9-1-1 Update...

Don't ask me why they held a continuation of the Board of Selectmen meeting on a Monday at 1pm, but they did, and apparently my fire department finally got the approval to have OUR 911 calls go to OUR dispatch center instead of the Special Service District. It only took the Mayor around 21 months or so to approve it!! But I'm not getting my hopes up yet. The chief and fire district have to make a detail report and give it to the Board, on our dispatch policy, and how things will change, prior to the Mayor signing the piece of paper. What I've been told is that it will take about a week for it to be over with, and an article was posted in the Norwich Bulletin on-line this morning, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The one thing that has me nervous is that around 7pm this evening before work, I was out driving through town running errands and getting ready to go to the fire department for training, when I passed the Putnam Fire Department. Surprisingly, people were there on a Monday night at the end of the month, and from being in Putnam for 14 years, it's not a meeting or training night, and I didn't hear anything on my scanner. Looking at the vehicles, they were all personal vehicles of fire officers, lieutenants, captains, and the assistant chiefs. After talking to a friend, I hear that they were having a "special" officers meeting, ironically on the evening after the Board meeting.

So there's two reasons why I can think they would do this.

1) To possibly update the officers on the situation, advise the few that were causing the problems to refrain from any further activities, and to discuss how they can mend the relationship between the two departments.

or

2) To have a brainstorm to see what other crap they can come up with to cause hate and discontent.

I'm sincerely hoping it's the first one, but if it's reason number two, I'll be finding it hard to keep my mouth shut, and will have to call in to the local radio station talk show when they bring it up.

I know two wrongs don't make a right, but still, I don't see how a city fire department can tell another fire department, let alone a rural/country fire department how they should run their department or do things.

Maybe if I mention to the district citizens, the fact that Putnam does not respond to medicals or car accidents to assist the ambulance or police. Or that they are planning on buying a $500,000-$750,000 heavy rescue, when the rescue they have now runs and looks like it's brand new, and that they only respond to an average of one car accident a year if that, in their district.



They insist that they need a LARGER heavy rescue, yet they use an old, full sized 1966 open cab Seagrave engine for their FORESTRY truck!!! Try driving this truck through the woods or on a narrow dirt path!!!



I don't know about you, but I think they should replace the engine before the heavy resuce!!

Maybe I should go to their budget meetings(like they came to our meetings), and insist that they buy a forestry or their own tanker for West Putnam, which they cover as part of their district, and has no source of water supply! Or better yet, my fire department should insist on Putnam calling us right away, to all of their possible or reported structure fires, when they usually like to "be the Lone Ranger" until they get there and figure out they can't handle it themselves.

What's the cliches, "what's good for the goose, is good for the gander".... or for what 5-10 of their members tried to do to us, "an eye for eye".....

Do I sound vindictive or what?? Believe me, I'm not in anyways like this, but frustration is getting the better 3/4's of me....

New EPFD video...

It's been a long weekend trying to keep Hayleigh entertained, especially with the weather being so miserable, but we had a good time just the same. I really didn't get much sleep last night and was up throughout the day today before coming to work, so I'm having a tough time thinking about a post.

So I thought I'd post the video that two of our members made of my fire department. I think for their first time, they did a great job! I figured I wasn't going to be in it, seeing that I've only been on East Putnam since May of this year, but it was the year in review so far and I was surprised to see me in several shots. I'm hoping to make my own video eventually, when I feel I get enough photos or video clips. Enjoy and feel free to leave comments, positive or negative...

So I've figured out my expenses for the next few months, and if the overtime at work keeps flowing like it has been, and they hold off on hiring a full or part-timer, everything should be paid off with the exception of my car payment, by early spring. So I'm hoping to take my second trip ever, overseas to Scotland again.



This time I'm hoping to be able to rent a car for the trip, and rent a room at my Aunt Sadie's Inn, The Mercat, rather than inconvenience my Aunt Irene and Uncle Stewart. I'm hoping to take a little more time than I did last trip, and spend more quality time with the family, take a trip up to Sterling Castle, and to Loch Sloy and Lomond, where my ancestors Scottish clan came from. I promised myself last time I was there, that I'd take a day and go back to my grandmother's home town, and hike up to Cairn Table.

Mckinley's Cairn in the foreground, with Cairn Table at the top of the hill


For some reason, I felt a connection to Muirkirk, be it the natural beauty of the hills with purple heather, and thistles

hugging the terrain, or the stories my Grandma told me of her childhood. So I will set aside plenty of time on a nice day, and just go there, hike out to the huge hill and up to the cairn, and just sit there and think.

Cairn Table, way up at the top...

Soak in the scenery, and think about life in general. Then probably walk over to the falls and listen to the cold water spout. Take a stroll over to Tibbie's Brig, and just think of the history of the ancient little bridge.

Tibbie's Brig

Maybe I'll try and make sure that my cousin Stewart will be home from Australia during his professional rugby off-season. Either way, I'm committed to making it back to my most favorite, and loved place on earth...

There's no place I'd rather be than in Bonnie Scotland!!!