FE Volume 163 Issue 1

First identified in California, Texas, and Mexico during April 2009, swine flu continues to stress government, health care, and public safety resources. As entire nations illogically began slaughtering their pig populations, the virus was quickly renamed the 2009 H1N1 influenza. Within weeks of appearing, the virus swept across every continent. In North America, H1N1 skipped the normal summer vacation taken by flu viruses, continually producing low levels of illness that lasted into our current flu season. Thus far, H1N1 appears to have outdone its competition and has become the dominant seasonal influenza virus. H1N1 lessons have been many, and there are likely more to come. If we can profit from our experience, the future may call these “lessons learned.”

Firefighters are always resourceful. No matter what the circumstances, they will almost always find a way to accomplish their goal, which in training is always a great thing.

British politician Benjamin Disraeli once said, “There are lies and damn lies and statistics.” We need to remember important words like these when we are being subjected to unjust criticism, specifically when one of our most successful institutions is being attacked, as was the case when the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program was recently disparaged by the Heritage Foundation.

While responding to a second alarm in the tower ladder, the chauffeur told the covering officer to ask the dispatcher if there were any “special instructions” for our tower ladder. The officer looked at him kind of funny, but the chauffeur insisted he ask. The dispatcher responded with specific instructions for the tower ladder to respond in from a certain direction and to be prepared for an exterior operation. The chauffeur heard the instructions and gave the officer that “I told you so!” look.