We're Back & "Loaded for Bear!"

Welcome back! We hope all of you and your families are enjoying a safe summer. We took our hiatus from this Blog and our podcast, "5-Alarm Task Force," to recharge our "inner" batteries and to almost "go back in time" to see some good friends.

Back in 1977-1981, we lived in the great area of Greensboro NC. Actually, our apartment was just outside the city line in Guilford County. At first, this didn't mean anything to me. My job was still just two miles away, using just one main street and little traffic. The synagogue who had hired me to be their educational and youth director, welcomed us warmly. Moreover, we found almost everyone we met in those first couple of weeks, wonderfully welcoming. This was a new experience for both my wife and me. Coming from two larger cities in the Northeast, this was something we were not used to.

A couple of weeks later, I was driving down a road that led to the interstate, when I passed a firehouse. It was only three-quarters of a mile from our apartment and on the same cross-street. The bay doors were open and I pulled in to look at the shiny, red apparatus. 

I called out and no one answered, so I just started to walk around. There was an older model tanker and utility squad, a new Tele-Squrt on a Pierce body, an older engine and then another that look like it has just been unwrapped. This too, was a Pierce. Then, I heard someone say, "Hello."  I turned and it was a "white shirt," that at first, I thought was the chief.

He came over to me and offered his hand. Then I could see he had the collar brass of a captain and a name badge that confirmed the rank. We introduced ourselves chatted a few minutes as he told me about the apparatus and their combination department. He had asked me if I was or had been a firefighter and I explained that coming from the suburban Boston area, there were hardly any opportunities to be a volunteer. Then he said, "Well, let's have you meet the Chief." I agreed and eventually walked out of that "meet & greet" with an application in my hand. That started me off at the Guilford College Fire Department.

This summer, we drove up to Greensboro and spent two weeks in the area. Besides the dear friend we stayed with in her lovely home and other friends, some we had known here in South Florida and other whom we have know since those "glory" days in the fire department, I had the privilege to sit down and chat with my former chief. We had not seen each other or been in touch since 1981, when we left Greensboro and headed north to Syracuse NY. It was a great two-and-a-half hours we spent talking about the old says and I'll write more about it in my next installment. If you want to read about those "glory days," it's all in my book, "Fish Out of Water: 2 Jewish Guys in a Deep South Firehouse," available on Amazon at "Fish Out of Water" 
All royalties from the sale of this book are being donated to the NFFF! Is it a "best-seller" soaring to the top of the charts? No. But to me, it's more important that whatever does come in can be better used taking care of the families of our comrades who have made the ultimate sacrifice.


As the heading for this entry says, we're back in the studio and office, ready to bring you a second season of "5-Alarm Task Force." And what a second season it will be. Here are but just a few of our guests for this season:
1. Chief Bobby Halton
2. Capt./Instructor John Dixon
3. Capt./Instructor Andy Starnes
4. Capt. (ret) Dennis Tucker
5. Lt./Instructor Ryan Pennington
6. Dept. Chief P J Norwood
7. Lt. Ray McCormack
...and many more. You will not want to miss a single episode of "5-Alarm Task Force!" And the answer is NO! We will not start charging your you to listen our podcast. We believe that what we do is important enough to make sure every firefighter and other first responders can listen to us without have to "reach into their pocket."
So, hold on...it's going to be a great ride on 5-Alarm Task Force this season!

And one last note on the status of "CAUSE & ORIGIN." While away on vacation, I finished writing the first draft for a feature-length film adaption of the story. It was very difficult work that took me several months to do; never having written anything like that before. It's not in the hands of our L.A.-based partner and we'll soon start the re-write process. We'll keep you posted!

Stay Safe and Let's Make Sure Every One Goes Home!

New Episode of 5-Alarm Task Force!!

We're happy to announce that we finished up our next episode of our podcast, "5-Alarm Task Force," earlier than we expected! We thought we were going to be up against a turkey before we finished.

This episode features Lt. Grant Schwalbe from Estero Fire-Rescue and the fire-education company, When Things Go Bad, Inc. (www.whenthingsgobadinc.com), Grant talks about the tasks necessary to remember when conducting a primary search. He also tells us about the new program from the company called, "First and Ten." What do you need to accomplish in the first ten minutes on-scene? 

Here's the link: http://bit.ly/5-AlarmTF

We also welcome our good friends at The Firehouse Tribune as coop-sponsors to our podcast. They have been @Dalmatprod followers and supporters of our efforts and we're glad to have them with us. We hope you'll enjoy listening to Episode 2. Find them on Twitter at @FHTribune or visit their website at http://www.thefirehousetribune.com

We're also glad to announce that we have some excellent guests already lined up into the Spring of 2017, including, Chief Dennis Rubin in December, Chief (ret.) Phil Johnston (@firefaqs) in January and hopefully, Grant's partner in When Things Go Bad, Inc., Paul Capo. And there are several more in the wings.

If you would like to be a guest on "5-Alarm Task Force," drop us a Direct Message on Twitter (@Dalmatprod) or send us an email at steve@dalmatianproductions.tv.
And please don't forget - we'd like to hear from you.  Please feel free to leave your comments here on the blog or on out Podomatic page.

We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. May you be together with the ones you love and care about and enjoy what all that is good that life gives us.

Till next time...





 
 And don't forget, pickup a copy of my e-book, "Fish Out of Water: Two Jewish Guys in a Deep South Firehouse," on Amazon Kindle at http://tinyurl.com/NCFirefighting

Coming Attractions...

What's next from Dalmatian Productions? 

For  several months we have been planning to launch a podcast that will feature many of the guests we have met using Twitter (@DalmatProd & @Cause_Origin). Luckily, we already have several who have agreed to participate with us. 

Our show will provide you with the opportunity to hear subject matter that interests you! As we are all aware, we in the fire-rescue service, as well as our "family members" in EMS and Law Enforcement, we're faced with new ideas, situations and reactions almost every day. Thus, the goal of our podcast will be to invite many of the best in the field to chat with us and share their thoughts and concerns.

If you read this blog on a regular basis, you know that one of our key concerns is firefighter health and wellness; you can be sure that will be a frequent topic for the show. As will topics such as, recruitment & retention, training, job stress and PTSD, arson, juvenile fire starters, and much more.

We will announce the name of the podcast in the next few days and we are planning to premier the first show in the next two-three weeks.

Until then, please join us on Twitter or drop us a line at info@dalmatianproductions.tv with your comments or ideas for stories that you would like to hear.

Stay Safe 

Steve Greene

p.s. Please don't forget to drop by "Fish Out of Water - 2 Jewish Guys in a Deep South Firehouse"  to pick up a copy of my book. Remember, part of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.