I have had plenty of dry, bland chicken dishes at the firehouse.  One easy way to impart more flavor and moisture into your chicken recipes is to brine the meat for 2 to 12 hours.   Here is a link to a basic brine.  I really like this Bourbon Brine for Chicken.  Brining works great for […]

If you want to change the world, get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward. – Admiral William H. McRaven, USN Retired LODD: Reserve fire fighter suffers sudden cardiac death while working on a fuel reduction crew – Arizona. 2004 In 1867, Nine Philadelphia, PA firefighters were killed when the front wall collapsed.  […]

“Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding” – Jim Valvano LODD: Nine career fire fighters die in rapid fire progression at commercial furniture showroom – South Carolina. 2007 Fire fighter suffers heart arrhythmia and dies at wildland fire – Washington. 2001 Major Incidents: In 2007, a fire at the […]

First, I would like to wish my wonderful wife Loni a Happy Birthday! I was recently made aware of a new chef that was posting on Instagram. Her name is Tieghan Gerard and she posts regularly on IG under halfbackedharvest.  She also has a website of the same name.  I have found her recipes to […]

“It’s now up to you to make people better off because you came this way, because you responded, because you showed up. You are your brothers’ keeper-keep them safe ….” – Tom Brennan LODD: Career fire fighter critically injured during surf rescue training dies two days later – Hawaii. 2016 Fire fighter suffers cardiac death […]

Question(s) of the Week:  How many places of worship do you have in your area?  Neighboring areas?  Are you and your crew fully prepared for a major incident at these types of properties?  What can you do to be better prepared? LODD: Career fire fighter dies in church fire following roof collapse – Indiana. 2011 Partial […]

The young women in, Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy, often said they “did secretarial work for the government”.  I only wish that I knew of these women in time to ask my mother “Just what kind of secretarial work did you do while […]

The Chef Show on Netflix quickly became a favorite during the lock down of 2020!  When we saw the episode with Mexican Street Corn, we knew we had to try it! LODD: Fire fighter dies of heart attack after skills training the previous night – New Hampshire. 2016 Volunteer fire fighter electrocuted by downed power […]

While looking for a good quote for today, I found the one from Fred Astaire below.  Isn’t amazing how some things never seem to change? The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any.  – Fred Astaire LODD: Paid on call fire fighter suffers a fatal cardiac event just after completing […]

“Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence…If you’re in control, they’re in control.” — Tom Landry LODD: Electrical panel explosion claims the life of a career assistant fire chief, an electrician, and seriously injures an assistant building engineer – Illinois. 1999 Two Greenport, NY firefighters were killed during a […]