Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore paled in comparison to the devastation wrought by the Mountain Pine Beetle!
Hundreds of thousands of acres decimated. What should have been nice luscious green trees were brown and dying.

However, I was quite impressed with Mouth Rushmore, which is only about a 30 or so minute drive from Rapid City, South Dakota.

And then there was Crazy Horse. The four heads of Mount Rushmore could fit into the face of Crazy Horse. It's that huge! Also enjoyed visiting Wall Drug and the Badlands. And of course I had to stop at Little Big Horn. I highly recommend that stop. Listen to a Ranger lead tour, and then take advantage of the tour offered by the Crow Indians. Hear their side of the battle. Quite interesting.

http://www.rcgov.org/Fire/index.html

Courage, Duty, Honor

Fire fighters aren't the only people to display such traits.
I thank God for our military personnel and police officers too.
There are others with those traits that shouldn't be forgotten either.

I'm sure there were such services to honor fallen fire fighters long before
Backdraft came out, I just wasn't aware of them.

Those who serve the public trust knowing that they might perish in the line
of duty, deserve such pomp & circumstance. And I'm glad there are people
who put such displays on.

Neighbor's to the North

Growing up in Washington State, I knew where Ferndale was, but Ferndale / Tabor?
I assumed it must be in Canada. Sure enough, I was right.
However, I didn't know it was about 18 kilometers east of Prince George.

Where's Prince George?

About 9 hours north of Vancouver, BC.

The furthest I've ever driven was Whistler, BC.
That's only about 60 minutes north of Vancouver.

I like both of these patches.
They're crisp, sharp and clean.
They don't tell me they're in British Columbia, Canada, but that's okay.
That's what Google is for.

The fire engine on the patch to the left makes me think United Kingdom for some reason.
I see it and think, "Old fire engine. Must be British. Isn't that what British fire trucks look like?"

Speaking of Google ... Ferndale / Tabor must be a beautiful place. (Google Maps).
It looks like it's in the Canadian Cascade range, and there is a lake nearby.
Maybe some day I'll visit that way. Live? Nope. I'm a city boy through and through.

Onions anyone?

A Google search turns up many Vidalia Fire Departments.
And since I didn't receive this patch personally, I don't know which Vidalia Fire Department it is.
All I know is that the color scheme and name reminds me of onions.

Service To Others

I'm really tempted to slam the public officials who supposedly represent and "serve" us from Washington, D.C.

But I'll hold my tongue and show some support for those who really do "serve the people" of
Capitol Hill.

http://www.dcfd.com

God Bless America!

Your basic fire patch

This patch is HUGE! It'd fit nicely on the sleeve a 4XL shirt.
I think it's just your basic fire department Maltese Cross patch.
And I have no idea if it's Lakeview County #2 or Lakeview Company #2.

This has always puzzled me, because I can't tell what they are.
Are those crossed bugles or crossed old fashioned nozzles?
Can't say as I've ever seen a bugle or a nozzle that looks like that.

The Big Easy

I've only been to New Orleans once. Had a great time! Visited a plantation where they served Mint Julep's, toured the Bayou, learned the difference between a Cajun and a Creole, and even tried alligator pot pie. That wasn't my favorite. I really enjoyed the beignet's and coffee with chicory though.

I like patches with seals. That way I get to Google the seal and find out what it means. In brief: the seal dates back to February 17, 1805. The 12 stars in the outer circle and the one in the center represent the original 13 colonies. The 12 stars in the inner circle represent states admitted to the Union between 1791 and 1836. The three stars on each side represent the six states admitted to the Union from 1837 to 1850. For a full description of the City of New Orleans Seal, click on the link. http://web.archive.org/web/20020212020634/http://new-orleans.la.us/seal.asp

The Fleur-de-lis is a stylized lily or Iris and is used as a decorative design or symbol. (French: fleur = flower, lis = lily.)

I can't get used to fire department patches being orange. Maybe it makes perfect sense: orange = fire?

http://www.nola.gov/nofd/

Snohomish County Fire Protection District #7

This is a pretty basic shoulder patch, but I like it.
Says who they are, "Snohomish County VII".
And you know they're a fire department by the Maltese Cross.
I really like that the white Maltese Cross is outlined in gold.
Roman Numerals? Who the heck came up with that idea?
I like that too! Until I'd gotten this patch, I'd never seen Roman
Numerals on a fire department shoulder patch.

http://www.firedistrict7.com/

The Guardian of the Gulch

This historic landmark Fire Tower, located downtown, was originally built in 1874. It gave watchmen a 360-degree view of Helena. The bell which once hung in the tower used to warn of fire, but also signaled an 8:30 pm children's curfew. Today, it reminds us of Helena's frontier history.

 

 

http://www.helenamt.gov/fire-department.html

Engine 51

Yosemite Concession Services Engine 7 is the rebuilt Ward Engine 51 from the 70s television show Emergency!

http://firedepartment.net/directory/california/mariposa-county/yosemite-national-park/yosemite-national-park-fire-and-aviation

Radio Dispatcher

13:38 hours. MVA Response. Aid 25, Engine 16, Engine 17 ...

Someone has to tell them where to go!

I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for five years. Enjoyed working the fire board a lot better than the police board. Not because it was slower, but because I thought I identified with them more. Having been a volunteer fire fighter for a short time, and watching shows like Emergency!

And I know a dispatcher, in most cases, is not a fire fighter, but this blog is about fire department shoulder patches and fire departments. So I'm kind of stretching the envelope a little bit to include this Radio Dispatcher patch. After all, a dispatcher is a vital part of any emergency communications traffic.