.480 had three days off, four days off. The guys at stationed two in 184 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:46.679 my first house loved me because I was working trades, because I didn't want 185 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:48.279 to be away from the firehouse. You know, I didn't want to miss 186 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:52.279 any fires or or or or any the fund, the for volity, the 187 00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:56.879 stupidness of the firehouse. Again. Yeah, and it's like, you know, 188 00:13:56.919 --> 00:14:00.519 I tell you, I tell you know what, is there any union 189 00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:03.240 guys? There's probably some union guys out there. So a cover year ears 190 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:07.200 for a second, but I tell him, Hey, if the city came 191 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:11.000 and said we're out of money, we can only pay you half your wage, 192 00:14:11.559 --> 00:14:13.799 I would still go to work every day at half my wage. And 193 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:16.360 then and then if they came back and said, hey, we're really out 194 00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:22.080 of money, we can't even pay you. I would super free, bro 195 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:26.600 is. I would probably pay every day to get on that goddamn fire engine 196 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:30.320 and go to the firehouse every day. That's how much I love my job. 197 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:31.679 Man, it was great. I used to pay forty bucks to go 198 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:35.600 to work every day forgot that was right, Yeah, oh yes, and 199 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:39.720 tolls. Yeah, that was the entertainment text. I used to say. 200 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:45.559 You can't write this stuff, man, it's just crazy, crazy stuff. 201 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:48.519 Yeah. I mean we have a little niche he So everybody who watches the 202 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:52.399 show knows what that is. But people outside of our bubble, they really 203 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:54.879 sees in the supermarket, you know this sees going to fires or whatever. 204 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:58.320 They have no clues what it's like to be in that firehouse with these guys. 205 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:03.559 Man, so much fun. But when that bell hits, man ship 206 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:07.519 turns around. Yeah yeah it's on. But you know what, after the 207 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:11.720 job, you go right back to the same thing, man, And that's 208 00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:13.720 the fascinating popper. You go right back to break with each other's bulls, 209 00:15:15.080 --> 00:15:16.399 you know, getting on this guy, getting on that guy. And when 210 00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:20.559 a business man, that guy you're trusting that guy that I trust you. 211 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:22.440 It's it's serious, is you know a heart attack, bro, And you 212 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:26.440 come back from real stupid, really glory stuff whatever, and you're right back 213 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:30.200 there having dinner talking people. How did you do that? The guy said, 214 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:33.799 was just exploding pretty good? Yeah, yeah, passing other people. 215 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:39.759 Yeah, that looks like his eye didn't that look like his eyes alight? 216 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:43.240 Don't mention heart attack? All right? Please? Sorry, roughly, I'm 217 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:46.799 sorry, bro, Okay, don't get to it excited, Keep it down, 218 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:48.679 keep it down, keep it back, deep press, deep bass, 219 00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:54.960 talking to my guy all wrong? You get called in seventy nine? How 220 00:15:54.960 --> 00:16:00.720 long is Proby school or the academy? There? Academy was like ruling six 221 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:04.120 weeks. It was six weeks, six weeks of training and then a week 222 00:16:04.279 --> 00:16:08.320 of driving and then they sent you on your way. You know, you 223 00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:11.240 got two prob houses. And just to back up for a second, when 224 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:15.879 my dad passed, you know, Tony Sako, who was a vice president 225 00:16:15.879 --> 00:16:18.279 of union, he arranged it so I got my dad's badge, and I 226 00:16:18.279 --> 00:16:22.279 wore my dad's baths as a firefighter. And when my brother came in, 227 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:26.320 I gave it to him, so he wore my dad's bats my dad's badge 228 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:29.960 also, but I also wore turnouts. Every day. I wore his helmet 229 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:33.480 and I still had it hanging up. I got newspaper stuffed in the lining. 230 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:37.519 You know. I wore no, it's over here, that's anod N. 231 00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:41.159 You know, six when I got my dad. So it's beat up, 232 00:16:41.240 --> 00:16:44.519 dude. I mean it's all rotted out. It's just all totally beat 233 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:47.360 up. But I wore it every day untill I got promoted to the tiny 234 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:52.120 chief job and in his turnouts, you know. But it was six weeks 235 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:56.600 of training and then you go to your pro b house and that's where you 236 00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:59.840 really learned. I mean in the school, they touch had a coupleans together, 237 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:03.240 and how to lift the ladder and tie whatever. When you got out 238 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:06.440 in the field, it's it's the men that were there as your officers back 239 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:08.960 then, and they were like men of fire man. I'm so so blessed 240 00:17:10.279 --> 00:17:14.519 work with so many great firefighters who are mentors to me and and helped me 241 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:18.279 along with my career. So you can have a lot of like Vietnam guys 242 00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:22.640 there or Korean War guys consider you know, not so much because you know, 243 00:17:22.759 --> 00:17:26.640 they stopped the draft. I think in seventy two or seventy three. 244 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:30.480 I graduated in seventy four. You know, my dad marched me down when 245 00:17:30.519 --> 00:17:34.559 I turned eighteen. Man, he stopped in front of mccallis street. Walk 246 00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:37.640 upstairs, kid, you're you're signing up for the draft, just like that. 247 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:41.960 Man. So I didn't. There wasn't There wasn't a whole lot. 248 00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:47.319 When I came in Vietnam, vets for sure. In the job Korean where 249 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:49.440 that was in Korea, Korean and I worked at some pretty badass World War 250 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:52.960 two bets, and there was asking that, yeah, those guys pretty impressive. 251 00:17:53.000 --> 00:18:04.759 That nothing face right, nothing, relax, kid, we got its 252 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:11.119 right. What's that broa those guys? Yeah exactly, Oh no, no, 253 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:14.640 no, yeah, so that's pretty good. So you do a six 254 00:18:14.680 --> 00:18:17.200 weeks of training, you know, get out of there. Luckily it was 255 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:19.720 pretty funny, is one of my training officers, and they're pretty strict. 256 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:22.640 You know. Okay, boys, is how we did. Then the night 257 00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:26.000 after it's like, wow, let's go kids. Tony Stefani, who wound 258 00:18:26.119 --> 00:18:30.240 up being that Captain of Rescue one, he pulls me aside and goes, 259 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.720 kid, your dad broke me in. Your dad showed me how to be 260 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:37.319 a firefighter. He was approbe at my dad's house. So it's kind of 261 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:41.759 like passing it on a little bit. Y very very excited about that. 262 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:45.519 How many how many guys were in your class? We started with thirty two 263 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:51.480 and we wound up with twenty eight of us graduated. Yeah. Yeah. 264 00:18:51.480 --> 00:18:53.960 So then after that you get split up and you get assigned to either a 265 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:59.039 truck or an engine for six months. So my first assignment was truck two 266 00:18:59.079 --> 00:19:03.039 in Chinatown. And I told you guys earlier, I worked Watched for Watch 267 00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:08.200 with six pack Jack Conway, and he named Deserbedly and he was a driver, 268 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:12.079 you know. I learned to drive the back of that steer, the 269 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:15.440 back of that tiller box in Chinatown, man. And there was you know, 270 00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:21.000 red light, so let's see how that go. Green light means go, 271 00:19:21.359 --> 00:19:23.839 orange light means go fast, and red light means run really fast. 272 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:27.480 There was no assemblings. People were all over those streets. I mean narrow, 273 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:32.440 narrow streets and ladders strength. I'm not a truckman, I'll see this 274 00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:36.839 right now. I mean a lot of truckies out there. I very very 275 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:41.000 limited experience on truck. My proby house and during my two years floating around 276 00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:44.960 before I went to Station seven, you know, I spent a little bit 277 00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:48.799 of time my truck won a little bit of truck. Truck thirteen was in 278 00:19:48.839 --> 00:19:51.319 the financials, so they don't throw any ladders. There's just small, big 279 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:53.680 buildings there. So I've never really really been a fan of truck work. 280 00:19:53.880 --> 00:19:57.599 I mean I just kind of you and the rescue for twenty two years engine 281 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:00.160 for sure, and then I'll tell you how I got to that rescue squad. 282 00:20:00.279 --> 00:20:04.559 Just happens stance, for sure. So I did rough roofy happenstance that 283 00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:07.400 you Okay, I was gonna stay. How did how did you get the 284 00:20:07.440 --> 00:20:11.759 two truck? Once you get the two truck? How did I get the 285 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:17.920 two truck? Was it a busy house? House? It's a great house. 286 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:21.519 Yeah. They were gonna send me in a fifteen truck, they all 287 00:20:21.559 --> 00:20:25.559 did. And the officers know that kid. He'll fit in the station too. 288 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:29.440 That's like there's like this, that's Terry Smurdell's kids. Send them over 289 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:36.240 to send me the two trucks live. Yeah. So I did my six 290 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:38.519 months there and no big fires. You know. A couple of my thoughts 291 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:42.799 going to Chinatown, you know, tightly packed lots of wood buildings that'd be 292 00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:48.720 burnt nothing six and those Asians don't burn that ship down that that Uh, 293 00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:52.640 everybody's awake, you know. When they do well, they try to put 294 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:56.599 it out themselves because when they do, it's usually a riper. Yeah when 295 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:00.480 they do yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. So then I finished up at 296 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:04.839 two and they sent me to station forty three in Crocker Amazon And that's kind 297 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:08.240 of where I hung out, Crocker Amazon Park, and I was telling telling 298 00:21:08.279 --> 00:21:11.920 cubes earlier. The firehouse is right across the street from the park with the 299 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:15.480 stands where we used to go over there and participate in libations as kids, 300 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:19.039 drinking beers or whatever. So I felt like I was right back at home. 301 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:22.200 And sure enough, there's still kids drinking in those stands, you know. 302 00:21:22.279 --> 00:21:26.880 So I went back to the neighborhood worked at forty three engine for six 303 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:30.799 months. George, Uh, well, jeez, I'm drawing a blank on. 304 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:36.920 I was gonna do my captain's name, horrible, terrible chief. You 305 00:21:36.920 --> 00:21:38.839 are can't believe it'll come to, It'll come to. It'll kiell me tonight. 306 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:45.119 I'll call you guys back later. George. George NEA's great man athlete, 307 00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:48.079 a gymnast, you know. But I went through all my engine stuff 308 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:52.680 with him. Never caught a fire there at forty three in my next four 309 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:56.599 months there until I got detailed out to one of the slowest houses in the 310 00:21:56.599 --> 00:22:00.599 city at three o'clock in the morning, got a rip in third alarm. 311 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:04.680 First doing on a third alarm on San Fernando Way. I'm going, wow, 312 00:22:04.839 --> 00:22:07.559 this is it, man, Yeah, get the line out, go 313 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:11.799 up to the front door, trying to shove that front door and opens up 314 00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:17.480 and there's a lady laying there and she's burnt really bad. So we pull 315 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:19.720 her out and the lieutenant goes work on her. You're an empt or, 316 00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:26.160 work on her. I missed the whole goddamn fire. I'm doing CPR thing 317 00:22:26.200 --> 00:22:30.559 with this lady right here. When I missed the whole goddamn fire. My 318 00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:33.799 first I just watched it all so and he won't giving a mouth to mouth? 319 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:38.480 Will you out the mouth? Yeah? Yeah, this is back. 320 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:41.839 I did a couple of times, did mount the mouth man. I'll tell 321 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:42.720 you. I'll tell you a story later on about al capy. Damma. 322 00:22:42.759 --> 00:22:47.319 I felt very, very obligated to do Mountain Mouth because should have jump out 323 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:49.880 of the third floor window instead of trying to save his life. So anyway, 324 00:22:49.960 --> 00:22:53.160 I finished up at forty three. Was great working with great guys out 325 00:22:53.160 --> 00:22:59.000 there, and then you started your tour. You know that you're unassigned, 326 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:03.119 and they they moving around from station to station where they need it. So 327 00:23:03.160 --> 00:23:06.279 I spent a little bit of time at truck one. Like I said, 328 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:07.839 I wasn't a truckman, a little bit of time at truck thirteen. I 329 00:23:07.880 --> 00:23:12.839 went to station twenty five for a little bit, Station thirty eight up on 330 00:23:12.920 --> 00:23:17.720 California to where the rescue squad was, So that's about my four house. 331 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:21.559 How many rescues do they have? There's two rescues. Rescue squad one which 332 00:23:21.640 --> 00:23:25.039 used to be on California Street above the Marina. I was there the night 333 00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:26.839 of the I wasn't working that day, but I went up to night at 334 00:23:26.839 --> 00:23:30.000 the little Maprieta so there on top. And then they moved back to station 335 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:33.960 seven where I got to go back home, and and the other one rescue 336 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:38.000 one downtown they were in the alley the Alley Cats. Then they moved to 337 00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:45.039 Third Street. But there was always that competition between the squads man always and 338 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:47.319 when I when I was a cap, lucky enough to be the captain of 339 00:23:47.319 --> 00:23:49.119 the squad for a number of years. One of my best buddies, Pat 340 00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:53.759 Garner, was the captain of Rescue one, and we grew up together. 341 00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:59.319 We paid pal football together. We're six years old in the neighborhood. So 342 00:23:59.359 --> 00:24:02.680 we always had had this labor. I came in maybe a year or two 343 00:24:02.680 --> 00:24:04.960 ahead of him, so he made lieutenant, lieutenant, captain, captain chief 344 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:07.960 chief. So we're falling each other. Did we'd have fist fights in the 345 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:15.559 hallways. Yeah, So two squads in the city was pretty much. How 346 00:24:15.559 --> 00:24:17.680 do they ride, chief? How do the engines of the truck riding with 347 00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:19.759 the manpower? How many guys have engines? Who were one in three? 348 00:24:21.160 --> 00:24:23.079 So one officer with three men, and then the trucks were one and they 349 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:26.400 used to be one and five and now they're one and four and the and 350 00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:32.000 the squads are one officer and your three firefighters on there. Yeah, and 351 00:24:32.119 --> 00:24:40.279 back back in the old days before before nineteenth ninety eight, the rescue squads 352 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:45.119 just got dispatched in their first alarm area. So everybody's got their little districts 353 00:24:45.160 --> 00:24:48.240 right here. So if the fires in Rescue ones district or Rescue two's district, 354 00:24:48.279 --> 00:24:52.519 they would go and The only time they went outside of their district was 355 00:24:52.519 --> 00:24:55.559 one if there were special calls for something by a chief or when they struck 356 00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:59.400 a second alarm, and then we went and yeah, two rescues on the 357 00:24:59.400 --> 00:25:03.920 box on the side. Long. No, no, just outside your area, 358 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:07.240 outside your although it's a fine line. Once we moved back to station 359 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:11.359 seven in the in the mission district, there'd be a number of times when 360 00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:15.759 both squads would show up and the chief would just shake his head, you 361 00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:18.759 know, all right, go to work, boys, you know. But 362 00:25:18.799 --> 00:25:22.400 prior to that, because I did a little short I'd get ahead of myself 363 00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:26.000 maybe a little bit, but I did a stint in special ops, and 364 00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:30.880 that's we started really putting training on for the firefighters and the squads. No, 365 00:25:30.119 --> 00:25:33.200 when I went to the squad in eighty five, there was no training. 366 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:37.440 You know. They were all firemen. They put fires out, you 367 00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:40.880 know, And now would they operate as a truck and engine? What would 368 00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:42.559 they how would they operate the rescue? Can rescue bro at a fire? 369 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:47.480 They just go in. Their job was going and search and rescue. And 370 00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:49.839 the old back then, dude, you couldn't get a line because these guys 371 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:53.319 that we ran with at thirty eight where I was the rescue two was you 372 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:57.960 know you're running with forty one engine, three engine, five engine. These 373 00:25:57.960 --> 00:26:00.319 guys were all tough, dude, and you got a line, they ain't 374 00:26:00.359 --> 00:26:03.960 giving it up. Yeah, you know that's there. Today it's a little 375 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:06.039 bit different, you know. Would you like to tell Yeah, I'll take 376 00:26:06.039 --> 00:26:12.559 that from me. So you go, you go for after you I must, 377 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:15.960 I will, yeah. But part of that we just stayed in our 378 00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:18.599 little bubble. Right, there's special call. So when I had this gig 379 00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:22.119 at Special Ops, I go, you know what, we got to get 380 00:26:22.119 --> 00:26:25.000 out the bubble man. So I started petitioning the chiefs. Let us go 381 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:27.000 on all the boxes and there, no, we need to have you guys 382 00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:30.640 in the service. So I said, how about this. Let's try a 383 00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:33.319 little see if this works. So we split. They call the cards. 384 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:40.359 Everybody knows where they're going. You've got a big box of a big drawer 385 00:26:40.440 --> 00:26:44.079 full of all box cards. Every corner has a street box and it's got 386 00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:47.440 numbers on them. So anyway, I said, how about this. If 387 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:52.000 a box comes in an engine seven is do first rescue Squad two goes with 388 00:26:52.039 --> 00:26:56.680 them and it's a report of fire. They go code too, and then 389 00:26:56.680 --> 00:27:00.839 if smoke showing or or it's a working fire, then they could pick it 390 00:27:00.960 --> 00:27:03.079 up. So that was pretty cool. Then rescue won the same thing. 391 00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:07.160 If a boss comes in, they go code too. What its CO two? 392 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:10.480 Not lights and sirens not lights because the chiefs were worried, you know 393 00:27:10.519 --> 00:27:15.480 the squad, Well, that lasted about thirteen minutes, bro, and it 394 00:27:15.519 --> 00:27:18.720 was code for me the whole The rest of the time it was on. 395 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:22.839 Yeah. So after that, after ninety eight, the squads went to everything. 396 00:27:22.079 --> 00:27:25.880 So we split the city and half we were doing like one hundred and 397 00:27:25.920 --> 00:27:30.519 seventy five eighty ninety working fires from rescue to a year, man, because 398 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:33.599 we had the whole half of the city and that's one of the two days 399 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:36.279 more. Yeah, it was. It was pretty good, man. We 400 00:27:36.359 --> 00:27:38.880 got a lot of fires. Yeah. Yeah, well you get that, 401 00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:42.279 but we're a little ahead of ourselves. Yeah, man, I'm just rambling, 402 00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:47.960 bro, that's fine. Where do you eat, like Roofie, we 403 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:49.240 heard this, I think we heard this guy have the copy. You have 404 00:27:49.319 --> 00:27:53.599 to bid spots, right, yeah, how much time you have with something? 405 00:27:53.960 --> 00:27:57.279 Every year, they have a vacancy list, so everybody would put in 406 00:27:57.319 --> 00:28:00.960 for the spots that they want to make you know, and there's some good 407 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:04.200 houses, maybe some not so desirable houses. But if the captain of the 408 00:28:04.279 --> 00:28:08.599 house like your crew. And there were six of us at Station seven and 409 00:28:08.640 --> 00:28:12.599 the captains buried us, they moved us at seven between the engine, the 410 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:17.319 truck and the host tender. So I had six years in the job before 411 00:28:17.359 --> 00:28:21.759 I made a permanent assignment. So they would move you around. But the 412 00:28:21.839 --> 00:28:26.680 caveat was if you were the highest guy. Once all the assignments got put 413 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:30.559 out, and you were the highest guys unassigned that didn't make a house, 414 00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:33.599 they sent you out to Boonville. Man, you had to go west of 415 00:28:33.640 --> 00:28:37.160 the people. Why is that? Like you have the most time, and 416 00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:41.839 because you don't get a spot, they're gonna send you off to They send 417 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:45.680 you to camm Center. Me and Mike Murphy, another Chiefs kid, we 418 00:28:45.720 --> 00:28:48.799 went to forty engine, which ran like one two calls a day, and 419 00:28:48.839 --> 00:28:52.720 we're running, you know, twenty plus calls a day in the engine and 420 00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:56.359 the truck down there. So a lot of guys cried. They told you, 421 00:28:56.359 --> 00:28:59.480 guys really cried and complained about, oh man, this is bullshit. 422 00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:03.599 I don't want to here. So and we're calculating, dude, fire me. 423 00:29:03.640 --> 00:29:04.039 You know, we got a lot of time on our hands in the 424 00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:07.440 firehouse for a Cakay. This guy's here, this guy's here, this guy's 425 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:10.000 here. So I figured I'm good. I'm going to stay another year at 426 00:29:10.039 --> 00:29:12.799 Station seven. This comes out, I'm going to forty Engine. I go, 427 00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:15.799 that can't be. That's not right. So check it. Well, 428 00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:18.920 there was a kid ahead of me who should have gone to forty engine. 429 00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:22.680 But he's a paramedic and he was at Rescue one, Station one, Rescue 430 00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:26.000 one, and you know he's a ParaMed so they kept him down there and 431 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:30.680 and I guess because he was a medic, but also to oh yeah, 432 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:33.599 Mike Sullivan was his uncle and he was a captain of the engine. So 433 00:29:33.640 --> 00:29:38.039 they buried him. So I went to forty. So rather than fight it, 434 00:29:38.279 --> 00:29:44.799 I signed up for John Adams EMT School. I got an empt certificate, 435 00:29:44.839 --> 00:29:47.640 finished that up in four months. I made an appointment to go down 436 00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:51.400 and see the deputy Charles Cressey. Didn't know who he was. Walked in. 437 00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:53.240 I got my class ason looking good, Chief, I have a seat 438 00:29:53.240 --> 00:29:56.079 there. What could I do for you? I go, you know, 439 00:29:56.680 --> 00:30:00.640 I want to get out of forty engine. You know, you got Bobby 440 00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:03.680 Xes down and rescue one right then he should be there because he's a paramedic. 441 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:07.799 And you know at that time the the squads will run a lot of 442 00:30:07.799 --> 00:30:11.079 medical calls, going yeah, yeah, what do you want? Yeah, 443 00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:15.200 well, here's my AMT certificate and I'd really like to go back to station 444 00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:17.960 seven, please, And he looks at me a little bit and he goes, 445 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:19.599 yeah, okay. He takes in his sound to the side. I'll 446 00:30:19.640 --> 00:30:22.440 get back to you. And so I stand up and I give him a 447 00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:26.359 salute ad buy sir, And he puts his hand out to him and he 448 00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:29.240 grabs my hand. I shake his hand. He goes, I loved your 449 00:30:29.319 --> 00:30:32.440 dad. Your dad was one of the best firemen I ever worked, But 450 00:30:32.559 --> 00:30:37.960 he was the latest. Two weeks later, I was at rescue two. 451 00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:44.319 There you go, squad. Yeah. And one of the funny things when 452 00:30:44.319 --> 00:30:48.039 I first made the rescue squad is after the fire was out, the squads 453 00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:52.759 were going home. There was no overhauling, no clean up. There you 454 00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:56.960 rapp is, they're packing hose nothing, bro I mean that changed over the 455 00:30:57.039 --> 00:31:00.599 years, man, we started sticking around. But when I first did that, 456 00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:04.039 what do you mean we're leaving, We're out of here. Yeah, 457 00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:07.599 so that's how. That's how I got to the rescue squad in nineteen eighty 458 00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:11.680 five, and then the next year at eighty six, I made the spot 459 00:31:11.680 --> 00:31:15.200 as a firefighter at the rescue too. So that's it. Yeah, what 460 00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:18.359 did you say you hit? You hit the lot of right there, Bro, 461 00:31:18.519 --> 00:31:19.079 Well, you hit the lot of when you got on the jump, 462 00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:23.720 but hit the lotto then, and then I hit a lot of going to 463 00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:27.799 the squad and then I tested pot the lieutenant and I did my six month 464 00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:33.519 little tour thing there as a lieutenant, and then got back to the rescue 465 00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:37.039 squad as lieutenant four years later. I pointed to the captain, just spot 466 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:41.079 opened up and I came back. So it was just stars, moons were 467 00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:45.559 all. So wow, before before you get too far, we talk about 468 00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:48.599 the job. But you only had a short time on when he almost bro 469 00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:55.440 Yeah, yeah, So what's that man? You see? That's Brian Leon. 470 00:31:55.720 --> 00:31:59.200 He's a forty one engine falling out of the third floor right there. 471 00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:04.119 I was a young kid. I had the night watch at Station thirty eight 472 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:07.480 Rescue to squat you was thirty eight, and I never slept when I had 473 00:32:07.480 --> 00:32:13.119 the night watch. I stayed up and did stuff and uh, the chiefs 474 00:32:13.160 --> 00:32:19.119 operator, Jimmy Cook, he was keeping me company. And at three o'clock 475 00:32:19.160 --> 00:32:22.400 in the morning stand by for the box box three two one two poured it 476 00:32:22.440 --> 00:32:28.400 out just Larkin Street and three engine shows and he goes, that's a bad 477 00:32:28.440 --> 00:32:30.720 box. And we're up there. All of a sudden working fire, second 478 00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:35.519 alarm, bam, the lights go on. So we go as the engine 479 00:32:35.559 --> 00:32:37.920 goes, and then the squad went down there. We pulled up the thing. 480 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:43.799 It was five or six stories fire from top to bottom. Remember going 481 00:32:43.799 --> 00:32:46.279 in the elevator shaft is one of those old ones with a you and the 482 00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:49.440 engine of the truck chief. I was on the engine, I was on 483 00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:51.880 the fire. I was on. We made a lead in there and it 484 00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:57.319 was like a blow torch all the way up the elevator shaft. The lightwells 485 00:32:57.440 --> 00:33:00.839 were just lit up. I mean every floor had fire, and I'm going, 486 00:33:01.039 --> 00:33:04.880 yeah, so we're in there. We did two or three We did 487 00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:07.720 two or three bottle exchanges and you know, fifth all on fire. There's 488 00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:12.960 shit everywhere. The service squad that fills your bottle well the third, second 489 00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:15.960 or third bottle change, I lost my crew. I didn't know where they 490 00:33:15.079 --> 00:33:17.000 was, so I got a fresh bottle. No, I got it, 491 00:33:17.039 --> 00:33:21.880 I'm going back in. So I go back in and this was like a 492 00:33:21.960 --> 00:33:24.920 totally free burning fire man. It was everywhere. I'm making my way back 493 00:33:24.920 --> 00:33:28.599 to the third floor and there's a crew working on the third floor. It's 494 00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:34.400 forty one inchined. Jimmy Lynch was the boss. Captain lynchd lieutenant the time, 495 00:33:34.480 --> 00:33:37.400 Brian Leong and I don't recall who last kid is. So I hook 496 00:33:37.480 --> 00:33:38.759 up with them. Yeah yeah, So I'm on the back and we're going 497 00:33:38.799 --> 00:33:43.480 and bushing doors in ding ding ding ding ding. The bell goes off again, 498 00:33:43.880 --> 00:33:45.279 so I tap them on my shoulder, which was totally wrong to do. 499 00:33:45.359 --> 00:33:51.079 I left my crew, you know, totally inexperienced, stupid. I'm 500 00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:52.839 going to go down and change my bottle. I'll be right back. So 501 00:33:52.920 --> 00:33:58.000 I go from the third floor and big round stairways. I went from the 502 00:33:58.039 --> 00:34:01.559 third floor to the second floor. It was a freaking gates of hell. 503 00:34:01.640 --> 00:34:07.559 Bro there was no second floor, just fire. So I go back up 504 00:34:07.640 --> 00:34:12.079 and I'm pounding Jim Lynch on his back because yeah, yeah, yeah, 505 00:34:12.079 --> 00:34:15.639 all of a sudden it got black. It went right down to the ground. 506 00:34:15.880 --> 00:34:19.400 So we're in this long haul. When I knew that the windows were 507 00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:22.440 down the end of the hallway, my bell was ringing ding ding, and 508 00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:24.960 those old two a's, the lower they got, the slower, the bell 509 00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:30.639 went ding ding ding ding ding, And I'm almost and they're backing out. 510 00:34:30.679 --> 00:34:34.639 I'm backing out with them and I and all of a sudden, I take 511 00:34:34.719 --> 00:34:37.119 my last breath, sucking face. Just as I get to the window, 512 00:34:37.480 --> 00:34:42.280 I bust the window and I get out on the little fire escape. Oh 513 00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:45.960 yeah, I made it cool. And then I put a ladder up and 514 00:34:45.960 --> 00:34:51.079 get me and uh, the second floor blew out and I was like on 515 00:34:51.119 --> 00:34:53.280 a habachi man. I just had to go back inside. Was getting cooked 516 00:34:53.320 --> 00:34:57.039 on the fire escape. I went back in. They were at the third 517 00:34:57.119 --> 00:34:59.719 floor window. Lynch. They were getting lynch out of the out of the 518 00:34:59.719 --> 00:35:04.639 window, know, and I can't breathe. I got my nose is on 519 00:35:04.760 --> 00:35:07.880 the on the dirty rug in there, and I'm just looking and dying. 520 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:12.199 And then and then my dad's helmet fell off, and I prized my dad's 521 00:35:12.239 --> 00:35:15.039 helmet so much. My dad's helmet fell up, and I remember saying to 522 00:35:15.119 --> 00:35:20.039 myself, smurdell, don't lose your dad's helmet. And I went to reach 523 00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:22.559 it and I go, fuck the helmet, dude, You're gonna die. 524 00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:27.480 And I went to sleep. I went to sleep, out out, I 525 00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:30.760 went to sleep. If I never woke up, it was easy, man. 526 00:35:30.840 --> 00:35:34.719 I was out. And so they pulled They pulled Lynch out. Brian 527 00:35:34.800 --> 00:35:37.800 Leeong he saw him coming down backwards, flying out of the third floor of 528 00:35:37.880 --> 00:35:40.280 the scot Did he get hurt, Yeah, he got hurt. Five Mosen 529 00:35:40.280 --> 00:35:45.320 went to the hall. I spent ten days in smoking elation in the hospital. 530 00:35:45.880 --> 00:35:47.920 They send him back up. They say, hey, Smurdell is still 531 00:35:47.920 --> 00:35:52.559 on there. There's somebody on that third floor. So three guys went up 532 00:35:52.599 --> 00:35:55.000 on that lad. If you fish back to that picture, who was that 533 00:35:55.079 --> 00:35:59.679 Dave Haberlin. Dave haber is the guy in the top, Captain Haberlin who 534 00:35:59.679 --> 00:36:04.000 retired as a division chief. The guy in the middle is Ted corporand he 535 00:36:04.159 --> 00:36:07.800 was on rescue one. And the other guy is Jimmy Cook, who I 536 00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:10.800 was up with talking with at Station thirty eight. The other oh yeah, 537 00:36:10.920 --> 00:36:14.920 yeah. So they they pulled me out and got me out of there, 538 00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:19.000 and I went to the hospital. Chief. So Chief, somebody saw you 539 00:36:19.079 --> 00:36:22.519 at the window, saw you go back in the window, and then said 540 00:36:22.679 --> 00:36:25.079 he never came back to the window. He's right there, He's right because 541 00:36:25.079 --> 00:36:29.239 I ran back into those guys because they were trying to come out of the 542 00:36:29.280 --> 00:36:31.239 other window. I was in a window in like a room and they were 543 00:36:31.280 --> 00:36:37.519 in the window of a hallway and and and they go, hey, somebody's 544 00:36:37.599 --> 00:36:38.400 up there, you know, because that wasn't my crew. I was at 545 00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:42.679 the crew of thirty eight, which I left behind. Just stupid inexperience on 546 00:36:42.800 --> 00:36:46.199 my part for sure. And Captain Haperlin goes, I thought you were a 547 00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:50.239 dead dog when I kicked you on the floor. I mean it was black 548 00:36:50.320 --> 00:36:52.440 down to this. So they pulled me out and went to the hospital, 549 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:55.440 and all's well, that entered what's the first thing you remember, like when 550 00:36:55.440 --> 00:37:00.400 you came back? When you when you embarrassed? And I was so freaking 551 00:37:00.599 --> 00:37:02.360 where why are you? Were you already out? Were you? Were you 552 00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:07.079 at the hospital? When did you finally come to Oh in the back of 553 00:37:07.079 --> 00:37:09.199 the end. I started waking up. I started coughing and waking They did 554 00:37:09.239 --> 00:37:13.559 six broncostumis in the hospital. The guy, the doctor kid you ever smoking 555 00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:16.719 and smoke you You've been smoking for twenty years. You got lungs smoking. 556 00:37:17.559 --> 00:37:20.960 Yeah. But those three men right there, I got a couple of pictures 557 00:37:20.960 --> 00:37:22.840 more of them. They saved my life. Man there. Jimmy Cook right 558 00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:25.559 there, the operator were chit chatting at three in the morning when that box 559 00:37:25.599 --> 00:37:30.199 come in. And then uh, the next there's Dave Haberlin, who was 560 00:37:30.199 --> 00:37:34.639 a captain of Badass five truck right there. Man's man right there. And 561 00:37:34.760 --> 00:37:38.159 unfortunately Dave Haberlin and Jimmy Cook died of cancer. And this is Teddy Corporandi 562 00:37:38.239 --> 00:37:42.800 right here. I know Tom Sarah Goosha talked about him starting fired, and 563 00:37:42.840 --> 00:37:45.199 I was just, well, if it wasn't for them, dude, I'd 564 00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:46.840 be dead, you know. And I didn't talk about this earlier, but 565 00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:53.679 both my my my dad and my brother died in the light of duty. 566 00:37:54.800 --> 00:38:02.280 So they're they're both their names are wretched on the wall at in Colorado Springs 567 00:38:02.280 --> 00:38:07.199 with at the fallen firefighters. I would have beat him to it, man, 568 00:38:07.239 --> 00:38:10.199 but you might. That's my brother Terry right here. Man. He 569 00:38:10.280 --> 00:38:15.360 got a job. He got a job in ninety ninety, nineteen ninety, 570 00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:17.840 yeah, yeah, he got a job in nineteen ninety. I got to 571 00:38:17.840 --> 00:38:22.880 put pitting Dad's badge on him. He wore that until he promoted through the 572 00:38:22.920 --> 00:38:27.119 ranks. So that's a third alarm fire out in industrial aarry because he was 573 00:38:27.320 --> 00:38:30.559 unassigned or wherever. And I bought him on the squad one day and so 574 00:38:30.679 --> 00:38:32.480 we got to work together. We got a pretty good ripping third alarm there. 575 00:38:34.119 --> 00:38:38.000 And yeah, that's us. We're except we're like twins man. We 576 00:38:38.039 --> 00:38:40.960 did everything together. We fished, we hunt, we worked out, we 577 00:38:42.079 --> 00:38:45.079 competed, and like two years, two months and twenty two years, two 578 00:38:45.079 --> 00:38:47.639 months and two years, two mouch and twenty two days between us. Man, 579 00:38:47.639 --> 00:38:52.320 but we we did everything together. That's great. Shore. And he 580 00:38:52.440 --> 00:38:58.840 was working at Station two, Battalion one as a battalion chief and he was 581 00:38:58.880 --> 00:39:04.079 having a little indigestion during the day and his operator, Mike Degree, goes, 582 00:39:04.079 --> 00:39:07.400 hey, you know, why don't you get it's okay taking some rolades 583 00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:10.320 and one of the guys made a really spicy lunch or something. I'm okay. 584 00:39:10.400 --> 00:39:14.480 You know. They had a bunch of calls throughout the night, went 585 00:39:14.519 --> 00:39:19.039 to bed, and in the morning, everybody's downstairs. He's my brother is 586 00:39:19.079 --> 00:39:22.159 always on the floor. Six thirty seven, Have a cup of coffee or 587 00:39:22.199 --> 00:39:25.039 whatever, and they go, we're smirt now and they h, I don't 588 00:39:25.079 --> 00:39:29.639 know. So Mike Degree goes up beginning in the bed. So they started 589 00:39:29.679 --> 00:39:32.440 CPR and him and didn't make it. Man, didn't make it. So 590 00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:38.719 yeah, yeah, yeah, So both their names are etched on opposite walls 591 00:39:38.920 --> 00:39:45.079 at the Wall of Falling Firefighters in Colorado Spring, So I have to see 592 00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:49.239 that. Yeah. So, I mean, there's a couple of pictures. 593 00:39:49.239 --> 00:39:52.440 The biggest funeral I've ever seen, man, he said there was over two 594 00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:55.079 thousand people, right, it was crazy. Over two thousand people, man, 595 00:39:55.199 --> 00:40:00.519 and so many people from across everywhere. Man. There's the pitch of 596 00:40:00.559 --> 00:40:04.559 all the rigs that came in from across the Bay area and just fill in 597 00:40:04.639 --> 00:40:08.239 backfill and all these firefighters. Pretty impressive. That's the holding area down by 598 00:40:08.280 --> 00:40:12.559 Station four. Down there, we had all the rigs set up. So 599 00:40:13.519 --> 00:40:21.000 it was Yeah, so what I would have been on the Wall of Zero's 600 00:40:21.199 --> 00:40:24.840 not the Wall of Heroes for sure. From my Yeah, what ye did? 601 00:40:27.079 --> 00:40:34.320 Pardon me? Your brother pass September tenth, twenty and seventeen, you 602 00:40:34.360 --> 00:40:37.840 know, for for sixteen years, September eleventh, the Saturs Day in my 603 00:40:37.880 --> 00:40:44.960 life. No now I got two sad days. September eleventh, my brother 604 00:40:45.039 --> 00:40:49.280 passed. Yeah, tell a story about how you found out, because that 605 00:40:49.360 --> 00:40:52.960 shows to me what what the brotherhoods all about. Man, amazing, man 606 00:40:52.119 --> 00:40:57.119 amazing. This is Task four three, which I very fortunately be a member 607 00:40:57.159 --> 00:41:01.280 of for seven seven years until I it's really a young man's job. I've 608 00:41:01.280 --> 00:41:05.960 been retired for you know, retired in seven years after that I did this. 609 00:41:06.320 --> 00:41:09.840 So we deployed. We sent out all of our our equipment was about 610 00:41:09.880 --> 00:41:14.159 eight or ten hours ahead of us. And then we had two bus loads, 611 00:41:14.280 --> 00:41:16.840 forty guys in each bus, plus a dog. We had two drivers 612 00:41:16.880 --> 00:41:22.119 and each bus a bed in the back, so we never stopped. The 613 00:41:22.159 --> 00:41:25.119 only time the bus is pulled over let the dogs out and pee. So 614 00:41:25.199 --> 00:41:31.239 we're traveling all night and h in the morning. Saturday morning, the tenth 615 00:41:30.519 --> 00:41:37.360 h we pulled into some little town somewhere in Texas somewhere and knew how those 616 00:41:37.440 --> 00:41:42.519 USAR deployments are. The logistics are amazing. We got they got coffee and 617 00:41:42.559 --> 00:41:45.519 everything set up. I'm in the back of the bus so I'm I'm great 618 00:41:45.559 --> 00:41:47.800 to get off of my phone rings and my good buddy Tommy Jay wish he 619 00:41:47.960 --> 00:41:52.679 was a manager, a rescue team manager, and he was on with all 620 00:41:52.679 --> 00:41:57.119 the equipment, and he goes, hey, call the firehouse, sums up 621 00:41:57.280 --> 00:42:00.440 and what do you mean. It's just call the firehouse and they know it's 622 00:42:00.440 --> 00:42:02.800 Floyd Rawlins, and guys from my union call him and what the hell is 623 00:42:02.840 --> 00:42:06.440 going on? So he tell me, hey, man, looks like your 624 00:42:06.440 --> 00:42:12.920 brother had a heart attack and passed away. What gitting with a baseball baton? 625 00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:17.199 Man? So I'm by myself in the back of the bus. Everybody's 626 00:42:17.199 --> 00:42:22.559 gone, They're coffee fueling up and everything, and I'm just sitting there going, 627 00:42:22.599 --> 00:42:27.760 oh, what can't be true. And I looked up and the next 628 00:42:27.760 --> 00:42:30.719 picture you'll show is Mike Shaffer. He was our task force leader. He 629 00:42:30.760 --> 00:42:35.199 was at the front of the bus and I looked up at him. He 630 00:42:35.239 --> 00:42:38.159 looks at me, and we walked towards the other the middle of the bus. 631 00:42:38.519 --> 00:42:43.280 Gave me a big hug. We're taking you home, Mike. We've 632 00:42:43.320 --> 00:42:46.079 been Code three to earn my man to Florida. Just pulled my bags off. 633 00:42:46.400 --> 00:42:49.400 I'll get home you. No, We're gonna take you home, man. 634 00:42:50.800 --> 00:42:54.239 So they got everybody back on the bus. They turned that Cara Brown 635 00:42:54.519 --> 00:43:00.480 around and went sixty miles out of their way and took me to Dallas Airport. 636 00:43:00.760 --> 00:43:04.679 They got me to the airport. I'm getting off the bus and everybody's 637 00:43:04.719 --> 00:43:06.920 hugging me, kissing me. Hey, sorry, bro, bro, And 638 00:43:07.119 --> 00:43:13.440 one of our champions school guys, Eli Payton, who Eli Thomas is a 639 00:43:13.880 --> 00:43:15.639 running his dog. So he gets off and me and my brother and he 640 00:43:15.679 --> 00:43:19.239 gives me a big hug. Dude, I'm so sorry. And he goes 641 00:43:19.280 --> 00:43:22.639 here and he reaches out and he hands me a lot of cash, a 642 00:43:22.800 --> 00:43:24.960 huge wad of cash. I go, what are you doing? He goes, 643 00:43:24.960 --> 00:43:29.039 hey, there's nothing we could do for you. Get yourself a first 644 00:43:29.079 --> 00:43:31.079 tast first class ticket and get home to your family. Dude, No, 645 00:43:31.079 --> 00:43:35.239 no, no. So we're tossling back and forth and Mike goes, hey, 646 00:43:35.239 --> 00:43:37.599 your bag's out, let's go. So he takes the money and shoved 647 00:43:37.599 --> 00:43:43.039 it into my blouse jacket right here and whatever I go in. I go, 648 00:43:43.079 --> 00:43:44.920 okay, Mike, I got it. He goes, no, I'm 649 00:43:44.920 --> 00:43:46.800 with you. Man goes to I felt like a little kid, you know. 650 00:43:46.840 --> 00:43:50.880 He goes with me to the counter, gets my ticket and he comes 651 00:43:50.920 --> 00:43:52.519 back and I got this money in my hand. He goes, what's that. 652 00:43:53.039 --> 00:43:57.000 I go, Eli gave me this, He goes, why, he 653 00:43:57.039 --> 00:44:00.239 goes, he told me to get a first class ticket. The dude give 654 00:44:00.280 --> 00:44:02.119 it back to him and have beers on my brother. When you guys can't, 655 00:44:02.440 --> 00:44:13.320 I will. Here's your first class ticket home four hours later. Enough 656 00:44:13.360 --> 00:44:16.920 about the San Francisco Fire Department, Joane Hayes White, the Union, how 657 00:44:16.920 --> 00:44:22.360 they took care of me, my brother's family through this whole event. Man, 658 00:44:22.559 --> 00:44:24.199 very traumatic. You guys know, you guys lost brothers in the line 659 00:44:24.199 --> 00:44:29.199 of duty for sure, So you know that's that's how I found my brother 660 00:44:29.239 --> 00:44:31.599 passed. How many kids did your brother have, toy, He had two 661 00:44:31.679 --> 00:44:37.000 kids and he just had a grandson. He just yeah, yeah, so 662 00:44:37.079 --> 00:44:42.400 now now his son just had another son, and so the Smurgelle name lives 663 00:44:42.400 --> 00:44:49.320 on great uncle of little Stephan, Stephan Terry Schmurdelle. So very proud you 664 00:44:49.639 --> 00:44:52.599 get them on the job. I was just gonna say, Chief, is 665 00:44:52.639 --> 00:44:54.519 any of any other kids going to towards the job at all? Do you 666 00:44:54.559 --> 00:44:59.400 feel? No? No, no, no. His daughter lives in in 667 00:44:59.480 --> 00:45:02.000 Boise, Idaho, and they're happy there. He's got two girls and they 668 00:45:02.000 --> 00:45:06.320 have two girls and a boy. Back there. So I think I was 669 00:45:06.360 --> 00:45:07.480 the end of the line right there. We were then the line and let's 670 00:45:07.480 --> 00:45:13.519 little Stefan who knows you never know, brom down in the firehouse and the 671 00:45:13.719 --> 00:45:17.639 young kids taking for a ride for sure. Just see, it's the brotherhood 672 00:45:17.920 --> 00:45:22.280 that we share that makes this job. You know, I said a million 673 00:45:22.320 --> 00:45:24.360 you can win a million bucks and it ain't worth nothing. It's the friends 674 00:45:24.760 --> 00:45:28.920 and the camaraderie that we have in this job. It just fills you with 675 00:45:28.960 --> 00:45:32.199 so much everything. Man. I mean, I've only been face to face 676 00:45:32.239 --> 00:45:35.760 with you for like an hour and a half, and I think I know 677 00:45:35.840 --> 00:45:37.760 you are ready. I feel like I know, you know, I feel 678 00:45:37.800 --> 00:45:39.480 like my brother's already. You know. It's it's crazy. Well you know 679 00:45:39.599 --> 00:45:44.880 that's where firemen are, bro, that's hey, hold on, hold on, 680 00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:55.199 cheers brother, thank you, I blessom. Yeah. Wow, So 681 00:45:55.639 --> 00:46:00.760 I'll have you know the dream about this. I want to yeah, I 682 00:46:00.800 --> 00:46:06.599 wanted to ask you something, uh, just to get back to when when 683 00:46:06.639 --> 00:46:08.320 you you know, we've all had a couple of those times where you know, 684 00:46:08.639 --> 00:46:12.000 hopefully not too many of those times, but a few of those times 685 00:46:12.000 --> 00:46:15.599 where you think you're getting it right, you think you're this is it right? 686 00:46:16.239 --> 00:46:19.559 And when when you were in that spot you said, you know it 687 00:46:19.599 --> 00:46:23.599 was pretty Uh. I was thinking about it because the way you described it 688 00:46:23.639 --> 00:46:28.880 was you were you were breathing the dirty rug. Right. So these are 689 00:46:28.920 --> 00:46:32.760 like things that just like such a detail that you think about when you're in 690 00:46:32.800 --> 00:46:36.760 like this, the worst spot in your life, right, I mean for 691 00:46:36.800 --> 00:46:43.119 the most part. Right, Oh yeah, yeah, go ahead, go 692 00:46:43.159 --> 00:46:45.599 ahead. No, yeah, you're you know, for one minute thought I'm 693 00:46:45.599 --> 00:46:47.599 gonna die. Next minute, I'm on on the balcony, I'm gonna be 694 00:46:47.639 --> 00:46:52.519 saved. Next minute, I'm back in that room and the carpet. I 695 00:46:52.559 --> 00:46:57.639 remember, I got my face buried in the dirty freaking tenderloin of apartment house. 696 00:46:57.639 --> 00:47:01.280 Cart man. I don't know, I don't know where that goes wrong. 697 00:47:01.360 --> 00:47:05.159 But yeah, but once again, thank you. When you when you 698 00:47:05.159 --> 00:47:07.639 were unconscious, you didn't you don't remember anything. You just went unconscious. 699 00:47:08.000 --> 00:47:12.159 You don't remember that you saw that left noodle on the aerial man, I 700 00:47:12.280 --> 00:47:17.079 was out. They were banging me down that area, they said, yeah, 701 00:47:17.280 --> 00:47:21.199 I was, I was. They got you into Stokes, right, 702 00:47:21.880 --> 00:47:23.480 yeah, no, no stokes. Oh that's just a stretcher. Sorry. 703 00:47:23.480 --> 00:47:27.639 I took a bit so that that's one of those clip of park stretches. 704 00:47:27.679 --> 00:47:30.639 They got scoop stretcher. Yeah, ten ten days in the hospital, man 705 00:47:30.719 --> 00:47:36.599 with boncosta me six. Yeah, so anyway, But but didn't tell you 706 00:47:36.719 --> 00:47:39.440 from going to five after that, did it? No? Man? I 707 00:47:39.519 --> 00:47:45.559 love its greatest, the greatest high when you smell it, you know, 708 00:47:45.719 --> 00:47:50.159 then all of a sudden you turned the corner that whole third floor smelling. 709 00:47:50.360 --> 00:47:52.679 I was looking at your pictures before. I was like sitting there like, 710 00:47:52.760 --> 00:47:54.840 oh my god, it is good. We got some work to do. 711 00:47:54.960 --> 00:47:59.719 Boys. Where are some of those pictures? Where are they at? Gone? 712 00:47:59.760 --> 00:48:01.920 So I think if you go back, you have the wonder Station seven, 713 00:48:02.199 --> 00:48:06.119 the picture of the trucks. Maybe they talked about that. But this 714 00:48:06.159 --> 00:48:07.960 is what though. I just pulled this one off the internet. Is this 715 00:48:07.039 --> 00:48:09.480 what you're talking about? I have, I have the truck. I have 716 00:48:09.599 --> 00:48:15.079 read that squad too. Yeah yeah, but I have an old school I 717 00:48:15.079 --> 00:48:17.199 don't know if the stool service or whatnot, But no, no, that's 718 00:48:17.239 --> 00:48:21.719 not not I was working the day that went in the service. That's how 719 00:48:21.760 --> 00:48:23.719 long. And that's in front of the hazmat unit right there, that's Station 720 00:48:23.840 --> 00:48:27.639 thirty six, right there on Oak Street. Yeah, we used to have 721 00:48:27.679 --> 00:48:30.480 an old open air one that was great, so the guys could just be 722 00:48:30.519 --> 00:48:34.440 in the back wide open. Yeah, so what is it? What is 723 00:48:34.440 --> 00:48:38.239 the new one? Go back to the new one. God, that's not 724 00:48:38.320 --> 00:48:43.039 a walk through, that's just that's a walk inside. Yeah it is inside, 725 00:48:43.400 --> 00:48:46.480 okay. Yeah, but we had some old ones there were just the 726 00:48:46.599 --> 00:48:51.360 cab and then an opened their box on the bat right. Yeah. But 727 00:48:51.400 --> 00:48:54.039 you know what you asked me about, you know Station seven. Maybe I 728 00:48:54.079 --> 00:48:57.920 had a couple of pictures on there, dude, that's where I learned to 729 00:48:57.920 --> 00:49:00.159 be a fireman. That's really my my love house for station seven. I 730 00:49:00.239 --> 00:49:04.559 know we used to have talked about it, but that's where these guys right 731 00:49:04.599 --> 00:49:07.000 here, Yeah, I mean these guys on the left there, there's Captain 732 00:49:07.079 --> 00:49:13.400 Jimmy Miles, Captain Rus Edwards, Lieutenant Roy Bowen, the guy third from 733 00:49:13.760 --> 00:49:15.679 the left. I guess we're looking at as Frank Circos. He was a 734 00:49:15.679 --> 00:49:20.360 lieutenant there. He's the guy who really really took me under his wing and 735 00:49:20.760 --> 00:49:22.199 taught me how to be a fireman. Man. We went to a lot 736 00:49:22.239 --> 00:49:28.320 of fires, and all those guys on the bottom bottom portion of all officers 737 00:49:28.320 --> 00:49:36.639 there and the chief of Paul Tobacco who became chief Department, Bill Murray, 738 00:49:36.719 --> 00:49:39.199 who was one of the greatest truck officers, his dad was chief of department. 739 00:49:39.480 --> 00:49:43.119 But not only officers, you know, I learned a law from officers, 740 00:49:43.679 --> 00:49:46.480 but I learned so much from the men they they you know what, 741 00:49:46.599 --> 00:49:51.320 you don't have to be an officer to be a good firefighter, you know, 742 00:49:51.519 --> 00:49:54.239 or to teach, because I learned so much from these guys. And 743 00:49:54.280 --> 00:49:59.400 then the guys at the very top are unassigned guys and those who are the 744 00:49:59.440 --> 00:50:01.920 sixth guy who were there that they loved us. And every station had that. 745 00:50:02.199 --> 00:50:07.199 No, let me back up. It's like guys like st Station one, 746 00:50:07.519 --> 00:50:12.280 Station five, Station three, Station thirty six, they had a group 747 00:50:12.360 --> 00:50:15.559 like we had at seven and the Captain dig Doug your act. They kept 748 00:50:15.559 --> 00:50:21.360 you there and so we were still all great friends. Today. As a 749 00:50:21.400 --> 00:50:25.199 matter of fact, today we just scheduled on old Timer's our old Timers luncheon. 750 00:50:25.199 --> 00:50:29.840 It'll be the first week of June. I think with all these guys 751 00:50:29.880 --> 00:50:35.119 and it's it was really a learning experience. Lots of fires there, man 752 00:50:35.679 --> 00:50:38.320 m yeah. And then this is the new crew that some of us old 753 00:50:38.360 --> 00:50:42.639 timers are out in front right here. But I got to work with so 754 00:50:42.719 --> 00:50:46.440 many young kids on the squad. Who who wound up being just great fireman? 755 00:50:47.000 --> 00:50:51.199 You know, Vic Wirsch, young kid on the squad. He retired 756 00:50:51.199 --> 00:50:55.000 as a deputy chief. Mark Hayes retired as the chief. So the kid, 757 00:50:55.320 --> 00:50:59.440 Tommy Maguire, whose dad I worked with, he was on the truck. 758 00:51:00.039 --> 00:51:00.760 I said, dude, you got to come to the squad. And 759 00:51:00.800 --> 00:51:05.119 I begged and begged and begged, and he finally came over. And he 760 00:51:05.199 --> 00:51:07.079 worked on the squad for a number of years and he became a boss, 761 00:51:07.480 --> 00:51:12.360 came the captain of Rescue one, and then just retired as a chief. 762 00:51:12.440 --> 00:51:15.599 Matter of fact, we're all back in New York. Two weeks ago, 763 00:51:15.639 --> 00:51:19.480 thirteen of us were back in New York a Rangers game and we watched the 764 00:51:19.519 --> 00:51:34.360 Warriors beat the Knicks and went to scorely's uh farh's number of bars out. 765 00:51:32.960 --> 00:51:36.960 You have another reason to come back to New York because we do a boat 766 00:51:37.000 --> 00:51:40.000 ride in August. We have a fireboat that we that we get we go 767 00:51:40.039 --> 00:51:43.920 around the Statue of Liberty with all our past guests of the year. So 768 00:51:43.960 --> 00:51:49.599 now whoa, I'm here. There you go, bro, New York. 769 00:51:49.719 --> 00:51:52.480 She's in the East village. Well, and you go stay with her and 770 00:51:52.480 --> 00:51:55.840 you can come second see the first second weekend of August. We have a 771 00:51:55.840 --> 00:52:00.920 boat, fireboat, an old fire but we go around. Yes, love 772 00:52:00.960 --> 00:52:04.480 to do that. It's a great, great time, man, great time. 773 00:52:04.880 --> 00:52:07.199 Yeah. And like this guy's at Station seven. Man. There were 774 00:52:07.280 --> 00:52:09.960 some great firemen. Man, they were there. This one guy in the 775 00:52:10.000 --> 00:52:14.239 engine, John Dobsinsky. He's kind of weird of the total weirdo dude, 776 00:52:14.440 --> 00:52:15.920 but he was one of the toughest firemen I've ever seen. You couldn't get 777 00:52:15.960 --> 00:52:19.480 a line from him. Man, He's so quick off the back tailboard and 778 00:52:19.719 --> 00:52:22.760 you couldn't take a line from him. We come back from fire one day 779 00:52:22.760 --> 00:52:24.480 and we're all dirty, we're taking our off and he reaches in. He 780 00:52:24.519 --> 00:52:29.039 pulls out this big bag, plastic bag with a pull string on it. 781 00:52:29.440 --> 00:52:32.079 I go, what's that for? He goes, Hey, if I can't 782 00:52:32.119 --> 00:52:38.199 get out of that building, I'm putting that bag over my head there on 783 00:52:38.320 --> 00:52:42.719 my Daddy's great. I looked at him. I know you were a weirdo 784 00:52:42.920 --> 00:52:49.320 dude. Really now confirmed you're a fucking wind on mansky man. Yeah, 785 00:52:49.599 --> 00:52:52.039 But there was guys like Frank, arbon Roney, Jerry have just great guys 786 00:52:52.119 --> 00:52:58.159 that you know, took us young kids under our wings and taught us under 787 00:52:58.199 --> 00:53:00.199 their wings and taught us the job. Man. This isn't that funny that 788 00:53:00.239 --> 00:53:02.639 no matter where you go, not even in the country, in the world, 789 00:53:04.159 --> 00:53:07.840 there's the same group of different Like we have a shirt that's the same 790 00:53:07.920 --> 00:53:12.360 circus, different clowns, but all the same group of fucking guys in every 791 00:53:12.480 --> 00:53:15.159 fire department. Right, you got the same type of guys in every fire 792 00:53:15.199 --> 00:53:19.559 department and they all kind of congregate together. Thirteen guys back in New York 793 00:53:19.599 --> 00:53:24.199 City ripping it up in your town. Man, it was great. Yeah. 794 00:53:24.800 --> 00:53:29.679 So this guy right here, Gary Tushima, like I told you, 795 00:53:29.760 --> 00:53:32.360 Franks took me under his wing, Andrew. And this man right here was 796 00:53:32.440 --> 00:53:38.239 a fireman's fireman, Gary Tushima. He spent years on the squad and like 797 00:53:38.360 --> 00:53:42.079 I said, he took me under his wing to fire. He's been packed 798 00:53:42.079 --> 00:53:44.440 out more fires than I have. I've been taken out of a couple of 799 00:53:44.480 --> 00:53:49.559 fires. That man falls to the wall and fires. And like I told 800 00:53:49.559 --> 00:53:52.079 you earlier, when I got up to the squad in eighty five, there 801 00:53:52.199 --> 00:53:57.119 was no rescue training man, no three to one, five to one, 802 00:53:57.400 --> 00:54:02.320 no exit, first cliff rescue. It was a five to one mechanical of 803 00:54:02.400 --> 00:54:06.920 vanas what does that mean? So they pulled the old Manila hemp rope out. 804 00:54:07.119 --> 00:54:12.639 The guy did a guys lower him down, pick off. Now you 805 00:54:12.719 --> 00:54:19.119 five guys pull right, yeah, five to one? Yeah you need bro 806 00:54:19.960 --> 00:54:22.480 Yeah yeah. So there was really when I got there. I mean, 807 00:54:22.440 --> 00:54:25.239 we got to a lot of fires and they were firemen. You know that 808 00:54:25.400 --> 00:54:30.079 rescue whole rescue world with technical rescue that I got into. It wasn't happening 809 00:54:30.199 --> 00:54:35.239 yet. Has Matt with Gary Tishma. We get a call up to UCSF 810 00:54:35.360 --> 00:54:38.000 one night for a leak. So we show up on the rescue squad. 811 00:54:38.039 --> 00:54:39.800 The heroes are here, will take care of it. I don't know what 812 00:54:39.880 --> 00:54:47.320 I'm doing. And this room is just white, just clouds. He goes, 813 00:54:47.360 --> 00:54:50.639 all right, get you grab your scotch. We got our turnouts on 814 00:54:51.199 --> 00:54:54.360 and he grabs this jar of vasolene. He what's up? And he scoops 815 00:54:54.400 --> 00:54:58.719 it and he starts spreading all over my neck and over my back. What 816 00:54:58.760 --> 00:55:00.719 are you doing? He goes, We're gonna part your net. Kid, 817 00:55:00.239 --> 00:55:06.239 put a scott on and with all this vasolene to protect you from what I 818 00:55:06.320 --> 00:55:12.000 don't know. Hold on coat tails and this guy didn't even see him. 819 00:55:12.000 --> 00:55:14.960 It was all white, but he knew where to go and how to plug 820 00:55:15.039 --> 00:55:16.920 that leak up. And there till today. I might die someday from this 821 00:55:16.960 --> 00:55:22.920 ship. I don't know. Who was the kind of guy that you would 822 00:55:22.960 --> 00:55:25.599 just follow and do anything with me? You know? And you guys, 823 00:55:25.760 --> 00:55:30.039 is just so blessed and so fortunate to work with these men that you know, 824 00:55:30.679 --> 00:55:32.639 and and hopefully be able to pass some of the stuff that I learned, 825 00:55:32.719 --> 00:55:37.800 not from these guys onto the newer kids. So who doesn't I think 826 00:55:39.360 --> 00:55:46.280 stupid? So we got has Matt one is that engine thirty six and they 827 00:55:46.360 --> 00:55:50.320 do the has mat. So when I was running the special ops for two 828 00:55:50.400 --> 00:55:54.000 years, we got some federal funding and we put all the we put all 829 00:55:54.280 --> 00:56:00.159 of our rectie squads, made him has Mat specialist. A lot of guys 830 00:56:00.239 --> 00:56:04.159 weren't really happy with me man, because it was six weeks of training they 831 00:56:04.199 --> 00:56:06.920 all had to go through. They got paid, they gotta, but it 832 00:56:07.039 --> 00:56:10.280 certainly bolstered our has some material responses. Before you only have four guys. 833 00:56:10.480 --> 00:56:15.559 An officer of three guys was your haz math Now they had eight more guys 834 00:56:15.599 --> 00:56:19.960 on duty every day, and then we started doing the rescue training. I 835 00:56:20.039 --> 00:56:23.119 mean, chief, you're you're you're in training there, so I mean rescue 836 00:56:23.119 --> 00:56:29.920 systems one systems, two CS one cs c S two ZB numbers they give 837 00:56:29.960 --> 00:56:32.119 them all now. But you know, we were really up the game for 838 00:56:32.199 --> 00:56:37.199 the San Francisco fire, but especially our rescue squad. They all were hazmat 839 00:56:37.360 --> 00:56:43.199 text. They were all all divers, open water divers, black mass divers, 840 00:56:43.760 --> 00:56:47.599 all had to be searched, trench qualified, you know, high angle 841 00:56:47.679 --> 00:56:52.719 qualified. So we spent a lot of time doing that. So pretty police 842 00:56:52.719 --> 00:56:58.559 the way things kind of worked out for all that there you go, Yeah, 843 00:57:00.000 --> 00:57:01.920 do you know Raydda? I know Ray Dido. I bought a wedding 844 00:57:02.000 --> 00:57:07.280 ring from Raydido actually my my first marriage, many many many years ago. 845 00:57:07.320 --> 00:57:13.119 My mistake. Hoops, I'm continuing on. Yeah, he worked the station 846 00:57:13.280 --> 00:57:16.880 one. You know, keep Nicole, keep Nicolelo sent me a text he 847 00:57:17.000 --> 00:57:20.039 was asking if you know him. He's a good friend of us. He's 848 00:57:20.119 --> 00:57:24.679 thirty truck one. There's two butters, there's Ray and Ray Dido. And 849 00:57:24.920 --> 00:57:29.599 he had a brother in department. Also, there's two brothers. Listen, 850 00:57:29.679 --> 00:57:32.320 you only married twice, right, this is the second time. I love 851 00:57:32.360 --> 00:57:35.880 my wife. Yes. Some guys are on three, some guys are on 852 00:57:35.960 --> 00:57:37.239 the third. It happens, you know what I mean. You know, 853 00:57:37.559 --> 00:57:42.440 I gave away a house and a pension. I gave away two houses. 854 00:57:42.519 --> 00:57:51.480 It's okay, bro, Yeah, thanks you what happens? So that Bronzo 855 00:57:51.599 --> 00:57:53.719 says, you know when I went to he's keeping me in line here because 856 00:57:53.719 --> 00:57:57.760 I just did. Oh no, I wasn't. I was putting a keV 857 00:57:59.199 --> 00:58:00.760 question. This guy's no, not this guy. Where's the other guy? 858 00:58:00.840 --> 00:58:04.719 This guy's been asking the question. Hold, yeah, well, sir, 859 00:58:05.360 --> 00:58:08.119 answer answer the forum. Ask him about cistern systems. They have it there 860 00:58:08.159 --> 00:58:15.320 in San Francisco. I don't know know who systems are. They are cylinders 861 00:58:15.719 --> 00:58:20.559 tanks in the middle of an intersection, and you could tell by the marketing 862 00:58:20.599 --> 00:58:23.519 on the hydrant and then the bricks, big round bricks in the middle of 863 00:58:23.599 --> 00:58:28.360 an intersection, and it's full of water. So in the event that we're 864 00:58:28.599 --> 00:58:30.679 our hydrants are out of service, like in Loma Prieta. You know, 865 00:58:30.960 --> 00:58:35.079 I was. I worked two days down on Loma Creator after that earthquake there 866 00:58:35.079 --> 00:58:37.960 because thirty eight was right on top of that. So cisterns are just big 867 00:58:38.559 --> 00:58:44.119 vats, concrete vats in the middle of an intersection where we could pump water 868 00:58:44.239 --> 00:58:47.440 out of if need be there. You go, absolutelyful. Yeah, let's 869 00:58:47.440 --> 00:58:51.320 talk about the earthquake. I want to talk about that. Yeah. Well, 870 00:58:51.440 --> 00:58:53.440 I was working at thirty eight. That was October thirteenth, nineteen eighty 871 00:58:53.519 --> 00:58:59.840 nine. October seventeenth, eighty nine. I wasn't working that day. I 872 00:58:59.920 --> 00:59:04.079 was getting ready for the ball game. Giants were playing the A's and at 873 00:59:04.119 --> 00:59:07.559 my house I had a little barbecue set up. My neighbors all were getting 874 00:59:07.559 --> 00:59:09.880 ready to go to the party. It's all great, and boom the earthquake 875 00:59:09.920 --> 00:59:15.400 kit Man, and it was big. I'm twenty miles off of the down 876 00:59:15.400 --> 00:59:22.360 out of San Francisco, and I watched telephone poles just do this. You 877 00:59:22.440 --> 00:59:24.880 knew what it was though right away, like this an earthquake and her car 878 00:59:25.159 --> 00:59:30.199 is bouncing up. Okay, yeah, just oh. So once everything got 879 00:59:30.239 --> 00:59:35.159 squared away home, I'm going to work. I went up there areas hat 880 00:59:35.320 --> 00:59:37.480 but went up there, grabbed my gear and went down to the marina and 881 00:59:37.840 --> 00:59:42.679 that fire burning on the visitor. Oh thank god, there was no wind 882 00:59:42.719 --> 00:59:45.280 that day, we would have lost the whole city. The hydrants were broken, 883 00:59:45.480 --> 00:59:49.519 the water mats were broken, so there's no water. And if you 884 00:59:49.599 --> 00:59:53.199 ever look back to those to the pictures from Loma Prieta, that fire was 885 00:59:53.280 --> 00:59:58.360 just burning straight up in the evening like this. We're typically always off that 886 00:59:58.480 --> 01:00:00.920 bay. We got a big, strong wind coming into the city. But 887 01:00:01.239 --> 01:00:05.679 whatever reason, that night it didn't. Otherwise we would have lost blocks rather 888 01:00:05.719 --> 01:00:08.519 than just one block. So we went down there and again there was no 889 01:00:08.679 --> 01:00:14.199 rescue training, no shoring, building shoring. If you look at if you 890 01:00:14.360 --> 01:00:17.840 look at the some of the there's two by fours and four by fours, 891 01:00:19.199 --> 01:00:22.679 you know, just propped up holding the buildings for tipping over. I remember 892 01:00:22.719 --> 01:00:23.639 one of the weirdest things. I mean, we went to a building and 893 01:00:23.719 --> 01:00:28.559 no search markings. We none of us had training back in eighty nine search 894 01:00:28.679 --> 01:00:32.239 markings like we do now for FEMA or regional teams. And I remember looking 895 01:00:32.280 --> 01:00:36.719 at this building, what's really weird. Why is the fire escape on the 896 01:00:36.800 --> 01:00:40.360 ground, Well, that soft story just collapsed. And now the fire escape 897 01:00:40.400 --> 01:00:46.440 that was on the second floor on the street. The buildings were all racked, 898 01:00:46.559 --> 01:00:50.840 you know. And again we've come a long way since then in our 899 01:00:50.880 --> 01:00:53.320 search and whatnot. But I spent two days. Now there Jerry Shannon, 900 01:00:53.559 --> 01:00:57.800 you probably know that name. He he was a hero of the whole thing. 901 01:00:57.920 --> 01:01:00.960 He stayed like, I don't know, eighteen so I don't know what 902 01:01:00.119 --> 01:01:04.400 a long long time with this lady. Well, they cut her out. 903 01:01:04.440 --> 01:01:08.239 We weren't part of that rescue, but Jerry Shannon work held her hand through 904 01:01:08.320 --> 01:01:13.639 all this and got her out and they remain friends until today. There you 905 01:01:13.719 --> 01:01:17.719 go, Man's that's what I'm talking about. Wow. And it was like 906 01:01:17.880 --> 01:01:22.760 block on block on block, and again, you know, we just went 907 01:01:22.840 --> 01:01:27.320 through every house looking for people and trying to find void spaces. And again 908 01:01:27.440 --> 01:01:31.000 this is before any of us had really any type of specialized rescue training. 909 01:01:31.400 --> 01:01:42.559 I went to my first rescue training in like February of nineteen ninety, a 910 01:01:42.639 --> 01:01:45.280 couple months after the love preated earthquake. And then I continued on because then 911 01:01:45.320 --> 01:01:47.719 I got into the rescue world. I totally dug it and that's what I 912 01:01:47.800 --> 01:01:52.440 did the rest of my career. But yeah, it was pretty well waiting 913 01:01:52.480 --> 01:01:54.119 for the next one that we're way overdue. Oh man, I don't sell 914 01:01:54.119 --> 01:01:59.920 you. How long did it take to the city to get back on its 915 01:02:00.039 --> 01:02:05.079 feet after that, like normal. It was a while because it was devastated 916 01:02:05.119 --> 01:02:07.320 throughout the city. Man, they lost they lost a couple of people on 917 01:02:07.440 --> 01:02:12.639 Bloxom Street across from eight eight Truck eight Engine Station eight because a lot of 918 01:02:12.719 --> 01:02:17.519 brick facades and all the brick facades came down and fell along people. It 919 01:02:17.719 --> 01:02:21.639 was it was quite a while before the city got up there. I think 920 01:02:21.679 --> 01:02:23.320 of Earth quick. I think of the highway, right, I think of 921 01:02:23.400 --> 01:02:27.480 the bridge that collapsed, and I think of the highway that pancake down on 922 01:02:27.599 --> 01:02:30.719 itself, right that the Nimmu's Highway there, nimm It's Freeway. And I 923 01:02:30.800 --> 01:02:37.199 had buddies working over as medics in Oakland and they go. It was gruesome, 924 01:02:37.320 --> 01:02:39.280 man, because they were in there and they bought specialized guys and they 925 01:02:39.400 --> 01:02:46.159 do extrications and actually had to cut people out out of the car. Yeah 926 01:02:46.239 --> 01:02:50.920 yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. And it was Buck Helms is a guy 927 01:02:50.960 --> 01:02:54.199 who lived like he was under there for days and they finally pulled buck Helms 928 01:02:54.239 --> 01:02:57.679 out. I mean that was a big there watching the rescue trying to cut 929 01:02:57.719 --> 01:03:00.400 them out. But he was in there for I don't know, five six, 930 01:03:00.440 --> 01:03:01.559 seven, eight days. I don't remember that number was. He finally 931 01:03:01.679 --> 01:03:06.119 died his subscrub to to his injuries, but they pulled him out. I 932 01:03:06.159 --> 01:03:07.559 remember him waving coming out of the stove, stretching. Yeah, I remember 933 01:03:07.639 --> 01:03:12.480 that. I remember that. Yeah, the cypress man. Yeah wow. 934 01:03:13.079 --> 01:03:16.679 And then the Bay Bridge, the Bay Bridge took a dump. He actually 935 01:03:16.719 --> 01:03:22.360 scored the car go off right thea that the car was just hanging on there. 936 01:03:22.400 --> 01:03:25.679 So we got to go up there and play on the bridge after this 937 01:03:25.880 --> 01:03:29.559 was all going on. So because the bridgers out of service, and that's 938 01:03:29.599 --> 01:03:34.280 how we made kind of or anyway with the bridge guys, and so we 939 01:03:34.440 --> 01:03:37.679 used that bridge many times for our high angle work over there. But yeah, 940 01:03:37.760 --> 01:03:39.559 that little more creating that was there for two days and it was did 941 01:03:39.679 --> 01:03:45.119 did any firehouses get red? So? But you know what, family members 942 01:03:45.199 --> 01:03:49.559 came into station thirty eight and cooked because everybody was coming in off. Dude, 943 01:03:49.599 --> 01:03:52.199 everybody was working. And I remember there was wives and kids and whatnot 944 01:03:52.239 --> 01:03:55.679 at our fire I was thirty eight cooking and taking care of stuff for us. 945 01:03:55.760 --> 01:04:04.000 Yeah yeah, I know pretty well. Yeah right, So you know 946 01:04:04.199 --> 01:04:09.480 it's like and a little kind of funny story and the rest again, we 947 01:04:09.519 --> 01:04:13.199 had zero training all right. So I'm doing water rescue. Now here's a 948 01:04:13.239 --> 01:04:17.039 what suit kid, and I go out for my first open water rescue and 949 01:04:17.159 --> 01:04:20.800 I swim out. I got a Peterson bowie with me and I'm swimming out. 950 01:04:20.800 --> 01:04:24.960 I'm gonna save this guy's life. I swim up to him, no 951 01:04:25.159 --> 01:04:30.760 training, and what does the guy do? Boy, he never expected to 952 01:04:30.800 --> 01:04:36.280 get socked in the face once. That dude so hard man, So I 953 01:04:36.360 --> 01:04:40.360 finally got it. So ever since I got miss Booey and swam back in. 954 01:04:40.960 --> 01:04:44.480 But ever since then, I always took two booies out, one for 955 01:04:44.599 --> 01:04:47.559 him and one for you. Super great swim man. I spink a lot, 956 01:04:47.760 --> 01:04:53.960 you know. But yeah, and then I do. Have you ever 957 01:04:54.000 --> 01:04:59.320 heard of the Mitchell brothers. The Mitchell brothers had an adult what is the 958 01:04:59.320 --> 01:05:03.440 word I'm looking for or a cabaret, did the adult videos. They did 959 01:05:03.760 --> 01:05:11.360 adult club, adult club you so. So Jimmy Mitchell and Artie Mitchell were 960 01:05:11.400 --> 01:05:14.800 at the beach with their kids. The kids get in trouble out there, 961 01:05:14.920 --> 01:05:16.920 so the two old porn star guys and there weren't porns, I just man 962 01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:19.639 everything. They go out there, then they get in trouble, so we 963 01:05:19.760 --> 01:05:25.039 show up. I pulled in Artie Mitchell and another guy gets Jimmy Mitchell in. 964 01:05:25.119 --> 01:05:28.039 We take him to the hospital and they were so thankful we saved their 965 01:05:28.119 --> 01:05:32.239 lives. Their kids all got in. They put a shrine in this in 966 01:05:32.639 --> 01:05:39.119 this adult club to rescue squad too. Oh, I mean huge, huge, 967 01:05:39.280 --> 01:05:41.800 as soon as you walk in, you pay your thirty bucks to get 968 01:05:41.840 --> 01:05:43.679 it. How do I know? How did you know it's in there? 969 01:05:43.719 --> 01:05:50.880 Bro? Well? That that's really young. Pictures of those guys man Aarty 970 01:05:51.039 --> 01:05:57.039 already killed Jim already killed his brother. No, already killed his brother, 971 01:05:57.119 --> 01:06:00.159 shot his brother. Yeah, they there were no so dysfunctional man that the 972 01:06:00.199 --> 01:06:01.960 whole thing. But I came friends with already as we downer and hangout, 973 01:06:02.079 --> 01:06:09.800 and they put this whole glass shrine and then every year they donated ten thousand 974 01:06:09.880 --> 01:06:13.800 dollars to our water rescue team for training that I could have used. There's 975 01:06:13.840 --> 01:06:17.360 somebody that's good. Hey, Gods with the picture of the guy with the 976 01:06:17.440 --> 01:06:20.280 legs underneath the van, what was that? I saw? Those That was 977 01:06:20.320 --> 01:06:26.800 some of the training that he did in different That was just a training thing 978 01:06:26.880 --> 01:06:30.079 down at NASA. Because we did we did, I mean I worked with 979 01:06:30.119 --> 01:06:33.440 a bunch of great guys and down in NASA, they have the Ames Dart 980 01:06:33.519 --> 01:06:38.800 Team down there. Every year we would put on six six days of super 981 01:06:38.880 --> 01:06:43.880 intense training from Guy Minnesota all over all over the United States, Canada. 982 01:06:45.440 --> 01:06:49.039 We had guys come up from Brazil. Firefighter from Brazilia come up and and 983 01:06:49.199 --> 01:06:53.880 do this type of training and and then we got invited down to train with 984 01:06:54.000 --> 01:06:57.440 these guys. So this is the military down there, and the firefighters are 985 01:06:57.480 --> 01:07:02.079 part of the military. So myself, Tom Wish, Arthur Belton, and 986 01:07:02.199 --> 01:07:08.519 my good buddy on the East Coast. So with you guys, oh Tom 987 01:07:08.559 --> 01:07:12.119 Billy, We've been down there five six times. Maybe they don't pay us, 988 01:07:12.559 --> 01:07:15.000 they flew us down, they put up up with ship hotels, but 989 01:07:15.159 --> 01:07:20.480 we got to work with. This is their this is their special ops team 990 01:07:20.559 --> 01:07:24.679 right there. And then they have firefighters that are all carry guns. Imagine 991 01:07:24.719 --> 01:07:28.480 that all the firemen in Brazil carry guns guns. Yeah, I love it. 992 01:07:28.679 --> 01:07:30.760 Yeah, We're going out to lunch and they all got automatic weapons down 993 01:07:30.800 --> 01:07:34.199 there back. Oh, I love it. Go to Super Bowls for the 994 01:07:34.280 --> 01:07:38.760 meal. Can you imagine going We're sitting there and having you know, their 995 01:07:39.159 --> 01:07:42.800 all their meat, meat dinners and whatnot, all got their empty fives or 996 01:07:42.840 --> 01:07:45.360 whatever they got on the man, you're crazy. Yeah, well we got 997 01:07:45.440 --> 01:07:47.280 to go down there five or six times and work with them down there and 998 01:07:47.960 --> 01:07:53.320 again passing on a little bit of knowledge or whatever down there. So having 999 01:07:53.400 --> 01:07:57.880 fun, drink and you've got you were more or less instrumental in bringing all 1000 01:07:57.880 --> 01:08:00.519 the training to the rescues. I was. I did. I did a 1001 01:08:00.559 --> 01:08:03.039 lot of that, you know, because I see because I got into the 1002 01:08:03.079 --> 01:08:08.320 rescue world and I saw what was happening outside of San Francisco a lot of 1003 01:08:08.360 --> 01:08:11.320 times San Francisco in this bubble and don't bother us, you know what I 1004 01:08:11.440 --> 01:08:15.639 mean. Once I got started training back in nineteen ninety when I took my 1005 01:08:15.760 --> 01:08:18.880 first class, this kid, Jerry Coleman from San Jose Fire. He took 1006 01:08:18.960 --> 01:08:24.039 me under his wing and really taught me the ropes. And then I started 1007 01:08:24.079 --> 01:08:27.720 taking classes and training, and I've been training. I've been instructors since nineteen 1008 01:08:27.800 --> 01:08:30.319 ninety four, doing all the different disciplines. We started a company in two 1009 01:08:30.359 --> 01:08:33.640 thousand and eight, right after nine to eleven, you know, all that 1010 01:08:34.039 --> 01:08:40.079 federal money started coming into departments to start training up and whatnot. And then 1011 01:08:40.399 --> 01:08:44.359 so we were doing at Treasure Island our training facility. We were doing two 1012 01:08:44.439 --> 01:08:47.960 classes a week, like a confined space, the systems one, Systems two 1013 01:08:48.520 --> 01:08:54.279 whatever. It was for like six or seven years, and then all of 1014 01:08:54.319 --> 01:08:57.720 a sudden, the federal dollars stopped and the department, I go, we 1015 01:08:57.880 --> 01:09:00.600 got to keep training. We don't have any money. So there was five 1016 01:09:00.640 --> 01:09:04.319 of us. We started a company, Norcow Rescue Training, and we just 1017 01:09:04.399 --> 01:09:09.239 took over with the department stop and we've been I sold. We sold the 1018 01:09:09.319 --> 01:09:12.800 company in twenty and eighteen. But I'm an employee. I just show up 1019 01:09:12.800 --> 01:09:14.359 on Monday morning. Hey boss, what do you want me to do? 1020 01:09:14.520 --> 01:09:17.520 But I love training, and I love being able to work with these young 1021 01:09:17.640 --> 01:09:20.800 kids. And most of these kids that come and take these classes, they're 1022 01:09:20.880 --> 01:09:25.199 motivated, they want to learn. You know, they're expensive classes. Some 1023 01:09:25.319 --> 01:09:28.319 guys pay on their own, some guys, you know, federal dollars pay 1024 01:09:28.439 --> 01:09:31.560 for it. But it's nice working with firefighters who want to learn. Because 1025 01:09:31.600 --> 01:09:34.560 I did. We did a ton of training for the department. Like I 1026 01:09:34.640 --> 01:09:39.800 said, every month we did two one week's classes, and some guys just 1027 01:09:39.880 --> 01:09:42.439 didn't want to be There was a pain in the ass. This is some 1028 01:09:42.680 --> 01:09:45.680 highline telfer type shit. We're doing here one of those things. So, 1029 01:09:46.439 --> 01:09:50.560 yeah, kick, What did you think about that guy in uh in what 1030 01:09:50.720 --> 01:09:54.319 was it Louisville? Or he went off the bridge? That was good? 1031 01:09:55.199 --> 01:09:59.159 What was that? Remind me? That was just the last week. The 1032 01:09:59.479 --> 01:10:02.000 tractor tra tyler was hanging off the bridge and they set up a high point. 1033 01:10:02.039 --> 01:10:04.279 I guess it looked like I don't know if it was a towel ladder, 1034 01:10:04.399 --> 01:10:08.920 maybe guns knows more. The truck was hanging off the bridge like this, 1035 01:10:09.159 --> 01:10:13.000 and the the cab of the truck was hanging and the guy was still 1036 01:10:13.039 --> 01:10:15.720 in the cab. Yeah, yeah, yeah, girl a woman, okay, 1037 01:10:16.199 --> 01:10:18.399 you got you gotta check it out. It was uh, it was 1038 01:10:18.439 --> 01:10:20.920 pretty incredible. Guys. How did they set up? Did they set up 1039 01:10:20.960 --> 01:10:27.920 with a crane the high point? What did they do? M I think 1040 01:10:27.920 --> 01:10:30.560 they put it. I think they tied off to the bridge, But I'm 1041 01:10:30.560 --> 01:10:32.520 gonna find out for sure how they did it. The only picture I have 1042 01:10:32.840 --> 01:10:35.239 is I'm gonna pull one up for you. Yes, because it looked like 1043 01:10:35.319 --> 01:10:41.800 they they didn't. I don't think they had. Yeah, because the high 1044 01:10:41.800 --> 01:10:45.199 point they had to put out over they used the Yeah, they use the 1045 01:10:45.239 --> 01:10:46.399 area like look at it now. I got a little short video that they're 1046 01:10:46.399 --> 01:10:49.960 plane. Yeah, they extended the the aerial and then they were piled down 1047 01:10:50.000 --> 01:10:53.920 from the area. Oh so they weren't even touching the trucks, just aer 1048 01:10:54.000 --> 01:10:56.159 all up and coming down. They get the lady out of the cab and 1049 01:10:56.279 --> 01:10:58.479 pull it up. Yeah, they pulled it. It was it was a 1050 01:10:58.560 --> 01:11:09.520 stroke the Yeah there is work man, Yeah doing it. So do you 1051 01:11:09.600 --> 01:11:13.279 still do the training I do I do for you? He's still in it. 1052 01:11:13.720 --> 01:11:15.760 Yeah, you know what. I enjoy it. You know, I 1053 01:11:15.840 --> 01:11:18.039 get to work with guys the firement from all over the Bay Area because now 1054 01:11:18.479 --> 01:11:23.039 the company's expanded, so they're all rescue cats. And then we again get 1055 01:11:23.079 --> 01:11:26.279 to pass that information onto these young kids. And that's what I really think 1056 01:11:26.319 --> 01:11:29.239 about you asked me. We'll talk later on about thought of the day or 1057 01:11:29.239 --> 01:11:32.239 whatever. But our job is so perishable, you know. I mean there's 1058 01:11:32.279 --> 01:11:35.199 not as many fires as you go to. And you guys in technical rescue, 1059 01:11:35.520 --> 01:11:41.920 I mean truly there are a few and far between full on technical rescues. 1060 01:11:42.000 --> 01:11:44.800 You know, you got to practice every day in some discipline, so 1061 01:11:44.920 --> 01:11:48.359 you're so you're ready to say you have to be so proficient because when that 1062 01:11:48.520 --> 01:11:53.600 day comes, Bro. There is no stucond guessing, There is no fumblings. 1063 01:11:53.680 --> 01:11:58.840 No, yes, oh there you go. Oh that's badass. Yeah, 1064 01:12:01.399 --> 01:12:04.720 you want to beat in that line, man, that's a rescue of 1065 01:12:04.800 --> 01:12:08.399 rescues right there. Man, you trained for ship like this all the time 1066 01:12:08.439 --> 01:12:11.239 and it just came in. This was this. They did it. They 1067 01:12:11.279 --> 01:12:15.159 did a good job. But that guy, that guy in and the line, 1068 01:12:15.239 --> 01:12:17.279 that's the easy part. It's the other guys on the backside that they're 1069 01:12:17.319 --> 01:12:21.520 doing all the work. The guy who came up with that plan of how 1070 01:12:21.720 --> 01:12:26.920 to get the hide and the regular that's the guy. Yeah. It looks 1071 01:12:26.960 --> 01:12:29.399 like a shared system that they're running right there is what it looks like. 1072 01:12:30.520 --> 01:12:34.920 Yeah, so they got probably some friction device PD or theyre using a clutch. 1073 01:12:35.039 --> 01:12:38.560 Clutch is a new way to go with the bro. That's it. 1074 01:12:39.520 --> 01:12:42.960 You guys remember the old r p ms. Yeah, RPMs we were teaching. 1075 01:12:43.439 --> 01:12:45.359 I have one old time guy, that's what he likes to teacher, 1076 01:12:45.520 --> 01:12:47.359 trying to get him up to the new wave of stuff. Great guy, 1077 01:12:47.399 --> 01:12:50.279 he's too small for his own good looking at our gam What is this thing? 1078 01:12:50.359 --> 01:12:55.960 Man? It's like, so when you go on the rescue squad in 1079 01:12:56.479 --> 01:13:00.239 San Francisco. They'll take you and they'll send you for the training. No. 1080 01:13:00.840 --> 01:13:04.319 So now, now what it is is you have to have your classes. 1081 01:13:04.560 --> 01:13:09.319 So you have to have five years on the job even to apply. 1082 01:13:09.520 --> 01:13:13.199 You have to experience even to apply for a rescue. And then you have 1083 01:13:13.319 --> 01:13:15.439 to be a diver. You got to be an EMT. We say, 1084 01:13:15.479 --> 01:13:18.880 all are you have to have your confined space training. You have to be 1085 01:13:18.960 --> 01:13:27.640 a hasthmat specialist. So they they provide you have to have those certifications when 1086 01:13:27.720 --> 01:13:30.920 you apply to become a you got to get them on your own. Then 1087 01:13:30.319 --> 01:13:35.359 you got to get them on your own. Sometimes the departments provide those because 1088 01:13:35.399 --> 01:13:40.560 through the federal dollars that happens, you know, but it's all on you 1089 01:13:40.640 --> 01:13:43.760 when you put your request in to go to that squad. You have to 1090 01:13:43.840 --> 01:13:47.479 have that whole list of things, and they provide the ongoing training certainly after 1091 01:13:47.520 --> 01:13:50.800 you get on the sit. That's a that's a big commitment that you know, 1092 01:13:50.960 --> 01:13:54.279 those guys really want to be there. They coming in there with those 1093 01:13:54.319 --> 01:13:57.399 certifications already. Man, the only place to be brother. It's a great 1094 01:13:57.720 --> 01:14:00.680 because we were hands off the chiefs. We pull up to a fire, 1095 01:14:01.119 --> 01:14:05.000 you know most Engine three reporting in cheap. When I showed what, they 1096 01:14:09.079 --> 01:14:12.199 put the fire out. Tell me what's happening. Yeah, usually I'm gonna 1097 01:14:12.239 --> 01:14:15.880 buy like that. Oh yeah, Chief got it, got the you know 1098 01:14:15.960 --> 01:14:17.880 what, and I got to work with the greatest kids to rescue too. 1099 01:14:18.000 --> 01:14:25.520 Man, they're just still today. It's happening today for both squads. See 1100 01:14:25.520 --> 01:14:28.600 if you had you had a couple other fires there that you had listed on. 1101 01:14:28.720 --> 01:14:34.640 I saw your timeline. What was uh one of them, I'll tell 1102 01:14:34.640 --> 01:14:38.640 you about. I'll tell you about one of them. That the the L 1103 01:14:38.760 --> 01:14:41.920 Cappy Tan Hotel. That was the one. Yeah, the L Cappy Tan, 1104 01:14:42.039 --> 01:14:45.359 Tom Shirk Goosey with Division Chief that night. Uh, it was a 1105 01:14:45.479 --> 01:14:48.560 warmth. It was. It was Saint Patrick's night. We're in the back, 1106 01:14:48.640 --> 01:14:55.800 remember the Station seven were playing cards, smoking cigars and then uh that 1107 01:14:56.039 --> 01:15:00.880 right there is cap Street fire. That okay, but the the let's go 1108 01:15:00.000 --> 01:15:03.119 back. I'll let's talk about that one right there, the Captain, the 1109 01:15:03.159 --> 01:15:08.479 scary one. I'll tell you, bro I have been that was like that. 1110 01:15:08.640 --> 01:15:11.319 When we pulled up. I had been to a lot of fires, 1111 01:15:11.560 --> 01:15:15.920 and by far, this was the hottest fire I've ever been into. And 1112 01:15:15.199 --> 01:15:18.760 it was wide open, three stories going up, kind of Romeo type thing. 1113 01:15:19.319 --> 01:15:26.199 And the arsonist he he put mattresses in the hallways and down the stairs 1114 01:15:26.279 --> 01:15:30.920 and then doused them with gasoline. So this this video was taken by neighbors 1115 01:15:30.000 --> 01:15:34.119 across the street. You can see how it's rolling. It took it and 1116 01:15:34.399 --> 01:15:38.239 the front door is down on the bottom here. So me and my partner, 1117 01:15:38.239 --> 01:15:40.279 I sput the squad. I said, two guys in the back, 1118 01:15:40.359 --> 01:15:43.239 we're going to go through the front. And I get to the front door 1119 01:15:43.640 --> 01:15:45.479 and the front door looked like that on the top right there. This is 1120 01:15:45.560 --> 01:15:49.600 going to take. So I looked back. The injured company pulled up and 1121 01:15:49.680 --> 01:15:54.079 they were having a little bit of trouble deploying that their ready line. So 1122 01:15:54.520 --> 01:15:58.960 me and my squad partner we pulled a ready line up and had to douse 1123 01:15:59.039 --> 01:16:01.960 the first floor in order to get to the second floor and then to the 1124 01:16:02.479 --> 01:16:05.960 third floor, which is totally burnt away. But I timed this. I 1125 01:16:06.079 --> 01:16:10.960 never seen this video until two days ago. Tom Sarah Goosa sent it to 1126 01:16:11.079 --> 01:16:14.359 me, And I mean five or six or third degree burns. We got 1127 01:16:14.439 --> 01:16:16.600 burnt like shit. Man, our legs, our back of our legs, 1128 01:16:16.680 --> 01:16:19.239 my hand, I got thirty degree burns I got I got a seven hundred 1129 01:16:19.239 --> 01:16:24.079 dollars Calosia fine for not wearing the right gloves at that fire and the vesseline 1130 01:16:24.079 --> 01:16:30.640 didn't help here then huh right here? Oh yeah, but yeah, so 1131 01:16:30.760 --> 01:16:33.159 that so what As soon as I showed up, we were the first riks 1132 01:16:33.199 --> 01:16:36.760 on. This was a block of two blocks from the firehouse at three o'clock 1133 01:16:36.800 --> 01:16:40.439 in the morning. And that's the way it looked. When we showed up. 1134 01:16:40.840 --> 01:16:44.439 Man lady jumped out of the just like boom. I looked in at 1135 01:16:44.479 --> 01:16:46.039 the lady laying right there. The medics were right behind us, so they 1136 01:16:46.079 --> 01:16:48.840 took care of her. We made our way up. It took a set 1137 01:16:48.920 --> 01:16:53.680 and I timed it on here. It was seven minutes from the time the 1138 01:16:53.800 --> 01:16:58.319 engine showed up until we had water pumping out the front window, out of 1139 01:16:58.359 --> 01:17:05.920 that window right there, and it was like a tiazzo concrete floors and stairs 1140 01:17:06.359 --> 01:17:11.800 that were just so hot from the gasoline and the mattresses. When the crews 1141 01:17:11.840 --> 01:17:15.920 behind us were spraying water and we were first up those stairs, all that 1142 01:17:15.039 --> 01:17:18.479 steam came up. The crew behind us got all burnt their legs, their 1143 01:17:18.560 --> 01:17:26.000 knees right above, right above their their turnout boots. That was a hot 1144 01:17:26.039 --> 01:17:29.760 two people dyed. We actually kind of grotesque, but we crawled over. 1145 01:17:29.920 --> 01:17:32.039 Didn't know there were bodies. I mean they were just kind of they were 1146 01:17:32.079 --> 01:17:35.039 melting on the floor right there. So but my buddies on the back of 1147 01:17:35.359 --> 01:17:40.399 there's a lot of good rescues that night made. Unfortunately three people were in 1148 01:17:40.560 --> 01:17:45.279 that fire, but it's gonna Yeah. That was a pretty good window. 1149 01:17:45.800 --> 01:17:50.359 You could see you could see the line coming through the windows. And I 1150 01:17:50.479 --> 01:17:54.000 timed it, I want, because when you're in the fire, you don't 1151 01:17:54.039 --> 01:17:57.439 know, you know, time just kind of stand still. So I really, 1152 01:17:58.600 --> 01:18:00.840 yeah, seven minutes up to to get water out that front window there. 1153 01:18:00.960 --> 01:18:06.199 Yeah, we're eight fifty five. Yeah, that's pretty good. Yeah, 1154 01:18:06.600 --> 01:18:10.039 that was a burner, bro That was a good one. And the 1155 01:18:10.119 --> 01:18:12.960 other one I was going to tell you about was the L Capy Tan fire. 1156 01:18:13.439 --> 01:18:16.039 And it was an old hotel on Mission Street. We're in the backyard 1157 01:18:16.119 --> 01:18:19.880 playing cards at night and I was say, smell that something burning. I 1158 01:18:20.039 --> 01:18:24.359 was saying, box, you know, boom. We pull up and L 1159 01:18:24.439 --> 01:18:28.880 Capy Tan is on fire. So the address is on Mission Street and and 1160 01:18:29.159 --> 01:18:31.119 we're coming up behind the building. I see the back flying. We pull 1161 01:18:31.159 --> 01:18:34.960 into the parking lot and there's a guy hanging out of the third floor and 1162 01:18:35.119 --> 01:18:39.399 who should I'm doing this? Stop stop, stop stop, We'll get you, 1163 01:18:39.600 --> 01:18:43.479 you know. And there's smoke all around. And for whatever reason, 1164 01:18:43.560 --> 01:18:46.079 that day, I had a proby on the rig, you know, rarely, 1165 01:18:46.239 --> 01:18:48.359 rarely, rarely, I think somebody's not assigned. But I had a 1166 01:18:48.439 --> 01:18:53.479 prob with me that day. And it was a wild ride. So and 1167 01:18:53.800 --> 01:18:58.319 I always pride to myself and knowing where I'm at in the building, right 1168 01:18:58.399 --> 01:19:00.920 turn left, turn right, turn and get out, you know. So 1169 01:19:00.079 --> 01:19:02.600 we go down. I got this kid with me, and that's black and 1170 01:19:02.720 --> 01:19:06.960 it's shitty as hell. So we go into the room, get in there, 1171 01:19:08.000 --> 01:19:10.239 and the guy's out the window. We go, okay, we're gonna 1172 01:19:10.279 --> 01:19:12.239 take him out. You know, we're gonna drag him through that smoke. 1173 01:19:12.239 --> 01:19:15.720 We're gonna get him out. We get him, go back to the door 1174 01:19:15.960 --> 01:19:17.680 and the door's closed. I don't know where the door's at, and the 1175 01:19:17.760 --> 01:19:20.680 guy is choking. So he dragged him back across the room, put his 1176 01:19:20.800 --> 01:19:24.159 head out the window, and I tell the probe he stay with him right 1177 01:19:24.239 --> 01:19:27.000 here. I'll find the door. We have one little spring hinges on it. 1178 01:19:27.359 --> 01:19:29.960 So we went in and closed the hinge, you know. So, 1179 01:19:30.319 --> 01:19:33.079 okay, go back. Where's the guy? Now he's on the ground, 1180 01:19:33.159 --> 01:19:39.000 passed out, all right, So now we're dragging in the hallway. I 1181 01:19:39.079 --> 01:19:42.600 got the proby on my back. We're dragging out and okay, turn, 1182 01:19:42.760 --> 01:19:45.640 we're out of here. All of a sudden in a wall. Oh no, 1183 01:19:46.600 --> 01:19:50.800 uh no, there was never a wall here, dude. And I'm 1184 01:19:50.840 --> 01:19:54.359 thinking to myself, where the hell am I don't taking my mind, you 1185 01:19:54.359 --> 01:19:59.479 know. And this guy he's half naked because we're dragging him. It was 1186 01:19:59.560 --> 01:20:04.680 an old theater and they had those pins that melted and closed the door. 1187 01:20:05.439 --> 01:20:12.640 The lead the lead, the lead fuser or whatever they used to call out 1188 01:20:12.720 --> 01:20:16.760 right, so it was boom. So now I got brought me on my 1189 01:20:16.880 --> 01:20:20.039 back, dragging this cat with us. Man if he's you know, now, 1190 01:20:20.079 --> 01:20:26.560 he's not coughing much anymore. Find our way to another door. I 1191 01:20:26.720 --> 01:20:30.600 hit the panic door and eleven truck is trying to get through. It's a 1192 01:20:30.640 --> 01:20:33.560 big steel door. They go what and all the smoke piles out and we 1193 01:20:33.680 --> 01:20:36.520 pulled the guy out and he wasn't breathing, so he asked mem about doing 1194 01:20:36.600 --> 01:20:41.159 mouth them out, So then I felt responsible. I should have just pushed 1195 01:20:41.159 --> 01:20:44.119 the guy out the window or let him jump. He might have broken an 1196 01:20:44.199 --> 01:20:46.960 arm or broken and now I killed the guy. So he did mouth the 1197 01:20:47.039 --> 01:20:49.840 mouth on this balcony and met it come up and I'm looking at this guy 1198 01:20:50.319 --> 01:20:55.079 and he looks just like my dad. I'm looking my dad. He looked 1199 01:20:55.239 --> 01:20:59.479 just like my dad. I'm doing mouth them out and he lived. The 1200 01:20:59.600 --> 01:21:02.399 guy the I was in back in the hospital. But that was that was 1201 01:21:02.439 --> 01:21:05.840 a pretty just knowing where you're at. You knew when you get those fires 1202 01:21:05.920 --> 01:21:08.640 man, you know, make a right, make a right, make a 1203 01:21:08.720 --> 01:21:10.159 right, make left, make a left, get out of there. But 1204 01:21:10.199 --> 01:21:15.960 all of a sudden something different. So anyway, that's a hairy job. 1205 01:21:16.439 --> 01:21:23.600 Yeah, So let me tell you some of our finest rescues were hawk rings. 1206 01:21:27.119 --> 01:21:30.119 What I've had a couple of those. You had a couple of those. 1207 01:21:30.279 --> 01:21:35.640 We quite a few of the San Francisco bro you know, it looks 1208 01:21:35.640 --> 01:21:45.079 like an all shapes and sizes. One of the best was a three quarter 1209 01:21:45.159 --> 01:21:48.920 inch plumber's elbow. There was laws right in the middle, so depending which 1210 01:21:48.960 --> 01:21:55.560 way you looked, it made a hard ride or all hard lid and Jerry 1211 01:21:55.640 --> 01:22:00.600 Coughlin was on the squads of that day and he goes looks like a red 1212 01:22:00.680 --> 01:22:04.000 delicious. We're in an operating room and doctor, please keep the jokes down. 1213 01:22:04.119 --> 01:22:10.319 Guys walk We walk in the nurses holding the head of his penis and 1214 01:22:10.640 --> 01:22:15.239 the doctor's got to hacks up relaxed. We get the drum all too while, 1215 01:22:15.319 --> 01:22:16.399 but they call us. You know, we got a call one day, 1216 01:22:16.880 --> 01:22:19.359 they called the firehouse fort Hey. We got a ring. It's a 1217 01:22:19.439 --> 01:22:24.600 it's a plate. It's a workout plate. And my first question is is 1218 01:22:24.680 --> 01:22:30.760 it a standard or Olympic plate? It was just crazy, man, so 1219 01:22:31.079 --> 01:22:38.079 many of those stupid I was trying to find it. Well, here I 1220 01:22:38.159 --> 01:22:47.520 go on to my wallet, hop home cock ring and that what it's said 1221 01:22:47.560 --> 01:22:53.640 on rescue patch rescue to hold the cock ring? Did the Afford method. 1222 01:22:53.720 --> 01:22:56.520 We had a guy right up this whole scenario. How to remove you know, 1223 01:22:56.600 --> 01:22:59.680 you get the dicktor pressor and somebody's got to handle the luggage. So 1224 01:23:00.079 --> 01:23:08.479 you and your man, you're luggage, got the luggage program, you're the 1225 01:23:08.560 --> 01:23:13.359 luggage man. So what's the other pictures? What's the other pictures? We 1226 01:23:13.479 --> 01:23:15.039 got down though? Do we have all the fires on it, I think 1227 01:23:15.840 --> 01:23:21.680 folloween from the so you know what I threw that in there show you got 1228 01:23:21.680 --> 01:23:27.560 you notice those aerial ladders are just going up. This was Halloween Nights sixteenth 1229 01:23:27.640 --> 01:23:30.920 and Sharon I was on Engine seven that they worked with Jack Skidmore and another 1230 01:23:31.199 --> 01:23:34.560 classmate of mine, Stevie Farat. Yeah, we show up and this thing 1231 01:23:34.720 --> 01:23:39.479 is just blowing like this from the get go. You know, these old 1232 01:23:39.520 --> 01:23:43.680 wooden buildings down there, they're like match boxes there. So that that was 1233 01:23:43.680 --> 01:23:47.760 a pretty good fire that night. And luckily there was a a grocery store 1234 01:23:48.199 --> 01:23:51.880 down below with a lot of waters and cokes and sodas down there, so 1235 01:23:53.079 --> 01:23:59.600 we got Thursday. After fighting that far we fresh ourselves down. One of 1236 01:23:59.600 --> 01:24:03.720 those looked like typical San Francisco buildings. What are those cold? Just just 1237 01:24:03.840 --> 01:24:09.079 wood frame type five. You know, that's a three story over over a 1238 01:24:09.960 --> 01:24:14.800 four story total over a store down there. When these get going, man, 1239 01:24:14.840 --> 01:24:17.119 they're all so close together, you know, I mean we've lost blocks. 1240 01:24:17.159 --> 01:24:19.079 I mean, we do a pretty good I think we do a pretty 1241 01:24:19.079 --> 01:24:24.239 good job of stopping those. But when you show up and it's going like 1242 01:24:24.359 --> 01:24:27.680 this, all right, a lot of pipes maybe who knows, Yeah, 1243 01:24:28.079 --> 01:24:30.920 but you know that was that was a pretty And the other picture I showed 1244 01:24:30.960 --> 01:24:36.640 you there was the furniture mark. It was like top four fire and and 1245 01:24:36.840 --> 01:24:41.159 and again it was just another one of those fifth along fires we went to. 1246 01:24:42.840 --> 01:24:47.960 But I marked thing too. Yeah it was on that one. Yeah 1247 01:24:48.840 --> 01:24:53.000 yeah, I mean that's not a really great picture of the fire. But 1248 01:24:53.119 --> 01:24:59.079 I was telling a gonzo or no cubes we uh, me and the officer 1249 01:24:59.199 --> 01:25:02.319 from station third six. We got a forty five minute time out at this 1250 01:25:02.520 --> 01:25:06.319 fire by the Chief of Department and deputy chief because we were on the fire 1251 01:25:06.479 --> 01:25:09.840 escape and we got a ladder. I mean, we got a bundle, 1252 01:25:09.960 --> 01:25:13.399 two bundles. We're hooked up to the wide down below, and we're going 1253 01:25:13.479 --> 01:25:15.760 to go in or we're putting this fire out. And they're screaming at us 1254 01:25:15.840 --> 01:25:19.119 on the radio cruise on the fire escape, Evacuate, get out, get 1255 01:25:19.159 --> 01:25:21.359 out, get out. I look at him, We're gonna go and put 1256 01:25:21.359 --> 01:25:28.760 this fire out. Man. So he reaches oms and he turns my radio 1257 01:25:28.880 --> 01:25:30.960 off. We turned our radios off. We're going in, we're putting this 1258 01:25:31.000 --> 01:25:34.159 fire. We're not listening to anybody. Stupid, stupid. Next thing I 1259 01:25:34.239 --> 01:25:38.359 know, I get this flushing blow on my back. It was. It 1260 01:25:38.600 --> 01:25:43.279 was one of the one of the battalion chiefs smashing me to the ground. 1261 01:25:43.600 --> 01:25:45.720 Come on, kid, you guys are all getting at her. So we 1262 01:25:45.800 --> 01:25:50.760 had to sit there and time out. So yeah, in the corner. 1263 01:25:51.359 --> 01:25:59.479 Yeah, we didn't poke them all. You look very scary in that fuck 1264 01:25:59.560 --> 01:26:03.680 him where? Oh yeah, I know. Yeah, man, that's creepy. 1265 01:26:04.880 --> 01:26:10.119 We gotta throw back photo. That's what I started working at. That's 1266 01:26:10.520 --> 01:26:13.560 cy Cursey pee wee in the chat just sent this to us. Thanks. 1267 01:26:15.000 --> 01:26:16.880 Yeah, that's the one of the rigs you guys were talking about earlier. 1268 01:26:17.000 --> 01:26:20.159 Pei. That's Nelly Bell. They called that Nelly Bell. Was a V 1269 01:26:20.279 --> 01:26:25.800 twelve rig. Fast man, that rig double cluestion, that thing, man, 1270 01:26:25.920 --> 01:26:29.159 nothing flew. I was a rescue rig, was it? There was 1271 01:26:29.159 --> 01:26:33.479 a rescue rig. Yeah, yeah, we're going to go down the street 1272 01:26:33.560 --> 01:26:39.079 waving the moms and little kids. Hey fireman. Yeah, now that's that's 1273 01:26:40.439 --> 01:26:44.520 that's old school, were you and uh, there's Rescue two in the district 1274 01:26:44.520 --> 01:26:47.720 where all those hills are in San Francisco, your hills everywhere? Y How 1275 01:26:47.800 --> 01:26:51.680 was that? Yeah? Well rescue too before it moved down. So Rescue 1276 01:26:51.720 --> 01:26:56.199 two was up on the top of the hill over the marina where the earthquake 1277 01:26:56.399 --> 01:27:00.720 was. Then in ninety three they moved the squad back down to Station seven. 1278 01:27:00.199 --> 01:27:03.279 So I love seven. I went back home. So in ninety three 1279 01:27:03.359 --> 01:27:06.720 the squad came back to seven. I went back there, and I stayed 1280 01:27:06.760 --> 01:27:10.920 there until two thousand and eight, from ninety three to two thousand and eight, 1281 01:27:11.680 --> 01:27:15.920 until I got a point of count chief. They were down there. 1282 01:27:15.079 --> 01:27:18.640 So we talked about this before. So you were the fireman there and then 1283 01:27:18.640 --> 01:27:23.119 he became you got promoted lieutenant, and you got back there as lieutenant. 1284 01:27:23.199 --> 01:27:27.239 Right, I got back as lieutenant. Yeah, how many years you worked 1285 01:27:27.239 --> 01:27:32.239 there as lieutenant? Then oh, probably five or six years, then four 1286 01:27:32.359 --> 01:27:35.920 years as a captain or eight years of the captain, four years of lieutenant, 1287 01:27:36.000 --> 01:27:39.920 and then eight years of the captain. And I'll tell you a real 1288 01:27:40.000 --> 01:27:43.359 quick story. I'm not a truckman by any means. I got a point 1289 01:27:43.399 --> 01:27:46.199 in lieutenant, and I get my assignments. I'm going to engine one great 1290 01:27:46.319 --> 01:27:49.359 twenty five to thirty calls a day, got it. Then my next shift 1291 01:27:49.479 --> 01:27:56.960 is the fireboat as the fireboat, and then my third watch is the truck 1292 01:27:57.039 --> 01:28:00.760 eight. I walk in the truck eight. There's five guys on that rig 1293 01:28:00.119 --> 01:28:04.640 with one hundred and thirty five years of experience. Hi, guys, what 1294 01:28:04.760 --> 01:28:09.520 can I do for you today? Tell me what you guys, There's no 1295 01:28:09.640 --> 01:28:14.319 way I'm Boston these cats around and it was a very humbling experience, you 1296 01:28:14.359 --> 01:28:15.560 know, because I've and I told guys, you know, you've got to 1297 01:28:15.600 --> 01:28:18.920 be proficient across the board. And I certainly am not a great truck person 1298 01:28:19.039 --> 01:28:23.920 by any any extent of the word. Because you see those hills and you 1299 01:28:24.000 --> 01:28:28.079 know, working in the mission history, working in in the Noe Valley, 1300 01:28:28.319 --> 01:28:31.720 they're throwing thirty five foot wooden ladders three hundred sixty five pounds on a hill 1301 01:28:31.840 --> 01:28:38.640 to these peak victorians. You know, if you're a truckman or an officer's 1302 01:28:38.800 --> 01:28:42.800 skillman. Yeah, it's like art, dude, you know, it's it's 1303 01:28:42.920 --> 01:28:45.560 just it's amazing watching some of these men, how they operate. And women 1304 01:28:45.600 --> 01:28:48.920 too. We got a lot of chicks in the apartment now, so I'm 1305 01:28:48.960 --> 01:28:53.119 kind of why do they refuse to go to uh why did they stay with 1306 01:28:53.159 --> 01:28:57.399 the wooden lines history or what's the history? I gress? Yeah, yeah, 1307 01:28:57.920 --> 01:28:59.880 we've burnt a lot of those up men. I've seen a lot of 1308 01:29:01.520 --> 01:29:05.000 pull that out of that window. It's smoking right now. Yeah, so 1309 01:29:05.399 --> 01:29:09.039 when when you how do you get the call to come back to rescue too? 1310 01:29:09.119 --> 01:29:11.479 Then as a lieutenant, like what happens? Oh, I did for 1311 01:29:11.600 --> 01:29:14.720 it. So I went out and I did my six months, you know, 1312 01:29:14.880 --> 01:29:18.520 at engine one, fireboat one, and then at truck truck eight. 1313 01:29:18.760 --> 01:29:20.920 Just hello, you guys, gotta bless you guys, take care of me. 1314 01:29:21.640 --> 01:29:25.399 And then they had the next vacancy list and I put in and I 1315 01:29:25.479 --> 01:29:27.920 made it. You know. It was like the stars and the moons were 1316 01:29:27.960 --> 01:29:30.119 all lined up. And I got back on the squad. I worked there, 1317 01:29:30.159 --> 01:29:33.960 I took the captain's test, I got promoted once again. Everything was 1318 01:29:34.039 --> 01:29:36.600 lined up, you know, and everything's lining up for this guy a lot. 1319 01:29:36.680 --> 01:29:42.159 I don't know that. Sometimes you know, very lucky, when very 1320 01:29:42.239 --> 01:29:45.560 very lucky, when you're good, you're good. I every day I thank 1321 01:29:45.640 --> 01:29:48.000 God for my career. One that I didn't die to It didn't kill anybody, 1322 01:29:48.039 --> 01:29:51.279 you know what I mean. So it's well, you almost did the 1323 01:29:51.319 --> 01:29:55.760 guy that you dragged out, you know, push out the window, man 1324 01:29:57.039 --> 01:29:59.920 out the window. Brother, They away from the light, little body. 1325 01:30:01.119 --> 01:30:05.039 Yeah, so you're in a perfect spot. You're a capital rescue too. 1326 01:30:05.239 --> 01:30:10.439 Why do you study to become chief? What do you think? Why you 1327 01:30:10.520 --> 01:30:14.000 know? I don't know, man, I you know what I talk. 1328 01:30:14.079 --> 01:30:15.840 I hate chiefs and I worked some of the greatest chiefs in the world. 1329 01:30:16.039 --> 01:30:18.199 And guys, go, aren't you a chief? I hate myself? Okay, 1330 01:30:20.800 --> 01:30:25.039 I went. I went from the greatest group of guys that do their 1331 01:30:25.079 --> 01:30:28.159 ship and you know, we get to a fire or to a rescue. 1332 01:30:28.800 --> 01:30:32.000 Very few words were spoken because we trained with so many fires. And then 1333 01:30:32.039 --> 01:30:38.159 I became a battalion chief and I'm babysitting five companies and these guys are you 1334 01:30:38.239 --> 01:30:42.600 know? You know so? But I don't know. It was the best 1335 01:30:42.640 --> 01:30:45.600 years on the rescue squad man. And there's guys Adam Wood. I mentioned 1336 01:30:45.640 --> 01:30:50.079 his name. He's just retiring right now as a firefighter with twenty eight years 1337 01:30:50.159 --> 01:30:58.199 on rescue squad too. Did some fires, bro Oh yeah, yeah, 1338 01:30:58.359 --> 01:31:00.840 guys go to the squad. They don't leave, manunless you get promoted. 1339 01:31:00.920 --> 01:31:03.279 It's the greatest job, is I would or city wide? I could go 1340 01:31:03.359 --> 01:31:06.560 anywhere. Do any of they want in the city, do anything you want, 1341 01:31:06.880 --> 01:31:10.760 just show up when they call you. Well, I think William flowery 1342 01:31:10.840 --> 01:31:14.760 keeps turning down, Chief, Captain rescue too down, Chief, it's good 1343 01:31:14.800 --> 01:31:17.399 for retirement. I guess. I don't know. At some point you did 1344 01:31:17.439 --> 01:31:19.560 all the work to study, you got to take it. At some point 1345 01:31:19.680 --> 01:31:23.319 you know, well, you know what, don't study? There you go. 1346 01:31:24.159 --> 01:31:27.199 I never had a prob. I never had one prob because I was 1347 01:31:27.239 --> 01:31:30.479 on the squad my whole life, my whole career, and programs except that 1348 01:31:30.600 --> 01:31:34.520 one day they don't get a signed prob's and guys on the squad. I 1349 01:31:34.640 --> 01:31:38.479 never did a report in my career. If you did a medical, the 1350 01:31:38.560 --> 01:31:41.880 paramedics did it. If we went out, a chief did it. So 1351 01:31:42.239 --> 01:31:45.960 I never did a report. Very rarely did I have to fill about what's 1352 01:31:45.960 --> 01:31:51.880 so funny about that Louis was supposed to do. Yeah. So when it 1353 01:31:51.960 --> 01:31:57.560 game time for the report writing section and the battalion chief's death, I was 1354 01:31:57.720 --> 01:31:59.720 lost. Man, I'm going to my buddies, Hey, what about this? 1355 01:32:00.199 --> 01:32:04.199 Never get a report? And then when I got appointed, I had 1356 01:32:04.239 --> 01:32:08.960 an operator and he did the reports. So I was a slug dude. 1357 01:32:09.560 --> 01:32:13.399 He stood. You live in the dream pretty much. Very blessed. Once 1358 01:32:13.399 --> 01:32:16.680 again, I'll tell you, very very freaking bless man. Yeah, working 1359 01:32:16.760 --> 01:32:20.640 the day there was two line of duty June June second, twenty eleven. 1360 01:32:20.760 --> 01:32:26.039 We worked for the two line of duty deaths. Oh yeah, yeah, 1361 01:32:26.159 --> 01:32:30.920 No, I wasn't working that day. That was Benny Perez and Tony Balio. 1362 01:32:30.720 --> 01:32:36.279 Yeah. They were in a up in our Diamond Heights area and the 1363 01:32:36.319 --> 01:32:40.079 houses are big and they go down the big side of a hill and they 1364 01:32:40.119 --> 01:32:42.800 were inside and the fire blew up and just came up the back of the 1365 01:32:42.840 --> 01:32:47.119 building and and very sad. Yeah, Tony Balerio and uh and we called 1366 01:32:47.159 --> 01:32:50.520 him the creature ben to Perez. He was at seventh for a long time. 1367 01:32:50.680 --> 01:32:54.319 Everybody's got a nickname in them, you know how it is. Everybody's 1368 01:32:55.600 --> 01:32:59.079 got nick Yeah, I got got rest their souls man. Yeah, Tony 1369 01:32:59.199 --> 01:33:01.720 Sarah Guza, I'm Tom sorry. In the chat says it was his job. 1370 01:33:02.800 --> 01:33:10.399 That's that duty. And he was instrumental to my brother pass too. 1371 01:33:10.560 --> 01:33:13.680 Totally instrumental and very helpful. He's a good guy. I like that, 1372 01:33:13.800 --> 01:33:21.359 Sarah. Guy. His name is Tom. Try to answering you questions. 1373 01:33:21.399 --> 01:33:27.840 Best time in your Korea sitting around the dinner table, yucking it up, 1374 01:33:28.079 --> 01:33:32.720 the best where what point in your career at rescue as a firefighter, lieutenant 1375 01:33:32.760 --> 01:33:39.920 of captain, I got it. I totally enjoyed my job as a firefighter. 1376 01:33:40.119 --> 01:33:42.720 You know what I mean, just you just you just did your job, 1377 01:33:43.000 --> 01:33:45.800 got to go to a lot of fires. I really enjoyed beat the 1378 01:33:45.880 --> 01:33:51.920 captain of the squad because I had time in and trying to help these newer 1379 01:33:53.000 --> 01:33:57.960 firefighters. Instilled the importance of training, Instill the importance of loving your job. 1380 01:33:58.079 --> 01:34:01.000 I tell you that you got to be Those who are good firefighters are 1381 01:34:01.079 --> 01:34:06.960 passionate about their job. We get today it's generational. The kids are coming 1382 01:34:08.000 --> 01:34:11.600 in now, it's different. You know. It's passion that makes you a 1383 01:34:11.640 --> 01:34:15.279 good fire fighter's passion that makes you a good a good officer. And those 1384 01:34:15.319 --> 01:34:18.399 guys who have it are good firefighters and good officers. And so you know 1385 01:34:18.439 --> 01:34:21.840 what, being the captain for eight years, you know I got to run 1386 01:34:21.920 --> 01:34:26.239 the show, if you will. But again, I always talk to my 1387 01:34:26.359 --> 01:34:28.359 crew, what do you guys want to do today? What do you want 1388 01:34:28.399 --> 01:34:30.039 to train them? What do you guys need to do today? Take care 1389 01:34:30.079 --> 01:34:34.960 of your crew, you know? And yeah, that's really and here's another 1390 01:34:35.079 --> 01:34:38.560 question for you. Who does more work rescue? Want to rescue? Too 1391 01:34:39.359 --> 01:34:43.880 well. Rescue one used to get a lot of work before those guys in 1392 01:34:44.039 --> 01:34:49.279 fire prevention and inspection put all the sprinklers. Downtown Rescue Squad two does all 1393 01:34:49.359 --> 01:34:55.159 the fires. Okay, Gardner, if you're listening. Next Capital Rescue one, 1394 01:34:55.840 --> 01:34:59.039 they call us the other squad. Well, the other squad got all 1395 01:34:59.119 --> 01:35:03.600 the fire because we're in the mission district burning, still burning today, and 1396 01:35:04.000 --> 01:35:08.560 we go out to Hunter's Point, we go into the poor section out to 1397 01:35:09.800 --> 01:35:14.359 Visitation Valley. Older homes out there would frame home. So right now, 1398 01:35:14.520 --> 01:35:17.359 Rescue two heads and heels over. Rescue one for fires, for sure. 1399 01:35:17.399 --> 01:35:20.680 But in the old days, back to the sixties, seventies, early eighties, 1400 01:35:20.760 --> 01:35:26.239 maybe they got a lot of fires until they started ret retrofitting all the 1401 01:35:26.800 --> 01:35:30.880 downtown tenements with sprinklers, which fire prevention I hate them, man, I 1402 01:35:30.960 --> 01:35:35.840 mean, along these fires, it was just amazing. Sunday morning seemed like 1403 01:35:35.880 --> 01:35:40.279 a good day for fire. Sunday morning, eight am in the morning, 1404 01:35:40.359 --> 01:35:44.960 the Concordion vans sift alarm cross the street. Another Sunday morning, eight am, 1405 01:35:45.159 --> 01:35:48.960 Jack Tar Hotel completely five alarm fires. But you know, and many, 1406 01:35:49.199 --> 01:35:54.880 many many of those down in the tenderline. But once they sprinkler rooming 1407 01:35:54.960 --> 01:35:57.680 contents at best, you know, all got out in the hallway a little 1408 01:35:57.680 --> 01:36:00.359 bit, okay, not like those far as you see how at that Marvel 1409 01:36:00.439 --> 01:36:03.119 Hotel and that was one of the first big ones that I see and my 1410 01:36:03.239 --> 01:36:14.560 eyes were like, whoa. There's another question if you could do anything over 1411 01:36:14.920 --> 01:36:16.399 in your career, if you could, not saying that you would, what 1412 01:36:16.520 --> 01:36:23.600 would you do over? I don't know, you know what, I don't 1413 01:36:23.640 --> 01:36:28.319 think I would really do anything different. I feel so lucky and so blessed 1414 01:36:28.319 --> 01:36:30.359 in my the way my career went. I mean, like I said, 1415 01:36:30.600 --> 01:36:34.239 I didn't know what this rescue squad crap was until I walked into with my 1416 01:36:34.359 --> 01:36:41.279 EMT certificate to the Deputy Chief Rescue. I want to go back to Engine 1417 01:36:41.359 --> 01:36:44.960 seven. That's where I love working. No, I don't think I would 1418 01:36:45.039 --> 01:36:46.800 change anything. Man. You know, I got to tell you, when 1419 01:36:46.800 --> 01:36:50.399 you talk about fighters in the fire service, you light your whole face lights 1420 01:36:50.479 --> 01:36:56.720 up. Bro. You're like, is it very flushed? Its high? 1421 01:36:56.880 --> 01:37:00.279 You know I've been high before, but this is the greatest. It is 1422 01:37:00.840 --> 01:37:05.119 no adrenaline rush. It's just the absolutely like me of who was the chief 1423 01:37:05.199 --> 01:37:11.640 from Chicago not too long ago? Was that mo Yeah, another guy, 1424 01:37:12.000 --> 01:37:15.319 that guy. Yeah, you could tell those guys are just crazy because you 1425 01:37:15.520 --> 01:37:19.079 love love love job. And you know, it's like when I learned, 1426 01:37:19.199 --> 01:37:23.199 these guys took me and I shipped myself many times. Man, what are 1427 01:37:23.239 --> 01:37:25.720 we doing here? You know? Talk about hang on kid? Yeah? 1428 01:37:25.760 --> 01:37:28.319 It was hang on kid, you know, And that's how you learn, 1429 01:37:28.520 --> 01:37:31.800 you know. And and I wouldn't change anything. I'm very blessed, very 1430 01:37:31.880 --> 01:37:35.359 lucky. What does this say, Tony? What does that say? The 1431 01:37:35.479 --> 01:37:42.319 question I got modest? Sorry I got Tony. Were you on the rescue 1432 01:37:42.319 --> 01:37:45.840 when they had the American La France rig? Are here? People always ship 1433 01:37:45.000 --> 01:37:50.199 talking of alf No? They were my favorite looking rigs. Yeah, I 1434 01:37:50.279 --> 01:37:54.239 think if I remember correctly, they were the old open cab rigs, the 1435 01:37:54.319 --> 01:38:00.119 old Americans of France. And the driver and the officer in the cab in 1436 01:38:00.199 --> 01:38:01.800 front, and then we're on the back, standing on the back. And 1437 01:38:01.920 --> 01:38:05.119 in those days we never wore seatbelts. You know, we'd be on the 1438 01:38:05.239 --> 01:38:09.159 on a fire rage and five or six are on the truck. You know, 1439 01:38:09.399 --> 01:38:11.600 nobody had seatbelts. A you go around corner, guys are kind of 1440 01:38:12.039 --> 01:38:15.119 off the rig. They're going around the corner. Yeah, they were all 1441 01:38:15.399 --> 01:38:16.960 there. They were pretty cool. Old race. They had the old Ward 1442 01:38:17.079 --> 01:38:20.079 LaFrance, the American La France. Yeah, I have let me see. 1443 01:38:20.199 --> 01:38:25.279 This is what I have. I got another courtesy of Pee Wee again. 1444 01:38:26.319 --> 01:38:30.479 He's zombie name tonight pro hooking me up. This is what he said. 1445 01:38:31.079 --> 01:38:35.239 So that that is one of the original rescue squads right there. So the 1446 01:38:35.279 --> 01:38:39.880 first one you showed was Nelly Bell, the very first one. That's that's 1447 01:38:39.920 --> 01:38:43.239 a museum each night now. But this is where I worked on for years 1448 01:38:43.319 --> 01:38:53.840 right here, Yeah, okay, And we stood on the back of Hey, 1449 01:38:54.840 --> 01:38:57.720 where do you guys? Where do you guys standing there? Right in 1450 01:38:57.800 --> 01:39:00.800 the back? It's open in the back. They get the little covers right 1451 01:39:00.840 --> 01:39:03.119 here. We had a great view of the city and you could tell us 1452 01:39:03.119 --> 01:39:06.079 because the officer and the driver in the front. But we got a three 1453 01:39:06.199 --> 01:39:16.000 sixty up on top and if we see that working. Yeah, spent many, 1454 01:39:16.039 --> 01:39:20.720 many, many many watches on that ridge. Wrap on the window guns. 1455 01:39:23.079 --> 01:39:26.159 We have headsets so everybody could look forward. So it's kind of like, 1456 01:39:26.199 --> 01:39:29.800 hey, yeah, we have the David Cluk headsets. So it was 1457 01:39:29.840 --> 01:39:34.039 just better than wrapping on the window job. That's those those days. Unfortunately, 1458 01:39:34.680 --> 01:39:38.840 question as a lieutenant, did you ever do that? You guys are 1459 01:39:38.880 --> 01:39:42.319 bringing back great memories there it is right there. That's at Station thirty eight, 1460 01:39:42.439 --> 01:39:45.039 right there, man, Yeah, yeah, that's when it was up 1461 01:39:45.079 --> 01:39:47.920 in the Marina. Look at that old Pieza. What's crazy. That's a 1462 01:39:47.960 --> 01:39:51.840 good old GMC, hard working truck right there, but a lot of fires 1463 01:39:51.880 --> 01:39:55.840 on that rig and you could see look at how my space there's not much 1464 01:39:55.920 --> 01:40:02.000 room for equipment. Okayly zero equipment like they carry on the squad today. 1465 01:40:02.199 --> 01:40:05.079 I tell you we were pretty bare bones for sure. But you know what, 1466 01:40:05.479 --> 01:40:10.680 the old cats got the job done. Three to one or five to 1467 01:40:10.760 --> 01:40:12.479 one. I don't know what we're pulling. How many guys are on that 1468 01:40:12.560 --> 01:40:17.720 line? Done? Man? This is great with the three cord of tweet, 1469 01:40:18.319 --> 01:40:30.840 yea turns on a dying man. Not so much the windows of room. 1470 01:40:30.560 --> 01:40:34.319 What's that? I did? You did? I did a few times? 1471 01:40:34.399 --> 01:40:39.800 Yeah, good for you? Did? I still do that in San 1472 01:40:39.800 --> 01:40:43.359 Francisco, bang on the window and is a job oh on the top. 1473 01:40:43.760 --> 01:40:46.199 Well in the old days, yeah, because on the wards and the American 1474 01:40:46.279 --> 01:40:49.199 of Francis, we all stood up on the back over the cab and the 1475 01:40:49.319 --> 01:40:53.319 officer and driver on there, so it would be banging on there. They 1476 01:40:53.399 --> 01:40:57.399 knew. Hey, we could see the smoke boom. Everybody's get all pumped 1477 01:40:57.479 --> 01:41:02.880 up. Cool, great metories. Man. I want to go back to 1478 01:41:02.920 --> 01:41:06.720 work one day and catch a fire. I am so ready, doesn't everybody? 1479 01:41:06.800 --> 01:41:10.279 Bro? You know it? You got it. Let me ask you 1480 01:41:10.319 --> 01:41:12.399 a question. When you're retired, did you ever have the dream that you 1481 01:41:12.479 --> 01:41:15.520 got to run you couldn't find your bunk gear? No, a lot of 1482 01:41:15.600 --> 01:41:19.159 five and have that dream, dude. I can't tell you how many retired 1483 01:41:19.199 --> 01:41:23.840 guys I talked to say they have the same dream. The back of the 1484 01:41:23.880 --> 01:41:26.159 fire house. They get a run, but they can't find me a gear. 1485 01:41:26.640 --> 01:41:31.600 It's going your boxers. It's all good, bro, We're good. 1486 01:41:31.720 --> 01:41:35.560 I'm here. Yeah. Yeah. No. If my body wasn't so beat 1487 01:41:35.640 --> 01:41:38.720 up, I would think about it, man, but I would I would 1488 01:41:38.800 --> 01:41:43.039 just absolutely crave going into another fire. What ye, you're retired? Chief 1489 01:41:43.479 --> 01:41:48.520 for you did you retire? I retired in twenty twelve, twenty two years 1490 01:41:48.560 --> 01:41:53.399 in. I retired the same day I started. I started on December tenth. 1491 01:41:53.600 --> 01:41:57.800 I retired on December tenth. That's funny. I started on October fifteenth, 1492 01:41:57.920 --> 01:42:01.880 I Talktoba fifteen. How many years did you do? I only didn't 1493 01:42:02.159 --> 01:42:09.159 almost nineteen two nights? Not enough. I don't know, I know, 1494 01:42:09.279 --> 01:42:12.159 I mean I missed the heck out of the job. What I miss is 1495 01:42:12.239 --> 01:42:15.880 going to fires and the dinner table everything else. Ruffy, what did you 1496 01:42:15.960 --> 01:42:21.520 do? Thirty twenty seven? Twenty seven, twenty seven? I was thinking 1497 01:42:21.520 --> 01:42:26.319 about trucks and squads having different colored helmets. Is that's it they do? 1498 01:42:26.560 --> 01:42:31.600 Yeah? The truckmen are red and white and the squads are black and white, 1499 01:42:31.920 --> 01:42:35.439 and then the injury guys are all black. Oh shit, I didn't 1500 01:42:35.479 --> 01:42:40.399 know that. Yeah, hold on, hold on one second, hold on 1501 01:42:40.560 --> 01:42:44.039 one hurry up, back he scroob. I'm down to five percent. So 1502 01:42:44.119 --> 01:42:47.039 I'm just gonna run it out. This is this is my dad's helmet right 1503 01:42:47.079 --> 01:42:51.039 here. Man. Oh yeah, hold on a minute. Oh man, 1504 01:42:51.359 --> 01:42:57.520 I'll show your mind, contest. The back is all rotted out. We 1505 01:42:57.920 --> 01:43:00.680 know you're sticking out. We know a guy that could fix that. Hey 1506 01:43:00.760 --> 01:43:09.439 see, perfect, Let's see what you got. Bumps? Oh god, 1507 01:43:16.439 --> 01:43:24.600 you man, you have too many. That was great. I should have 1508 01:43:24.640 --> 01:43:29.760 did that, my head. We still good times, good times, all 1509 01:43:29.840 --> 01:43:31.840 right? I think it might be that time. My face are left stop. 1510 01:43:33.279 --> 01:43:35.960 I'm not being that time, dons. I think it is that time. 1511 01:43:36.000 --> 01:43:40.520 What time is it? I think it's time for thirty nine. I'm 1512 01:43:40.560 --> 01:43:46.119 watching the clock like old school tip of the day of the day, day 1513 01:43:46.560 --> 01:43:53.560 day. All right. I don't know how much of an old school chip 1514 01:43:53.640 --> 01:43:56.720 this really is, but it is for all the guys that are still working 1515 01:43:57.359 --> 01:44:00.479 that will be old timers one day, or maybe old timers right now. 1516 01:44:00.960 --> 01:44:05.079 You guys really really have to pass on the knowledge. The skills and knowledge 1517 01:44:05.119 --> 01:44:12.079 we have are so perishable. And if you guys don't take these new kids 1518 01:44:12.159 --> 01:44:15.359 under your wing, if you don't teach them the art of truck work, 1519 01:44:15.600 --> 01:44:18.439 the art of engine work, whether it's dragging a line down through a smoky 1520 01:44:18.479 --> 01:44:23.319 hallway to see the fire. We talked about throwing a you know, a 1521 01:44:23.439 --> 01:44:27.079 fifty foot ladder on a hill at three o'clock in the morning flames blown out 1522 01:44:27.119 --> 01:44:30.720 of Victorian, or doing some crazy rescue like off a bridge with a truck 1523 01:44:30.800 --> 01:44:34.079 hanging over. You know, it won't happen. So it's up to the 1524 01:44:34.119 --> 01:44:38.920 guys that are working right now and gals who are working right now to take 1525 01:44:38.960 --> 01:44:42.880 the knowledge we have that you learn from the old timers and continue to pass 1526 01:44:42.920 --> 01:44:46.479 it on. So that's my tip of the day. Excellent, amen. 1527 01:44:47.079 --> 01:44:51.279 I thoroughly enjoyed listening to your stories and your career. You guys are awesome. 1528 01:44:51.319 --> 01:44:57.079 Man, it's so much fun. Man. What's that? Man? 1529 01:44:57.159 --> 01:44:59.760 Yeah? Wait for the boat ride? Well, you better get your ask. 1530 01:45:00.000 --> 01:45:03.680 I only hear no excuses, Sarah. You gotta show him the one 1531 01:45:03.760 --> 01:45:11.880 picture of the so and he's going to be on the twenty ninth of Bapril. 1532 01:45:11.960 --> 01:45:15.640 Man, I'm definitely tuning in from that. Yeah. Yeah, which 1533 01:45:15.760 --> 01:45:20.560 which other pictures you women to share? Oh? The duck pictures? Hurry 1534 01:45:20.640 --> 01:45:25.600 up before, dude, that's a duck hut, bro, look at that. 1535 01:45:25.880 --> 01:45:28.720 So hey, Lou, you got an open invitation, bro, duck 1536 01:45:28.800 --> 01:45:36.840 season October through January season season season. Yes, that's the wonder quiet. 1537 01:45:38.359 --> 01:45:46.199 I'm hunting weapons. What's the dog's name? Teeth? Wonder match? Yeah, 1538 01:45:48.439 --> 01:45:51.319 right there, that is my passion. I got forty one days in 1539 01:45:51.359 --> 01:45:56.960 a duck line this year. I'm I'm a duck hunting full and Lou, 1540 01:45:57.000 --> 01:46:01.239 I understand, huh Yeah. I got hooked on the ducks maybe about I 1541 01:46:01.279 --> 01:46:04.239 don't know, seven eight years ago. I go down to a friend of 1542 01:46:04.279 --> 01:46:08.279 mine, a fireman down and he lives in Mississippi. But we go out 1543 01:46:08.279 --> 01:46:12.560 to Arkansas. I go out in January February with him too, same thing. 1544 01:46:12.640 --> 01:46:15.439 It's just coops can't understand. I'm showing the videos of you know, 1545 01:46:15.560 --> 01:46:18.359 us in the boat breaking ice and you know, he's like, what the 1546 01:46:18.479 --> 01:46:26.199 hell are you doing so much timbers? What's that? Were you hunting in 1547 01:46:26.279 --> 01:46:30.000 the timbers? Yeah, we had some timber timber halls, and then we 1548 01:46:30.079 --> 01:46:32.000 go out in the fields in the afternoon. Yeah, yeah, nice. 1549 01:46:32.079 --> 01:46:34.720 Well you've got an open invitation, brother, come on out to California to 1550 01:46:34.800 --> 01:46:38.880 kill some California ducks. I'll do it. We'll do it. Maybe you 1551 01:46:38.920 --> 01:46:41.159 guys can go duck hunting. I'll hang out and do something else. How 1552 01:46:41.199 --> 01:46:46.800 about that, I'll hang out. Yeah, I watched this ready. Oh 1553 01:46:55.039 --> 01:46:58.920 we got one shout out tonight? Where is it? Yes, this is 1554 01:46:58.960 --> 01:47:01.680 a buddy of a friend of mine mine who's a little under the weather wishing 1555 01:47:01.720 --> 01:47:05.600 the best tonight. That would be Ned Jensen. He's a he's a Long 1556 01:47:05.640 --> 01:47:09.279 Island firefighter. I sent you another pictures, you get it? I do 1557 01:47:09.880 --> 01:47:13.319 there he is there, he is. He's the best Page firefighter out there 1558 01:47:13.319 --> 01:47:15.479 with the Patso brothers. I gotta tell you. I look at him and 1559 01:47:15.479 --> 01:47:18.399 I see quick here. Oh man, he doesn't my quick see a little 1560 01:47:18.479 --> 01:47:24.039 quicken. He looks like oh Johnny two as well. Yeah, so Ned, 1561 01:47:24.159 --> 01:47:28.199 we wish you the best bro from the the Salty getting Salty brothers to 1562 01:47:28.279 --> 01:47:30.479 you. I don't know how the little guy is, but he's awful cut. 1563 01:47:30.199 --> 01:47:40.199 Yeah future mother nice dash nice, really enjoyed you. Man, We'll 1564 01:47:40.199 --> 01:47:43.840 be looking for you. It's either the first of the second an invitation. 1565 01:47:44.640 --> 01:47:46.359 It comes out in an evite, comes in an evite. So I'm in. 1566 01:47:46.680 --> 01:47:49.680 I'm in, count me in. Yes, they're push it out. 1567 01:47:53.520 --> 01:47:57.159 Maybe you need come. You can come with him this time, so maybe 1568 01:47:57.960 --> 01:48:00.119 I'll bring him out. He was a little scared to come, but his 1569 01:48:00.239 --> 01:48:02.239 daughter was in New York too. I think my daughter too. Man. 1570 01:48:02.479 --> 01:48:06.640 Yeah, there you got a part of that's a home run. You stay 1571 01:48:06.680 --> 01:48:10.199 with me because God stays with me. I got room here. Don't worry 1572 01:48:10.199 --> 01:48:13.800 about it. We'll put you up. I used to have the people in 1573 01:48:13.880 --> 01:48:15.960 here. I like random Filipinos all the time living with me, so it 1574 01:48:16.039 --> 01:48:23.600 doesn't matter, you know. Yeah, my wife's Filipino. I got about 1575 01:48:23.640 --> 01:48:26.279 eight of them coming in in May. So I'm used to having a lot 1576 01:48:26.319 --> 01:48:30.560 of people, so you're more than welcome. Nice. Yeah, that's good. 1577 01:48:30.199 --> 01:48:34.520 All right. Well, hold, we got on Monday, rough Monday. 1578 01:48:34.560 --> 01:48:36.760 I think we still have opened. I know we got a bunch of 1579 01:48:36.840 --> 01:48:40.680 new guys. I just got I don't know, uh on the calendar I 1580 01:48:40.760 --> 01:48:45.920 looked, but we're here Thursday, though, we have Thursday. We have 1581 01:48:45.319 --> 01:48:50.920 Chris. How you pronounce Chris? Thursday? Thursday? He got on the 1582 01:48:51.039 --> 01:48:55.840 seventies. He was actually in the picture of carrying out for the judge. 1583 01:48:56.399 --> 01:48:59.880 He was at Telephone Company five. He was at twenty third Street collapse. 1584 01:49:00.039 --> 01:49:01.560 He was at the First ball Trades in him on me. So, this 1585 01:49:01.680 --> 01:49:04.439 guy's got some great stories. We have pictures. Do me a favor. 1586 01:49:04.520 --> 01:49:08.960 We're having Vinnie Done on the show. We're doing a Q and A with 1587 01:49:09.079 --> 01:49:12.600 him. I got three questions, do you guys not want to ask Vinnie 1588 01:49:12.640 --> 01:49:15.600 dun chief Done questions one of the greatest iconic guys in the f d N 1589 01:49:15.760 --> 01:49:19.319 Y And I got three guy damn questions from you guys. So sending questions 1590 01:49:19.680 --> 01:49:25.119 to Coubs Podcast gmail dot com. When Vinnie Dune's on in two or three 1591 01:49:25.159 --> 01:49:29.800 weeks from now. That's where you're gonna send it. Send it all right, 1592 01:49:30.439 --> 01:49:32.520 that's it. That's all I got. Chief, keep it up, 1593 01:49:32.560 --> 01:49:35.520 great count in the eye, and keep killing ducks. Keep doing what you're 1594 01:49:35.560 --> 01:49:41.720 doing. Work man, it's awesome. Man. Can't wait to crack open 1595 01:49:41.760 --> 01:49:44.319 a couple of you on a boat in August. We'll have a good time. 1596 01:49:44.680 --> 01:49:47.720 We'll do a couple for sure. All right, cheer, Have you 1597 01:49:47.760 --> 01:49:50.560 got anything rough than anything? Any shout outs? Hope you get your power 1598 01:49:50.600 --> 01:49:59.079 back really soon. I'm gonna go work on the generator right now, only 1599 01:49:59.119 --> 01:50:01.600 to get teen grand generak. He goes on by itself. Come on, 1600 01:50:01.760 --> 01:50:04.399 go there it is. The light makes it look like you get a wig 1601 01:50:04.520 --> 01:50:08.600 on with a little piece of hairstick. And I got Friday's. I got 1602 01:50:08.640 --> 01:50:14.239 a couple of feathers, all like guns. We'll see you guys on Monday. 1603 01:50:14.479 --> 01:50:18.520 Until then, sturdy long ago. Oh Thursday, alright, we'll see 1604 01:50:18.600 --> 01:50:21.199 you Thursday, whatever, Yeah, Thursday, Thursday, alright, guys, 1605 01:50:21.239 --> 01:50:24.760 settle up. Sounds like have a good night one