Waynes Stuff 12

HEY, YOU OLD GUYS THAT WERE ON THE JOB BEFORE WE HAD WATER ON THE RIGS.

REMEMBER THIS, THE OLD "INDIAN PUMP"

I'M NOT POSITIVE BUT I THINK IT HELD 5 GALLONS OF WATER

REMEMBER WE HAD THE SUMMER BRUSH FIRES, NO WATER ON THE RIGS ,AND THE CLOSEST HYDRANT WAS HALF A BLOCK

AWAY. WE SURE DIDN'T WANT TO STRETCH ALL THAT LINE AND BE OUT OF SERVICE FOR A LONG TIME ,JUST FOR A BRUSH

FIRE. SO WITH BROOMS AND TWO INDIAN PUMPS WE WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT MANY BRUSH FIRES. THIS WAY IF THERE WAS

A HOUSE FIRE IN OUR AREA WE COULD STILL RESPOND, SO LONG AS THE BRUSH FIRE WAS KNOCKED DOWN.

NO ONE WANTED TO HAVE ANOTHER COMPANY STRETCH ON YOUR DISTRICTS HOUSE FIRE WHILE YOU WERE AT A BRUSH

FIRE.

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE

DID YOU KNOW
THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE BIG BELL WAS........................ TURTLE GONG
THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE LITTLE BELL WAS............... TAPPER BELL

DO YOU REMEMBER
IN SOME HOUSES WHERE NOBODY WANTED TO BE THE REGULAR COOK THE GUYS TOOK TURNS FOR A TWO WEEK PERIOD

STORY THAT WAS TOLD TO ME

A GUY DIDN'T WANT TO COOK SO HE PURPOSELY SCREWED UP THE MEALS EVERY TIME HE COOKED

THE BOSS BROUGHT IN SOME COOK BOOKS FROM HOME AND TOLD HIM AS PART OF TRAINING HE WAS

NOT TO TAKE A 1 TO 4 BUT WOULD HAVE TO STAY UP STUDYING HOW TO COOK . HOW LONG IT TOOK

WAS UP TO HIM. HE GOT THE MESSAGE REAL FAST AND DEVELOPED INTO A GOOD COOK.

DO YOU REMEMBER

AS A YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPER"

BEING FIRST ON THE LINE

IT'S YOUR PIPE

"THICK BLACK SMOKE" POURING OUT

CAN'T SEE ONE INCH IN FRONT OF YOU    (NOT LIKE THE MOVIE "BACKDRAFT)

NO FIRE SHOWING

NO FLAMES , NO LIGHT, NO GLOW.....

NOTHING BUT "THICK" "BLACK"    "SMOKE"

HOTTER THEN HELL

GUYS BEHIND, YELLING

"GET IN THERE, SUBBIE, GET IN THERE

AND YOU HAD TO FIND

"MR. FIRE"

DO YOU GO LEFT

DO YOU GO RIGHT

DO YOU GO STRAIGHT AHEAD

TOO HOT TO STAND STRAIGHT UP

HAVE TO CROUCH

REMEMBER THOSE DAYS, OLD RETIREES

IT'S SHOW TIME

JUST LIKE THE GAME OF HIDE AND SEEK,

"MR FIRE" IS HIDING AND YOU'RE IT, AND YOU HAVE TO FIND HIM

COME OUT, COME OUT, WHERE EVER YOU ARE
.
READY OR NOT , HERE I COME

GOT TO GET YOU BEFORE YOU GET TO HOME BASE

AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HOME BASE

SURE GLAD I HAVE SOME OF THOSE OLD "LEATHER LUNG" GUYS BEHIND ME

THESE OLD "LEATHER LUNG" GUYS HAVE BEEN FINDING "MR. FIRE" FOR GENERATIONS

   NOW. THEY KNOW WHERE HE LIKES TO HIDE

THEY ALSO KNOW WHEN HE LIKES TO MAKE A RUSH ON "HOME BASE TO WIN THE GAME

THEN YOU HEAR " HEY SUBBIE" OVER HERE......................."THEY" FOUND    MR. FIRE, THE "LEATHER LUNG" GUYS

REMEMBER AS A YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPER" YOU HAD NO CLUE WHERE MR.FIRE LIKED TO HIDE

, HOW LONG HE LIKED TO STAY HIDDEN AND OF MOST IMPORTANCE WHEN HE LIKED TO MAKE

   A MAD DASH TO HOME BASE.

MAYBE SOME OF THOSE OLD "LEATHER LUNG" GUYS COULDN'T WRITE A GOOD TEST SCORE

   BUT THEY SURE SAVED A LOT OF LIVES IN DETROIT AND SHOWED US YOUNG    "WHIPPER SNAPPERS"HOW IT'S DONE
AND THEY PAID FOR IT WITH THEIR HEALTH

REMEMBER THE OLD "LEATHER LUNG" GUYS EVERYDAY
WAYNE

NOTE: IF ANY OF YOU REAL OLD RETIREES ARE READING THIS.

THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US

DO YOU REMEMBER

MANY, MANY YEARS AGO

YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER TAKING YOU TO A PARADE DOWNTOWN. YOU STOOD THERE ON WOODWARD SQUEEZED

AMONG ALL THE PEOPLE AND SAW THE FIREMEN. SOME WERE DRIVING THEIR BIG SHINING RED FIRE ENGINES,

OTHERS WERE MARCHING IN THEIR UNIFORMS OR FIRE CLOTHES AND STILL OTHERS WERE DRESSED AS

FIRE CLOWNS AND WERE MAKING ALL THE CHILDREN LAUGH. YOU WAVED AT THEM HOPING THAT MAYBE

ONE WOULD SEE YOU AND WAVE BACK AT JUST YOU.

THEN ONE DID, HE SMILED , LOOKING RIGHT AT YOU AND WAVED, JUST TO YOU.

YOU WENT HOME AND RUSHED TO YOUR BUDDIES HOUSE, SHOUTING:

"A FIREMAN WAVED AT ME , A FIREMAN WAVED AT ME"

DURING YOUR CAREER ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT YOU GOT A CHANCE TO BE IN A PARADE. YOU MAY HAVE BEEN DRIVING

A RIG, MARCHING OR ONE OF THE FIRE CLOWNS , ALL TRYING TO MAKE THE CHILDREN LAUGH. THEY ALL

WAVED AND CALLED TO YOU,

THEN ONE LITTLE BOY STOOD OUT AS HE WAVED TO YOU. HE LOOKED FAMILIAR , LIKE YOU KNEW HIM. HE WAVED TO YOU.

YOU STOPPED ON WOODWARD, "FOR A MOMENT", SMILED AND WAVED BACK, JUST TO HIM.

WHEN YOU GOT HOME YOU TOLD YOUR WIFE ABOUT THAT LITTLE BOY WHO WAS WAVING AT YOU AND THAT HE LOOKED

FAMILIAR. YOU TOLD HER YOU STOPPED RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND WAVED

JUST AT HIM. THEN HE WAS GONE, LOST IN THE CROWD

LATER THAT EVENING YOU WERE JUST RELAXING AND LOOKING OVER SOME OLD PHOTO ALBUMS AND YOU STOPPED AND

HELD YOUR BREATH AS THERE WAS A PICTURE OF THAT LITTLE BOY THAT WAVED TO YOU AT THE PARADE .

IT WAS YOU, YOU WERE THAT LITTLE BOY THAT GREW UP TO BE A FIREMAN

MAKE THE LITTLE BOY IN ALL OF US SMILE TODAY
WAYNE

"MACK"
THE
BULLDOG

REMEMBER THESE GUYS.

THE TRUCKS HAD THAT TWO TIER BOX WITH ALL THOSE SPRINKLER HEADS, THAT PLIERS/ STOPPER TOOL AND WEDGES

TO STOP THE WATER FLOW

OK GUYS WHO IS THE YOUNGEST OF YOU OLD RETIREES ?

CENTRAL CALLED AND REPORTED IT'S A WATER FLOW ALARM.

SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET AWFULLY WET TONIGHT AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ME.

WE DON'T HAVE A TRIALMAN SO WE'LL HAVE TO GO BY AGE TO SEE WHO CHANGES THE SPRINKLER HEAD.

WHAT, WHAT DID YOU SAY JIM, THAT AGE ISN'T FAIR BUT YOU SHOULD GO BY WHO HAS BEEN RETIRED THE LEAST

AMOUNT OF YEARS..........................OK THAT SOUNDS FAIR

WHAT, WHAT DID YOU SAY ED, THAT AMOUNT OF YEARS RETIRED ISN'T FAIR BUT SHOULD GO BY WHO HAD THE LEAST

YEARS ON THE JOB.......................OK THAT SOUNDS FAIR

WHAT DID YOU SAY CHARLIE, THAT ISN'T FAIR AS IT SHOULD BE WHO HAD THE LOWEST RANK AS SOME OF YOU WERE VERY

IMPORTANT CHIEFS AND SHOULDN'T BE EXPECTED TO CHANGE SPRINKLERS HEADS...........OK THAT SOUNDS FAIR

WHAT, NOW SOME OF YOU OLD FARTS WANT JUST THE GUYS THAT WERE IN TRUCK COMPANIES WHEN THEY RETIRED TO

CHANGE THE HEADS AS THAT'S WHO CHANGED THEM WAY BACK THEN.

NOW OTHERS WANT TO GO BY BOXES AND / OR DATES JUST LIKE WE DID ON WATCHES AND DETAILS

OK , OK, I'LL DECIDE IF YOU CAN'T

LET'S SEE, ALL OF US OLD RETIREES HAVE WORKED VERY HARD DURING OUR CAREERS. I NEED TO GET

SOMEONE THAT JUST PUT IN THEIR TIME ON THE JOB, THE ONES THAT JUST SKATED THROUGH .

I KNOW, OK GUYS, PICK UP.

WE'LL LEAVE IT WITH

THE

"OFU"

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE

HEY YOU OLD GUYS

I KNOW YOU REMEMBER THESE

THE BELL AND THE SIREN..................................BOTH NOW LONG GONE.

AH YES , I KNOW YOU REMEMBER THESE. THIS WAS BEFORE THAT ENGLISH SOUNDING ELECTRONIC WARNING

DEVICE

THESE WERE REAL "GUY" THINGS. SOLID CHROME METAL OBJECTS THAT WILL

LAST GENERATIONS.

THAT BELL, YOU PULLED ON THAT WOODEN KNOB ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAB, CLANG, CLANG,CLANG, CLANG. THE

SIREN WAILED AS YOU PUSHED YOUR FOOT DOWN ON THAT SMALL SIREN BUTTON ON THE FLOOR BOARD. WERE YOU

ONE OF THOSE BOSSES THAT JUST WORKED THE BELL AND SIREN TO MOVE TRAFFIC WHEN THEY GOT IN THE WAY OR DID

YOU WORK THEM BOTH ALL THE WAY TO THE FIRE, WHETHER THERE WAS TRAFFIC OR NOT?

THEN THAT DREADED DAY, FOR YOU RETIRED BOSSES . WE GOT A NEW RIG AND NO BELL OR SIREN.

JUST THAT NEW FANGLED ELECTRONIC GIZMO

YOU HAD BEEN CLANGING ON THAT BELL SINCE THAT FIRST DAY OF GETTING A BOSSES JOB AND NOW DIDN'T HAVE

ANYTHING TO CLANG ON. YOU KEPT STARING AT YOUR HANDS, AND "MUMBLING", NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO WITH

THEM..

I FELT SORRY FOR YOU................................SO I SUGGESTED

HEY, WHY NOT TURN THAT CENTER KNOB . YOU COULD GO FROM RADIO , TO MANUAL, TO WAIL, TO YELP, AND TO

HI-LO

AND THEN BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH, FROM ONE TO THE OTHER, ALWAYS CHANGING

, NEVER STAYING ON THE SAME TONE MORE THEN 10 SECONDS

SO YOU WENT ..................RADIO, MANUAL, WAIL, YELP, HI-LO,..................RADIO, MANUAL, WAIL, YELP, HI-LO,.........RADIO, MANUAL, WAIL, YELP, HI-LO,

RADIO, MANUAL, WAIL, YELP, HI-LO,.............................RADIO, MANUAL, WAIL, YELP, HI-LO,

RADIO, MANUAL, WAIL, YELP, HI-LO,

AAAAAAARRRRRRRAAAAAAAGGG

ME AND MY BRIGHT IDEAS

MAKE SOMEONE SMILE TODAY
WAYNE

HEY GUYS

REMEMBER THE CHANGE OF THE FIRE ALARM BOX AND THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THESE BOXES.

THE BOX ON THE LEFT IS THE ONE LIKE WE HAD WHEN WE CAME ON THE JOB. THEN THE RASH OF

"BOX PULLED" STARTED. SOME PEOPLE (KIDS, TEENAGER, YOUNG ADULTS, AND EVEN

OLDER PEOPLE) WOULD PULL THE BOXES AND WE WOULD RESPOND. EVEN THOUGH WE ASSUMED THAT SOME WERE

DEFINITELY FALSE ALARMS, BEING NEAR SCHOOLS IN THE DAY AND TEEN PLAYGROUNDS, WE STILL RESPONDED

AS IF THERE WAS A FIRE. IT WAS "YOUR BOX" SO YOU HAD BETTER BE FIRST TO CALL IT IN NO MATTER

IF FALSE ALARM OR FIRE.

THEN THE CITY TRIED TO CURB THE FALSE ALARMS BY CHANGING THE PULL DOWN BRACKET ( THE BOX ON THE RIGHT)

THE WHITE BRACKET HELD A PIECE OF GLASS ABOUT 2 1/2 " X 2 1/2 ". WE WERE ISSUED PACKS OF THESE

GLASS IN 10 PACKS. REMEMBER GUYS WHEN WE WERE YOUNG WHIPPER SNAPPERS WE HAD THE JOB OF REPLACING THE

GLASS. YOU PULLED THE HANDLE AND THE GLASS SLID INTO TWO SIDE CHANNELS AND STOPPED AT THAT BOTTOM

CHANNEL. THEN THERE WAS A CATCH AT THE TOP. ONCE YOU CLOSED THE WHITE BRACKET I THINK IT STAYED LOCKED.

THEN TO PULL THE LEVER YOU EITHER BROKE THE GLASS OR I THINK IF YOU PULLED REAL HARD THE GLASS WOULD

BREAK AND THE BRACKET WOULD THEREBY OPEN ENABLING YOU TO REACH THE LEVER / HOOK.

BUT EVEN THAT DIDN'T CURTAIL THE PULLING OF FALSE ALARMS .YOU WOULD REPLACE THE GLASS AND BEFORE YOU GOT

BACK TO QUARTERS THE BOX WAS PULLED AGAIN, AND AGAIN. SO THEY WERE GRADUALLY REMOVED .

SEE OLD TIMER YOU DID REMEMBER

MAKE SOMEONE REMEMBER TODAY
WAYNE.