“Chances are many of us have worked feeling worse than how some people who are infected with COVID-19 feel.  That is the challenge, and it is up to every one of us to figure out how best to overcome it.” My latest Engine Co. EMS column at Fire Engineering talks about doing the job, even […]

“We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.” ― Konstantin Josef Jireček I think that guy was a firefighter. In a perfect world, engine company EMS would mean that […]

Working on Christmas Christmas Day has managed to be the one day of the year when the world shuts down; tranquility reigns and people allow themselves the luxury of some well earned down time. In my lifetime I have seen other holidays crumble as the fast paced world we have created overtakes our need for […]

One of my favorite Christmas Time traditions is the Advent Ghost Story collections. The rules are, 100 words, no more, no less. And the creepier the better! This is my contribution for 2019, so pour yourself a cups, grab some gruel, lock up the kids and settle in for some spellbinding stories . . . […]

Stave I   Michaelmorser Scrooge returned to quarters, the fog heavy in the Providence air, horns from the bay warning the ships that still worked this Christmas Eve to steer clear of the rocky outcroppings. He climbed the stairs at the old firehouse, reluctantly entering the dayroom where the members of Engine 13 sat gathered […]

I was not a selfless firefighter, nor did I ever pretend to be. Without decent pay and great benefits I would have been forced to take my ability and passion for helping people elsewhere. I may have volunteered if my community needed me, but the city in which I reside has a great fire department […]

“The more we give, the lighter our journey becomes” – Michael Morse November 30, 2019/RINewsToday by Michael Morse “What have you been up to?” I asked my friend (and co-worker), Stephanie. She was beaming, energized, and a bit dusty. “We just finished a fall clean-up for the nicest couple,” she said, her smile lighting up […]

Shop in your district, prepare your feast, enjoy the company of firefighters who truly understand the meaning of giving thanks and never apologise for doing so.     We love to eat. We love to cook. We love to visit the stores, familiarize ourselves with the district, interact with the people we are paid to […]

General Order 1, effective 1 Jan 20 @ 0800 hrs. I’m taking over EMS. I’m turning it into a national organization, and renaming it THE EMS. (pronounced like THE FBI, not The CIA) – New uniforms will be issued, black shirts and trousers, with a big yellow EMS in capitol letters emblazoned on the back, […]

Mutual Aid, well ain’t that great! Sounds great, but it ain’t. What it is, is one city or town saving money on the backs of other cities and towns. What it ain’t is some precursor to a nifty little consolidation of services plan that will save taxpayers millions while providing the same or better level […]