How Many Can Remember Their First Call

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris Kemp on June 24, 2009 at 12:39pm

I remember my first call, man how could i forget. It was terrible, It was a head-on vehicle collision on a very narrow road by my home. Redbluff road, it was a red dodge ram, some chrysler passenger car. I drove my POV, first on scene. I remember a 2yr old child was not wearing a safety restraint, She was dead and nothing i could do, the mother was screaming at me telling me to do something. I was depressed for abt two weeks, i dind;t take another call for awhile. It was hard.

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Permalink Reply by Capt. Mick on June 24, 2009 at 4:44pm

Hey Chris, Thanks once again for responding to one of my discussions.
That had to have been a difficult time for you. Many of us that respond to MVA's
have to deal with situations such as this, and we never forget it. Time heals that type
of situation, and talking it out among members of your department, and knowing you
did everything possable helps lift the pain as well. There are times where it is just out
of our hands, and left up to the good lord above. Thanks again, be well, and stay safe
out there Brother.

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Permalink Reply by TJ Stone DVFD Unit 713 on June 29, 2009 at 2:31pm

I under stand that one brother...I responded on a 3 car mva last year..one dead...it turned out to be a very close cus of mine...it was very hard...

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Permalink Reply by Capt. Mick on June 29, 2009 at 4:38pm

Hey FireResonder713, Thanks for responding to the discussion. I am sorry to hear
that your next to kin was the one who died in that MVA. It's always hard to deal with
the loss of life, but that had to be the hardest time for you. I am sorry, I do hope you never
have to deal with that type of pain again. Be well, and stay safe Brother.

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Permalink Reply by Capt. Mick on July 9, 2009 at 5:18pm

Again, I would like to thank all that commented, and added to the
discussion. If anyone else has anything to add, we would love to hear
about it. Be well, and stay safe out there.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Gaudio on July 9, 2009 at 7:21pm

My first call when I was a Junior ff for Rostraver VFD#1, we were at a burn class when a call came in for a bulldozer on fire in a field. I enjoyed the ride but couldn't do anything. After I was old enough and joined Hilltop like I always wanted to, my first call was a medical call for an unresponsive patient. That was in summer of 2000. My first fire with Hilltop, I was 18 and a senior in Highschool. I skipped the morning because I accidently slept in. While I was getting ready for the day, our all-call activated for a working structure fire on Reed Ave. Yet again, I just started so I didn't really do much. But, those were my very first calls.

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Permalink Reply by Capt. Mick on July 10, 2009 at 5:42am

Hey Jeff, Thanks for responding to the discussion. I would think you have seen
much since the year 2000. I guess you were hooked, from what I can see, your still
going strong. Thanks again for adding to the discussion. Be well, and stay safe out
there Brother.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Gaudio on July 10, 2009 at 10:02am

Hey Mick, its good to talk to ya. Well those were my first calls in the FD. I started on the amb as an explorer in 1997 just before I turned 15. It was October 1997 when I ran my first shift with Mon Valley EMS, (ofcourse as 3rd person) it was a busy 8 hours with a bad stroke call, MI and a few minor emergencies. One year later I was enrolled in EMT class.

Heck ya about still going strong...it's seriously what I live for. Ever since I was little; like 7 yrs old, thats all I wanted to do and the interest never wore off one bit.
Stay safe brother...talk to you soon.

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Permalink Reply by Capt. Mick on July 10, 2009 at 10:14am

Hey Jeff, It's always good to hear from you as well, and again thank you
for adding to the discussion. It's alway great to do something you love.
Sounds as if you are enjoying yourself. Again thanks, and be safe out there.
Talk to you again later Brother.

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Permalink Reply by Marc on July 9, 2009 at 9:56pm

ok, my first ever call or my first real call??
Important information: LAFD doesn't do the usual dispatch:
*Engine = Engine (E58)
*Task-Force = Engine, Truck and Pump (E58, T58, E258=TF58)
*Light-Force = Truck and Pump (T58, E258 = LF58)
*Rescue = Ambulance (ALS= RA__ i.e: RA68,
BLS = RA8__ i.e.:RA868
*BC = Battlion Chief (one per battlion i.e. BC18)
*EM/EMS = EMS Captian (one per battlion ie. EM18)

My first ever call was about 5 years ago!! I wasn't even an Explorer yet. Ok, so a little backround first. I have been visiting my local firestation for about 6 years now, so all the firefighters and Capt's and Rated members etc. know me pretty well. So i am at the Firestation (#58) one usual saturday morning and the Light-Force gets a call to a lockout, baby trapped in a car. As the Lightforce is about to pull out i look at capt and say, "see you when you come back" he looks at me, then the A/O and says, "marc, get in, dont get out, and dont tell the cheif." The next thing i know is i am flying down the street in the truck with the pump right behind us! Lights and sirens! It was so cool. Here i am 11 y/o wearing my LAFD shirt, camo pants and black nike's riding in a big huge red fire TRUCK to a call! i thought i was the coolest 11 year old in the world!! So, anyways, we get onscene and find the car. the Tillerman trys to pop the lock with the lockout kit, but it doesn't work, so our A/O grabs the haligan and breaks the window, unlocks the car and gets the baby out. The baby was taken to a local hospital and was perfectly fine. It was probably the one memory that will stick with me for the rest of my life!!

Ok, so my first real call. It was my first day riding along as an Explorer. I was at fire station 68, just down the street from FS58 (they are in the same battlion). 68's is a pretty busy station, averaging 17 calls a day. Anyways, I have been at the station now for 8 hours and not 1 single call!!! i am starting to get bored. So, i help the engineer wash down the engine and BLS rescue ambulance (868). As we are washing them down the alarm goes off.........
Structure!!!
i still remember the first dispatch: Engine68, Rescue68, Rescue868, Task-Force58, Rescue58, Engine61, Light-Force94, EMS18(ems captain), and BC18(battlion).
We (e68 ra68 ra868 em18 are all at the same station) were first on scene and we had a 2 story single family dwealing w/ light smoke showing. So i helped the hydrant memeber hook up to the hydrant and then the nozzel member pull hose. We found a kitchen and washroom fully involved. Our Captain radiod in the more indepth size up and just as he did that TF58 pulled up and then LF94 pulled up on scene about a minute later. The 2 trucks (T58 & T94) threw there ladders to the roof and started cutting, E58 brought in a 2nd attack line and helped us hit the fire. About 2 minutes later battalion18 and E61 arrived on scene, E61 helped with outside fire attack. After about half an hour we had the fire completely out. my Captian, Capt Ashan, from E68 handed me the 1&3/4" nozzel got behind me and let me spray somewater during overhaul. It was so fun. Got my cherry popped on the first day!!!!
whooohooo!!!

Now 6 and 5 years later i have seen the best of the best, and the worst of the worst.

Explorer Captian Marc Hurwitz
Los Angeles CITY Fire Department

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Permalink Reply by Capt. Mick on July 10, 2009 at 9:51am

Hey Marc, Thank you for responding to the discussion. I must say that your
responce was the longest reply, and very well detailed as I have read thus far. So
you got hooked after responding to a call on a fire truck at just eleven years of age.
Not many can say that. Well again thank you for adding to the discussion with your
story. Be well, and stay safe out there young Brother.

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Permalink Reply by Steven Sawn on July 9, 2009 at 11:05pm

I joined the day I turned age 16 and for my birthday present I got to respond to a brush & grass fire. Greatest feeling. Hooked for life. I just turned 50 years old this year and I'm still hooked !

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