Thirty nine times the sheriffs were called to the kids home. Thirty nine opportunities to get him help, put him away, take his guns away and keep them away. How many times was I called to the home of an “emotional male” and failed to take him away, get him help or do much of […]

“What did he stab you with?” “What does that matter?” “It matters a lot.” “He stabbed me, just stop the bleeding.” “Did you see the knife?” “What is this! I told you it don’t matter.” “Actually, it does matter. In a minute, tops, your left lung is going to collapse, your chest cavity is filling […]

With nowhere else to turn, I turned to Local 799, The Providence Firefighters union. My wife had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis a year ago, just as I started the 42nd Acadamy of The Providence  Fire Department. One door opened, and it looked like another had shut, but looks are deceiving. With a lot of […]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue_WGVsZWKY My kids took sailing lessons there. Friends have married there.  I always thought it would be there. I drive by it every day, most times never looking down the hill. Today I slowed to a crawl, and looked down the hill, and it was gone. And it isn’t coming back. I just thought it […]

It is always more horrifying when there is a mass casualty, but for the person being killed, only one matters. I treated a lot of gunshot wounds during my time as a firefighter/EMT. I saw a lot of dead kids. Most were involved in something illegal, many shot themselves, none ever had a chance. Kids […]

  I first felt it nearly twenty five years ago. A glow in the distance, cold wind snapping through the tiller cab, not needed to keep me awake, the promise of fire in the distance got my heart pumping. A tillerman on the Providence Fire Department heading toward a two alarm fire in the middle […]

Due to the overabundance of misery in the emergency medical field, of which yours truly is an active participant, I hereby suggest the following schedule of miserableness be implemented: 0800-1000 hrs Firefighters 1000-1200 hrs EMT-Paramedics 1200-1300 hrs Lunch-misery at will 1300- 1500 hrs Nurses 1500-1700 hrs Doctors 1700-1900 hrs Security 1900-2000 hrs Dinner-misery at will […]

Surviving the Station Fire, fifteen years later… https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Station_nightclub_fire “Don’t you make fun of me!” she shouted at the super market customers who walked past her. People came and went, some gawking, some ignoring, some just glancing our way. A spilled gallon of milk rested between her legs, a bag of groceries sat next to her, […]

Beautiful moment during a heartbreaking time, citizens, career and volunteer, paying tribute to one of our own.   “We saw some incredible support today as we escorted our friend back to town; Providence Fire, Limerock, Manville, Woonsocket, North Smithfield, all of the Burrillville companies, Pascoag Utility, the workers from WellOne … but out of all […]

Thoughts and prayers for the victims, thanks and respect for the people who respond, like Aaron Feis who died protecting his students. . . “Terror has no place in the mind and actions of the first responder. We are the antithesis of terror. We are representatives of the potential of humanity–the kindness, compassion, competence, and […]