There was a time in life when folks would not receive a “free pass” for their indiscretions. Recently I was pounding away on the computer in the conference room at the firehouse when two of the younger guys walked in and sat at the table to shoot the breeze.
One of the guys was talking about a friend who cheated by hanging out with his girlfriend. When he confronted the friend, he admitted to his misdeeds and was forgiven. He got a “free pass.” In my younger days a similar situation would have ended with fists flying. That might not have been the correct resolution to the problem, but it did replace the “free pass.”
Like in the movie Groundhog Day I have a situation that happens over and over again, in the same manner each June. My department hands out a number of scholarships to deserving students at the high school, I take pictures, submit them to the local paper and they never get printed.
This past Saturday night I was part of a standby crew that did an overnight shift at a neighboring volunteer fire department. We brought an engine and an ambulance to their house to answer calls during their department’s installation.
What is it about blue lights? In New York State a blue light can be used by a firefighter responding to an alarm, but it serves strictly as an indication for another driver’s courtesy. The public does not have to yield. It seems blue lights have this hypnotic, mezmorizing effect that causes most motorists to become totally oblivious to your attempt to get to the fire house as quickly as possible while staying within the speed limit and rules of the road. Many doesn’t know exactly what to do, a number of sadistic drivers intentionally slow down, while a few good citizens actually yield.
As a volunteer fire department PIO, and not in house based, I have to be prepared to respond from wherever I am in the community when an alarm is toned out. Since my main PIO “toolbox” is located at the main house, I need a fully redundant system that can duplicate some of the items I keep in the firehouse.
