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Peter Lupkowski

Peter Lupkowski's Blog (34)

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"Dad, we have no power."

Bear with me on this one. I am at work. My wife is at work. My children are at home. Here in lies the problem. Let me summarize the last 4,327,953 phone calls from home. Keep in mind I get a smaller percentage of them than my saintly wife receives, and when I am actually home my children gravitate to any other room in the home to avoid the “can you help me with this” question that I usually come up with as I see them idle in front of the, pick an appliance, TV, computer, microwave, refrigerator,… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on June 23, 2009 at 3:58pm — 2 Comments

Last Responder not First Responder

Recently the Wellsboro Fire Department was notified that a local business was removing an existing fire sprinkler system during a significant remodeling effort. Naturally the Fire Chief called to express his, and the department’s, disappointment and offer some suggestions about retaining the operating system. Principally he mentioned that there has never been a multiple loss of life in a fully sprinklered building and that fire sprinklers are widely recognized as the single most effective method… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on November 21, 2008 at 12:31pm — 11 Comments

Nomex Skin Would Help

Isn’t it always like this: We were having a quiet night and preparing to head home when things began to pick up. We are in and out of this building regularly and think nothing of it because it is at the end of the business district, well hydranted, and fully sprinklered. No signs of problems from the outside so we head into the kitchen to see and ask what’s going on there. I was the second firefighter into the kitchen area backing up one of our newer guys. There was a light smell of smoke but a… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on August 21, 2008 at 2:07pm — 1 Comment

Another night of funnel cakes

We’ve had an exceptionally busy month and it’s only half over. The capper to that is this is the Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival Celebration in our town. A week of runs. bikes, parades, carnivals, car races, and yes firemen. We get 50 or 60 thousand extra tourists in our first due and a concurrent increase in calls to boot. The nice thing is that we staff the station for visitor tours and have extra folks rotating in for stand bys and relief. I’ve met and compared notes with safety officers v… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on June 17, 2008 at 11:29pm — 1 Comment

F@#$ You Fireman; No, 14ga you Mean Gene

OK we're finally leaving after one of our guys just turned in his papers to get out and I mean this guy has been a fixture at the station for well, hell I think that they built the station AROUND him originally. Anyway we're outside and the local motorcycle Hecks Angels are revving up the Harley's and we can't even think it's so loud and we yell over across the street to tone it down and they issue a profanity laced tirade as they drive off across the street onto the sidewalk nearly crash into t… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on April 10, 2008 at 5:14pm — 10 Comments

Moon Walk Lane to Hell

I should’ve known when the call’s address was Moon Walk Lane that there was something not right about it. I did know that we were headed down hill when the relief crew said “we hauled the frequent flier the last three times it’s your turn.” It’s eight minutes before shift change. So we did our thing professionally and it turned out to be a good call. The patient actually needed an ambulance. How refreshing. We quickly returned for a mandatory training and got even with the duty shift when they w… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on March 6, 2008 at 1:15pm — 1 Comment

Banquet Time Put to Good Use

It seems that every volunteer department in our area has an annual awards or appreciation banquet for its members. Good or bad I have been invited to be Master of Ceremonies at many of these get togethers. I can tell a few jokes, share a wonderful meal, and even get credit for taking my wife out for a night of dancing if everything works out to her liking. Recently I have become friends with the local newspaper columnist that has also tagged along, by invitation, to many of these same banquets.… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on February 18, 2008 at 9:56pm — 1 Comment

Success is not final…

What happens when you are at the top of your game, everyone is singing your praises, and you are reveling in the glory? Usually you wake up, but if you are living it, the feeling is sweet. But what’s next? Sure you invented a tool, a machine, asked the right question, or espoused some other new and improved way of doing somethi… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on February 13, 2008 at 2:44pm — 1 Comment

Hot Dogs and Ice

Wienermobile wipes out
Famed vehicle spins, crashes on snow-covered Pa. highway; 'hotdoggers' OK.

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on February 11, 2008 at 1:09pm — 16 Comments

What is it?

Why would some want to be a part of your organization? Is there cache like being a Clydesdale pulling the Budweiser Wagon? Or is it something else? We recently brought on several new firefighters and we threw out the conventional wi

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on February 4, 2008 at 2:51pm — No Comments

What's YOUR New Year's Resolution

Times Square NY

As a departure from my usual ruminations I am looking forward to next year and, with a reasonable amount of apprehension, considering leadership goals.

The NFPA has thrust a rather large one upon us for the coming new

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on December 11, 2007 at 11:02am — 1 Comment

When Do You Stop?

Semi vs car

I was acting EMS chief and first on scene at a reported multivehicle with entrapment. I did the typical "are you OK" to the truck driver and continued on to the car. I got a pulse called in and command was established by another Asst Chief. We set up and worked like hell for 10 minutes. ALS called it. It was like ever

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on November 29, 2007 at 11:17pm — 4 Comments

Paint a Picture with Words

Vehicle #1

First big snow of the season shows the rust we all have in our winter driving skills. Safety is only secondary in this installment. What do I want to know enroute to a vehicle accident? What is the most useless fact that I have to sift through trying to mentally prepare for my arrival? The dispatch information is a give

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on November 20, 2007 at 10:18am — No Comments

Mass Casualty Incident

A run away horse wagon ride during an annual festival in Wellsboro, PA tested Responders.

Wellsboro, Mansfield, Blossburg, Lawrenceville, Middlebury, Morris, and Valley responded with SSMH ALS to the scene. Unified Command was established with Asst

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on November 15, 2007 at 1:09pm — 1 Comment

Preachin' to the Choir

When's the last time that you threw a ladder?

Do you know the difference between a dog and a pawl? Do you give a rip that there are "dissipative ladders" and the fire service doesn't use them? Extension, roof, hook, fixed, Bangor. It sounds like a Billy Joel song. But can we rely on the Aerial to save us everytime?

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on November 12, 2007 at 10:34pm — 2 Comments

Tradition: Thinking Firefighters

Take a minute and read this article. Quit dumbing down the fire service. Create a culture and a tradition of firefighters who are adept in the risk analysis of emergency response. Thinking firefighters, saving our neighbors, and coming home--that is our tradition.

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on November 7, 2007 at 12:14pm — 2 Comments

Dispatcher Side of Crazy 911 Calls

Tioga Co. 911

Mark Northrup's best side.

I grabbed this list of odd 911 calls from Fire Engineering based on my county finally going to an enhanced 911 system. This will help solve the problems that I have previously addressed. You think we get no respect? What about these men and woman that a

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on November 1, 2007 at 1:11pm — 1 Comment

We Still Make House Calls

OK, so you THINK that people know if they dial 911 we will come and make sense out of whatever screw up they have gotten themselves into...What if they can't figure out how to dial 9-1-1?

The other night we were dispatched to a home for a medical call with ALS. As they are doing their thing

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on October 26, 2007 at 4:19pm — 1 Comment

Fit in a Fire

After a lengthy spate of serious accidents we finally caught a fire. Three stations and two alarms later we stopped the fire in the garage next to the house. I had the third in engine and supplied the mop up crew. I haven't seen the guys from Station 10 in a while. They asked for a map to get home. Now it's back to medicals and

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on October 26, 2007 at 3:53pm — No Comments

Japanese Style

NY Times story

On the left is a fire extinguisher cabinet in Japan. On the right a young boy is showing his new "hiding spot" book bag. Japanese culture is about avoiding conflict and this item, they hope, will allow the boy to hide and the bully to pass by and not continue to bother him.

The story goes on to say that it may not h

… Continue

Added by Peter Lupkowski on October 26, 2007 at 3:52pm — 2 Comments

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