Deaf Firefighter's Blog

MOVED

2006-11-16T19:49:00.001-05:00

This blog has moved ----------> here!

http://blog.deafread.com/deaffirefighter/

Cover your Betts, please...

2006-11-04T09:41:00.000-05:00

You know, my wife and I recently found the hilarious videos produced by Wayne Betts, Jr. I was at the NAD conference working at CEPIN/TDI's booth and it was next to HOVRS who had a TV playing and replaying Wayne's commercials for them.

When the exhibits reached a lull, I could always count on the commercials (unfortunately, they don't seem to be online @ HOVRS website) to give me a chuckle.

So after all the seriousness at Gallaudet these past several weeks, I thought the video below was particularly appropriate (and funny as hell) considering the "Not Deaf Enough" theme that often distracted from the real issues. You can see his other videos at Mosdeux or on YouTube.

Crisis Management Team (CMT) at Gallaudet : A constructive criticism

2006-10-30T11:24:00.000-05:00

This has been an issue that's long been on my mind. With the changes that are upcoming, I am posting this as a suggestion for revising the way emergencies on campus are handled.

These suggestions are modeled after the current fire service Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS). Both models have an individual ultimately responsible for all aspects of managing the crisis (called Incident Commander) as well as very clearly delineated areas of responsibility.

There are several important concepts entailed within these two systems:

SPAN OF CONTROL: Ideally, one person can actively manage 3 to 7 people (5 often cited as the ideal number) . This allows vast amounts of information to be effectively managed by a small group of individuals

UNITY OF COMMAND: This principle basically states that every person reports to one supervisor. There should be no confusion among all participants who they should be giving information to. This information, in turn, should be reported up the chain of command.

When I look at the documentation for the Crisis Management Team, it does not clearly identify:

who has ultimate responsibility for dealing with the ins-and-outs of an emergency on-campus. (It says the Provost is "chair" but what does that really mean?)
who is responsible for which functions during an emergency
Furthermore, if the Provost is the "supervisor" then that person has as little as 21 different people responding directly to that person (see two items listed above)
does not clearly identify when these functions are triggered

I should note: I don't have greater knowledge than what is published online but I'm advocating for structural change AND distributing the plans to the campus community.

Of course, one can easily say that the President of the University should have the ultimate responsibility of managing a campus during an emergency but is that really wise, given the recent turmoil on campus.

I would sugggest that a position should be created specifically devoted to a person who understands the nature of emergencies and the unique needs of the campus community. Likewise, it should be someone who is removed from the political brouhaha that often surrounds the campus (ie: President/Provost's offices) . The CMT Director should also have a dedicated planning staff who can manage the different "what-if's" and identify resources as needed.

Any emergency team needs to have clearly identified triggers, resources, and action plans for resolving the situation. I don't see any of that available at this time. For example, in the current CMT guidelines, a trash can on fire out on Hanson Plaza could qualify as a "trigger" for the CMT but it wouldn't be a good use of resources. I would argue that the CMT guidelines need to clearly identify when the Emergency Operations Center will be activated.

For example: let's take an hurricane approaching DC.

Emergency Operations Center opens
PPD would obviously start by securing items that can become airborne missles
DPS and PPD work together to secure unused facilities
SHS would call on-duty staff to staff the center on-site
DPS would establish dedicated personnel to patrol dorms and buildings kept open on foot
As storm winds down, DPS and PPD do damage checks and cleanup as needed
Finance/Logistics sections keep track of resources used to respond to the hurricane
Debriefing sessions to critique response
Emergency Operations Center closes

Most of this is common sense, but the absence of clearly written and EASILY ACCESSIBLE (to the community) plan hurts confidence in the campus administration to effectively manage crises.

Given today's post-9/11 climate (and the post Plunkett/Varner climate as well), I believe the University is not as prepared as it should be for the next BPN, the next severe weather incident, and god-forbid, the next terror-attack in DC.

Its Happened....

2006-10-29T23:57:00.000-05:00

I had dinner cooking (penne alla vodka .. mamma mia!) when my pager buzzed with the news.

The Board voted to terminate Dr. Fernandes as President-Designate.

From my reaction, you would've thought I was on campus jumping around too but my kids looked at me like I'd been sniffing magic markers all day. Yes, I jumped up and down and said to my wife, "Its happened".

Don't get me wrong, I truly feel bad for Drs. Jordan and Fernandes because they've seen any hope of a legacy or even having a positive footnote wash away with the Board's decision today. Likewise, I know the Board is now in a very difficult position: They have to reopen a costly presidential search process and hope 9thPrez#2 is acceptable to the community. Not only that, but they've practically given in, for lack of better word, to mob rule.

This is the second time in two consecutive presidential selections that the Board has faced and acquiesced to student/fac/staff protests. They have to be feeling very nervous in regards to their ability to effectively govern on campus.

Likewise, given all that's happened, who the hell is going to be 9thPrez#2? Given all that we know is wrong with Gallaudet (over-dependence on federal $ amid increased gov. scrutiny, lagging educational standards, etc. etc.); who would be willing to address these issues. More to the point, who would be able to convince both the campus community and more importantly, Congress and private donors that the University is still worthwhile even in this age of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

What has to happen now?

1: The Board must ensure the next presidential selection process brings a candidate who can address the issues noted above and is considered an acceptable representative of the University's unique place in the deaf community

2: The Board must ensure that students have a greater voice in campus matters and must also ensure that alumni have greater voting representation

3: Students must realize that institutional change will not come quickly. If I remember correctly, it took about 4 years for the Board to reach its intended makeup post-DPN.

4: Students will need to recognize by re-opening the Presidential Search, there exists the possibility that the next president is someone who's "better" than JKF in terms of leadership but also could be someone who doesn't fit a "deaf ideal".

5: Dave Evans says it best: There are no winners or losers. The entire fiasco has been utterly divisive and the dreaded red state/blue state mentality has been painfully evident. Posts like DeafEye's only serve to further rub salt in the wounds that are left bare.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: This is the time for moderation, patience and tolerance.

Best analysis in the MSM by far!

2006-10-22T23:46:00.000-05:00

From Monday's Washington Post!:

Source of Gallaudet Turmoil Is Up for Debate
Protesters, School Officials Disagree on Why New President's Appointment Is Opposed

By Susan Kinzie
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 23, 2006; B01

Months into a bitter dispute between protesters and leaders of Gallaudet University, the two sides disagree not only on whether Jane K. Fernandes should be the next president of the school for the deaf -- but even on what the fight is about.

So as protests paralyzed the school this month and prompted mass arrests, hunger strikes, lockdowns, support rallies across the country and a march to Capitol Hill, many people outside the campus are still asking:

Just what are the protesters so mad about, anyway?

To Fernandes and her supporters, it's one issue. She's trying to lead the school forward at a time when technologies such as cochlear implants are dramatically changing deaf culture, while her opponents are clinging to a separate deaf community reliant on American Sign Language rather than immersion in the hearing world. They say Fernandes has become the symbol of a future that her critics are resisting.

Her opponents say she's distorting their arguments -- and in a deliberately divisive way. They say the protests are fundamentally about her inability to lead, an unfair selection process and longstanding problems at the school that have been ignored.

During her tenure as provost, critics say, morale among faculty and staff declined. She asked for input but often ignored it, they say. She was dismissive, unfriendly. They point to troubles such as a scathing report from the federal government including details of chronically low graduation rates.

Fernandes's handling of the protests the past month, with the situation worsening rather than being resolved, only proves her failure as a leader, opponents say. After asking for change for so long , they're fed up with being ignored.

Either way the dispute is viewed, there's no question that the 1,800-student school is in turmoil over whether Fernandes should become president in January. The debate continues to evolve and broaden, with protesters directing their anger increasingly at outgoing President I. King Jordan and the board of trustees that picked Fernandes.

Her supporters have been shocked by mean-spirited personal attacks and threats. She described the protests as "anarchy and terrorism."

But the protesters keep asking: How can Fernandes lead, if no one is following?

Standing in front of the U.S. Capitol on Saturday, junior Chris Corrigan looked at the 2,000 or so protesters, students, faculty, alumni, staff, and asked: "Have you ever seen anything stronger, more united?"

* * *

The last time the Gallaudet board picked a president, in 1988, a revolution of sorts was provoked.

Students were so angry that trustees had chosen yet another president who could hear -- the school had never had a deaf leader -- that they took to the streets demanding a "Deaf President Now."

They not only got what they wanted in Jordan, who has led the university since, but started a movement that helped lead to the passage of the sweeping Americans with Disabilities Act.

Now, a generation later, deaf people have a right to equal access and an expectation that the president of Gallaudet will mirror Jordan's reach.

But "Deaf President Now" was easy for outsiders to understand: three words, obvious concept.

Fernandes sought to define the current protests when they broke out, immediately after her selection in May, with three more words. She said she was "not deaf enough" for her opponents because she grew up speaking and didn't learn ASL until she was an adult.

A long-standing debate continues over whether deaf children should learn to speak or sign, accelerated by the increasing numbers of deaf children getting implants, going to mainstream public schools and immersing themselves in the hearing world. Fernandes said friends have described the idea that the core community of deaf people using sign language will dwindle away as "genocide."

There's no doubt that some students, faculty and alumni want the president to be more fluent in ASL than Fernandes, who is not a native signer, and a proponent of preserving the school as a place apart, where traditions and everyday life are based around sign language. After all, Gallaudet is arguably the center of deaf culture worldwide.

But most say that's not why they're protesting. Some compare Fernandes's explanation to playing a race card -- subverting the real issues with a volatile and provocative argument. Gallaudet, and the deaf community, have long had all different types of hearing and communication, a diverse mix of people signing, speaking or both.

By defining the protests as she did, Fernandes "effectively pressed the red button and nuked the credibility and reputation of the very constituents she was selected to lead," senior Ben Moore wrote in a blog. "She conveniently left out that the mostly hearing faculty have repeatedly expressed no confidence in her in the past and a majority of the student body graduated from mainstream high schools," rather than residential schools for the deaf. For years, Jordan had been revered on campus -- and he's not a native signer, either.

Even before she was named president, Fernandes was a controversial figure at Gallaudet.

Teachers at the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center, which includes the elementary and secondary schools on campus, were angry that she eliminated tenure when she helped run the center in the late 1990s.

When Fernandes got tenure, some professors thought she was given an unfair advantage, saying in effect she was able to skip a review step that everyone else went through. There was a procedural error that was later explained in full to the board, a university spokeswoman said.

When Jordan suddenly appointed Fernandes provost in 2000 without a search, faculty members registered their outrage with a formal vote.

Protesters say she has been part of an administration that has allowed long-standing problems to continue. Fifteen years after a student died after being restrained by a campus security officer, misunderstandings between students and officers who don't know ASL well continue.

Fernandes established a day devoted to diversity on campus and has been developing a sweeping diversity plan that would include minimum standards for ASL competency, but the faculty and administration remain predominantly white. Roughly 25 of 221 full-time faculty members are people of color.

This year, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget released a study of Gallaudet that labeled it "ineffective," citing declining or stagnant performance in key areas: From 1999 to 2005, undergraduate graduation rates hovered at 42 percent. From 2001 to 2005, the percentage of graduates who found jobs the first year out of Gallaudet dropped every year.

Early complaints about the presidential search process came from black students upset that the candidates weren't sufficiently diverse. A strong African American candidate, Glenn Anderson, the longtime trustees chairman, was not one of the three finalists. Others said Jordan was overly involved.

The real outburst came in May, seconds after the board announced Fernandes's name. Students were shocked that she'd been chosen despite surveys in which the vast majority of faculty and students who responded said that she would be "unacceptable."

"This crisis happened largely because of loss of trust and leadership over the years," said Nancy Bloch of the National Association of the Deaf.

In the standoff that has followed, protesters say that Fernandes has avoided meeting with them and has been dishonest, most recently when she said she was up all night negotiating with students who had shut down the school.

Fernandes disputes that, and her supporters describe her as a smart, visionary, eloquent leader who has been unfairly targeted.

Fernandes said, "If you talk with the protesters, it seems like it's something different every few days. It just seems to be relentless in throwing out different issues of concern."

Standing in front of the Capitol this weekend, just as protesters did 18 years ago when the rallying cry was so much less complex, protest leader Leah Katz-Hernandez asked demonstrators if they were protesting because Fernandes was not deaf enough. "No, no!" the crowd signed.

"She's too deaf," Katz-Hernandez signed. "She's deaf to us. She's deaf to the community. She's deaf to the world."

Signs that the Protest Message is Finally Understood by MSM....

2006-10-22T20:15:00.000-05:00

(MSM = Mainstream Media)

A very good friend of mine (hearing, runs with my fire department) sent me the message below on my pager this morning. He's president and owner of a medium-sized business and has had positions as general counsel for large corporations in the past so he knows a thing or two about leadership.

SUBJ: Galaludet Protests

Holy Cow! What a mess. Am in DC and watching the news which is filled with the protests. Where do we stand on this issue of the President? Should she resign or not? I am ready to pick up a sign and take up the cause.

I replied:

Please do!

If you asked me 5 months ago, I would've said give her a chance. Today, I believe she needs to resign so the university can get back on its feet again.

Instead of working to mend fences and working with the community, she practically withdrew from the public eye and assumed the protests were over after the summer break began.

Don't get me wrong, I disagree with many of the tactics the protesters have used (closing the academic buildings and campus) but her response (or lack thereof) have been troubling. She may be qualified but she's not the right person to lead the campus.

What really bothers me is how pigheaded and obstinate she's been. She's said repeatedly that's she s the "only" person who can lead the Univ.

He replied back to me:

I agree 100% and all I know is what was on TV. If 82% of the faculty is walking on Capitol Hill to protest that she does not have their confidence then it is time to go - no matter who is in the right.

My final note back to him:

Actually 82% of faculty voted no confidence in her ability to lead and demanded her resignation.

There are six ppl on a hunger strike including a good friend of mine. I'll be heading to dc on wednesday to teach a class and stop in and pay my respects.

Gallaudet obviously is like no other college. In addition to being a higher ed institution, it also has a model elementary and secondary school on campus and is literally the center of the deaf community.

So this is an issue that runs deep. There are people who frame this as a old deaf / new deaf issue. The "old" deaf would be people who went to residential schools for the deaf, center themselves around sign language and the deaf community. The "new" deaf are people like myself, moving in and out between deaf / hearing with respect to communication modes and socio-economic circles as well (my work with FDMT is an example of this).

So there's a greater paradigm shift at play. Yes, the Gallaudet admin is trying to paint this as a battle along those lines but it really isn't. Its simply an issue of managerial imcompetence.

**I should correct myself because it's not "managerial incompetence". Dilbert's pointy-haired boss is an incompetent manager.

I'm pretty sure Dr. Fernandes doesn't fit this stereotype. However, I would say "incompetent leadership".

I do believe there is a paradigm shift starting in terms of the old/new deaf. I don't mean to sound like the guy out in Orange County but this is reality. The progress that has been made these past 18 years since DPN as well as the technological progress has empowered greater numbers of people in the hearing loss continuum to become active and demand their rights.

This isn't bad and it's had some notable successes so far. The CEPIN project is one of them (disclosure: I'm the national coordinator for this project). We have a variety of hearing loss and accomodations on our team ranging from hard of hearing/non-signing to deaf-of-deaf ASL users. I won't lie and say its peachy keen, no problems. But hell, it works pretty well if I may say so myself.

In any case, the paradigm shift is not something to be feared but rather managed by the deaf community. The administration has been successful so far in spinning the message into an us vs. them between the two groups. Unfortunately, some bloggers have manged to reinforce this perception.

As I've noted, I prefer to believe that a rising tide floats all boats. Until our organizations (NAD, AGB, HLAA, AADB, TDI, and the rest of the alpahabet soup) start working together for the common good, we're going to continue to have balkanized results with distrustful eyes toward each other.

-N

Blogs - The Boss Is Watching...

2006-10-19T06:23:00.000-05:00

In a recent article, the New Scientist magazine explored what is happening today in IT and what expectation workers and job applicants have when it comes to privacy.

Article: The Boss is Watching your Every Click...

In reading the article, I was thinking of how the blog-o-sphere has exploded in the wake of the Gallaudet protests. People who normally have never written a single word online are now posting daily updates.

But in particular, I'm thinking of people like Mike McConnell, Elisa Abenchuchan, and perhaps the most notorious deaf blogger (hell, he even says it himself!), Ricky Taylor. It's easy to look at what's going on today and place the blog postings in their proper context but 2, 5, or 10 years down the road?

Many of the blog entries I read today try to be straightforward and civil expressions of opinion and/or fact. Unfortunately, a number of them are also quite uncivil and/or borderline slanderous.

I know Ridor from Gallaudet and we've butted heads before but I'm glad to see him online. I've always believed that more speech is better than the alternative.

(long story short: I was trying to help a very drunk friend of mine get back to his room when he peed all over Ridor's door. Ridor and I talked about this a few months ago and *I think* we had a laugh over it. I'll also admit that during the frequent flame wars on the old VAX NOTES system, I was one of those people who referred to him as "Twinkie Toes". Given my immaturity back then and his recent weight loss, I hope he forgives me)

I have to honestly wonder though: since bloggers are basically puts themselves "out there" online, are they harming their chances for future employment? Are future bosses going to look them up and go, "this is good stuff but s/he ain't workin' here!"

Or are they going to take the Google path and say, "This person can write and communicate effectively. They would be a valuable addition to this office."

More interestingly, will our deaf bloggers find restrictions on what they can and cannot publish? I'd be interested in seeing how some deaf / HoH workplaces address this issue.

-N

Philly Tent City - 10/18/06

2006-10-18T22:04:00.000-05:00

(Neil in blue on left, Sarah in pink on right (All pics taken by Patty available at: http://picasaweb.google.com/PAOCEly/PhillyTentCityOctober182006)

Sarah and I took a trip with our sons, Ethan and Ben, to see Tent City. In retrospect, I've learned some very important lessons:

1) GPS units may be great but when they suck, they really suck. It took me about an hour to make (for other people) a 9 minute drive from PSD to the Tent City site.

2) It was nice to see some people I knew and meet some other new folks.

3) More importantly, I was heartened to see Cren Quigley make a very important acknowledgement: That yes, Dr. Fernandes is qualified to be President "on paper" but she's simply not the right person for the job. I was happy to see they weren't engaging in demonization or mockery of the principals in this sad state of affairs.

Sarah had been on her feet covering two classes all day at PSD so she was pretty dang tired. We left after about an hour and 15 minutes but it was fun nonetheless.

Congrats to my good friend Mark Drolsbaugh, Karen Feldmann, and Cren Quigley for a successful event!

As further evidence that FSSA needs to re-tool its message...

2006-10-16T07:24:00.000-05:00

... In my earlier blog post this morning, I said the administration continues to win the PR war with the larger community.

I got this article in my email from DeafTimes that shows how the Administration continues to run PR-circles around the FSSA.

DC Examiner : Enough is enough at Gallaudet

Before we go bashing the media for reporting before completely understanding the issues, I refer you again to Sandman's Sandbox:

FSSA was still missing in action; many expected the resumption of Tent City, or at least the re-emergence of FSSA in August. When that didn't happen, some assumed it would happen with the actual start of classes. That too didn't happen. August turned into September, and the weeks dragged on. FSSA still didn't have a mission statement on the home page of its web site, nor was there a coherent explanation for how everything began, what had happened, and where FSSA was going. There was no real summary of what FSSA had done the past three months. A small suggestion for FSSA: try developing a mission statement, and link this to a timeline, which should also be on your site. Not only will it provide clarity for people with no prior knowledge who are visiting your website, it also might clarify a lot for you as well.

The GUFSSA.org website still doesn't clearly explain (beyond a simple outline) the core issues and doesn't provide any single place to rebut the administration's PR.

If there is any hope for the FSSA to take on the administration in the battle for the larger community's opinions, they need to start developing coherent and simple messages beyond the cultural issues and doing a better job of making sure everyone follows the same script.

Post-10/13 Protests & Arrests

2006-10-16T06:54:00.000-05:00

On Friday night, I came home after celebrating a friend's 40th birthday to the news that the arrests had started on campus. Waking up on saturday to the news that 135 students had been arrested was quite sobering.

Dave Evans over at Sandman's Sandbox has put up two excellent posts analyzing what's happened the past few days in the larger framework of the entire FSSA movement (here and here)

------------============-------------

I accept the following as true:
1) President Jordan and Dr. Fernandes have the responsibility to keep the campus open at all times

2) Jordan/Fernandes are ultimately responsible for ordering the arrests that took place on 10/13/06

3) In order for the campus to heal and move on, Dr. Fernandes must resign in order to preserve the BOT's credibility as a governance organization

4) The BOT, in turn, must re-evaluate the University's role as a educational institution and as a cultural institution

5) Finally, Dr. Jordan must understand that his legacy has taken some serious hits. To see Merv Garretson questioning the presidential search process is a kick in the head. To see Father Tom Coughlin leaving the typical Roman Catholic priest's rectitude at the door in his recent open letter should convince him how profoundly this has impacted Deaf people.

------------============-------------

But I want to address a point many people are missing. People are condemning IKJ/JKF for ordering the arrests of the protesters. However, I see things slightly differently. Yes, see #2 above and then see #1 above.

It seems to me he has no choice in the matter. Gallaudet is, above all, an educational institution. More to the point, Gallaudet is an educational institution that accepts both tuition and federal funds to ensure students are taught.

By shutting the campus down, the protesters were essentially begging to be arrested. Many blogs reported that protesters even encouraged the cops to arrest them.

So why are so many people so outraged today? The FSSA got what they wanted, which was to try and force the administration's hand. The administration, while taking a minor PR hit, can easily go back to its supporters and the media and say "we did what we had to do in order to reopen the campus."

It seems the ante has been upped but the game is still the same. The Administration continues to win the larger PR war while the FSSA gets more stakeholders (Fac/Staff/Students/Alum) fired up.

I refer back to my earlier post where I shared my concerns about the repercussions long after Tent City is gone and (hopefully) some new president takes over. Unfortunately, this trend of the two kids (the administration and the FSSA) pissing in each other's cheerios is likely to continue long after the immediate demands are met or ignored.

UPDATE: Captioned Video of KYW-CBS3 Coverage of Deaf Firefighter

2006-10-13T14:12:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Walt Hunter, the reporter in this piece for following through on this! He worked with the station's webteam to post the captioned version online. Hopefully they'll be able to do the same for ALL videos posted online!

Here's the link: http://cbs3.com/video/?id=31587@kyw.dayport.com

What went wrong at Gallaudet - A Tactical Analysis:

2006-10-12T22:02:00.000-05:00

In this entry, I'm going to discuss where the Gallaudet protesters made critical mistakes in their current tactics and provide some guesses as to what will happen next.

Let me first preface this with a few disclaimers:
1) I'm not an expert by any stretch of imagination as it pertains to military/police maneuvers. While I have observed law enforcement training classes and discussed tactics at length, that in itself does not qualify me as an expert.
2) It should be clear that while I support the demand of Dr. Fernandes' resignation based on the circumstances at hand, I do not support the tactics of the students to bring about this result.
3) This is based on the internet entries over the past few days. I have no knowledge beyond what you can read on deafread.com

The critical mistake was abandoning a position of strength (HMB) for a more attractive but less defensible target (the entire campus). Let me explain.

Hall Memorial Building (HMB) is a large brick building with a large atrium inside of it. There are 4 entrances and two exit-only doors for the entire building. Entrances can be barricaded (not safely, mind you...god forbid a fire should occur) and minimal human presence is needed to guard the main entrance. Since all manpower is in a small place, communication and control of manpower is easily accomplished.

In effect, control HMB and you effectively control the academic climate of the campus.

Gallaudet University, however, also has 6 entrances surrounded by 1.7 miles of fence. The entrances cannot be barricaded except by use of vehicles and are heavily dependent on manpower (ergo: you need a lot of bodies there otherwise tow trucks and other heavy equipment can remove barricades quickly). In order to effectively guard the gates, protestors needed to move most of the bodies from HMB to these areas. Additionally, by stretching the manpower to the entrances, the end result is lack of communication and control between each group of students.

Relatively few DPS officers were required (this is the sense I get from the blogs) to effectively retake HMB and cut off the protesters from their supplies (tents, etc.) This is especially critical as I write this because a cold front has moved into the region bringing temperatures from the 70's this afternoon to low 40's overnight bringing entries like this, and this.

I have to think the timing of the police department's actions were intentional. Knowing that cold weather was moving in and cutting the protesters off from their warmth and food supplies, the hope is very cold and very hungry protestors would be more likely to walk away from the gates allowing them to reopen the campus. It remains to be seen if this occurred.

Tonight, temperatures will drop to the 30's. It would not surprise me to see the administration making their move to retake the campus leading up to the coldest hours of night. One might argue the administration will have its justification for forcibly ending the protest with freezing weather approaching since they can cite "safety" reasons as their rationale.

Of course, the protesters can easily say by shutting down the entire campus, they have spread awareness of the issues facing Gallaudet to a broader audience. I won't debate that but as noted above, the protesters have traded long term strength for short-term exposure.

Coverage of Deaf Firefighter - Philly Area

2006-10-10T22:18:00.000-05:00

Matt O'Brien, a young man who recently graduated from the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf recently joined his local Fire Department. There's been a good amount of coverage locally:

- Delco Times - 10/2/06 - Link

- WCAU / NBC10 - 10/3/06 - Link

The local news stations also covered his swearing-in ceremony today as well. I have encouraged them to post captioned versions on their websites and will update this entry with additional articles.

UPDATE: The video (sans captions) is now up on the website - http://cbs3.com/video/?id=31531@kyw.dayport.com

Congratulations and welcome to the brotherhood, Matt!

Whither the Buff and Blue?

2006-10-09T16:08:00.000-05:00

Check out the links on Joey Baer's page: http://www.joeybaer.com/buffandblue/

When I was an editor there, we often chose our stories with the intent of effecting change, whether it be a deeper analysis of (then) DOSS's disarming, Kappa Gamma's hazing practices, and other forms of general idiocy on campus. But we always tried our best to make sure we were presenting some appearance of a fair and balanced article. I'll be the first to admit we didn't always achieve that but we at least TRIED. I'll also be the first to admit that the BnB wasn't always worth the paper it was printed on but when we hit gold, we REALLY hit gold!

Looking at Buff and Blue special editions #4 and #6, it appears that the FSSA / Students have basically hijacked the BnB with its 100+year history as its propaganda tool instead of allowing it to remain an independent body upon which readers can look to for analysis and reporting.

Looking at the loss of the BnB and reviewing DeafRead, it seems there is NO one source anyone can turn to to provide a full and unbiased account of what's going on at Gallaudet.

CLARIFICATION: I'm not saying DeafRead is a source of original material related to the protest. I was referring to the fact that the the blogs that currently take advantage of DeafRead's features are quite partisian in this debate.

-Neil

Gallaudet Protest Thoughts...

2006-10-07T09:44:00.000-05:00

Since the deaf blog-o-sphere has been abuzz about the events of the last few days at Gallaudet (CNN, WashPost)) , I figured it was time for me to put my own two cents in. I'm a former Buff and Blue Editor in Chief and served as SBG President very briefly in the '90's.

By far, the best letter written on the issue comes from Roger Kraft and is posted on the GUFSSA.ORG website: Roger's Letter. Why is this the best letter written so far? Simply because he does not cast his lot among the conspiracy theorists or those who stick their heads in the sand and deny a leadership crisis exists.

I have to agree with Roger. I've only met Dr. Fernandes a few times and those were in relation to emergency preparedness issues. I'm not qualified to pass judgement on her ability to lead the University into its next era. In May, I was among those who sat on the fence on the matter. From a governance perspective (the Board Of Trustees), backtracking on their decision would have disastrous consequences for this and future BOT's.

At the time, I thought the students were overreacting and not giving Dr. Fernandes a fair shake simply based on her linguistic background as a not-very-good signer. (fair disclosure: I'm not a great signer either and learned ASL at 19 years old at Gallaudet) I wondered if she was not an acceptable choice to the FSSA, does that mean all persons like her (and myself) have no place in being leaders in the deaf community?

The events of the past several weeks have changed my mind. The intransigent polarity among all sides has led to a climax on Friday where protestors occupied the Hall Memorial Building and the administration attempted to re-open it using DPS officers.

The only reasonable conclusion to this mess is clearly obvious: Dr. Fernandes must resign and spare the Board of Trustees the crippling (if not fatal) embarassment of having to reverse its decision at a future date. A new search must be initiated with equal FSSA participation.

What bothers me most is the you're either with us or against us mentality. I don't know if this is reflective of our polarized society as a whole or specific to this particular issue. My biggest fear is this polarity will carry over well beyond the conclusion of this sad affair.

The FSSA must publicly state (and live up to) its demand for no reprisals on all sides. When the dust settles, people who supported Dr. Fernandes and the current administration must face no reprisals for their support just as there should be no reprisals against the FSSA for their actions. Extremists on both sides must be marginalized and concrete steps must be taken to bring this badly-wounded community back together again.

Respectfully,

Neil McDevitt

Vehicle Fire - 9/9/06

2006-09-09T18:34:00.000-05:00

DATE: 9/9/06
TIME: 1730

Station 18 (FDMT) was dispatched to a vehicle fire at the Montgomery Mall. Enroute, a large column of smoke was observed. Upon arrival, Squad 18 reported a VW Jetta fully involved with exposure to two adjacent vehicles in the parking lot.

Squad 18 put its bumper line into service and extinguished the fire as well as cooled down the adjacent vehicles. A secondary backup line was stretched as a precaution.

Units were in service for approximately 45 minutes.

PERSONAL NARRATIVE: I was driving home with my wife and kids from a family get together when the call came in. I pulled into the station and jumped into Squad 18 and donned my gear during the 90 second drive.

Upon arrival, I was still gettting my SCBA on so didn't get on the hoseline. However, I helped flake it out then went to get a halligan bar to gain entry to the trunk and engine compartments.

In all, a good operation. The fire was knocked down within 20 seconds.

Wakin' Up, Loooooord, I'm a-wakin' up!

2006-07-14T09:29:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, I used to be able to wake up for overnight fire calls and on occasion, would easily get up for multiple calls and still be rarin' to go in the morning.

When I took the new job a few months ago and started working 50 - 60 hour weeks, that became really difficult after a while.

So it was surprising that after a rather difficult week (spent 3 days in DC, mucho mucho busy), I was able to wake up for an automatic fire alarm call at 12:15 this am. Nothing going on at this particular call.

What's interesting to me is that even though I'd stopped getting up for overnight calls for a while, I still kept an extra shirt and socks in the hallway in case I actually did get up. Its interesting how firefighting has changed my habits.

It really gets embarassing when....

2006-07-13T10:02:00.000-05:00

...You look at your own blog and realize that you haven't posted for nearly 7 months!

What can I say? I've been busy.

Here are some recent calls I've gone on:

---------------------
CALL TYPE: Elevator Rescue

LOCATION TYPE: HOTEL

DATE: 5-26-06

TIME REC'D: 0723

FDMT UNITS RESPONDING: Squad 18, Rescue 18

NARRATIVE: 1 person stuck in elevator. Secured power to both elevators, car was located on third floor. Used elevator keys to access car and remove occupant.

PERSONAL NARRATIVE - Neil: I arrived at the station after the career staff took Squad 18 out. My Battalion Chief arrived shortly after me and we drove together to add to the manpower pool for the call. When we arrived, the rescue was completed and all units were sent home.

-----------------------

DATE: 06-05-06

DISPATCH TIME: 1859

LOCATION: 100 Block of Canterbury Ln, Montgomery Township (PA)

Initial Dispatch:
CANTERBURY LA - MONTG ,; 47-4;;;;; NAT: FBN - BUILDING FIRE - NON-COMMERCIAL , TRUCKS 18E, 18E1, 434E; 18L, NOTES: IN THE BATHROOM, CALLER IS TRYING TO GET HER HUSBAND OUT OF THE HOUSE, EVERYONE IS OUT OF THE HOUSE (TIME: 1859)

CANTERBURY LA - MONTG, NOTE: 18CH - LIGHT SMOKE SHOWING FROM FRONT (TIME:1903)

Units were ordered to reduce speed at 1914, and held to Station 18 at 1922. Fire was held to a bathroom and attic was checked for extension. No extension found.

Personal narrative: We were in the middle of our monthly meeting. I was assigned to the Squad as the backup. We arrived on scene (4 of us on rig) and the nozzle man jumped off to grab the hydrant. Lt. Simes and I grabbed the line and stood by at the door. The crew from the Ladder was able to extinguish the fire with a 5 gallon can.

-------------------

New stuff...

2005-12-23T13:45:00.000-05:00

A few new things:

1: I've started a consulting business called The McDevitt Group that provides emergency preparedness consultling for people with disabilities. Feel free to check it out.

2: If you're a deaf firefighter, EMT or first responder, please check out www.deaffirefighters.us
and contribute to the discussions. Even if you're not any of the above, join anyway: we'd love to hear from various perspectives.

-N

Finally... some fire!

2005-12-16T23:16:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's been almost 5 months since my last post. Yes, it's been that long since we had REAL action.

I know, I know.. I shouldn't equate "fires/rescues" with lack of activity; after all we're always training and learning new things.

First things first:
4:15 pm on 12/16, FDMT was toned out for a dumpster fire in a residential area. I jumped on the Squad along withFF. Mogenson in the back. Since Paul just graduated from Jr. Firefighter, he asked if he could take the knob (nozzle) while I backed him up. The Chief advised that the dumpster was 15 feet from a house and well-involved.

Upon arrival, we began to put water on the fire which darkened it down considerably.

However, keep in mind, the dumpster was half-full and the fire was likely burning under the trash so we had to move a good amount of trash around in order to find the seat of the fire.

Pictures to come soon.

-N

Lots of work lately..

2005-08-13T23:25:00.000-05:00

picture from PhillyFireNews.com

We've done quite a bit of work lately with the fire department. It's now 0030 hours on August 14th and I've just showered after a fire. I'm not asleep because I still have that adrenaline rush.

At 9pm, I headed to the firehouse to shoot the bull and try to fix my ailing laptop computer. No sooner had I cracked the laptop's case did the tones drop for a building fire in the next town. Ladder 18 headed to a single family dwelling and found fire from ground to roof on the back of the structure. FF Conicelli had the knob and I was carrying the irons (forcible entry tools). While Conicelli extinguished the fire outside, I tried to force the door and FF Fuchs assisted by breaking the glass on the door.

No one was in the house at the time (only occupant was outside) and we checked for extension.

We also had a good van on fire last week and I opened up the engine compartment so FF Conicelli could get water in it.

Some lessons learned from these two jobs:

1: (from the van fire) ALways bring your tools with you. I'd forgotten the halligan bar and wasted some time before I'd went back to get them.

2: (also from the van) Get that hood on. I'd whacked myself on the ear fumbling with the halligan and gave myself a nice cut on the ear.

3: (from the house fire) Stay hydrated, stay cool, and stay aware of your body. WIth the high temperatures, it gets pretty easy to get knocked out..

UPDATE: In the middle of completing this post, I got called out for a mulch fire.. it never ends. :-)

Checking in...

2005-08-12T22:41:00.000-05:00

Haven't had much time lately to post.. A lot of new things going on. I'll have a more detailed post later..

Aloha!

2005-06-04T16:33:00.000-05:00

Just a shout-out to a bunch of kids in Hawaii (HCDB). Thanks for reading the blog!

Today aws the first half of my structural collapse class. It was a fascinating experience learning how to shore up weakened buildings. I'm not a carpenter but it was fun working with my hands!

First interior work in a HOUSE FIRE:

2005-04-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

At 8:23pm on 4/9/05, just as I'd settled into the couch to watch Spider Man 2 on DVD and armed with some of Orville's finest (Redenbacher, that is); the pager went off.
Figuring it was one particular store we've been going to almost daily for a malfunctioning pullstation, I 'harumphed' and pulled out the pager.

It read: TANGENT ST - COWCHIP RD; 47-21; NAT: FBN-BUILDING FIRE - NON COMMERCIAL; TRUCKS: 18E, 18E1, 14SD, 18L, 12SD; NOTES: BASEMENT FIRE, FLAMES AND SMOKE FROM BASEMENT; UNK IF ANYONE IN HOUSE - FDMT ALL CALL (details obviously changed)

Getting in the car and driving to the station, I reflected on the fact that I've been here going on 2 years and this is only the third job that I've run on. The first was fan inside a manufacturing facility. I was the backup on this call. The second was during the the past holiday season where a heater triggered a fire in a garage attached to a residence. For this one, I helped on the fireground as it was knocked down as my truck arrived.

As the Ladder arrived, Engine 18-1 was already there and stretching lines into the house as they're based nearby in the north end of town. The smell of smoke was pervasive and you could see smoke pouring out of the front door. The house was a typical suburban ranch house.
The officer of the Ladder ordered Joe S. and myself to search the main floor for any possible victims.

We conducted a primary search of the rooms up front in the house mostly standing up because the temperatures on the main floor weren't high and visibility was signifcantly reduced but you could see the floor.

However, when you got to the back of the house, the visibility dropped quite a bit and we basically went closer to the ground. In the kitchen, I was thrown by a breakfast nook that looked like a set of stairs. Knowing it was a ranch house, I knew it couldn't be stairs but after I took a step back and realized that it was a seat made me realize the importance of getting the big picture instead of focusing of just the image outside the airmask.

Continuing along, we searched the rest of the house and found nothing. Exited the building for fresh air and change the cylinders for the SCBAs.

Turned out the fire knocked itself out. The fire melted a support for a water pipe which caused the pipe to bend and snap, creating an accidental sprinkler.

After the fire was out, we assisted with overhaul and cleanup. There was some fire spread into the walls in the first floor which meant a lot of drywall was ripped out on the first floor in the vicinity of the fire room.

Ladder 18 was on scene until approximately 1am providing support for fire marshal investigation.

Some important lessons from this:

Always look at the big picture AND the small picture.
Discuss evolutions with your partner immediately after the incident (during rehab or bottle changes) . Work out any issues and recognize good work at that time.
I had to remind my partners to use hand gestures as they get caught up in the moment and forgot.

All in all, it was good work.

Am off this week..

2005-01-03T19:53:00.000-05:00

My first vacation to Nags Head, NC... checked out Cape Hatteras lighthouse today... that thing is huge. There are long stretches of road between towns. Being the firefighter I am today, I wondered how long it takes rescue apparatus to respond to calls in that area.

hmmm.. better slow down. :-)

Media coverage, Part deux:

2004-12-28T10:07:00.000-05:00

A new article in today's Reporter out of Lansdale:
http://www.thereporteronline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13635922&BRD=2275&PAG=461&dept_id=466404&rfi=6

Reprinted without permission (am working on it but I don't know how long the content is active on the website)

Community service

DANIEL J. SERNOVITZ, Staff Writer12/28/2004

MONTGOMERY TWP. – Trust is a two-way street‚ and Neil McDevitt has both earned and extended it to his fellow colleagues at the Fire Department of Montgomery Township.
“I trust these guys‚” he said. “It’s a measure of the confidence that I have in myself and the confidence that they have in me.”

He shared the feeling as he exited the smoke-filled former Imperial Restaurant at the Five Point Plaza earlier this month.

During a search-and-rescue training exercise‚ he was paired up with battalion Chief Scott Redilla as they felt their way along the walls of the building‚ moving by touch and teamwork through the building.

Re-emerging into the dark‚ cold night outside the former restaurant‚ Redilla expressed his confidence in his partner.

“He does a great job‚” Redilla said. “He’s got a lot of common sense‚ and that’s what matters.”
It has been a long road‚ but these days McDevitt relishes the close-knit relationship he now enjoys with the FDMT.

In August of 2003 his lifelong dream of becoming a firefighter became a reality as he was accepted as a probationary member into the Fire Department of Montgomery Township.
The 31-year-old deaf firefighter went on to earn his certification and become an unconditional member of the FDMT‚ earning the respect and admiration of many who watched his progression.

“It was a new experience‚ I’d never had that challenge put before me. I thought: ‘How am I going to make this work?’” said John Johnson‚ his instructor at the Bucks County Public Safety Training Center where McDevitt earned his certification. “I knew‚ as soon as I met him‚ that the challenge wasn’t going to be as daunting as I had anticipated.”

As a young child McDevitt wanted to become a firefighter‚ a desire he suppressed because he was deaf.

Then‚ in July of 2003‚ he brought his son by the FDMT’s Stump Road station to show him around. After talking with Chief Dave Vasconez and others‚ he decided to volunteer with the company.

“It was always in the back of my head‚ and it was something that I knew I’d always regret if I didn’t try‚” he said.

He enrolled in the Bucks County training academy in January‚ taking classes on the weekends with about 25 other students. Particularly in smoke-filled buildings‚ Johnson said‚ firefighters are forced to rely on their other senses‚ specifically those of hearing and touch.
Johnson said he was worried about how McDevitt would do and how others in the class would react to him.

“There are some firefighters out there who are very opinionated‚ and that’s something you have to at least keep in mind‚” he said.

Nancy Bloch‚ chief executive officer of the National Association of the Deaf‚ said she knows of many cases in which the deaf have been discriminated against‚ most frequently caused by a lack of awareness about the impairment.

In 1993‚ she said in an e-mail interview‚ two deaf individuals filed suit in Prince George’s County‚ Md.‚ alleging the county refused to accept their applications because they were deaf.
In an agreement brokered between the county and the U.S. Department of Justice‚ the county agreed not to discriminate in the future on the basis of disability.

“Lack of information on reasonable accommodations is frequently the basis of discrimination‚” she said. “The NAD believes that with advancing technologies‚ deaf and hard of hearing individuals are fully capable of being firefighters.”

Johnson said McDevitt’s abilities helped him and his class overlook his impairment. In fact‚ McDevitt was selected as the most outstanding student in his class.

“He’s very disciplined‚ he’s very aggressive‚ he’s very much a go-getter‚” Johnson said. “In every regard‚ in every aspect‚ he did stand out. He just brought a whole other dimension‚ a whole other level to the program.”

After completing the four-month course in May‚ McDevitt’s probationary status was dropped in August and‚ since then he has participated in regular training sessions and headed out to emergency situations with the FDMT as a full-fledged member.

“It was a big relief‚ obviously‚ since I invested all those weekends‚ all that time. It was more relief than excitement‚” he said. “The most interesting thing that happened during that class was my confidence level went up.”

In contrast to his day job at Prudential‚ McDevitt said at the firehouse he is given the chance every day to provide his abilities.

“Sometimes I think a day at work is harder than a day here‚” he said. “Here‚ I get the chance to show what I can do‚ not just talk about it.”

While he anticipated some initial distrust‚ McDevitt said he has been openly received into the FDMT.

“That’s really been the things that surprised me the most; I had anticipated a colder response‚ but that never happened‚” he said. “A lot of times when you hear people say‚ ‘Oh‚ he’s my brother‚’ you kind of take it with a grain of salt. Here it is really true. It may be a cliché‚ but you do treat each other like family.”

Bloch said in light of the challenges facing deaf individuals‚ McDevitt’s story is that much more remarkable.

“We at the NAD applaud Neil McDevitt and others in showing that‚ with appropriate accommodations‚ deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals can work in a wide range of careers including the field of firefighting‚” she said. McDevitt‚ though‚ does not consider himself a role model‚ and‚ in fact‚ shies away from the notion.

“I’m not an example‚ I’m not a role model‚” he said. “There are deaf people out there who have had to overcome enormous challenges‚ discrimination and outright rejection. They are really the role models.”

Vasconez said since the beginning the other members have been accepting of McDevitt‚ and he has done nothing but support that assessment. “He’s doing great‚ he’s fitting right in‚” he said.

©Reporter online.com 2004

Slow year? Not anymore!

2004-12-23T13:28:00.000-05:00

Things have been busy lately! I made the mistake of making the remark that "the fire department has had a slow year" earlier this month:

1. At 4:30am, December 7th, we were called out to investigate a sign that fell into route 309. Turns out the driver of a 18-wheel truck suffered a heart attack and slammed into a old stone building at approx. 60 miles an hour. It was my first DOA call but there was no celebration or "yay" moments. You know that this is someone's father, brother, and son.

However, it was a 5 hour operation to wait for the coroner to pronounce him, tow trucks to remove the truck from the building, extrication to remove the victim, then cleaning up the fuel from the roadway.

2. Last Wednesday at 6pm, we were called out to a fire two townships north on 309 to serve as a rescue team and additional manpower. It was my first fully-involved house fire and learned a lot watching the operations on the ground. By the time we arrived, the bulk of fire was out and we assisted with overhaul (making sure no hot spots remained).

3. Sunday morning, we were called out to cover calls for Horsham (make a right onto Horsham Road, it's the next town over) while they dealt with a fatal fire where a woman smoking a cigarette fell asleep on a couch. We didn't go to the fire scene, but stayed at their fire station ready for any fire calls they may get while they were dealing with their fire.

4. A few hours later, we were called again as a rescue team/manpower assistance for another fire in Ambler. This one had a lot of adrenaline because the initial dispatch said that two kids were trapped but it turned out they were OK (panicked but once they calmed down, they were able to escape without injury) Heavy damage to the home though.

5. On Monday, before we were about to dig in for the station's annual xmas party, the tones dropped for a building fire down the street from Target. We arrived found a garage fire extending into a home through a shared attic. I stayed outside helping cover the men working on the roof with a hoseline to ensure any fire that broke through wouldn't come near them. Heavy damage to the garage, moderate damage to the home.

6: This morning at 2:30am, we were called out to set up a medevac chopper zone for an accident victim. One of the other engines beat us to it so the police asked us to proceed to the accident scene. Turned out that the victim was DUI and she kept saying that someone else was driving the car and that person "ran away". We used a thermal imaging camera to detect heat in the car and saw that only one seat had residual heat on it = one driver. Just to be sure, we did a search anyway but nothing found.

Time for an update, I guess?

2004-11-28T11:06:00.000-05:00

It's been too long since the last posting. I apologize to the legions of fans who check this web log religiously and thank them for their patience. :-)

Anyway; it's been busy/slow all at the same time.

Slow: We haven't had any structure fires since the last update. However, we have had some incidents of note. A few vehicle accidents... thankfully, no fatalities. However one that sticks out in my mind: We were called out at 2:30am for a lift assist which typically means helping EMS move a very heavy victim. But at 2:30am and the location was odd: the only thing there was a Costco and some retail stores.

I get to the station and one guy has a disgusted look on his face. It turns out we're being called to the quarry across the street which is very very deep (I think somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 feet). So we're thinking .. ohh, body aka. pancake retrieval?

Turns out (allegedly) he was stealing stuff from Costco. The cops were called, he ran, jumped the fence, and fell down about 30 feet onto the access road that descends into the quarry itself. However, he ended up 3 feet away from the edge that leads to the 300 foot drop. We were called in assist with loading him into the ambulance. Now, remember: 30 feet is still at least 3-stories high so he did suffer significant injuries but he's lucky he didn't go over the real deep end.

As per media reports, he suffered some broken bones and some internal injuries.

An anniversary and a milestone

2004-08-04T21:19:00.000-05:00

This past sunday marked my one year anniversary at FDMT. As is typical, my probationary status was dropped and I'm now a full-fledged member of the department.

During the monthly general membership meetings, I tend to sit up front so I can see the secretary's laptop as she types on the PC as well as lipread people from the audience and from the speakers podium.

At the designated time, they asked me to leave the room while they discussed the proposal to drop my probie status. I quipped "I can just stand and face the corner if that works..." and left the room amid laughter.

While standing outside, I'm thinking to myself, "hmm, they're taking longer than they usually do. What'd I do wrong now?"

After about 5 minutes and me chewing my fingernails down to the stubs, someone came and got me. I walked back into the room amid a standing ovation. I motioned for everyone to stop and sit down and said words to the effect of:

"Thank you for this honor. As a result of my experiences, press coverage and my website, I've been in touch with many other deaf people who are either firefighters or want to be firefighters. I've heard horror stories of people being treated as less-than-human by other fire departments, people enjoying full rights as a firefighter then finding them revoked because of firehouse politics and people being told they can take a class only to find they will not receive their certifications.

"After hearing these stories, I'm greatly appreciative of the opportunities that FDMT has given me. I'm extremely fortuanate to have joined such a wonderful department. You have all treated me with the respect due to any other firefighter and that's all I've ever asked for. Thank you."

I can only hope that everyone who reads this has the opportunity to find a department that is as progressive as mine.

My first job!

2004-07-10T13:34:00.000-05:00

At 0645 this morning, I was (thankfully) sleeping when my pager went off. Getting my sandals and shirt on, I read:

APT COMPANY- XXX KEYSTONE DR 47-19 NAT: FAL - FIRE ALARM; TRUCKS: 18E 18L NOTES: XXXXX COMPANY - DUCT DETECTOR

Arriving at the station, I joined Chauffer Mogenson, Safety Officer DiCiccio, FF Conicelli and FF Bailey on Ladder 18. It was a nice morning. Not too hot, not humid. Pulling up on scene, a police officer came out of the building and said there was a fire. Since we all know that cops think a piece of burnt toast = fire, FF Conicelli and I went in to check it out.

The facilities manager showed up where the alarm was going off. Upon entering the building from Side A, we could smell smoke. When we got to the main part of the facility, we saw a huge glass-walled enclosure where they make fittings for gas pipes. Going around to side C, the manager showed us a small room via a window(about 6' by 10') that was completely filled with smoke. Going up a maintenance stairwell over the site, we saw a circle on the top of that room that was literally bubbling paint. FF Conicelli radioed that we had a fire and informed the chauffer and FF Bailey to get the 1 3/4 hose line stretched.

At this point mutual aid assigments were called in (Wissahickon-Sta. 7 and North Penn-Sta 62). We got the attack line set up. FF Bailey was the control and stayed at the doors helping advance the hose line. FFConicelli and I went to the room, donned our SCBA and waited for the hoseline to charge. When fully charged, we entered the room, used a straight-stream to attack the ceiling to disrupt the thermal layers then made a quick knock of the fire.

We believe a ceiling exhaust fan caught fire, but since the fan was above the side-mounted sprinkler, it was not able to fully extinguish the fire.

Units were in service until (I think) 0830 and I got home around 1030. 62 and 7 helped us with overhaul and clean-up. The building's strong air circulation system made it difficult for us to ventilate the building but we sucecssfully vented the smoke after about 40 minutes.

This was my first building fire that I was actually inside doing front-line work. The funny thing is: I always told myself and anyone else that I would never do this in a big industrial or retail-type building. But I know and trust FF Conicelli and he knows I'll stick to him like stink on a skunk. Even though we've never did this before, what we were doing became automatic in many ways and no one really stopped and said, "hey the deaf guy is doing this.."

Bottom line: if I can do it, any idiot can do it. :-)

I passed my FF1 Class!!

2004-05-10T21:44:00.000-05:00

The written exam was 3 weeks ago followed by two burn sessions. The practical exam were held Saturday 5/8. I posted this in a deaf-related forum for firefighters.
----

The exam itself was structured as follows:

You had to pass 100% of 7 skills stations that were established. In the beginning of the day, you were given a card with the different skill stations listed on it which gave you time in the beginning to study. At the end of each skills station, you were to be asked if you would've changed anything. If you knew you made a mistake, you can "explain" what you did wrong and articulate what and why it was wrong and how you would've fixed it. If you failed any station, you were given the opportunity to re-test only once. If you failed 3 stations, you were automatically disqualified from the session.

Ours sessions yesterday were:

1. SCBA/PPE - Must put on both within 2 minutes

2. Interior Fire Suppression - In The drill tower, hook up the high-rise pack, extinguish the fire, and ventilate the room using the hydraulic method.

3. Exterior Fire Suppression - this was a simulated car fire.

4. Ropes and Knots

5. Search and Rescue - This was in the 2 1/2 building. No fire or smoke. We simply turned our hoods around.

6. Fire Hose - Identifying attack lines, supply lines, different appliances, and performing one supply hose lay and one preconnected attack line lay.

7. Straight Ladders - How to carry, how to throw the ladder, how to inspect/maintain and identifying the different parts of the ladders.

I had my interpreters with me all day as I've had them with me for 90% of the class.

There were a few situations that came up:

1. I screwed up big time when I did the hose lay. This was a class that I'd missed due to illness. When the station was done (and I knew I'd messed it up), the evaluator asked if I'd change anything. I told him the lay was not properly done and that I should've done X and X. He nodded and told me to return to command. I fully expected to have to re-do the hose loads but I did not have to re-test at all.

2. TALK TALK TALK to the other candidates who are coming back from their stations. Find out what mistakes they made and what you should and shouldn't do. If I hadn't done so, I probably would have forgotten that you need to use a pike pole to clear glass from a window instead of a different tool. Some people aren't aggressive when they want their interpreters to sign other conversations. Take the initiative and do so.

3. If you are HURT for any reason, tell the command post. One student received minor steam burns as a result of another candidate's imcompetence.

4. Drink plenty of water and STUDY STUDY STUDY.

Funny: When I did the ropes and knots, the gentleman who did that evaluation was VERY inquisitive about having interpreters and could NOT get over the fact that he was supposed to basically ignore them completely. (my words: treat them like ghosts.. they don't exist. Talk directly to me). But he was a fascinating person and we got to talk for a while. He remarked that I seemed to know what he wanted me to do before he even said it.

I said "its part of growing up deaf in a hearing world."

When I know what the context of a situation is, I'm going to start anticipating what the next dialogue, situation, or event will be. He found that to be fascinating and even said it would be a good lesson for many firefighters to learn.

2004-04-27T20:30:00.000-05:00

Been way way way too long. If you've been here before and said, "Forget about it!", I don't blame you.

Here's a page with pictures from my FF1 class's burn session on 4/24. I passed the written examination two weeks ago and we'll have another burn session this saturday. In two weekends, we'll have practical skills and that'll be the blessed END of my FF1 class and I'll have my saturdays back!!!

Acute Otitis Media and Burn Buildings... Hoohrah!

2004-02-09T17:11:00.000-05:00

I had an experience this past weekend at the Fire Academy that I think
everyone can identify with: That feeling of "man, what have I gotten myself into" (because of one's deafness) and coming out of it with a renewed
confidence.

On Friday, the little extra tinnitus I had in my ear for the past week
culminated in a HUGE inner ear infection that had me dizzy and basically
"out of it". This worried me because I knew on Saturday, I was going to
have my first actual burn building experience. I called the doctor and
received antibiotics and a decongestant to help the nasty stuff go away.

Thanks to plenty of sleep, a loving wife who let me off easy in terms of
taking care of the kids, and a good dose of tylenol for the fever, I felt
better and went to class (called FF1). The class itself is broken down
into 4 "platoons." I knew I was in good hands when I realized my platoon had two Lieutenants from a different county (long story) who have plenty of experience.

A note about burn buildings: They're basically solid concrete structures
that have been "mocked up" to resemble the conditions a firefighter would find in an actual fire. For the first few sessions, they're using cold
smoke (same stuff they use in clubs and theater) so if a person runs out of air or panic, they can take their air mask off without worrying about
inhaling fumes. Later sessions, they will burn hay in the building to more
closely resemble the smoky conditions found in typical structure fires.

In all, we did three search and rescue (SAR) scenarios. The first two were
in a two story building using the clean smoke. In both scenarios, I was
"following" the leader by crawling along the walls and tapping his foot
letting him know I was there. A few times, my helmet clinked against the
back of my partner's air cylinder as he sat up to assess the situation from
a higher vantage point. During the second scenario, I clinked my helment
against what I thought was his cylinder and waited for him to move. After
he didn't move for about 30 seconds, I started to feel around the smoke for him and realized what I hit wasn't an oxygen cylinder; it was the smoke
machine sitting on a chair! Needless to say, I continued along leading the
man behind me along the wall until we exited the building.

We realized at that point that the three others were verbally communicating to each other but I was left out of the loop. We decided for the next one,
I would lead the team, yelling out what obstacles or what turns are being
made so they know where we're going. That way, my partner can hear what I'm seeing out front. If there's something wrong behind me, three hard and rapid taps on the leg or butt will tell me to stop. Taps on my boot mean
that they're OK and they're with me.

Boy, the next one was a doozy. The Fire Academy has a trailer that has 2
(or 3?) different mazes built into it. The mazes are about 3 feet wide by 3
feet tall. In some places, there are cinder blocks on the floors. Other
places you'll have pipes and wires on the floor or the ceiling. And even in
others, it narrows to about 2 feet tall. No small task especially if you're
wearing an Airpack.

Oh, and did I mention that they close the door so there is absolutely NO
light whatsoever in the trailer?

As I started, my mind was going nuts. "I have a guy behind me whose life
depends on me getting him out" "this is only training" "but what if it was
real" and so on. Then the door closed and all the light was extinguished.

I took a deep breath. I had to. I only had 1/4 of a bottle of air left.
Started along the corridor and stubbed my finger into a cinder block.
Called out the cinder block and we got past them without incident. After a
minute, I realized, this isn't so hard as long as I take it easy. The maze
had us go up levels, and we had to descend through trapdoors to get back down and at each point, I called out what I was coming up against. "It's
really low here, you'll need to slither on your belly" or "trapdoor here,
It's not hot.. I'm going to open it slowly...It's open, I'm feeling with my
arms to see if there's any dangers... " so on and so forth.

When we were done, I felt like doing my best Howard Dean-in-Iowa
impression. It was inviograting. Sure, I made some mistakes (was too
focused on checking what was on the ground in front of me, not checking
what was above me and needed to stop more often and look back at my
partner). Even still, I felt like this was AWESOME and I *can* do this.

Oh, and did I mention that I couldn't wear my hearing aid because of the
ear infection? I was completely and totally deaf the entire time.

Two weeks of FF1, condensed into a viable coalesence of human experience

2004-02-01T21:20:00.000-05:00

Can you identify the source of the paraphrased title? Clicky!

Anyway: The second class of FF1 was CPR and First Aid. Nothing earth-shattering there.

This past saturday was the first of the actual "hands on" experience. We learned about our PPE (Personal Protective Equipment and more to the point, we learned more about our SCBA. More on each later.

Right now, I'm using "hand me downs" from Syosset FD in NY. When I complete my probationary period (after 1 year), I'll be issued my own personal set of turnout gear. Turnout gear is typically made of fire resistant material (sometimes called Nomex or PBI, depending on what its made of). This stuff weighs about 20 lbs and can usually handle temperatures up to about 700 degrees for a a few moments. Gear with PBI can go up to 1200, but that's only going to help you if you've made an incredibly stupid mistake.

We also worked with the SCBA equipment. The SCBA stands for Self-Contained Breathing Appratus, otherwise known as the airpack. My department uses Scott and the carbon-fiber bottles that Scott offers. The bottles are smaller, rated to last 30 minutes (but they usually only last between 15 and 25) but they're very lightweight.

We had to don the SCBA packs in one minute. That meant putting the gear on the ground, along with helmet, gloves and facemask. It may sound easy but when you also have 20 lbs of turnout gear, its tougher. One gentleman in the class popped his knee and will be out of the class. I kept getting my SCBA straps twisted and kept coming in at 1min 5 seconds. After my third try, I finally got it down at 53 seconds. Cool!

Unrelated to Fire Service...

2004-01-19T14:42:00.000-05:00

Digital hearing aids really rock!

I'm sitting at my kitchen table, the kids are having their midday nap and I've got my brand new Sony CD Walkman (thanks for the gift certificates to B&N, mom and dad!)playing some Louis Amstrong.

A few months ago, I made the plunge and bought a new hearing aid. Not just any hearing aid but a Siemens Triano SP digital hearing aid. One of the benefits of the aid is that it is infinitely programmable. Meaning you can program it to amplify/mute certain sounds/frequencies and it has a omnidirectional microphone. Additionally, the SP has 4 different programs. Here's how mine is currently set up:

Program 1: Omnidirectional microphone is on and is set up for moderate background noise and will bring up speech to a normal level. I use this for everyday use and in the fire house.

Program 2: Omnidirectional microphone is on background noise is not removed. Designed to be used for listening to music ior speech in a quiet environment.

Program T: This is for use with phones or other T-coil systems.

Program AB: This is for the audioboot. I've purchased an adapter that will allow me to connect my hearing aid directly to the walkman so I can listen to my music without bothering anyone else.

FF1 - Day 1:

2004-01-18T17:49:00.000-05:00

Some initial impressions:

1. I'm old in a relative sense: Lots of men there. Lots of younger men. I think me and one other person were the only ones above the age of 30. Everyone else was hovering around the 18 year old mark or lower. A very masculine group. One person of color there but the rest of us were lily-white. Then again, the demographics of the volunteer fire service is probably accurately represented.

2. Good instructors They're very committed to what they do and they really make the course understandable. I'm glad I went with a Saturday class.

The next two classes will cover CPR and first aid. In two weeks, we'll actually begin the review of various fire service topics. Yesterday's class covered basic evoutions of fire (how fire behaves) and we also discussed building construction. Fun fun.

Definitely will INSIST on interpreters for all classes from now on. I had someone sitting with me to ensure I was able to follow the context of discussion but even though the instructors were easy to lipread, it's difficult for me to do that for an hour at a time, never mind 8 hours. By noon, I was exhausted.

FireFighter1 class starts tomorrow!

2004-01-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

Today, my friends, is my last day of uneducated, ignorance=bliss firefighting. Tomorrow morning, I leave at 7am for Bucks County Fire Academy to begin my formal schooling in firefightin'.

There was one snafu with the interpreter. They weren't able to get one for the first class. This isn't too much of a problem because the first class will be an introductory class and won't cover the actual materials until next week. Next week there will definitely be an interpreter and we'll be all set.

With the recent cold weather in the Northeast, we've been busy. Last weekend, temperatures on Saturday (1/10) never went over 18degrees. Plenty of chimney fires and water main breaks to keep us busy. I missed most of the action as I was in NJ visiting family.

The past few days, we've had similar weather. Today was the coldest. Low temps last night were about -3 degrees. Highs today about 14 degrees. A few calls this afternoon for water main breaks or sprinkler heads breaking. Nothing major.

I'll try and write again this weekend regarding my first FA class.

First actual fire!

2003-12-21T10:57:00.000-05:00

I've just returned from my first actual live fire. It was a dumpster that was on fire. Let's start at the beginning:

I had just finished cooking breakfast for the family using Challah bread I bought a few minutes earlier. After eating my first piece of this great french-toast, I was about to dig into the plate when I had a serious case of beepilepsy.

Reaching for my pager, I read:
--------------
2705 MARYANNES CT-MONTG
FTR-TRASH/DUMPSTER FIRE
TRUCKS: 18E
XST: 3308 HEMMINGWAY DR-MG
NOTES: IN FRONT OF....
-------------
Challah or fire call. It was an easy decision. I gave the kids and Sarah a kiss and ran out the door. Arriving at the station along with Frankie D, I got suited up while Frankie started up the Squad. In short order, Bernie, Carmen and Michael jumped in the back while Seth rode up front in the officer's position.

En-route, I helped the others get their gear and SCBA on. Upon arrival in the development, I was looking for smoke or fire but couldn't see anything. After rounding the final turn, there it was: A dumpster fully involved with flames licking out the sides and smoke pouring out the top.

This isn't the actual picture but its close:

Other FFs put the fire out using the front-mounted hose off the Squad. I assisted by giving them the tools they needed (eg. pike poles, etc.). After the fire was out, they gave me a walk-through of what they did to knock it out and why they used various tools.

The fire apparently started because someone threw the remnants of their fireplace in the dumpster. I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy so I usually like to think people are smarter than that, but this just proved me wrong.

Afterwards, we cleaned up the hoses, and re-filled the tank. I left with strict orders to update the blog as I've been neglecting this po' baby for a few weeks. Many apologies.

Been a while..

2003-12-01T23:34:00.000-05:00

So sorry. Life intrudes and one loses track of time. The only reason I'm writing now is because I'm grabbing a quick bowl of cereal after the most grueling drill session yet.

Today, we did high-rise drills. Since I haven't taken any of the FF1/FF2 courses yet, I did mostly fireground support. Part of this meant dragging the dummy to the upper floors. Its a 300 lb dummy meant to simulate the weight of either a person who's completely out of it OR a typical firefighter completely decked out in FF gear.

The other part of the session was a flashover simulator. A flashover occurs when the temperature intensity in the room is so hot that the gases that have accumulated at the top of the ceiling begin to ignite. Even though this was a "fake" fire, I could feel the heat and really appreciated the protection the turnout gear offers.

More to come. Gotta drink some water.

Changes to this blog

2003-10-06T10:27:00.000-05:00

Out of the Closet
You may have noticed that I've started identifying myself and the department I belong to in the header of this blog even though I'd originally said I wouldn't.

After the news articles came out and essentially "outed me", I figured trying to hide was just an exercise in futility.

Open up the bomb bay doors...
Yesterday, we had our open-house for the community to come and check out the station house and the trucks. I got some great pictures and I'm disappointed I can't share them with you on this freebie blogspot site. If I ever do get them uploaded somewhere and get links, then I'll "post" 'em here.

Events and Un-events...

2003-10-03T21:28:00.000-05:00

October is Fire Prevention Month. If your local fire department is having an open house, take a moment and pay them a visit. If they're raising money, please donate.

This past week has been busy. On Saturday, we had a ropes drill and practiced rappelling. I hadn't done that since freshman year of college (11 years ago if you're counting) and it was a blast.

Monday was the regular drill night. I had planned to stay a short time but ended up staying for it all.

Wednesday, I went to help out with stuffing the envelopes for the fund raising drive. If you ever want a sample of my DNA, take a swab of the envelope. :-)

Thursday: My Loo (Lt.) and I took a ride down to Swarthmore's Fire Department where they also have a deaf firefighter. We talked with him and the officers to find out how training and fireground activities were done there.

Today: nothing.
Saturday: Nothing.
Sunday: Open house at FDMT from 10am to 5pm. Stop by!

Next friday is our golf tournament. I still need a fourth. Please let me know if you can come! :-)

Not much else is going on. I'll keep blogging when I have a few minutes.

Isabel and More Media Interest:

2003-09-21T19:17:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, September 18th, Isabel roared ashore in North Carolina slightly after noon. 12 hours later, her effects were being fully felt in Montgomery Township. High winds and horozintal rain made it fun to watch out the bay door windows.

Fortunately, for us, we didn't have any calls during the height of the storm. I would've HATED having to go out there during that time.

But we did have some false alarms near the end of the overnite shift. Nothing major.

More Media Interest

The Reporter, based in Lansdale, published this article:
The Reporter Article

I've had some people coming up to me and discussing the article. It's gratifying to see the gears turning in their head when they walk away.

Media Interest...

2003-09-17T14:49:00.000-05:00

A very well written article about me and what I expect going forward in regards to the department.

I'm glad the author didn't try to make me out to be "more" than just a regular guy who happens to be deaf joining the fire department. Two more stories to come out shortly. I'll post those links soon.

The Intelligencer - Bucks/Montgomery County

Tomorrow night will likely be my first overnight duty assignment at the station. Some of us will be spending the day/night while Isabel pays a visit to ensure the station is fully staffed. I'll keep a journal and post it here later.

(by the way: whose bright idea was it to put the 'd' next to the 'f' on the keyboard.. i keep typing "dead" instead of "deaf". )

9-11-01 Rememberance

2003-09-11T21:30:00.000-05:00

Today, we had a memorial service for the men and women who were killed on 9-11-01.

The Chief asked officers to read portions of "Report from Ground Zero", a book that compiles the stories of various firefighters who told their 9/11 stories and the stories of the cleanup work afterwards.

He then asked one of the senior firefighters in the department to read the names of all firefighters who were killed in the attacks. Reading 343 names takes a while and the entire time, I was thinking to myself, "Would I? Would I have gone up when everyone else was going down?" It's hard to answer that question today as a new firefighter and a father of two little boys. Could I leave my boys without a father and Sarah without a husband trying to save the lives of strangers?

I don't know the answer to that question and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I do know that those who died didn't plan on dying that day. I guess not knowing the answer means simply living one day at a time. I know it's trite but that's the only answer I can think of that provides any comfort.

At the end of the name-reading, the senior firefighter presented the department with a heavy steel cross welded together from the remnants of the World Trade Center. In the middle, the number 343 represents all the firefighters who died.

Not much I can say after that.

My purpose, defined.

2003-09-09T15:11:00.000-05:00

During the drill last night (phsaw.. drill shrmill.. it was check-the-equipment and clean-the-apparatus-bay day! Very necessary work though), I had a long talk with the president of the Fire Company. In it, I told him what my goals were as far as contributing to the department.

1. I want to become THE expert when it comes to pre-planning for emergencies and training firefighters on how to properly respond to calls that involve disabled people and the elderly.

2. I want to become a resource when it comes to vehicle extrication. I figure this is where I can contribute most in terms of operations. In a vehicle extrication, I have a fairly good view of the entire staging area.

Additionally, vehicle extrications are not fast-paced activities. There's an almost slow motion ballet going one during an extrication, with the portable compressors and the slow movements of the extrication tools. Every firefighter has a buddy and the slower pace means my communication efforts with other firefighters will be clearer and less impeded by the natural adrenaline rush that comes with structural fires.

3. My role at structural fires will be limited to manpower assistance (helping with tools and SCBA packs), running hoses, etc.. These limitations are completely voluntary. I don't want to put myself or any other firefighter in increased danger because of my hearing loss.

In return, the department president asked me to do the following:

1. Develop standard operating guidelines for safely evacuating disabled/elderly people. For example, a paraplegic poses very unique concerns from a rescuer's perspective: carrying them using the outdated "Fireman's Carry" poses a risk of severely damaging lungs or exacerbating the existing injury.

2. Promote the message that deaf/disabled people CAN contribute to their communities by joining their local volunteer fire/EMS/police departments. The roles they play may not be as varied as those available to an able-bodied person but the work is just as honorable. Getting a hose to the right place makes sure the firefighters can do their work. Making sure the computer system is up and running to receive dispatches makes sure the ambulance can get to its destination without delay.

3. Teach the firefighters the gospel truth (my words) on how non-verbal communication is the best way to communicate in a noisy environment. People have a habit of just raising their voice if it's noisy. You can save time by gesturing and getting your point across.

That's it for now. I hav emore later.

First General Meeting

2003-09-08T17:45:00.000-05:00

This is going to be a quickie because I have drill night tonite in 20 minutes. Last night, we had our first "drill" night. Since it was my first time, I was going to go in and basically watch and see how the meeting progressed before making any definite changes to how I'll participate.

BUT:

Before the meeting started, we received a call to an automatic fire alarm. I was walking to the soda machine when I heard the tones go off. Since I can't really hear in the high pitches, I didn't realize they were OUR tones. I saw guys running to their lockers and it hit me: a call.

Adrenaline rushing, I got my turnout gear on and got on the ladder truck only to find it was full. The Squad truck, however, had seats and I rode on Squad 18 to the call. It was my first call and I must've looked like a kid in a candy store with a big grin on his face and his eyes wide as dinner plates.

Fortunately for the homeowner and unfortunately for me, it was cancelled enroute and we turned around.

Awesome high.

Tonight is the weekly drill night. It will cover tanker tactics, etc.

I'll post soon regarding our department's 9/11/01 rememberance ceremony on Thursday evening.

I've been in touch with 3 other deaf firefighters. I'll be meeting up with another one in the SE PA area soon and hopefully, we'll use this as a "team blog" to cross-post our experiences and questions on the blog.

It's been a while..

2003-09-05T05:44:00.000-05:00

Yours truly is an idjit. I figured the new AOL journals might be a better place to host the journals because I thought they offered more functionality than the freebie blogspot does. While this is true, AOL doesn't really make note of the fact that EVERYONE has to have some type of AOL screenname in order to access it. That is definitely not cool.

I have several posts over there. When I have a chance, I'll be copy/pasting them over here.

Not much has been going on as of late because of summer. Some of my postings in the AOL journal has more information.

First Drill Nite

2003-08-12T20:50:00.000-05:00

Today was my first drill night. Typically, drill night is when members of the department get together to reinforce old skills or learn new ones. Unfortunately, tonite was a new-skill lesson for Rapid Intervention Teams and this meant it was a classroom lecture. I didn't have an interpreter because I didn't have enough advance notice.

However, I did a lot of research on the topic of Rapid Intervention Teams beforehand and was able to keep up decently. Basically speaking, RIT's are rescue teams that are ONLY to be used when a firefighter is in distress. They must be kept in reserve and cannot really do any work on the fire except wait for the "May Day" call. I had been thinking about looking into this as a role for me within the organization but during the course of the class, I realized it's not for a deaf person to fulfill. Mainly, the rescuers need to be able to hear a PASS device which is a strobe/alarm that is activated if the firefighter has not moved in XX seconds. To be tasked with rescuing a firefighter that's already down and where precious seconds count, that's a role that requires ALL senses.

My previous post regarding the un-happy FF was a fluke. Apparently, this guy is like this to everyone. No idea what the other fella's story was though.

Later this week, we'll meet again to go over training requirements, etc.. Should be fun.

Hmm...

2003-08-06T17:02:00.000-05:00

I had my first taste today that not everyone in the department was thrilled about having me. I had a short day at work today. Wife took the kids to a friends house and I thought I'd stop by and introduce myself to some more folks.

I met up with the Engineering officer (who happens to be a neighbor of mine) and he greeted me warmly and told me to feel free to walk around and check things out. I met up with the Deputy Chief (who I'd met earlier) and he said I'll likely get some turnout gear (hand-me-downs, of course.. I am a probie at this point anyway) this coming Monday and participate in the drills.

After Engineering officer and Dep. Chief left, I went to introduce myself to two other FFs who were talking on one of the engines. After I introduced myself; one guy got up and walked away and the other was looking at his cell phone intently.

I kind of get the feeling that there will likely be an element within the department that needs convincing. The higher-ups have been nothing but supportive of me.

Strangely, I'm not discouraged by this incident. I think once I show them I'm just as capable of jamming a Halligan bar into a car door or running 200 yards to the nearest hydrant and getting it going, they'll warm up.

I added a link to my e-mail account. Feel free to let me know what you think!

Introduction

2003-08-06T07:01:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I'm a 30 year old deaf guy who is in the process of becoming a volunteer firefighter. I have a wonderful wife and two young sons. I'm profoundly deaf and was born with a significant hearing loss. I grew up in the oral tradition (meaning I spoke and read lips only). My hometown is in northern New Jersey and I currently live in the Philadelphia region working as a project manager/programmer for a large corporation.

When I was younger, I was always under the impression that deaf people couldn't be firefighters (FF's) because the risks that hearing FF's already face are greatly increased. At least that was my impression. I never really had the guts to find out more.

While I was at Gallaudet University, there was a short-lived attempt to create an on-campus first-responders team of all deaf students but that fell short due to bureaucracy. After that, my "dream" fell to the wayside.

When my older son got a new pair of sandals with little fire trucks on them, he started asking what they were. I took him to the local station a few times and got to meet many of the volunteers there.

Figuring the worst that could happen is "they say no..", I e-mailed the membership director and asked him if I could join. To my surprise, they said not only could I join them, but they would support me in whatever role I chose.

This past week, my application to join was accepted and I observed my first drill night the other day. It was a community drill night (meaning they went to a local park and put on demonstrations for residents in the area) so I was content to just watch.

During the drill, many of the firefighters came up to me and said, "Hey, you're XXXX, aren't you?". This always makes me feel great because people tend to identify others by characteristics. In other words, you're more likely to remember Bob from the sales convention a few years ago because he has a combover that would give Vidal Sasson conniption fits. I was mentally prepared for someone to say, "hey, you're that deaf guy we voted in.." but it didn't happen.

The president of the fire company came to me during the drill and we got to talking about what I'm doing. I thanked him for giving me the opportunity. He made a great point: if a fire company is to be comprised of volunteers from the community, then it has to be welcoming to ALL people. Otherwise, it becomes an ol' boys club or an exclusive fraternity of those guys that ride big red trucks.

At this point, it's summer and many people are away on vacation so progress will be slow. I anticipate things picking up during the fall.

You may notice that I'm not explicitly identifying myself or the department I am joining. This is because there are very strong feelings within the firefighting community about people with any type of physical limitations joining up. See this thread from firehouse.com which basically shows you're either for or against the idea. Fortunately, my experience has been very positive.

I've created this blog as a resource for other deaf people that may want to join the emergency services so they can learn from my mistakes (I'm sure I'll make a few), see that they're not alone and celebrate the succeses. In time, I hope to create an on-line community of deaf emergency responders to get more deaf people involved!