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[jobu72]

As a side note, I grudgingly had to stop by Walmart to exchange a gift. It was the one over on Arlington Rd in Akron. To my surprise, there was an actual police officer in full uniform and armed standing guard outside the main entrance being very visible with the car parked out front as well. And he was there when I left, too.

I guess with all these issues going on at Walmart they decided to beef up security. Not that I'd ever go there unarmed anyway.

[Ed_S]

Mom was a frequent flyer on the 911 detail for a while, and he remembered us.

OK, that tells me what side of the township she's on. I work at the South Avenue station - the one that was closed for 9 months. I have enough time on that I won't be laid off - ever. I can retire whenever I want to. I have more than the minimum amount of time in. When our station closed, they moved us to the main station, because that's where most of the guys who did get laid off worked. I wouldn't have done things the way they did, but nobody asked me for my opinion.

She'll be 94 in May. She can barely walk anymore, but is otherwise in pretty good health. One night, responding to the 911 call, I parked out on the street, figuring the "engine" would go the other way on the circle she lives on. They didn't, and whacked the neighbor kid's basketball hoop.... No damage, but it was kinda funny....

I'll have to ask him about that!

I'm really glad that levy passed! (Some of the fire houses were closed for a while.) Made a mess out of response times....

Regards,

Thank you, sir, and you're right - response times did suffer. Especially to the remote areas of the eastern third of the township. And for a while there, the guys at the station near your mom never knew if they were going to be open from one day to the next.

Politics- don't ya love it?

[SMMAssociates]

Mom was a frequent flyer on the 911 detail for a while, and he remembered us.

OK, that tells me what side of the township she's on. I work at the South Avenue station - the one that was closed for 9 months. I have enough time on that I won't be laid off - ever. I can retire whenever I want to. I have more than the minimum amount of time in. When our station closed, they moved us to the main station, because that's where most of the guys who did get laid off worked. I wouldn't have done things the way they did, but nobody asked me for my opinion.

Expecting logic in Boardman is only slightly less silly than expecting it in Youngstown .... Pretty much the same old "right way, wrong way, and the Army way".... But you knew that....

She'll be 94 in May. She can barely walk anymore, but is otherwise in pretty good health. One night, responding to the 911 call, I parked out on the street, figuring the "engine" would go the other way on the circle she lives on. They didn't, and whacked the neighbor kid's basketball hoop.... No damage, but it was kinda funny....

I'll have to ask him about that!

The kids' hoop was one of those huge plastic things - at least 7' tall, etc., but not well weighted or all that. It just fell down. Probably the side mirror on the engine.... Really no way to avoid it, but what surprised me was that the driver didn't just take the other side of the circle - no need to make a sharp right. The "circle" is more a "P" shaped thing - a straight line into the curve, and then back around an making a 90 degree connection. Once in a while I miss the old "Squads" .... 'Course, getting rid of them was probably financially sound. Reminds me of the flap over YFD (I don't think it was BFD ) picking up lunch at McD's or wherever while driving the big rig.... (If the truck is "out" anyway, and you're not trying to stuff ten pounds of vehicle in a five pound drive-through lane, it's got to be more efficient to just make the pickup than to go back to the station and get a cheaper-to-operate or personal vehicle.)

I'm really glad that levy passed! (Some of the fire houses were closed for a while.) Made a mess out of response times....

Thank you, sir, and you're right - response times did suffer. Especially to the remote areas of the eastern third of the township. And for a while there, the guys at the station near your mom never knew if they were going to be open from one day to the next.

Politics- don't ya love it?

"Sir"? .... But BFD is a small FD, and being short staffed (especially with stations closed), causes all kinds of problems for everybody. The Township is normal sized for NE OH, but quite densely populated. It's all together too easy to be a long way off.... Especially in bad weather or during peak drive times. Way too many two-lane roads to further help things along.... (Sometimes there is no place to pull over....)

I vote for those levies without too much thinking.... I hate to say that I trust the Trustees on this, but the PD and FD folks generally go public on their needs.... We ain't gonna talk about the palatial new #4 house - besides I have it on good authority it was built by elves and just appeared there one day.

(It was needed.... And we need a new "main" FD building, too.... Then there's the matter of the #2 house, which doesn't appear to exist at all....)

Regards,

[Ed_S]

Once in a while I miss the old "Squads" .... 'Course, getting rid of them was probably financially sound.

It comes down to manpower as much as efficiency. We stopped running the squad truck when there were 4 guys, including the assistant chief, on duty at the main station, where the squad was kept. The outlying stations always ran EMS calls with the engine. When a working fire came in, those 4 guys took the engine, the ladder truck, and the squad, just to get all the equipment on the trucks to the scene. The Powers That Be started looking at saving a buck a long time ago. When it came time to replace the squad truck they instead took the equipment it carried and divided it between the engine and ladder. Then we could at least have 2 guys in the truck when we were bobbing and weaving down 224. And we saved the cost of a new truck.

Reminds me of the flap over YFD (I don't think it was BFD ) picking up lunch at McD's or wherever while driving the big rig.... (If the truck is "out" anyway, and you're not trying to stuff ten pounds of vehicle in a five pound drive-through lane, it's got to be more efficient to just make the pickup than to go back to the station and get a cheaper-to-operate or personal vehicle.)

The flap about that, that I remember, was when McKelvey first became mayor of Youngstown. Someone complained to him about the YFD taking their big, expensive, fuel-guzzling truck to the grocery store. McKelvey put out a decree that the practice would stop. He did not think about the fact that sometimes the YFD moves people around, so if you've planned to eat dinner at Station 6 and you get moved to Station 15, you're outta luck if you can't go shopping. Sending one man in a car or pickup truck is not the answer, for a number of reasons - among them, first of all, you don't split up the crew. If a call comes in, does the guy doing the shopping respond in his Cavalier? Does the rest of the crew wait for him back at the station so he can get on the truck? Also, there's the little matter of liability - if he's shopping in his personal vehicle on 'company time' and gets in a wreck, whose insurance will cover it? Long story short - the practice continues today.

BFD is a small FD, and being short staffed (especially with stations closed), causes all kinds of problems for everybody. The Township is normal sized for NE OH, but quite densely populated.

About 45,000 people in a 25 square mile area. Right now 2 shifts of 11 men and one of 12, including officers.

It's all together too easy to be a long way off.... Especially in bad weather or during peak drive times. Way too many two-lane roads to further help things along.... (Sometimes there is no place to pull over....)

I vote for those levies without too much thinking.... I hate to say that I trust the Trustees on this, but the PD and FD folks generally go public on their needs.... We ain't gonna talk about the palatial new #4 house - besides I have it on good authority it was built by elves and just appeared there one day.

If you happen to be in that neighborhood and notice a silver Dodge pickup (standard cab, 8' bed, half ton) parked behind the #4 (South Ave) station, I'm there as long as the big red truck is there. Stop in and say Hi. I'm on vacation this week, though - I'll go back on the 5th.

(It was needed.... And we need a new "main" FD building, too.... Then there's the matter of the #2 house, which doesn't appear to exist at all....)

I worked in the tiny little old #4 station, the whole of which would fit on the apparatus floor of the new one, with room to spare. Talk about close quarters and no privacy! A WW II submarine has more room! We went from one extreme to the other, but the Shields and Lockwood station (#3) is just as big, floor-plan-wise. It just isn't as impressive-looking from the street. As for the missing #2, well, 'way back when, the #1 station was at Willow and Market. That was the police station, too. The old station #2 was where the living quarters of the present #1 is. When the old #1 became the police station only, they added the apparatus floor onto the old #2 and remodeled the old building into offices and living quarters, and called it #1. But they never renumbered 3 and 4. Demographic studies for the last 20+ years that I know of have recommended building a station south of 224, and if they ever do, it'll be #2.

[Hi-Power66]

Sounds like what you did was prudent. You cant second guess your instincts folks. If the hair on the back of your neck stands up its for a reason.
If you are soo scared of a trial and being sued I really dont think concealed carry is your thing. Your going to out think yourself and end up seriously hurt or worse. My advise is as soon as you apply for your CHL find the best pro gun attourney in your area and go have a talk with them. Its worth a $100 for a legal perspective. It did wonders for my piece of mind. How do you find one? You could do what I did and ask the Sheriff that was filling out your papers. They know all the local lawyers and can recommend one to you. Alot of lawyers carry..job hazard and all! His advise to me was be vigilant, be an adult, and if [deleted -- TR] give him a call.

[thunder-chicken]

The flash light is a good idea, i never thought of that before. Any paticular kind i should buy??

[cmarks03]

The flash light is a good idea, i never thought of that before. Any paticular kind i should buy??

Don't buy the 2 pack of mini 9-LED lights for $6. They don't work so well. Though my $2 light of a similar style from Woodville Surplus worked perfectly until I lost it. So I guess I'd second that question.

[Sparks2112]

The flash light is a good idea, i never thought of that before. Any paticular kind i should buy??

I use the Surefire 6P. Works well for me.