Courage Under Fire: West Palm Beach Style

I was raised in the home of a volunteer firefighter.  One to later became a ranking officer and moved up the ladder to Fire Chief.  I'm very proud of my father.  In fact, I wanted to be like him.  I always enjoyed being at the fire station and the guys were an extended part of our family, and always will be.
In fact, before becoming a mom, I was a firefighter for five years. Although I would never change being a mom over being a firefighter, I do miss the lights and sirens, the adrenaline rush, the unknown.  It took a while for me to get use to the fact that I would never fight fires again.  What made it even harder was my husband and I moved just blocks away from the busiest station in the nation - Fire-Rescue Station #2, Fort Lauderdale, FL!

With that being said, I jumped on the chance to visit the Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum's special exhibit "Courage Under Fire: 120 years of Fire Rescue".  The exhibit talked about the tradition of being a volunteer and how it played a large role in Palm Beach County.

In the past, I was the one giving tours and explaining how things worked, not the other way around.  I enjoyed listening to the women (no fire department background) talk about fighting fires and the requirements it takes.  Our department you did not have to have an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) license.  Our fire was separate from our medical.  Today, many departments are requiring you to have your Firefighter I and 2 and your medic license.

As I look back over my notes the volunteers in West Palm Beach were called "Flagler Alerts".  Like many other volunteer fire departments, they left their homes and/or businesses to put out fires that threatened neighbors, friends and sometimes even family.  When World War II (1939-1945) started, many firefighters were called to serve resulting in a severe loss of man power resulting in Chief Alfred Sadler organizing auxiliary firemen.

The docent also talked about multiple West Palm Beach fires that were instrumental in code requirements today.

I really wished that they had handouts so we could research more of what we learned (and refresh our memories) because some of the fires really were interesting.


Fun Facts:

• June 1903: Firefighters efforts to battle the blaze at The Breakers Hotel was delayed due to a bridge tender.  He would not allow firefighters to cross until each had paid the nickle toll!  What was even funnier was that Henry Flagler repaid each firefighter their five cents.  
• Henry Flagler donated the first pieces of firefighting equipment.  Thus the name Flagler Alerts - the name of the volunteers.  

Epilepsy Term Tuesday

Many who read this already know that I suffer from epilepsy.  In fact, I had my first grand mal seizure on my birthday 13 years ago but did you know that prior to that I suffered from simple partial seizures?  I was diagnosed with seizures three years prior when I was a freshman in college.  That was a HUGE blow.  I questioned everything.  I wanted to die.  I didn't want to be a burden on anyone, specifically my parents (I was still living at home.)  I found a journal that I kept during that time and just reading a few of the entries I sobbed.  It's only been in the last couple of years that I have felt comfortable telling people I have seizures.  I don't like when people look at me different or treat me different.  I am the same as you.  I just happen to have a RAM chip that is bad (it's a computer term.) When I was first told that I was having seizures the doctor described it like this:

Pretend that you are a computer.  Something happens and your computer crashes - that blue screen of death?  When you are able to reboot your computer sometimes files have been corrupted.  That's your brain.  It's the computer and the files are your memories and functions.  When you have a seizure it is the blue screen of death.  The memories are the files that sometimes are corrupted or misplaced.

Yep.  So that is how I was introduced to seizures.  I would frequently be talking to someone and stop mid-sentence either forgetting what I was talking about or what I was doing.  Just normal every day stuff.

Since my first seizures were "Simple Partial" seizures, I found the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida's Facebook page and am sharing their #TermTuesday and #TypeTuesdays image.

A Trip to the Farm

For the last month things have been pretty chaotic in my little apartment complex - multiple visits from fire-rescue due to the failing health of a neighbor to our own fire in the garage.  Last week was no different.  I posted last week about our fire right?  Things happen in threes and that was number 6 or 7.  Either way, things were to start looking up...

The very next day we had a field trip to Bedner's Farm in Boynton Beach.  It was advertised by our homeschool group as a "working farm."  Now I am from the Midwest and I am thinking large farm with barn(s) full of animals, tractors, combines, fields full of corn and soybeans.  Now remember we are in Florida...a swamp.  You know as in Shrek?  Anyway, we are in southern Florida and I couldn't for the life of me, figure out where in the world they were going to have a farm of any real size unless it was in northern Florida.  Prior to our visit I had learned that we grow a lot of oranges (duh) and sugar cane (and mosquitoes!)


The munchkin and I drive over an hour to get to this beautiful little area that reminded me of home.  Houses weren't on top of each other, there wasn't miles and miles of concrete, instead, there were canals and lots and lots of tree farms and smaller U-Pick farms.  It is actually Bedner's Farm Fresh Market.  This property butts right up against a portion of the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.  Pretty cool if I do say so myself.

We had a wonderful tour guide who let us pick strawberries at the U-Pick section and then showed us where they grow all the other crops that are available in their Farmer's Market area.  There were strawberries, sweet corn, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflowers, and a number of other crops on a small scale.  Our guide let the children (and adults) have samples of the fresh fruits and veggies, explained the differences, and told more about crops they grow and what is grown in the great state of Florida.  The kids really enjoyed it and kept asking for sweet corn.  I think it was probably the best sweet corn I have had in years!

 When we were done with our little tour, they took us for a wagon ride to a boardwalk area in the wildlife refuge.  It was about 2 miles to the boardwalk and we saw a number of alligators and wild birds.  Once we got to the boardwalk they cautioned everyone that when we saw a gator not to lean against the railings but to stand back.  I thought it was strange until they informed us that alligators can jump 6-8 feet out of the water.  I haven't been able to confirm this but no matter what, I'm not going to take my chances!

As we pulled up I noticed a little stream of smoke coming from the north that was gradually growing larger.  I know that they burn off land just like we do back home and I am also aware that there had been some fires due to lightning recently so I really didn't think much of it until...we saw a fire-rescue dive team pull up.  Followed by a fire-rescue unit, and a pumper, and another rescue, and...the list went on and on.  Lights, sirens, people hustling and bustling.  It was quite chaotic.  Exciting for me (and the kids).

Second unit on scene.  If you look real close on the far 

right you can see smoke.

Our driver decided it was time to head out so we weren't in the way, which was a good decision on his part because as we were headed back to the farm, they closed the road.  What we later discovered was that a small plane crashed.  Sad to hear but it definitely made for a field trip to remember.

Thank you Bedner's Farm for a terrific visit!

It Will Never Happen To Me...

Before I got married I was a firefighter.  For 5 years, I responded to natural cover fires, taught children and seniors about fire safety, and dreaded when we were called out to a structure fire.  I went on so many calls that children were involved either by setting the fire or just being affected by the fire, I started a fire prevention program for children and adults.

My original major in college was elementary education but it quickly changed to Crisis and Disaster Management with an emphasis on Fire Science.  My parents weren't exactly happy about my decision but after all it is/was my decision and I would make it again in a heartbeat.  

After having my daughter my firefighting career was no longer an option.  Although devastating, my life has taken a new path which I love and would change for the world.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed teaching the kiddos and working in the fire service and hope to one day again be doing just that.  I loved teaching children about fire safety and senior adults how to use a fire extinguisher and installing smoke detectors,

Instead I spend my days teaching my daughter - I homeschool!  I also am an active participant in my local CERT program.

Firefighters never have fires right?  Wrong.  Remember the title of this post?  "It Will Never Happen To Me..."  Well it did.  On Sunday, we had a little fire in our garage.  From upstairs it looked large but in fact it was "small." It resulted in a burnt up fan (the cause), lots and lots of smoke, and the death of our beloved air compressor.  I was able to quickly put it out, but it made me think of a few things afterwards.

I spent all that time while I was at the fire department teaching children and seniors how to use a fire extinguisher and not once had I taught my tween daughter!  I did not have to use all of the extinguisher on the fire and when the fire department arrived I was able to do a quick presentation (and demonstration) on how to use a fire extinguisher.  A firefighter friend also showed my husband and daughter how they use thermal imaging cameras to check for "hot spots."

So the next time you think "it will never happen to me" think again.  Also make sure to have working smoke detectors AND fire extinguishers in your home and garage.