Received via Email 01.20.10 To #1 1.19.10: Lealman is not the enemy. They take care of their firefighters. They were asked to submit a bid on Bay Pines AFTER Seminole took the west of Park St. from Park Blvd. to Tyrone Blvd. away from Lealman. Lealman was asked to submit a bid for Tiera Verda AFTER St. Petersburg took part of Tiera Verda against the wishes of the residents. Both times Lealman Fire Rescue was looking out for the good of their firefighters. So that makes them the enemy? If Large had the integrity like Chief Graham maybe we would not have lost Tiera Verda in the first place. Remember that Lealman Fire Rescue IS part of our union. You should be glad that at least one Chief is willing to look out for the good of his firefighters and not sell them down the creek like ours has.
Received via Email 01.20.10 Just in case you missed out on yours, Chief Large is making the last call for your one of a kind SPFR anniversary coin, with the mistake. To our knowledge there are none that are correct. So get into your city email accounts quickly before they are gone foreve
Received via Email 01.20.10 Why does large want a Capt. in training so bad? Answer To get Todd the god back in HQ for his loyal following that he so loves. And you thought he wanted you better trained.
Received via Email 01.21.10 If I got laid off and a few months later the guy that fired me was looking for promotion upgrades, I would commit a 417.
Received via Email 01.22.10 Promotion upgrades - If I was laid off, I could give a hoot. The guys that got layed off are doing great in Lealman and have a much better benefit package than our sorry ass city gives us. Plus they dont have to deal with the punish-er or the invisible man EVER. Oh yeah, they got Terra Verde also.
Received via Email 01.25.10 Why can't we DOWNgrade some positions and use the money for more guys in blue shirts?
TEAM: Now you're talking stupid.
Received via Email 01.25.10 I forget.... why do we have lieutenants on ladder trucks?
TEAM: Cuz the driver can't reach the laptop?
Received via Email 01.26.10 There is no reason to have a LT on a ladder truck. It makes as much sense as a LT on a rescue truck. One driver, one navigator. When they get to the fire the LT doesn't make any decisions, he just does what he is told to do by whoever is in command. Then he is told where everything is by the truck's driver.
Two blue shirts can do that just fine.
Received via Email 01.27.10 The reason a lieutenant is necessary on a ladder truck is responsibility. Someone has to be able to take the heat for any mistakes or failures on the part of the crew. Poor spotting, slow attack, no water, etc. are all reaons for discipline. Who ya gonna call if there's no lieutenant to blame? Sure, anyone can get the truck to the scene but who determines where to park it so that the driver can help with overhaul? If the officer in control of the fire ground is on the opposite side of the building who determines the floor the ladder gets extended to? Ladder lieutenant's are a necessary evil and, like stated above, someone has to hold the laptop. Just as an experiment try leaving the ladder Lieutenant at the station the next time there's a run. Just for drill. Watch what happens. As long as the driver can work the communications there's no need for additional members to be in attendance. The driver spots the truck anyway. The driver sets up.
The driver extends the ladder and waits for someone to see it and use it to come down. No doubt a civilian who wandered into the room. This isn't imaginary. It's the future.
Received via Email 01.28.10 1/27 #1 that is bullshit. Do these ladder officers have special training of some kind? I've seen a lot of actors on the ladder trucks manage to survive the shift without incident. You have to stop believing that there is something magical about that bugle besides costing the tax payers more money.
If you are high on the lieutenants list, then I apologize. Obviously you have been blinded from the truth by your avarice and self serving desire to get a raise. Good luck with that. Hope the bugle is able to substitute for whatever it is you lack otherwise.
Received via Email 01.28.10 Are you telling me a Lt needs to tell a trained driver where to place his rig? Maybe he isn't so trained if he needs direction at a fire where to place the rig.
Received via Email 01.28.10 If LT's are so important for ladder trucks that run a few calls a day, then why don't we have LT's on rescues that run all day and all night? Don't rescues ever do anything that might require accountability? Hmm? Don't they? Hmmmmmmm? Welllllll? We're all waiting-----
Received via Email 01.28.10 Good answer Lt. 1-27 #1 Did you read that out of a tactics and stratagies text?
Received via Email 01.29.10 how about classifying those guys who went to medic school!!!!!
Received via Email 01.30.10 they are classified, their called paramedics.
Received via Email 01.30.10 I can't stop laughing. You guys are so intent on making points on your part for "loud" and "uninformed" it's not funny. Did any of you read past the first two sentences? Apparently not. The whole post is tongue in cheek and is intended to be the exact opposite of what you read into it. The question that the post is responding to is in 1-25-10, #2, where the guy asks;
Received via Email 01.25.10 I forget.... why do we have lieutenants on ladder trucks?
TEAM: Cuz the driver can't reach the laptop?
Here's a helpful hint: Read what was written after the words "Watch what happens." I know you'll be on uncharted territory but it's ok. If I have to explain the post because you can't bother to read it all then you need to go back to school. No wonder everyone takes the posts on here with a grain of salt. A very LARGE grain, I might add. The responses are mostly to the words picked out of another persons post that can be used to cause dissention. Try reading the post from start to finish. Then ask yourself what message the person is conveying. Mull that over in your head for more than ten seconds and maybe, just maybe you'll have a congnizant awakening.
VCF
Received via Email 01.30.10 I know just the other day Sweet is telling people that he is so smart that he should be a DC by now. He couldnt even handle a fire as a probie at FDNY.
Received via Email 01.31.10 I know Bickley claims to never post to this site...wasn't he taking shots at Sweet "just the other day"? It was quite a scene. Thanks Milton.
Received via Email 01.31.10 2 people on a ladder truck is as silly as one person on a rescue truck. When the crap hits the fan and a major rescue is needed from an elevated area, everyone will be saying - why oh why did we put only 2 on a ladder truck. Zamp, Moore, Adamides, and even Domante are against two on a ladder truck. At least thats what they tell the troops. So why can't we get some darn changes.
TEAM: We can. It requires that firefighters be politically active and to do more than simply pay dues. Bet you hadn't heard that one before.
Received via Email 02.01.10 Please. Zamp is a lier and always will be. A puppet for Large. we are GLAD he is off of the A shift and you guys got suckered. Remember he is worse than MS. He is a back stabber. I am sure you know not to trust anything he says or does. He will be gone soon.
Received via Email 02.02.10 Zamp has always been a Truck officer and a good one. He is all for more staffing on the ladder trucks. He will continue to back his buddy Richie and help us get more staffing. You will see !! In reality he has Large suckered.
Received via Email 02.02.10 FDNY FDNY FDNY FDNY... Who cares if Sweet or anybody else for that matter, could handle a fire as a probie in FDNY. How is that any different than fire here? Last I checked their fires are the same color and just as hot as ours here. FDNY is a different animal just like we are a different animal. I am sick of being compared to bigger cities. FDNY does the same job as SPFR, just maybe with more guys. Okay, so forget the maybe part. Maybe they should run with our staffing and see what its like to be us. We work harder than they do!
Received via Email 02.02.10 What a laugh !
Received via Email 02.02.10 Relax...that's just Bickley taking a shot at someone without having to do it to their face. He didn't mean the comparison.
Received via Email 02.02.10 Yea 2-2 #2 that makes a lot of sense! There's a reason why FDNY is considered the best, and it's not from fighting fires in 900 sq ft single story shit shacks. But by all means I'm sure you work harder than they do! Ha.
Received via Email 02.02.10 I worked for Bickley for many years and I am sure if he has a problem with you he will tell it to your face. Now you talking about someone behind their back, that may be a different story.
Received via Email 02.02.10 SO the tennaments fires they are putting out are much bigger than the 900 sq. foot home we fight. I never said they weren't the best, but if we had 5-6 guys per truck and the department size they have, in the size city they have to protect, we would also be considered the best. I don't think I am wrong saying I may work a little harder. I am not going to have 3 more guys magically appear on my engine if we ever have a high rise.
Received via Email 02.03.10 Never trust a man who won't look you in the eye or say he was just kidding when he's pressed.
TEAM: While we agree with the first half of your statement, how many times in your life have you let the other guy off the hook when he said, "just kidding." Right. That's a get out of jail statement.
Received via Email 02.03.10 When are you guys gonna get, it doesnt matter if you have 1 fire truck with 15 guys or 15 fire trucks 1 guy, as long as you get 15 on scene. I heard this from a very wise man recently.
TEAM: Did they also tell you that there are several published studies that speak to the 'more is better' principle. More people on scene that arrive together perform their job more efficiently, suffer less heart stress, enjoy lower core temperatures as well as reduced heart and respiratory rates? Remember... NFPA 1710 is at best a compromise between two conquering parties.
Received via Email 02.03.10 2nd 2-02-10 "Last I checked their fires are the same color and just as hot as ours here." What a brilliant statement. Thats like saying a coast guard cutter doing a rescue in the gulf without rough seas is the same as a rescue in the extreme alaska region with very rough waters. The water is the same color and just as wet in both places. Sorry pal, but a bad example. FDNY has more major structures in a week than we have in ten years. Get over it, you aint as good and never will be. Now you are a bit busier than gulfport. That should make you feel good enough about yourself.
Received via Email 02.03.10 1 Peter 1:17 "And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites when he judges. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of Him during your time as foreigners here on earth." Saint Peter where the word St. Petersburg came from.
Received via Email 02.03.10 "How is that any different than fire here?" " I am sick of being compared to bigger cities." I admit I'm taking this question and this statement out of context but if you're making comparisons then you should consider this. The SPF&R is doing one helluva job with a great deal of opposition. You should all be very, very proud of the fact that you can accomplish the same outcome as a department the same size or larger with only 10% of the adequate staffing. You should live where I live. It took 17 volunteers 5 hours and 43,000 gallons of water to reduce a two story house to a foundation. In a city near Atlanta four top ranking fire officers were sent to a house after a call to 911 by a woman who said her house was on fire. When they arrived they didn't see any smoke or flames so they left and went back to the station. Shortly thereafter the flames were through the roof and the elderly woman who couldn't escape ... died in the fire. The chief of the department has since resigned. Fire is fire. And the statement that fire is the same color and just as hot no matter where it's found is true. We all know that. The difference is in how you handle the situation. They do it different in FDNY because they have different situations. Basements, multi-stories, and all kinds of other things that are not ordinarily found in Florida. And that doesn't even take into consideration the weather conditions under which they work much of the year. But just because you don't have identical working conditions doesn't mean you're not doing the job just as well. The manning on the trucks in St. Petersburg has always been a problem. It's just at it's worst level right now. And yet you people get the job done every time with a record that most any department would be proud of. I'm not saying you shouldn't campaign and be aggressive in demanding more manpower on the trucks and at the scenes. But give yourselves a little credit for doing what's demanded of you efficiently and completely. Without any support. I for one am very proud of the job you do and I know it isn't always easy. Look at what you are. Like the examples I showed you? Or the better than average group who come to work every shift and get the job done right. "FDNY has more major structures in a week than we have in ten years. Get over it, you aint as good and never will be". I find that statemnet to be very offensive and only partially true. You are as good at what you do as any other department and based on the opposition you work under it's commendable and little more than surprising that the job gets done as well as it does. It ain't New York. It's better than New York.
D Tully
Received via Email 02.03.10 Here in DC we fight more fires in a week than you do in a year probably too, but to say we are better at firefighting is absurd. Our tactics, our buildings, and our manpower is different than SPFD, and FDNY, but not by much. FDNY isnt as great as they are made out to be. They go to exterior operations a lot. Yes, there buildings are old, but I am in buildings that are 150 years old daily. Hell even our firehouse is over 100 years old and we wouldnt want it any other way. Those clean shiney places are fire stations, we'll keep our fire houses. You guys have the heat, the humidity and a huricanes...keep it, we'll take the five man engine companies, six man truck companies, chief being driven by the aide, rescues with six, big buildings,ghettos,millions of visitors and the govt crap over the heat and humity any day. You cant beat rolling up on a three story taxpayer, fire out all windows of the top floor, and having to get to the roof with ten inches of snow everywhere, hard work yes, but we win every time, no fire has even never not gone out. Be safe, and return with the same number you left with every time.
Received via Email 02.03.10 If it helps you sleep better at night thinking your better than FDNY than good for you, have a great nights sleep. Oh yeah they don't have beds in their stations anymore.
Received via Email 02.03.10 Us volunteers in Virginia really know how to fight fires. Thats why we now work at Clearwater Fire, so that those Florida fires will finally go out.
Received via Email 02.07.10 I'm sitting here watching the WHO during the Super Bowl half time show. God help us...The worst part is that we will all be just as old and still be working for SPFR. And I'm sure the Punisher will find a way to still be here puttin the shaft to us.
Received via Email 02.07.10 Tell us all how your stations are dealing with the SPY Cams now that they are in and functional in each station. What ways did you find to prevent them from hearing and seeing everything you do? Dont forget the Punisher has spoken and they are not to be disconnected or tampered with, so how do we make it ineffective. Also if anyone knows of any other departments that have these Spy Cams please ask them how they dealt with them as well.
Received via Email 02.07.10 why doesnt someone just call the ACLU. hmmm
Received via Email 02.07.10 Simple, who cares that its a 46" LCD LG tv, put it in the smallest cave your station has, go back to your 32" tube like before, why would you set yourselves up to fail? Dont be greedy, its just a tv picture!
Received via Email 02.08.10 My station put it in a room and stuck a portable radio that stays on some spanish radio station! All they will hear is latin dance music 24/7.
Received via Email 02.13.10 This is f***king unbelievable, in the past 5 days only 1 station has posted a remedy to how to get by the Spy Cams in your stations. Who will be the first to go whining to the union when they are called into the Punishers office and stretched out on the rack for something that they said in their sleep in their comfortable dorm area? Yes boys and girls the mics are that good. I know of one station that has had conversations heard while in the locker areas and the Spy Cam equipment in on the other side of the station in the office. Why arent you at least somewhat concerned about this serious problem maker?
Received via Email 02.15.10 Yup your right, my station thinks the new spy cam is so great they have now moved one of our cable boxes to the new screen so they can be watched at all times. The worst part is this can all be prevented by each person assigned to most any given station giving up $100.00. That right $1,200.00 can buy a lot of TV now-a-days. Its going to cost ya a whole lot more than that once we start getting 24 hours off without pay when the punisher starts rolling the audio and video tapes.
Received via Email 02.15.10 I will pay $100 to the first firefighter to appear naked on the Spy Cam. I would prefer you did a little song and dance, but just standing there naked for five seconds should be a good start.
***TIP: Roll it into the locker room. There is no rule against being naked in there.
Received via Email 02.18.10 I would hope that's a female fire fighter requesting the naked guy in the locker room.
Oh, that's right. It's like the military. Don't ask, don't tell.
Isn't anybody going to challenge the cameras in the stations?
Here's a clue. Call Dick Sicking. He's the best labor attorney on the planet.
He'll get the cameras taken out if it's humanly possible.
Otherwise get used to the brass at headquarters asking to see naked guys on their screens.
Received via Email 02.18.10 can we jerk off in front of the cameras?
TEAM: Nice.
Received via Email 02.18.10 Just show them your ass. They love to see that, and the best thing is that you wont have to worry about them trying to stick their heads up in it. Well, they can try but beings its on a tv screen it will be no harm to you. FTM.....
Received via Email 02.19.10 Can i rub my man juice all over the camera when I am done. If I jerk off to a pic of Large will I get promoted>?
Received via Email 02.19.10 Because Jimmy Large is such a mayor's bitch, this place is going to see some really dark days. He has no balls and never has. Let's have a vote of no confidence and get it over with.
Received via Email 02.19.10 The sad part was we blamed it all on Baker. Which he was the blame for mostly. But then large had a chance to tell the new mayor what we need. But Nooooo. Large is a big fat loser and cares nothing for us on the street.
Team: We'd like to give a 10:54pm shout-out to Palmetto...
Received via Email 02.25.10 Its a real shame that the video maker(s) turned out to be such a pussy that they folded the site so quickly. There are way to many chapters and verses that were just waiting their day to come forth. If the writers ever decide to come back strong, I would like to suggest we dicuss Mayor Froster. You know him only to well, he is the one that stands before his people and spreads it on real thick to cover up all of the imperfections of what is underneath. He figures that a spoonful of sugar will help cover up how screwed up the situation is. Lets all hope for a quick return to the Silly practices firefighters find dumb
Received via Email 02.25.10 I went out at 10:54 pm the other night and shouted Palmetto over and over. The neighbors dogs started barking, neighbors started yelling and then somebodys car alarm went off. What was tis all about anyway?.
TEAM: Simply acknowledging the fact that two TEAM members from Palmetto were viewing the website at the same time. They should have been in the chat room.
Received via Email 02.26.10 my point is, lets make this site more professional. Maybe take out the ridiculous language- references- like "can i rub my man juice all over the camera when I am done. If I jerk off to a pic of Large will I get promoted?" If it doesn't get changed, there will be some noise made about this in the media. I am sure ACTION NEWS would LOVE this story- and they won't have trouble finding it
Received via Email 02.28.10 This just in, Multi alarm fire early Sunday morning in North St. Petersburg. Rare video footage shows what appears to be a quick glimpse or maybe an apparition of the invisible man. Look for him (it) in the part where many are mulling around out in the front of the complex. Of course there was no interview done with the Leader of SPFR.
Received via Email 03.02.10 this will be forwarded to the chief and mayors office in the next week, and if there is failure to act, it will then be forwarded to multiple news agencies. If you want to change the publics perception of SPFR forever, keep this up. If you want to CLEAN this up and be professional, it surely could continue. One week. See if you can pull yourself out of the misery of your day to day life to be men.
Received via Email 03.03.10 Which mayor are you going to tell about this site dork? It's an opinion website about everything from manjuice to politics and a lot of cities in between. Again, who you going to tell, dork? Sheesh, who died and made you room monitor?
Received via Email 03.03.10 Wait a cottin pickin minute here. You're embarrased by the language here and you want it stopped before someone finds it and if you don't get your way you're going to expose it to the world? Are you some kind of nucular fistassist or something?
Received via Email 03.03.10 Kinda looks alot like someone is trying to replace M.M. for dork police already. Jeez can't we ever get a break?
Received via Email 03.03.10 Wow, another fire on the A shift and another appearance by the invisible man. This time he was being chuffered around by that turn coat DC R.J.. I guess getting spanked has turned him back to the BS side of the force. And just to make sure Jimmy is his Mentor. God this is disgusting.
Received via Email 03.03.10 Whoa, hold the presses. B-shift fire, The Invisible man is now bringing the Mayor out to our calls, so the Mayor can "support his troops". I'm glad I wasn't at that call, I would have lost my lunch right then and there. If the Mayor wants to show his support then he can write us a check, otherwise he's an empty bag of stinky wind. I'll bet he didn't even bring coffee or snacks at the late night fire
Received via Email 03.04.10 It was probably Sweetness talking.
Received via Email 03.04.10 Hey there are some funny videos on youtube if you put in the words spfdfunny. Some of it looks like it could be our department.
TEAM: Welcome, Rip Van Winkle...
Received via Email 03.04.10 Hey 3-4-10 #2 are you a moron? The videos have been around for weeks. Have you been out of the country?
Received via Email 03.05.10 Heard the Chief brought the mayor to a fire scene so that we would have 15 people on scene. Now that is creative action.
Received via Email 03.05.10 I guess thats why he has bunker gear. The story however mentioned that he wasn't wearing it. We really dont have to worry about the 15 person minimum when we run on the west end as much tho. Lealman, South Pasadena, Gulfport, and Treasure Island all bring 4 peeps on their equipment when they come into our town.
Received via Email 03.05.10 You all must be so miserable with your lives that your only happiness comes from whining and self pity. You are pathetic excuses for men. All you do is sit on your ass and complain about how you deserve a raise. Give me a break, 90% of you couldn't find another job- certainly not one that pays this well. Find something productive to do with your lives. I wish everyone that hated this job and city so much would go find a job somewhere else
TEAM: I know you are, but what am I?
Received via Email 03.06.10 Now THATS entertainment! Not the majority of drivel posted here.
Received via Email 03.06.10 That video reminds me of Knight and Large in their first argument.
Received via Email 03.07.10 Whose that fat kid trying to get Doehlman's bike?
Received via Email 03.07.10 ST. PETERSBURG — The city will have to lay off five firefighters on Oct. 1.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief James Large broke the news himself to those five on Tuesday.
"It's probably my worst day as fire chief in 31/2 years," he said Wednesday. "I hired these guys, and had to tell them they're laid off."
It could have been worse. St. Petersburg actually lost a total of 17 positions. Three were lost to budget cuts, Large said, and another 14 had to be cut because the city lost its annual $2 million contract to provide service to Tierra Verde. The chief said that he was able to save 11 jobs thanks to retirements, attrition and extra funding. So six firefighters were originally set to be laid off.
But then rescue Chief Bill Ward announced his retirement after 28 years of service, according to Large, saving a job.
The chief said his hand was forced because the city fire department's long-standing contract to provide fire service to Tierra Verde is set to end Sept. 30.
But the layoffs could turn into furloughs. More retirements and attrition should allow the department to bring those five firefighters back in 2010. Three should be recalled by June, according to Large, and the other two by December 2010.
The five who lost their jobs were the last to be hired. All started Feb. 23. The chief said he was unsure what they planned to do until they can return. The starting salary for a St. Petersburg firefighter is $36,589.
Large said he did everything he could to avoid the layoffs, and the union mostly agrees. Yet union president Winthrop Newton still gently chided the city for not finding some way to keep them. He said St. Petersburg was just wasting the money it had already spent to train those firefighters.
"To let them go for a month or two and slowly bring them back just isn't good business sense," Newton said. "You risk losing them to other agencies."
Large said that's not likely. Budget cuts are slamming fire departments across the state, he said.
Never forget!
Received via Email 03.10.10 I just clicked on the CHARACTER link on this site. Might want to remove that, oviously not even you guys are using it. Hypocrisy? You all want to be treated fairly and with respect but carry yourselves like a bunch of immature cry babies. Change your attitude, change your life. One of your whiner's creeds is insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Well, how long have you been bitching now?
I don't agree with a lot of what the city is doing, but this isn't the answer. Having a negative attitude doesn't solve things, it just makes station life miserable. Stop being a bunch of KD's, and enjoy other aspects of your life
Received via Email 03.10.10 Change your underware, change your smell.
Received via Email 03.10.10 "obviously not even you guys are using it" Who the hell are you? A scab or a non supportive management figure. Either way, you need to get some CHARACTER, because you have not a clue. Probably a self serving asshole.
Received via Email 03.12.10 Who are they? Obviously one of the accused.
Received via Email 03.13.10 At least throw out some initials.
Received via Email 03.13.10 3-10 #1 Obviously the way you crafted your words you figured it out that that whole page was directed at management. Mr. webmaster how long has that page been on this site? What's changed? I'll tell you. THEY'VE gotten dirtier as we've grown smarter. They don't even try to hide the fact that they're at war with us because we won't lay down for them yet there are some of you like that fool at #6 on the A shift that won't give pool time unless the union officers keep a daily log of their activities. Keep your money asshole and shove the logbook up your ass. Let me give you a small little example of why we don't need a logbook. I called Bill Mott on his cell phone the other night to ask about something that I thought might be missing from our union board. It was 8 o'clock at night and he was just leaving the union hall but said that he would have gotten out of there a few minutes earlier except one of the recently retired DC's called to ask some questions. Fuc*ing meowwww! I asked how often that happened. He told me that rescue crews stop in there after returning from calls or the gas pumps after dark to pick up sweaters or a free drink, etc. People even stop by on a Saturday and say, GEE WE DIDN'T THINK ANYONE WOULD BE HERE. Then why'd you stop by?
My dad always told me that nothing good goes on in a bar after midnight. When are some of you going to wake up to the fact that nothing good goes on at HQ after 0800?
Received via Email 03.13.10 "You guys." That tells me a lot about you. You're obvously not one of "us" guys.
Received via Email 03.19.10 Everyone needs to be on HIGH ALERT...The Punisher has been left in charge during the weekend while the invisible man is absent from his $10K a month job. He's probably out spending some of his $7K a month pension.
Received via Email 03.19.10 He is watching all of us from THE WATCHTOWER
Received via Email 03.21.10 I almost forgot. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
TEAM: Yeah... he's a MUTT. He's got no real game though. Let's focus on those who climbed the ladder then threw shit on us from their parapit.
Received via Email 03.23.10 Does anyone know for sure how many got injured at the drillgrounds the other night? I'm hearing all kinds of reports as to who and how many went to the hospital.
Received via Email 03.25.10 Here's a novel idea, why don't you just call Chief Bruni and ask him? I am sure that he will tell you what happen and who was involved. He has always been in the past a straight up guy. Then you can write in and tell us what you found out and then there would be no guessing. But then that would not be as much fun would it?
Received via Email 03.25.10 Lets start with just the one night that we know of..Meaning how many have had problems we dont know of? Anyways back to March 16th, 2010. Tim Hill was entangled in his safety line and was taken to the hospital. Firefighter Chad Craig lost his footing at the head heighth level of Lt. Ganci approx 6ft. and free fell unimpeded to the groung. This resulted in Chad off work with his arm in a sling because of a broken Ulna, and Lt. Ganci sporting a new chipped tooth. Now this is no need to worry, The Department has determined that no one else at the drill as affected and there is no reason to review the way things are being done. Now, here is the interesting part. A couple years back a firefighter, was killed during an ON DUTY Fire Department required training exercise. The state of Florida DENIED the Families request for the Firefighter death benefit. Reason, according to State Law, this was so ruled because it did not happen during an actual emergency. So just ask yourself when we go out for drills and your units are placed on delayed response mode, do you think you will fare any better?
TEAM: Thank you Bro/Sis.
Received via Email 03.26.10 3 guys injured in one sitting. 1 with a chipped tooth. 1 with a broken bone. 1 passes out. I hope the 1 that went sucking into Princes office the next day and immediately marched back down to the drill grounds to prove that he could do it now knows that it doesn't pay to idolize any of these assholes. That's what you get for thinking anyone at HQ is anything but a punk.
Received via Email 03.30.10 Oh, Up, Down, turn around, pick a bale of cotton, Up, Down, Turn around, pick a bale of hay. Get ready the Slave masters unleash on us Thursday April 1st. No this is not an April Fools day joke. The invisible man disappears again leaving the Punisher in charge to soften us up and then the Great Pumpkin Head will finish us off one by one. If you have ever in your career crossed the Great one you will be taken down in short time. If you are one of the many that used to take his lunch money, you have even less hope. Oh I pity us, the fools that thought this was a great place to work, and make a career. We wont need to wait for the League of cities to screw us all, SPFR will bet them to it.
Received via Email 03.31.10 I've got a question for all of you. How many of you knew that Captain "I", "I did it", "I got that with a grant", "I" did it for you", "I'd be a chief if it weren't for Wimberly", at station 12 has been bragging for months now on how he suggested to the chiefs that we work to get paramedic officers assigned to both (it used to be 3 until the city and SPFR got greedy) ALS engines that we've got? Yeah, quite a few of you, I guess.
I've got another question for all of you. How many of you knew that everybody's friend and fellow firefighter Jimbo Large was planning on allowing or offering the OPPORTUNITY to those paramedic officers to ride those engines as the only paramedic? Ooooh. Not so many of you outside of the MUTTS in HQ.
Every one of you paramedics who are working your ass off to get promoted and leave that rescue behind, we've got something for you. Welcome to SPFR, the FD that will ride your back all the way to the grave for pennies a shift. Swallow hard. There's a lot of dicks at HQ.
Received via Email 03.31.10 I love it. Up Down ALS engines. If you try to get up management will only kick you back down. Brilliant.
Received via Email 04.01.10 I'm wondering if there's any premium pay for doing all this Target Safe Sex with My Right Hand that my officers should be doing?
TEAM: Wear a mouse condom.
Received via Email 04.01.10 I must be in the right place. I work for the late great St. Petersburg Fire Rescue and this IS the bullshit page.
Let me get this right. T4 becomes T13 and where it will now reside with E13. Engine 13 WAS a 4 man ALS engine the other day but now it's a 3 man engine. T13 on the lie sheet will show 3 people on board but we all know that it can run all day with just two onboard and if the 3rd person comes in at 2000 hours, it's recorded on the lie sheet as being at 3 all day. Large tells the mayor and council that he's finally got the horsepower to protect the Gateway area but if you look at the numbers, we've really added a truck and 1 person much of the time (do the math) and robbed downtown of an entire engine company. What should be a crew of 7 or 8 will ultimately be 5 or 6. Yes, Toto, we're home.
Received via Email 04.04.10 http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1070547 I was reading this news story in the sports section and thinking to myself, wow, this kid died falling from a balcony the same height as the drill tower. It got me to thinking about shit going on here that's never happened before.
If I found myself in a tough situation and scratched a truck while trying my best to do my job I'd be in even more trouble if I said it was the cost of doing business. So how is it then that Jimmy Large can go around the stations and make statements about Chad Craig falling from the drill tower and saying stupid shit like, in training peopel sometimes get hurt? Gee, that sounds an awful lot like one of us saying it's the cost of doing business except we're not talking about scratching a truck. And another thing. Chad Craig must have been flying from the 2nd or 3rd story window with little help from the belayman. Large keeps saying that he was stopped 5 feet above the concrete so it's really no biggie. He broke a bone asshole. And what if his helmet had fallen off of his head. He'd be sitting at home with his wife and kids eating Gerber baby food for the rest of his life as a veggie. I can remember when Jimmy Large fell on his ass from a height of (oops, he wasn't elevated) 0 ft. and he cried and cried to anyone who would listen to him talk about his battle injuries. How is it that you can trip and fall and injure yourself and that's a big deal but when you go out and train and break a bone, we're all supposed to have some tolerance for that kind of shit? SPF&R RUN BY HYPOCRITES!
Received via Email 04.05.10 Thats ok. Chad Craig still has one more. Totalling E13 and now this.
Received via Email 04.05.10 Large is the chief because he was considered the best we had at the time. Because we operate an inbred fire dept. they never look outside the box to see who's better. They'll give Mr. Pumpkinhead the long look when Large leaves but he's no people person and will have the place in turmoil within 3 months. He's a dick, too.
Received via Email 04.07.10 I know we have members who belong to the Uhurus. But do we have any muslims on the dept?
"Davis doesn't appear to have broken any city policies since administrators are not required to disclose interactions with police if they aren't charged with crimes."
Let me get this right. If you're an administrator in this town you don't have to report shit if you're not charged with a crime? If that was you or I, Wimberly would have had you serving your time before the State's Attorney had decided your fate. Are we working for a group of assholes or what? I vote for a dues increase to fight these faggots.
Received via Email 04.21.10 Chief Jimbo his pounding his chest in his latest look what I've done sci-fi bio, by pointing out that he spent 3 days in Tallahassee. He does not mention if he spoke on our behalf on any of the issues, but when speaking of pension and safety issues he does finish up with this great piece of crap. " the cost is outweighing the need". Holy Batshit....Am I the only one that has a problem with this statement? Am I misreading what is in print? maybe its a scribbeners error...It sure sounds like he is content that he got his and the hell with the rest of us. What a lump of animal waste.
Received via Email 04.23.10 The cost has always outweighed the need. And why is that? Well, I can only speak for the prior pension since that's the one I worked for. However I think the problems that made the prior pension an albatros (unfunded liability and all) was not the fault of the members. It was the fault of the city using the money that was to be used to fund the pension for other things. The contribution by the members was 4% of their pay. We all paid our share as it was deducted from our paychecks each payday. The city was supposed to contribute to the fund also but failed to do so for many, many years. At that time there was little attention paid to the fund by both parties and the deficit run up at the hands of the city was not found. I don't know if the fire fighters had a member on the pension board or not. But eventually someone discovered the problem. The actuary that determines the soundness of the plan. He spilled the beans that the plan had been unfunded by the city and was hopelessly in arears. In a lawsuit the city was told to bring the funding up to date with a stair-step means that would lessen the hit from having to put all the money into the pension fund at once. They screwed that up too. If there ever was any monies earmarked for the prior pension fund they never all made it to the bank. By then the city had implemented the supplemental plan for providing pensions. This was the beginning of employer "local law plans". The city knew that if they funded and directed the pension they could do just about anything with it they wanted. That made for a slippery slope for those covered by the supplemental pension. Since then the city has made changes to the plan which resulted in more alterations and some negotiations. The two biggest flaws in the supplemental plan have always been the fact that it's a "local law" plan and two, it's non contributory. And while everyone was counting on their fingers how much money they were going to get from the drop the city was looking for a way to take away the pension altogether. The League of Cities is the most insidious sneaky snake on the planet and is also trying to take away any benefits, pension or otherwise, from public employees. And they really hate firefighters and their unions.
The city couldn't just take away the pension even though they'd like to because the union would sue under the "Thanksgiving turkey" clause that says that the pension was a condition of employment when you were hired and they can't just arbitrarily take it away. They can take it away from future hires but not you. So the city just sat ready to take up any cause that would create a legal ability to take away the pension completely or at least provide only the means for the members to fund their own. (i.e. 401K) The current financial problems in the country have provided that legal ability. The city has avoided being the despicable entity that took away the pension of our wonderful firefighters and instead has become the leader in the fight to overcome those glutonous self serving firefighters who are bleeding the city dry with their union demands and their high cost pension plans. We now find ourselves in a most untenable position. There's no way to make this a win win for the firefighters. The city and the state have both ganged up on public emplyees because this isn't just a firefighter problem. It's a problem for all public employees. But the city has again found a way to remove the guilt from itself and laid it at the feet of the employees. And the fire service has the additional problem of having the upper management of the department working against them too. Add it up. The city is trying to take away everything you are working for. The public has been indoctrinated to hate firefighters and their compensation. And the fire department head is willing to throw the whole department to the wolves to save his own ass. (Honestly am I the only one who thinks his ambition is to be the chief of the county fire department when it comes? For this reason alone his tactics and actions could be justified.) He's in Tallahassee beating the drum to eliminate YOUR benefits but sucking around to test the water for a county fire service. Allegedly.
If you aren't thinking about political activity today . . . you will not be ready for the future. Now is the time to be getting our ducks in a row to be ready for the future. It's evident that pensions are a thing of the past and the employee will now be responsible for providing a lifestyle for their later years. The old ways are going down along with the thinking. We need to prepare for the next conditions under which we will work. The conditions that will determine wages and benefits. Those conditions will be levied by a Mayor and Council that will be working with much different perameters that they do now. The money will be tight. The working conditions will be tough. And unless we have the minimum of support from those elected officials we are relegated to continue the current situation. We will not see instant results since the politicos won't want to be connected to the past method of doing things. But over time, and the amount of that time is up to us, we will again find solid ground. Not like it was yesterday or is today but instead a new condition that will have to be faced in order to have the life you want. It's your choice. By doing nothing now you will gain nothing in the future. All the members of this Local need to be involved and now is the time to prepare the foundation of the future of the fire service in our city. Don't wait on the other public employees to take the lead. It may go in a direction you aren't willing to support. It's time to determine the road YOU want to take and make it happen. Stop whining about the current and work toward preparing the future. Be flexible and ready to react to conditions. And most of all work hard to ensure the political groundwork you do now pays off in the future.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 04.25.10 Since it's been nearly forty years since we created the "new" pension, would it benefit us much to work on getting the city to cash out the old pension and move the funds into the current plan? Those old guys have taken enough of our money by now.
Received via Email 04.25.10 Those old guy's are the reason you have a pension in the first place....just saying
Received via Email 04.26.10 That's some fine bait you're fishin' with junior. I'll bite but just so you know, I'm not fooled. The funds in the old pension are not "your money" skippy. Our pension was a contributory pension. That means we paid into it if you're from the country. Your pension is not. Or at least WAS not. That means you have no money invested in either of the pensions. So just where is the "our money" you speak of? Now go back to counting the days until you can drop and hope like hell it comes out to be ahead of the time your new 401K shows up.
It's unfortunate that there are still those on the job who think that the prior pension has anything to do with them or their situation. It's also unfortunate that those who bash the members of the prior pension can't get it throught their thick skulls that the supplemental pension and it's offspring are the product of the employer. I think I explained that pretty clearly. But just for the ones who can't let go let me tell you again. Don't blame your current problems on the members who worked under the prior pension. Like one person said, if it wasn't for the old guys you wouldn't have a pension at all. But to continually link the prior pension to the supplemental pension is just stupid and a worthless comparison for those who understand the facts. I don't like your current situation any better than you do and I wish there were a way to insulate public employee pensions from meddling politicos who continually use the pension as a foundation for hatred. Instead of worrying about a pension plan that none of you have or ever will have it would be better to worry about the current problems and the ones staring you in the face in the near future. You and many other public employees are about to get some very detremental changes in your plan and the city's vision of no pension plan for new hires is far more important than fretting over something you can't change and can do nothing about. Put your energy into making what you have as good as you can get it. Because it's only a short time from now when you will be in the same boat as the members of the prior pension were when the city created the supplemental plan in 1971. And the new hires will point their venom at you and accuse you of doing nothing to save the pension for them. The shoe will soon be on the other foot and I hope you wear it well.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 04.26.10 These old guys are the reason we don't have THEIR pension. They have COLA's for life on top of their 20 and out.
What exactly should I be thanking them for?
Received via Email 04.26.10 Dick, just to set it straight, yes the members of the supplemental pension DO contribute to our plan. During my 25+ years we have gone from 4 to the current 7% contribution. I think what is the hardest for us new guys to swallow is the FACT that when the City created our plan they lumped the cost of your plan into ours. Therefore once all of your prior plan members left the job and get giving the city your 4% the fund began falling farther and farther behind. You admit that this was because the city never put your money where their mouth was when you were here and dont think it got a lot better when you left. So here we are today still being told that the pension is 80+% funded but we dont hear how many millions it would take to be 100%, nor will the city tell us what amount of that shortage is caused by our plan and how much is from yours. You see, the shortage keeps us from getting increases and many believe that the prior plan is the biggest draw on the plan. Also you may be interested to hear that at least one of our current pension board members, Ray Landes, is telling folks that the time limit has come due for your plan and the city can pretty much cash out of it and get along. See reference in the first post of 4.25.10 to see what I am referencing. Other than that, I fully support your earlier post. You are dead on center about where we are headed on definetly correct that Chief Large is the Conductor of this train wreck. I am hoping to jump off this thing when its slows down enough going around the next turn. SPFR is Fu**ed up. You can see as well as many others, but we still have plenty of plow horses wearing blinders that believe in and eat all the sh*t the Admin shovels to them. God Bless you Dick for continuing to tell it the way it is, so people cant say they never heard that before. The day you finally get to say "I told you so"aint that far away. I know that you will have a slight smile when that day comes, but I also know that it will probably be one of your saddest days of being a member of this once Proud Department. Thanks again.BTW, Lts Glass, Reitz, Paramedics Warren, Bailey, and F/F Dusi are all jumping now, and I wish them all the best in their new lives without the roaring din of SPFR in their ears.
Received via Email 04.26.10 To the idiot "These old guys are the reason we don't have THEIR pension. They have COLA's for life on top of their 20 and out. What exactly should I be thanking them for?" First of all, I cant figure out if your complainin or braggin, but if your saying they got it too, good let me tell you this. They will never get more than 60% of top paid firefighter, unless they held the rank of Division Chief or above, then they get top paid Firefighter salary. Big effin deal I get 88% of my Lt salary plus a 2% COLA 4 years after I leave this shit hole. I think I am better off. As far as the 20 and out, Yeah, I coulda done that too with 60% of my Lt. pay, and because I was 50 at that time I coulda started collecting then too. So how bout stiflin yourself and quit makin yourself look like the Admin fool you are.
Received via Email 04.26.10 Can anyone confirm the rumor that Chief Wimberly has denied the use of on duty participation for this years MDA boot drives? I asked a couple of the union officers and they say they have not been told. They just had a meeting last Monday with Wimberly and nothing like that was discussed. Is this yet another attempt by fire admin to stop the good of the union?
Received via Email 04.26.10 While its nice to see a shiny fire truck on the corner for MDA, I don't really think we should live or die by what the ketchup dicks at HQ have to say on the subject. The mayor's already been quoted as saying in public that some street corner beggars carry boots and what was a problem last year with us standing in the median is now a problem with us standing near the street. Think about who's giving what to whom when the next boy wonder looking to get promoted comes to your station looking for you to fill out your United Way card. When he starts making remarks about how some can't find it in their heart to give a dollar a payday, ask them where he was when you were sweating for OUR charity. FTM!
Received via Email 04.27.10 Thank you for enlightening me on the facts concerning the funding (or lack of) of the pension plan. I stand corrected and sincerely appreciate you setting the record straight and doing it in a gentlemanly manner. My only excuse for my statements is that since I retired in '83 I have tried very hard to keep up with what was going on in the fire service in my home town. And I have to say if it were not for the fire service I would not be where I am today. I love the job and always will and even though I'm a pain in the ass sometimes I only want what is best for the members. Consequently I get fired up over things that are sometimes far different than they were when I was on the job and yet the same. This means I have to try to make comparisons that are very difficult to determine. I thought that the new pension had become contributory but I wasn't sure. That's why I said "or at least was not". I was close but no cigar. And I appreciate the kind reminder. I have no problem with a person clarifying my statements when I'm wrong. It's easy to be wrong when you've been out for as many years as I have. And there are those who will be quick to jump on the idea that I should check before writing. But to be honest I have no wish to encumber any member with my old ass always asking questions about stuff. I know I can't get much deeper than the surface on most goings on but I can recognize many comparisons with what is going on now and the Same Shit Different Day crap that the "old" guys put up with. It's just different people shoveling the shit.
As for Ray Landes I would ask just where he gets the idea that there's a time limit on the prior pension. What time limit would that be, Landes? I've never heard of one. Do you mean that the city could "find" a large sum of money and put it aside to fund the prior pension and when the money is gone it's ok with you if 150 plus retirees no longer get a check? Or will you find an actuary that can tell you definitively the exact date and time that the last member of the prior pension will keel over dead and all the city needs to do is provide enough money into the fund to last that long? If that's your thinking then you're no better than the Chief who wants to shove it to the on duty personnel. It will be very difficult to get an actuary that will tell you how long the last survivor of the prior pension will live since people are living longer these days. Also where is the city gonna get the money to fund such a progressive plan as yours? I think you should get back under that rock and shut the hell up. And I can almost guarantee a class action fight if you try to screw with the prior pension. Too many people's lives are at stake for you to run roughshod over us. In the old days we used to have brothers elected to the pension board to protect our interests. Now it seems the fox is guarding the hen house. And apparently no one sees a problem with that.
I don't have a copy of the prior pension in front of me. I used to have one but that was long ago. But I don't remember ever reading anywhere in the plan that the city can "cash out" of it. It may be there and I could be wrong. If anyone can provide the exact language on this I would greatly appreciate seeing it. Because of the prior pension having the status of a state law I would suspect that tinkering with it would be difficult if not unlawful. One thing I do remember is that both parties must agree to opening the prior pension in order for any action to take place. This is the fail safe that kept the meddling city tools from making any changes. The union, who I would suppose be the representative for the fire fighters, would never agree to ANY reopening even for only one item. This is because the pension only allows for the opening of the ENTIRE pension at a time of opening. There was talk of an increase in the percentage contribution back in the day but was soundly discouraged because the opening to increase the 4% contribution by the members would have been offset by the city taking the opportunity to kill the escalator clause. So Mr. Landes, if you can find any of us on the prior pension who are willing to give you or any of your city pals a shot at the pension you're wrong. We have found the pension plan we worked for to be quite satisfactory even though it's not nearly as lucrative as yours. Keep you grimy little paws to yourself.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 04.27.10 Soo DICK, what your saying is, you guys keep what you contributed to the fund and we keep what we contributed to the fund, cause we wouldn't want to get our little paws on your money. Let me get this right, your last contribution to the pension, by your records was 27 years ago, and I have "GRIMY LITTLE PAWS". Your contribution has been paid to you ten fold. You know where I will be with 27 years past my retirement, the same as my first year. You need to watch what you say around current Firefighters, your credibility depends on it!
Received via Email 04.28.10 Sorry Ray, but my credibility is not in jeopardy. On the other hand I am again having trouble with what you say. "you guys keep what you contributed to the fund and we keep what we contributed to the fund, cause we wouldn't want to get our little paws on your money." I'm confused Ray. If I said that please tell me where. And I don't recall saying anything about "our money" and "your money". As most of us know when the new pension was imposed the funds were combined. The prior pension money and the supplemental pension money. Damn Ray, you're suppposed to know these things. You're on the damn board. Anyway, the pension fund is all one fund for both pensions since 1971. So there's no separtation of monies to justify your statement. It would appear that you, like many of the others on the job today, can't seem to realize that the argument about what happened in 1971 is old news and really irrelevant. Neither you nor anyone else can change that and by now, some 39 years later, I would think that even the most thick headed of the "current firefighters" would understand that.
It's true that my contributions to the pension fund has long since been exceeded. What would you like me to do? Give it back? I didn't write the pension plan I just worked under it and completed my obligation to the plans requirements. What is wrong with that? I did what I was required to do to meet the parameters in order to collect a pension that was part of my condition of employment. If that's abhorent to you, mostly because you work under some different set of rules, then maybe you should have checked into the conditions of employment when you signed on to this job. You look ignorant when you whine about something that can't be changed but insist on hiding behind it in order to stir the pot. Take the time to work on current issues Ray and you'll find it pays off much better. And quit beating the dead horse of who paid in what to the pension plan. Ironically enough you seem to never mention the fact that the city was the prime violator of the funding of the plan from day one. You seem to ignore the fact that the fund has been in arears for over fifty years at least because of the city failing to meet it's obligation to the fund. The old guys paid every dime they were required to pay to meet their obligation to the fund. The city did not. But you never say anything about that.
And now, as a member of the pension board who is elected to the seat, you seem to be very active in trying to find ways to screw over the people who were the sole providers for a pension fund you have nothing to do with. You're not covered by it. You never worked under it. And you can't collect from it. The prior pension is not for you. Is that what sticks in your craw, Ray? The fact that some 250 members of the department recieved a pension that's better than yours? And now you want to destroy it if you can. "Grimy Little Paws" doesn't begin to describe my real assessment of you, Ray. But one thing you can be sure of Ray; we're watching. And you won't slide anything under the door without a challenge. Please find another way to make yourself outstanding to the Chief and the Mayor and leave the rest of us alone.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 04.28.10 Oh, hey Ray, I almost forgot. I really feel badly that 27 years after you retire you'll still be recieving the same payout. I really feel badly that your payout will be at 3% per year of service. I really feel badly that you'll drop and net in the hundreds of thousands of dollars when you leave. I really feel badly that you think that because I retired at 43 and have lived to be 71 (so far) that I'm somehow screwing the pooch. I really feel badly that you can't get over the shit that clouds your mind. I really feel badly that you aren't putting your best effort into making the pension better instead of trying to find ways to tear it down. I have no reason to argue with you Ray. I don't even know who you are. But I will never stop challenging those who want to somehow blame the old guys for the problems they have today when it wasn't the old guys who created the problems. We worked under them too. The pension was the ONLY thing we had going for us as far as being something to look forward to. This job of firefighting has never been easy and now with conditions what they are it isn't getting any better. So somewhere there has to be a carrot that keeps the man going forward. For us it was the pension. We knew it was a good one. No one is denying that. But we didn't invent it nor did we implement it. The city did. And we worked under it knowing that no matter how bad it go today that tomorrow there was a carrot. And not one of us is ashamed nor do we apologize for taking it. What you and the rest of the members do with your carrot is your business. Blasting away at mine is fruitless. Making yours better has potential. Honestly I'm tired of defending something that doesn't need defending. If those who think that bashing the old guys and whining about something they can't do anything about is the way to make the job better then go for it. It's just that the rest of us have more important things to do than worry about what can't be changed. Please understand that I admire anyone who feels strongly about their career and their future. There's nothing wrong with that, that's for sure. I hope you will put your efforts into making the current situation better for all concerned and not waste any more time on those of us who did our best.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 04.28.10 To the poster from 4.27 #2 Can I ask what your pension percentage is that you retired with? I'll bet it is higher that the 50-60% the old timers left with, and BTW, they are still at 50-60% of top paid firefighter 27 years later.
Received via Email 04.29.10 Dick Tully is Da man.
Received via Email 04.30.10 "Bridget the Midget" will be at "Oasis" in Clearwater May 27, 28 and 29.
Received via Email 05.03.10 It's true that the old pension guys are only drawing 50% to 60% of our current top firefighter pay, but some of them retired with pensions of $6000 or $7000 per YEAR. 400% increase over a few decades? What are they whining about? I don't see anyone in the new pension (that the old guys cursed us with) keeping up with inflation the way they have, not even the few so far that are eligible for the 2% increase when they turn 60. Stop crying, you old guys.
Received via Email 05.43.10 To the 5.03.10, poster, Let it go, They didnt get anything the guys in the current (Suplemental) plan didnt get. This is important for peeps like you to understand, they do not have an automatic increase. The prior plan only goes up the same amount that the rest of us receive through the collective bargaining process. If we get 3% then so do they, if we get 0% so do they, if we get a bonus they get Nothing. The youngest of the prior plan guys are in their late 70's early 80's. Go to the retiree lunch this coming November and tell me if you think they are living the life of Reilly or just happy to be getting along. Here is one more factiod and then I will sign off. The Prior plan members were not in the Social Security plan back then. Some of them took other jobs after they left the dept so they could get some of the bene's from the plan but not all. So while you are still whining that they might get a $150.00 a month increase, at age 60 you will start seeing the AUTOMATIC 2% COLA, and then you will get $500.00 monthly or better when you reach your S/S age. You will receive the better deal, just wait your turn, you will get it. Dick Tully, I hope I did not take any wind from your sail but I had to chime in on this one.
Received via Email 04.23.10 This is what happens when only one person has the balls to sign his name to his posts.
Just for the record, I must admit to being duped into reacting to a less than factual situation.
Here's the response I recieved from Captain Ray Landes.
From: Raymond Landes
To: engin747@windstream.net
Sent: Monday, May 03, 2010 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: PPO Weekly Update
Mr Tully,
I send this PPO Update oout to all of the retirees that I have address for. I simply send it out because, sometimes, it has some pertinant information primarially on a national scale, regarding IRS changes etc... Most of the recipeints seeem to enjoy some contact.
On another note I would really appreciate if you could take the time to give me a call. Another firefighter said that I was all over the "website" again, so I checked. You are having quite a diatribe with somebody, assuming that they are me. You know what happens when you assume. I do not write anything on that site, yes I do check it, for things exactly like this.
I am on the pension board, a voluntary position, in order to protect EVERYBODY'S pension. I have no idea what you and the other person are talking about but it would take an idiot to believe that you could get rid of the old pension. All of the plans work toghter toward a common goal. Yes, I have stated recently that the previous plan bulk debt is coming to a payoff point in the next few years which will serve to lower the actual percentage of payroll that the city pays otward the pension. Thus opening us up to bidding in the upcoming consolidation war. We already lost Tierra Vrede and the opportunity to bid on Kenneth City due to these cost ratios.
I do not know you and you do not know me. Please, in the future, before commenting about me in a public forum and throwing my name around as if you know me. Give us both the couirtsey of a phone call.
Thank You
Ray Landes 727-688-9804
Here's the response to this letter.
----------------------------------
Good Morning Mr. Landes,
I guess I owe you a very large apology. I APOLOGIZE. I, apparently, have made a very big mistake and am ashamed of the fact that I took to heart the writings of someone who gave the appearance of being you. The way the information was given led me to think it was you who posted on the "Us vs. Them" site. Since I'm almost the only one who actually signs his name to the posts it's sometimes very difficult to know for sure who is actually doing the posting. Again I apologize for any misunderstanding or injury I may have caused.
But while I have you . . . First, I think I'll enjoy the PPO Update. Please continue to send it to me. Second, I would like a little more detailed information about the "previous plan bulk debt" of which you speak. I have a recollection that the city was made to pay the back monies it failed to contribute to the fund in a "stair step" manner. Meaning they could pay it back in blocks instead of having to pony up all the funds at once. This may not be the exact wording but it's pretty close to the intent. Are these the funds you're referring to? Or is there some other more recent activity that I'm not up to date on?
On another note, I have never believed that other than claiming bankruptcy could the city ever reneg on the prior pension. Since there are perameters included in the plan language that would discourage a reopener it would seem to be a moot point. But you must understand that any time I hear or read of someone or some entity having a go at the prior pension I become aggressively interested. As I stated in my post to the "website", the pension is all that kept the vast majority of us on the job for the minimum twenty year stint that we signed up for. It sure wasn't the compensation. So the pension means a great deal to us old timers and even though the vast mojority of them are never heard from they still carry the same feelings.
Again, let me apologize for jumping to conclusions in your regard and I sincerely hope that you can forgive an honest reaction to a very dishonest situation. Other than disturbing you I think there may have been some good information given by me to the members of the department that may have been disregarded in the past. I realize there are many like you who only read the posts but don't post on the "website". And then there are those who post but have not spine and are knowingly gutless when it comes to exposing their identity. I am guilty of being duped by those who I would ordinarily consider a brother who would not deceive me. I am also guilty of being more than a little aggressive when it comes to things that mean very much to me. Consequently the water occassionally gets muddied. Bottom line . . . I'm sorry.
This apology will be posted to the "website" in an attempt to make public my intent to help make right a very large wrong on my part.
Dick Tully
Received via Email 05.16.10 Hey sat.!!!! grow a spine u fu*kin Cu*t !!!!
TEAM: Thanks for using stars.
Received via Email 05.16.10 I am sooo glad that the MDA boot drives are over. I was running out of good excuses and was having to rely on some pretty bad ones. Now I can get back to opening humming on my favorite Chiefs flute.
Received via Email 05.18.10 Well, with the upcoming promotion of the Sweet one, the line will be that much shorter now. Room for you.
Received via Email 05.18.10 Him and DK should be at the same station together to see how many ff they can backstab
Received via Email 05.25.10 Let me get this right. We currently have 10 time off slots available to us and they can be rolled back to as few as 5 depending on long term sickies. Now the chief is asking that instead of the contract reading the above as it has for quite some time that instead the slots are merely a guidline? Are you shitting me? We're already working more manditory overtime than we ever did when Callahan was the chief and now you want to limit my vacation time too? I don't care how much they offer us this time around (which I know is going to be $0) I wouldn't vote for a contract that asks me to work more and spend less of my hard earned vaction time so that I can HELP the department manage its inability to hire enough firefighters. This place is FU*KED!
Received via Email 05.25.10 You are right. Look who they hire and who they promote.
Received via Email 05.25.10 Large is gonna whip this place in shape alright. The trouble is, hows he gonna know when we're finally whipped into shape unless someone else tells him?
Received via Email 05.26.10 Chief Large and his 5 other $100K suck-ups cant seem to whip the 3 Union officers into shape. What makes you think he will have any luck with the rest of the firefighting force? The Mayors latest proposal shows he wants to get rid of a part time assistant attorney and a full time intern in order to replace them with 2 more full time assistant attornies.
They have to control your time off so that the idiots can continue to be away attending "I dont get it classes". I think they have already shown that they have been to too many of them already.
Received via Email 06.10.10 How is it that a Firefigher Paramedic can get injured on duty, reach his Maximum Medical Improvemen, get his "been nice but get out" papers from the city, and then run out of time? A new memo out today says he is in need of time donations until he is offically shit canned in August. I guess no one is safe in our new "lets take it away society" of today.
Received via Email 06.11.10 He should have had a good laywer.
Received via Email 06.11.10 Ask youreself this question: how is it that Large runs him off and he's not already getting his retirement check? How lame is that? They tell you they can't keep you but there's no check for you. It's cuz they don't give a shit about you. This is like the bullshit stunt of laying off people and then asking us to pick up the tab and use holiday time to fix Large's fu*k up. Also, how come this happened to this guy and not another. We still have one medic off of workers comp for months and months and he's not getting his vacation time banged. He's not working light duty and he's still acruing vacation time to sit at home. More power to him but how come Large is shitting on this other guy? No people skills whatsoever and his only tool is a hammer. Just another Clearwater.
Received via Email 06.12.10 You hit the nail on the head. They don't care one bit about any one of us. When they say we are one big family, ITS A LIE. That is just a feel good term to throw out at us. There are other fire departments that really care about their employees. BUT NOT GOOD OLE ST GREEDYSBURG.
Received via Email 06.15.10 So, Chief Jimbos solution to the over abundance of overtime is to rehire more retreads. How is it that people that have left us for the better world are always welcomed back into our open arms and once again embraced as someone we can look up to. You can bet that no matter what they may have been like back when, you can make a safe bet that they will be true kool aid drinkers upon their return to St. Greedysburg. Jimbo and the Wimberking are still trying to build it their way.
Received via Email 06.16.10 The biggest piece of BS? When Lt's, Chief's, and certain F.F.'s gang up together to pick apart a call that worked, saved time, and extended a life, then call out the person that made that call. Well it doesn't meet Mom's rules & regs, so YOU can't be LR anymore! Of course it doesn't matter that the LT that has a personal issue with said A/LR left his assigned post without letting command know to pick apart this call while it was smoothly working, goes away without a single reprimand, but looking like the fair haired want to be red head... There goes that separation between Us and THEM! FTM...
Received via Email 06.16.10 The new regime is very vengeful. If you tick them off a little- you will pay big. Its not about good service but it is more about OUR WAY or YOU PAY big time. This has been proven over and over again the past few weeks. FF/PM BEWARE.
Received via Email 06.16.10 Isn't funny how some complain about being moved or riding rescue even though they have a lot of seniority. And many think they are worthless, no good crap. YET, others who are TIGHT (with the so called big boys with a lot of bugles) complain just the same or even more (they also have a lot of seniority) Waa Waa Waa you can hear them all over crying - yet they are OK in the upper echelons group. NO one says squat to them and all is ok. YEA you know who we are talking about. Look around at your station and observe. IT IS SIMPLY AMAZING.
Received via Email 06.16.10 you must be talking about DA. He fits that bill at our station.
Received via Email 06.2.10 There is a lot of em out there. JUST DO YOUR JOB!!
Received via Email 07.02.10 let me see here if i leave the department for a couple of years to persue another career and decide to come back will i be able to return where i left off???? probally not.
Received via Email 07.02.10 Only if you are the son of a chief with pictures...
Received via Email 07.05.10 Until you have at lease 10 years on the job you have no voice. JR man/woman moves, ride rescue and what ever else he or she is told to do.
Received via Email 07.06.10 I am amused that one of the best and the brightest who was always swallowing whatever shit management pumped down his throat is now an outsider because he called for a helicopter. How many of the medics on this job utilize paramedic intuition for the sake of the pt. and don't find it necessary for half a dozen management pukes to second guess you?
The day that Steve Knight has a voice in shaping your career as a medic, that's the day you should hang up your spurs. Who's going to be the next latest, greatest to lick management's balls? Talk about your useful idiots!
Received via Email 07.06.10 They're already doing it....time to file a grevience!!!!!
Received via Email 07.06.10 This reminds me of the Lealman story in the paper the other day. Lealman was all big and bad when it sided with the county to help to throw us out of station 2. Now that the county has got what it wanted from SP they don't need Lealman so much anymore and the county wants to pull a medic position away from them and give it to PP. Same shit, different group of assholes and their politics. Your right about the medic here in SP lapping up all the chief's chowder. He was just talking shit about how he was going to get promoted real soon because he was getting good attitude points. WTF?#>!%~&@#@ Bullshit is that?
He got some points alright. He got the Invisible Man's point, the Punisher's point and Mr. Pumpkinhead's point. I hope it hurts. Siding with the enemy should always hurt. Let this be a lesson to all of us that being promted anymore isn't what it used to be. Some of these guys are straigt up goof balls.
Received via Email 07.07.10 If your not in the good ole boys club. Forget it.
Received via Email 07.07.10 who's eating the chowder?
Received via Email 07.08.10 SK has always had his fingers in everyone's pie. Really bad stuff redacted (even though true) So without further, FTM! Some more really bad stuff redacted (but true).
Received via Email 07.09.10 Then post it don't be scared.
TEAM: We'll post most anything on this site (even your exaggerations) if you'll put your name behind it. It's easy say this chief or that chief's a dick (because some of them are) but your claims can't be backed up with fact and would no-doubt place you in peril if you did place your name behind them. Go to Homestead.com and buy some web space and a domain name and hang it all out there.
Received via Email 07.09.10 Cooler heads prevail
Received via Email 07.10.10 It's ok. . . nobody is listening (or reading) anyway. On the other hand the webmaster should be thanked by the poster for keeping the poster's big mouth from overloading his ass. I've only ever seen this happen when a poster really gets his typing fingers ahead of his common sense. It would seem that there's so little going on right now that there isn't much to post anyway and so some would naturally think that this is a good time to blast some one or some thing. And it is. But keep your cool there Mario. They're just waiting to snag anyone who's willing to give them an opportunity to make an example of or even worse gotten rid of. So zip it until you can find less inciting descriptive terms and maybe cool off a bit. We're all pissed and pissed on so don't think we don't sympathize with your attitude but for your own good and the safety of your employment now's not a good time to vent in a way that can be construed to be slanderous or over the top.
Even without seeing the thoughts in print we would probably agree with everything you have to say. And we admire the enthusiasm. But we want you to stay around and use that enthusiasm in a positive way.
TEAM: It would seem that there is so little going on but actually there's a lot going on. Unless members have their head's in the sand, it's hard to imagine anyone (outside of the Kool-Aide drinkers) that haven't noticed that the fire chief is making surreptitious changes on a daily basis. We aren't consulted or even cajoled on these almost daily changes and the super brain trust just can't imagine why we're all not on-board when we find them not to our liking. At negotiations the other day we brought to the city's attention the fact that in our current configuration our committees are in-name only. Remember the Fire Fighter meetings? We had direct access to all the chiefs and we constantly challenged them. What happened to those meetings? They shitcanned them. Our efforts to return to open dialogue continue to be sneered at by Wimbery who just can't imagine the need for another committee. President Newton's response: "We don't need to meet with FD management, then. We can meet regularly with the city on our concerns." That went over like a fire engine manufacturer recommending Michelin tires to Jimmy Large.
As if anyone here needed us to point out the obvious, the fire chief and his crew have supposedly run out of ideas to finding places where they can save more money. Well not really. They've run out of ideas that cost the dept. as a whole but they have plenty on tap that will cost you and me. Just the other day, working a 48 hours straight tour was just too dangerous. "You'd be too tired." Now working 48 is no problem because...well just because. And running a system like Sunstar does with a single Paramedic was never going to happen here. Not in St. Petersburg. Pffft! That was yesterday's news. We're no longer doing what is innovative, rather what saves a buck.
Got a Paramedic patch and thought you'd seen your last days riding rescue after thirty years at it? Not so fast! The union fought for patch pay for every swinging dick that's no longer on rescue but chooses to maintain that patch. The original (and continues to be in the union's eyes) intent was to reward those that choose to keep their hand in the program by helping to augment it. How come those of us who are in the companies are now no longer augmenting the system but rather we're being forced to ride (as the only clinician) on ALS rigs or face the threat of being relieved of our patch? Yet if you work at HQ and you get patch pay, you won't every have to worry about tending to another pt. again? There's a certain unmistakable arrogance that goes along with this thinking yet the office of compliance warns that you really should try to maintain a good attitude while being ass-raped! Their efforts to put a spin on it where they've querried these same medics and officers who are medics and found them to all be on board, falls on deaf ears.
Here's a quiz question for you all. When a fire chief can start down the path to making unilateral changes to your working conditions on a daily basis and these changes affect 'mandatory subjects of bargaining', what do you suppose the assistant chief's response to this condition was?
[Bargaining subjects are divided into three categories: mandatory, permissive and prohibited. A mandatory subject of bargaining is defined as a proposed bargaining issue where the employees’ legitimate interest in wages, hours or conditions of employment outweighs the employer’s concerns about the restriction on managerial prerogatives or public policy. A bargaining subject categorized as mandatory, therefore, requires that the parties negotiate on this subject if the issue is raised by either party. For example, proposals for wage increases or an anti-nepotism policy are mandatory subjects of bargaining.]
Did you miss that? "...requires that the parties negotiate on this subject if the issue is raised by either party."
When the assistant chief fires off a memo about instantaneous changes in a given policy at 5 pm on a Friday and then later during a negotiations session claims that the union can simply impact bargain the changes - can each of you see the slippery slope that this places us on? You can bargain your ass off but that doesn't mean you get back what you once had. More importantly, why should we be forced to bargain for what these pricks stole from us? And if we choose to bargain - what do we give up in the give and take of bargaining to gain back what was rightfully ours to begin with? In effect, we'd be bargaining with (against) ourselves.
And if we choose not to bargain to get back what was robbed from us, that means we go to war and war is expensive.
FTM DTRT
Received via Email 07.10.10 Please tell us they havent gotten to you web man..
Received via Email 07.13.10 The web man had better not be the only ne that is concerned with the daily Wimberisms that are taking place. The Wimber King is out to destroy everyone. Thats right everyone. I am not excluding the Invisible man or Pumpkin head either
Received via Email 07.15.10 The most arrogant person within SPRF. The Prince himself.
Received via Email 07.22.10 I work every hour I can for the man, 48 hours on 24 off. Over 8 cycles of this, yes the pay checks are awesome, so are the taxes but....the one day I dont put in and choose to work a first half 12 hour swap for one of my brothers I get banged by a cheap ass spineless DC and get a mandatory second half overtime gig. I know we cant have it both ways, but when do we get to say that we have had enough? I need the money and will continue to work as many 48's that I can physically and mentaly can including my R day. I just want a little fairness and understanding. Anyone else out there like me?
Received via Email 07.24.10 I talked to one of the guys who was at negotiations today and he told me that things are about to turn around for us in a big way. Have I got your attention yet? WE MAY BE ABLE TO US OUR OWN $150 SHOE MONEY AFTER THIS YEAR TO BUY STRUCTURAL FIRE FIGHTING BOOTS EVERY OTHER YEAR IF WE WANT. I just about shit myself when I found out about this golden opportunity. I can't wait till we have to buy uniforms for ourselves too. These assholes want a 3 year contract and act like it's even a remote possibility. VOTE NO! 100% NO ON ANY CONTRACT THAT THEY OFFER US. Just Another Clearwater
Received via Email 07.24.10 I remember when we used to have firefighter meetings with these people. Now they can barely look anyone in the face except for their suckasses. Large is afraid of being fired. and Wimberly and Knight were never people persons so when they get backed into the corner with facts they get stressed and blow you off. Everyone talks about it. The last line of the message above should explain it all. Ten FF's can screw up and one chief will talk about it. One chief screws up and everyone talks about it.
Received via Email 07.25.10 The only reason to have those meetings was to placate us and to see who would be their informers. If you look at the promotions. You know who the informers are and who will work agaisnt us FF
Received via Email 07.25.10 Officers should support the troops. Its down right shameful when they do not.
Received via Email 07.26.10 And just the same the troops should support the officers; and we all now that doesn't happen most of the time. Especially on this site.
TEAM: True enough. The Internet makes people lie and it's also true that spoons are responsible for Rosie O'donnell being fat.
Received via Email 07.27.10 And we know that the members who don't all fall in line aren't always spoken of so well. Especially in the chief's monthly news rag. Remember the internet cowboys hiding behind the Enter key? Hey Mr. Webmaster. How many hits on this site that no one visitors?
TEAM: 480,655 visits. Will you be the 500,000th? We don't think we're going to make a half million before the fifth year anniverary date of 8-6-2010, though. Before the end of the year, for sure, though.
Received via Email 07.27.10 There is a female paramedic on the job who is telling everyone that she knows, that she didn't donate time to Ken Leibek because he is addicted to pain pills. I hope she treats her patients who have chronic pain better than she's treating Ken. Ken is a great guy who got injured on the job and shit out the door and left to die without a paycheck. He was treated worse than you'd treat a dog.
Received via Email 07.27.10 Wouldn't it be something if the 500,000th hit came from the city or fire administration?
TEAM: Yeah, it would be except it's impossible. They don't visit here.
Received via Email 07.28.10 Do you know why fire admin visits here. Because they don't know how to lead properly. So they come here {to this web site} to see what is really going on. The only problem is, once they see the truth, they cant handle it, so they let there pride and arrogance get in the way and their common sense goes out the window, Then they make the current situations even worse. All sad but true. If they just learned how treat people the way they wanted to be treated, the department would literally turn around very quickly.
Received via Email 07.28.10 Well, it looks like the liberals won and the illegals get to run wild through my country. Thats just great.
Received via Email 07.28.10 7/28, forget about the illegals, stop blaming liberals for all the things you do not like. Put all that effort into something constructive and fight them! The admin's, fino's are you strong enough to fight for our future, and yours?! Prioritize!
Received via Email 07.28.10 To 7/27 #2. Who is she? Hopefully if and when her time comes for help, everyone will remember this and NOT donate their hard earned time.
Received via Email 07.29.10 How smart is it for union members to be loading buses up to protest in AZ? How fuc*ed are we that union leaders are taking their que's from Obummer so that he can keep the hispanic vote? How does bringing droves of illegals across the border help organized labor?
Received via Email 07.30.10 How can ANY union support ILLEGAL immigration? Doesn't it take jobs way from union members? If business didn't have illegals they would have to hire and pay for union members.
Received via Email 07.30.10 I want to know when sitting in front of a computer half the day and then being told that I'm now responsible for keeping track of all my time isn't a change in working conditions? I feel more and more like a secretary every day. If you want us to train let's go and do it. This bullshit of sitting in front of a computer wouldn't have even hit the radar screen a few years ago when Callahan was here. Sissy Mary's. FTM
Received via Email 07.31.10 Weve gone from Firefighters to computer geeks. Did I sign up for this?
Received via Email 07.31.10 Not all of us. Just the one that want to get promoted. Before I take the test do I need to buy kneepads?
TEAM: Noooo...we can't print that. Attack him for being a know-it-all who never was and being a condescending prick. Not for his appearance.
Received via Email 08.06.10 I come here to read up on uncensored issues, complaints, etc. When I see, time, and time again, certain posters blaming everything on the government, I shake my head, and wonder, are they, or where they EVER contributing Union Members? Do they realize Union's work to improve working conditions, fair pay, Beni's,for their families' lives? If you want to slam politics that do not directly effect the Union, and our local, go find one of the millions of cry baby, insane, extreme right, and or left web sites, leave the sh-- for pages where the people that never lift a finger to do a good job live! I have seen it written here before, and totally agree, forget them work locally, and it will spread out nationally to our brothers and sister Union members. Fight the power, and FTM!
Received via Email 08.11.10 It is nice we are losing the squad and the city can shell out 2.5 million a year to the Dali museum for the next 5 years.
Mayor's response: We give a shit about the Dali. On the flip side, we don't give a shit about you.
Received via Email 08.12.10 We dont need no stinkin squad. dats what we gots lealman fo
Received via Email 08.12.10 Psst. hey clueless, Lealman aint had a squad for the past 2 years. We now rely on Pinellas Park, Seminole, and Treasure Island. And I aint bettin that they will continue to dole out welfare to a city that has over $300,000,000.00 in their wallets.
Received via Email 08.12.10 I says we cut out a DC, telestaff does their work now. Put more FF on the street.
Received via Email 08.15.10 I see Bobby Dare is no longer working for Lealman. They're beginning to suck as bad as St. Pete.
Received via Email 08.15.10 Bobby Dare should not have been working anywhere!
Received via Email 08.15.10 was that the bobby dare that was a coach
Received via Email 08.17.10 Cut two DC's and put one on a 40 hour schedule to play with the computer. Combine the EMS chief's job with training, combine the fire marshal's job with whatever it is that Bob Ballou does and combine the chief and assistant chief's job. Get rid of the captain in EMS and change all the station captains to lieutenants. With benefits that's about three quarters of a million dollars saved. Take the savings and buy a bunch of firefighter's positions.
Anyone ever notice how when headquarters is closed at night and on weekends the fires still get put out and the rescue calls get answered? When rain collapsed the roof of a large department store a few years ago Tish Elston was our fire chief and yet things got taken care of.
Maybe we don't need ANY of those 40 hour guys.
Received via Email 08.17.10 Here!!!!!Here!!!!!!
Received via Email 08.17.10 8/17 post. By George, I think you've got it.
Received via Email 08.17.10 By the way. I have been seeing P. Vines at HQ a lot lately. In fact he was there today most of the day. Getting OT. I thought the car seat program was over. Funny, they always find a new scam. Rumor has it, his buddy Knight is feeding him the OT. Oh you were not offered all that extra OT? To bad, guess your not in the right click.
Received via Email 08.17.10 No, that was a Seminole training chief that was in charge of the roof collapse of Bed Bath and Beyond.
Received via Email 08.17.10 Oh the little games that HQ plays. You would think it was Romper Room up there. They really do need some adult supervision.
Received via Email 08.21.10 Large was on a lunch date with the mayor that day.
TEAM: Love to print that but we can't...
Received via Email 08.26.10 You know...It's tough enough negotiating against the city but when you're in negotations and everything that the city is offering up comes from fire administration, that's just bullshit. Everyone should know these pricks for who they are. Large, Wimberly and Baby Knight are not our friends no matter how many time they try to shake your hand.
Received via Email 08.26.10
Step 1. Separate all individual pieces and prepare for proper assembly.
Step 2. Take a moment and POLITELY explain to car accident victims that you will return in a few moments,
AFTER you have properly donned your OSHA approved safety vest.
Step 3. Return to vest.
Step 4. Place velcro side pieces (#3 & #4) in direct line with back of vest (#2) and smoothly attach velcro attaching attachers to
attaching attachers of back vest piece (#2). Carefully run hands along velcro smartlets until forward frontal velcro is
reached and bring them forward and carefully align receiving velcro strap attachers from front of vest piece (#1).
Step 5. Repeat step 4 ever so carefully for other side of vest, making certain to avoid eppelate seam near the "V" over the
second and third tucks adjacent to the pocket assembly (model #4285 only). Repeat as needed.
Step 6. Carefully place vest on one arm through patented "arm hole" at one time. Be careful not to upset or taunt vest at all
while donning. Swearing at or making fun of vest will cause vest to twist around in a most frustrating way. Twisting
will void lifetime warrant.
Step 7. If vest DOES become twisted in any way, return to step #1, after apologizing to accident victims & vest sincerely. If injuries
to accident victims appear life threatening, call 911 immediately. Be sure to properly hydrate.
Step 8. After finishing step #1 for the second time, carefully review steps 3 through 6, reading out loud slowly to your vest buddy.
Step 9. After slowly reading instructions out loud, follow the steps to the letter this time. No short cuts. Have your vest buddy
read instruction in a loud and frightening manner as you go through the steps. Allow ten to fifteen minutes for step 9.
Step 10. Advise arriving emergency units that you will be happy to assist them, once you are properly made safe by the complete
and proper donning of your safety vest. Consider Bayflite.
Step 11. Never give up! These vests were tested on lab monkeys who, although they never completely donned their vests, did
write fairly positive reviews of this product later.
Step 12. See attached page of instructions on how to return vests for a 20% refund. Vests must be returned in perfect, unused
condition. Sorry, but if vests are found to have been twisted OR taunted in any way, they will be rehabilitated and
cleaned at former owners expense, then shipped to homeless people in the greater St. Petersburg Area.
TEAM: We were wondering who the other person was who found playing with puzzle pieces during a call, a bit distracting.
Received via Email 08.27.10 The new vests are ridiculous. Who ever ordered these were probably playing computer games all day and saw these as an ad from a pop up screen. Maybe in the future our new helmets will also be like puzzle pieces. Way to go Training Division. Keep up the good work.
Received via Email 08.27.10 What do you expect... their college educated.
Received via Email 08.28.10 we are trying to be like europe. whats next?
Received via Email 08.28.10 nothing but the best for you dorks
Received via Email 08.28.10 I was doing some shrooms at the station and was able to figure out the vest
TEAM: Don't leave any shroom residue in the washer.
Received via Email 08.29.10 Wimberly should work for the CIA. He's just that effective.
Received via Email 08.29.10 no i wont. i planted my left over pot in the yard here at 9. I would never leave a bag of coke in the washer.
Received via Email 08.29.10 Hey....we had almost forgotten about the washer incident. . .damn !!!
Received via Email 08.30.10 the evidence got torn down with the old wash room. Why do ya think the construction workers were smilin?
Received via Email 09.02.10 Can I get promoted if I get prego from a HQ guy
Received via Email 09.04.10 Definitely not. Because he's too worried about getting health insurance for his lover.
Received via Email 09.06.10 How come the cops are allowed to have insurance for their faggot lovers, but we can't? No, wait. Hang on a sec. Scratch that.
Received via Email 09.06.10 Yea but i think my baby will have red hair and messed up teeth. what do I do
Received via Email 09.07.10 Second 9/6 Name him Jack O lantern or Pumpkin Head.
Received via Email 09.13.10 Since now is the time for ff and fire officer of the year, it would be fitting to put on here who the greatest Moroon of the year is. It has to be someone who only cares about himself rather than others and the community, And he or she has to be so full of themselves that barely anyone can stand the sight of them. And only people talk to them because of their position, but their character is far below anyone the city kicks out of St. Pete.
Any nominations. The most nominations win.
Received via Email 09.13.10 For the First Annual Worst Officer of the Year I would have to go with Knight. I predict a landslide. This department has never seen an officer that was so fast to shit on everyone else to help establish his own agenda. There have been others willing to do the same, but none so dedicated. I hope he wins since he's worked so hard for it.
Consider this a nomination if you decide to set up a poll in here.
Received via Email 09.14.10 I would also like to nominate Knight as the Worst Officer of the Year. He has proven year after year that he is an incompetent officer who only cares about himself. He did a good job fooling Large but Jimmy is finally on to his game.
Received via Email 09.14.10 Knight. Absofuckinglutely Knight.
Received via Email 09.15.10 Let me see. There are so many good choices to pick from.
Large can't make a decision that he'll own. He always blames the bad shit on the city or someone else.
Wimberly is different from 99.9% of the population. He don't get it.
Knight is on a mission to slash and burn anyone or anything in this dept. and this county. He doesn't care what anyone thinks about him and it shows.
Received via Email 09.15.10 Funny how the top picks which are the worst of the worst out of more than 300 folks are our top three leaders. What a joke this department has become. By the way, I vote for Large because he has allowed all this crap to happen and he promoted these bungle heads.
Received via Email 09.17.10 After the 100% Fire Administrative noshows at Allie Hoods retirement party, I wouldn't vote for any of the POS **cksticks. Not a single visit by any of them. How embar(ass)ing is that? However on the flip side, it was one of the best times I've seen at one of these gigs in a long time.
Received via Email 09.19.10 No one wants them at our retirement parties anyway. They have always fought against us. We are so happy to be able to get away from the Losers.
Received via Email 09.19.10 Now Allie is free,and happier than he has been in 33 years! Way To Go Hood! FTM!
Received via Email 09.20.10 Strange, but I have noticed the same thing amongst the retirees when they visit. Everyone seems so much happier than they were during their last 5 years. Such a change, I cant wait for my turn.
Received via Email 09.20.10 Jimmy and company are a class act. I guess his secretary (witness) wasn't available so he couldn't come.
Received via Email 09.20.10 Yea their soo lucky though. When one of those retards retire, they heard us through that fire admin. shithole like cattle on their final day. They have the option not to go, we get the order to go, thanks DC's, I guess to make them look like they were real important too the whole organization. (Lanning,Jolley,etc. and future knight).
Received via Email 09.24.10 So one of our own, Tom Kimler has become insensed that he made the wrong decision and chose to retire before a COLA was bargained for by the union and the city agreed to grant for employees on active payroll only has rieled up a group of peeps that just need to believe in something, and has taken the lead by referring to them as the "forgotten 157". In realty its only the whine'n few but why let the truth enter into the story now. Anyways he is telling the world that Mayor Foster has given him the green light to find a money source to give everyone the COLA and his wishes will be granted. So now Tommy is telling his flock that he has found money that can be taken away from those of us that are still employed and will be going without a raise this year. Oh yeah did I forget to mention that TK also supported Foster during his election? And would this be yet another way for Foster to stick it to the active Firefighters that supported someone other than him? Tom is out there telling his believers that an $800.00 a year COLA that they were not granted by the Council (Foster was on this Council) is more important than anyone of us that are still here putting up with the BS we are exposed to daily. Leave it to Tommy to continue his ways to make sure he gets his and to hell with anyone else. Dont forget, he is the same person the convinced those that assigned their pensions to pre-school children in hopes that it would bankrupt the city and make them sell everything they owned. Next time you see TK, listen to his BS and then just walk away. Ok you can laugh if you have to.
Received via Email 09.25.10 Yup..Thats the Kimler I remember. Hey Tom, why dont you work towards getting rid of my Social Security Offset? Or how about getting me that 3% multiplyer for all years worked? I will even settle for the higher allowable % for the years I worked after 25. Tom can you help those of us that dont have what you have first? Then we can all worry about not getting that COLA that you are so worried about. How about it? Any comments? I still laugh when someone tells me that you are attempting yet another end around run for your benefit.
Received via Email 09.25.10 I personally talked to Winnie about this very subject a couple of weeks ago. It's got nothing to do with the city. It's got nothing to do with the union. The time for talking about a COLA with anyone other than the state is over. Want a COLA? Call the state and ask them to change the law. 175 money is to be used for pension improvements for members CURRENTLY participating in the pension plan. If you left before we negotiated for a COLA, you're out of luck. Likewise if you entered the DROP before the date that we negotiated for the COLA, you're out of luck. When you enter the DROP, it's spelled out very plainly in the paperwork that you receive from the city that you are no longer a participant in the supplemental plan. This stuff has nothing to do with us any more. As someone mentioned in the post above, the SS offset is huge. Go after that if you want to attack something that the city CAN change. Stop believing in people who can't even pony-up retirement dues and get over yourselves. You've got a better chance of getting a right answer out of Jimmy Large. At least he pays retirement dues.
Received via Email 09.25.10 I am still employed but to degrade your fellow firefighters who have served for many years is a shame. In reality you are the one who thinks about no one but yourself. What a loser.
Received via Email 09.26.10 There is a difference in serving and putting in your time. TK put in his time and took back everything he could, and continues to look for ways to keep taking.
Boy, Jimmy must be on the red phone with this asshole mayor all day long.
Received via Email 09.27.10 That MAYOR, doesn't want us to,"stroke out" at work, what a classless baffoon. It looks like he also believes we're guilty until shown innocent.. Or dirty until the piss test comes back clean. What the hell kind of half wit did the citizens of St Pete vote in?? All I can say is don't blame me, I voted for Kathleen Ford!! FTM
Received via Email 09.27.10 If any of this were a REAL issue, the public would be calling up the mayors office left and right complaining about unfit firefighters. They're fighting their battles in the press with people who don't sign our contract. Let's have the mayor or his little buddy the invisible man negotiate the contract wth nothing to offer. Good luck shitbirds.
Received via Email 09.28.10 Instead of drug testing me thinks the mayor and fire chief need to take stupid testing. The obviously have little brain matter.
Received via Email 09.30.10 Word on the skreet from one of the SPB guys is we're getting ready to transport. Does this guy know something that Mr. Pumpkinhead and Captain Kirk don't know? Is the county giving us a present? Have the citizens voted to let us out of the contract? Has some politician had his nob polished? All this transport stuff would be fine if we had the AUTHORITY to do any of it but we don't. I wonder how the 3 wize men feel to have someone tell them that they aren't going to negotiate the changes they want with them? FTM PTB EGH
Received via Email 10.02.10 I tend to believe that the drunkard out on the street is more in tune with what is happening arould him than any of the stars at HQ. Headquarters is just like a collapsing star system sucking everything around it into a blackhole. Something that is so powerful that no intellegant thoughts can escape.
Received via Email 10.05.10 Well, dont we have plenty of alcoholics on the dept. Cant they tell us what is going on.
Received via Email 10.06.10 To the posters in early Sept. how's this for an idea? Maybe we could really shake things up by asking that DNA testing be required as well. That would really make things interesting on take your(?) kid to work day.
Received via Email 10.06.10 So Jimmy pays retirement dues. Do we need the money that badly? I don't ever recall him talking about the union like it was his own. He always talks about it like it is the source of all greed.
Received via Email 10.14.10 Can anyone tell me if the union grill is CLEAN and available for use?
Received via Email 10.15.10 They can drug test me as soon as they IQ test headquarters.
Received via Email 10.15.10 Yes, the union grill is clean. I had to clean it before I used it and before I returned it. I know what your getting at. The last person to use it b4 me was Jimmy Large.
Received via Email 10.14.10 Can anyone tell me if the union grill is CLEAN and available for use?
Received via Email 10.15.10 They can drug test me as soon as they IQ test headquarters.
Received via Email 10.15.10 Yes, the union grill is clean. I had to clean it before I used it and before I returned it. I know what your getting at. The last person to use it b4 me was Jimmy Large.
Received via Email 10.17.10 Ya know, I dont know what the big deal is over a clean or dirty grill. Of course if its yours you can keep it the way you want, if its not then I guess it should be returned the way it was when you borrowed it. I know that personally I like the Al Bundy theory of last years ashes for this years burgers. Ya see the old ashes hold all of the drippings, meat, mouse, roaches, an so forth and our brought forth upon the new fire. Yum, Yum.
Received via Email 10.22.10 Little Stevie Knight is telling everyone that he's the man. That he could flip the switch tomorrow if he wanted and all of our engine would be ALS. Flip the switch, bigmouth.
In the outside world you have to navigate these chumps that just don't get it. To do it here where there's supposedly some structure is just too much sometimes. And we keep promoting them.
Received via Email 10.22.10 Oh oh oh, I've got a Steve Knight story too. Hey Steve-o, why don't you quit telling Roger Spinelli that he's got 90 days left before the city dumps him. Chief Large has told him that he's got a job until the city tells him otherwise and THEN (and only then, asshole) the 90 day clock begins. Roger wouldn't be in the position he's in if he were'nt off defending his country (something a puss like you wouldn't know anything about) so lighten up jr. This dept. is going into the shitter quick and you're one of the biggest reasons. Just Another Clearwater.
Received via Email 10.22.10 I was in Billy's office today and noticed that POWERHOUSE UNION MEMBER KEITH BRAHM has sent in the paperwork to SCAB off of our back's. I hope he just got into the DROP plan so that I can say that I didn't talk to this pr**k for his entire last five years. I hope he enjoys a good old fashioned bag lunch and dinner cuz if he was at my station he'd be SOL!
Received via Email 10.22.10 Whats the difference if your in the drop? The union is not doing shit for you then just like the union is not doing shit for you now, just ask Tidwell. We have the Westcoast fools putting on a benefit for him. Union is to worried about their pink shirt orders.
Received via Email 10.23.10 I'm not sure what you're making reference to but if you're blaming the union for not doing anything for you because the mayor that's in office won't play, then I'm sure you never held a Kathleen Ford sign in your hand, either. I'm also sure you're going to step up and fill the gaps that the union just can't seem to get right. As to the pink shirts, we're probably the only union in the fire service buying pink shirts in support of women.
Received via Email 10.23.10 I've got a partial solution for the Brother Chris Tidwell situation. Rick Pauley heads up the yearly drive to bring in hole sponsors at $100 a piece for our annual Ferg's Golf Tournament. Rick is personally responsible for the vast majority of the money that we collect because he realizes that the rest of us aren't going to get it done because we're either too complacent or just too lazy. We obviously don't have donors lining-up at the office door so someone has to get their hands dirty. The monies collected go into our union's Benevolent Fund. How many of you are aware that the largest drain on that fund is retirement axes? How many of you are aware that the fund is nearly dry? How does this sit with each of you in light of the fact that Chris' rent or car payment may be coming due at the end of the month and his parents may not be able to meet those obligations for him?
As long as union brothers such as Rick Pauley spend countless hours each and every year, leaning on their friends in business to get off of their wallets, we may well have a ready supply of money to do something with. The question is the 'something'. While I've threatened to pull this pin before, maybe now is the time. At every union meeting, a motion is always in order. I'm going to make a motion that we cease purchasing retirement axes utilizing Benevolent Fund monies so that we can get back to the fund's original intent.
I'll put my money where my mouth is but I'll need a 'second' to get the discussion started. Hopefully the 10-22 #4 poster will attend and provide that second. It will ultimately be in the hands of the membership at the meeting as to whether the motion passes or fails.
I hope that most you you find it repugnant that any dues paying member would say, "The union is not doing shit for you then just like the union is not doing shit for you now..."
As to whether or not our union does anything for us or not is something that each of us will have to rationalize, ourselves. Know this, though. Without the active involvement of the well trained officers in our labor organization, much of what we currently take for granted as being our 'right' as enumerated in our collective bargaining agreement would have vanished long ago. Your gas tank doesn't get filled by itself. Your car doesn't drive you to work without your guidance. What makes you think that benefits that you currently enjoy as a union member got into your contract on their own? Personally, I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees.
See you at the next meeting.
Fraternally,
Jon Pearl - 9C
Received via Email 10.23.10 Wow, well I guess a thanks is in order for the pink shirts. Thanks a million.
Received via Email 10.24.10 I just has a great idea. Since this is the end of the pay period I have gone into my telestaff account and requested pay for 6 of my banked holiday hours. That will give me an extra $100.00 MOL after taxes. When I get my check this Thursday I plan on going directly to the Union Office with a check made out to Local 747 Benevolent Fund and will present it to Secretary Treasurer Billy Mott. I am now challenging each of our 300+ St. Petersburg members to reach into their pockets and pull out what you can and do the same. I know that a bus load of folks are on their way to Miami in honor of our Beloved lost Brother and had no problem coming up with a little more than my $100.00. If the posters are really concerned that THEY as Union Members aren't doing enough, then lets turn this around right now and put up or shut up. I know for fact that the 3 elected officers of this Local are doing what they can with what they are provided. I hope to see a 100% turn out for this contribution drive. However if my suspensions are correct we will have the same 1 to 20% turnouts that we have for the MDA and Sickle Cell drives, Political Calls for Action, Sign building and waviers, Office clean up projects, monthly union meetings, Contract Negotiation Sessions, Contract ratification explination meetings, Neighborhood block parties, and the annual 2 day holiday office party. It will be up to the rest of you to prove me wrong. My C note is on its way, how about yours. Oh yeah, dont forget the S/T is on the A shift so I will not accept the story about how you went by the office 3 times and no-one was there. He has a phone on his desk with voice mail and he carries a cell phone all the time.
TEAM: This is how it's suppsed to work. We can't sit back and just wait for the union to always do the right thing, especially when they're tasked with the responsibility of protecting us from a chief, assistant chief, EMS chief and two dozen lawyers, every waking moment.
Received via Email 10.24.10 Lets see 300+ members give or take a few SCABS and cheap asses X $100.00 do the math and get back to me. Ok you are too busy to do the math, its 30,000.00 DOLLARS. WOW That course would have alot of signs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Received via Email 10.24.10 FYI, the west coast fools is an organization made up of a brotherhood of firefighters. Their existence is to have comardiere and to help someone in a difficult time. They will band together and put on an event to raise $1,200.00 and give it to the families of the brother or sister in need. Period. Thats all they do and they do it well. On the other hand, many of the same people that belong to this organization also belong to one of the many unions in this area. Your unions work towards providing you and your families a life of earnings, health care, and a way to support your family after you retire for the rest of your lives. Period. So if you feel that the the same unions that you are members of wont drop everything a work for the cause of the day just because you think that is what should happen, you might be mistaken. However if you were to approach your union officers and bring forth an idea that you are willing to lead to help with, secure the how to's and the why fors that are necessary to make a plan sucessful, then stop on by. You can always go the easy route and let someone else do it (west cost fools) or you can step up and do something for yourslef and make the difference. I agree that it is shameful that a in a group the size of SPFR, 10 brothers and sisters cant get together to make something happen. Thats why groups like the FOOLS are around. They will do what slackers wont. As far as the remark about Pink shirts, that project began at the state convention back in April and has been a long term project that will benefit many. I know some of you still dont get it or will never admit that their union has ever done anything for them but as long as I know the truth I will live a happy life, long into my retirement years.
Received via Email 10.24.10 How the hell did axes get to be a show of benevolence? The axes are a nice gesture but shouldn't they be supported and paid for by the crew who worked with the retiree or a collection taken up or something? Or is this just the politically correct version of "No Child Left Behind"? Was there some concern that some members upon retirement would not receive an axe for whatever reason? Consequently someone determined that the Benvolent Fund would be a good source for the money and no feelings could or would possibly be hurt. Because we all know that there would be those who would not be the recipient of donations nor any other means of funding. And since there are those who cannot fathom the concept of brotherhood being the basis for awarding the axe rather than personal feelings it became necessary to fund the axes from a neutral source. The Benevolent Fund is for brothers and sisters who need help outside the confines of the norm. It's not intended to be a universal fund for pet projects. If a brother or sister who retires doesn't have enough friends or regard to warrant the presentation axe then that's all there is to it. It's beyond comprehension how any group that works together like the fire service would not be willing to contribute to a final gift for a brother or sister. Whether you like them or not they deserve this tribute for their service. There needs to be a separation of funds here and one can't infringe on the other. Brother Pearl is right and should be supported in his motion to take the funding of the axes out of the Benevolent Fund. And Brother Pauley shouldn't be the sole person funding the Benevolent Fund through his professional contacts off the job. Brother Pauley is to be commended for his ability to provide the majority of the sources for the funding of the Benevolent Fund. I wonder what the fund would look like if Brother Pauley wasn't there. You never know when you will be the one needing help and believe me, it's not always the other guy who gets hurt. Vote with your brain and help pass Brother Pearl's motion at the next meeting.
Received via Email 10.25.10 I'm a little embarassed to say that it's been a long time since I've been to a union meeting. I knew that we had a fund to pay for axes because it's been forever since we've had to come up with the money ourseleves but I never knew we had a benevolent fund and worse yet I didn't know we were spending it on axes. My bad. I guess we're like the city using Penny for Pinellas money. They don't buy engines, rescues or trucks anymore with their own money. I think we need to start paying our own way again and get away from looking at all like the city.
On another note, I'm getting tired of hearing certain people spending time at shift change telling the other shifts that something has got to be done about the union not doing anything for Chris Tidwell and the fact that no one from the union has spent any time at the hospital. From what I understand Winnie Newton was the 2nd person at the hospital the night that Chris got in his accident. The first person there was Chief Large and he's the one who called Winnie. Some are grumbling that THE UNION isn't providing personel to stand in the hallway outside of Chris's room. Well, we are and I've done it. AFAIK everyone at station 4 is in the union and they're running the operation. Thank you. There are members who bitch because they feel like they're on the outside looking in and that the president' has too much control over what goes on and we don't have enough say. Here's a perfect example of the union stepping up to the plate when the chief told the union president that they weren't going to spend any more money on overtime to stand guard like they've done in the past. I think some of us have got the union all wrong. Without you and me making it work the 3 principal officers don't stand a chance espcially when they have to fight HQ trying to rip us off and then fight some of us too.
Received via Email 10.26.10 hey check out this web site. good fire photos all over the country some of our stuff too...www.911-photography.com
Received via Email 10.27.10 I am sitting in my fire station staring at a candy jar that has been placed on the table asking for donations for our injured brother Chris Tidwell. I am truely embarrassed at what I see. It is now clearly evident to me why so many are so up in arms that the union hasn't done anything. I can clearly see through the clear plastic jar that the folks that have passed through this station during the last 5 days have been concerned enough to pry $18 dollars and $.48 to this worthwhile cause. I am hpefull that they are really waiting for payday tomorrow and that I will see quite a few of them at the union office writing out $100.00 checks. I can only hope.
Received via Email 10.28.10 I stopped by the Union office this afternoon to see how the donations to the benevolence fund was going. I was looked upon with a quizzicle eye and a question much like "Wat-cha talkin bout Willis? Ok, so the week aint over I know they will show up in droves Friday. Go B shifters, show them it is done.,
Received via Email 11.02.10 We need to watch the person going around collecting the money from the stations and bringing it back to HQ. Do we have any accountability system in place to make sure the same amount that is leaving is arriving to its destination? GOD BLESS YOU BROTHER GET WELL SOON!!!!!
TEAM: Have them give the Co. Officer a receipt!
Received via Email 11.02.10 If we cant trust a brother who can we trust. Come on. Do you really think a brother or sister would steal from another hurting brother. We may not trust downtown but my golly we should be able to trust each other. If not, we are all doomed.
Received via Email 11.03.10 Really, 11/02 #2? Do you remember Phil Moore?
Received via Email 11.04.10 Phil who ?
Received via Email 11.04.10 I looked at the donations that have been put into my collection jar last night. I cant see anything different than a week ago. Where have all of our deep concerns gone? I noticed that even the regular updates from HQ have dwindled to nothing. Well, lets hope a few of our concerned members dropped off their checks at the union office.
Received via Email 11.04.10 P. Moore is the one that took fire department vehicles from HQ for a month or two without the 2 Jimmies knowing about it, made them look like idiots...wait a minute they are idiots.
Received via Email 11.04.10 I dont trust nobody with my CASH. write a check and put the what for in the memo line. At the end of the month check your online bank statement and see where it was deposited. I dont leave my wallet unattended or even lying out in my cubicle. I work way too hard to give my money to a crook.
Received via Email 11.06.10 Whats wrong with taking dept vehicles. We have DCs who take their vehicles to girlfriends homes and then get broken into and nothing happens to them.
Received via Email 11.22.10 I'm at 4 and there is Jimmy looking all tough. Makes me want to puke
Received via Email 11.24.10 Wow, Jeffery has just been outdone. The one and only Mark Sweet has deceided to use he cities email system to remind the world that it is time to opt out of the 5 hours of Union pool time donation. Hey Mark thanks for nothing. I often hear how you profess tohave come from a union family and how you once was something. I truthfully have never seen it from you though. I guess you must have been something back in your own mind.
Received via Email 11.24.10 It would be great if we could get it in the contract that no one could opt out of pool time donations. Stopping these losers would make the rest of us feel they are doing their part. Either donate or drop out of the union altogether. Rid the Losers.
Received via Email 11.25.10 Wow the dept must e desperate letting Zamp e a chili judge. Finally something he is qualified for.
TEAM: While humorous -- we ain't printing anything about anybody's daughter...
Received via Email 11.25.10 I promissed I wouldn't say who but someone who read Mark's email to the world on the city email system has just donated more than his regular 5 hours of time because of Mark Sweet. What a world we live in. We find out that Mark's a tool for Jim Large and less than a brother and that his plan actually backfired on him. I was always right about Mark Sweet. Come one union print the union didn't get me a raise, union didn't remove the SS offset and the union didn't get me a COLA list. I'll call it the I work with uneducated losers list.
Received via Email 11.25.10 Is sweet still runing around telling everybody he is scared and going to call the police because he doesnt like the posts on here that call him out and tell the truth about him>? How do you wake up in the morning and look at yourself in the mirror and go "who am I going to screw over at work today to make myself look better?"
TEAM: Unless he didn't actually use the city's email system to solicit union members and we were all just seeing things - where's the beef?
Received via Email 12.05.10 Sweet dont run anywhere, he shuffles around on his kness from one chief to another. What a Mutt putz
Received via Email 12.06.10 sort of like Kadau
Received via Email 12.06.10 Hey Mark Sweet can you give me a call on the batphone. I'm looking to become a hermit but I don't want to go far away to do it. I've got some ideas on how to piss off all my friends and everyone I work with so that they'll leave me along forever but I need some professional help. Can you help a brother out? Just sayin.
Received via Email 12.07.10 Earth to Mark. Howz it going being Larges newest bestest friend?
Received via Email 12.07.10 Today's officers meeting a bunch of BS. Can you believe it !
TEAM: That's nasty...(but true)
Received via Email 12.08.10 What he did is a act of loyalty, I'm sure a extra bugle is in his future.
TEAM: True again but we ain't printing it!
Received via Email 12.08.10 scared?
TEAM: No. Judicious. If you sign your name to your comments we'll post every single one. Then, perhaps we'll have the opportunity to ask you that same question!
TEAM: Steve who? Don't know him.
Received via Email 12.18.10 Let me get this straight, Administrator Large and his Minions want each of us to come out and blow his ring, and the Mayors. We all know he wont miss a chance to come by a hope to get a few allocades on how well he is doing and about how good his contract offer is. Lets face it, their proposal is a shit sandwich and all they are offering is to put a little more piss and vinegar on it, and thats what Administrator Large and his do-boy's will be serving. BTW, I have made up my mind that I will never refer to anyone in the current fire administration as Chief. They do not perform firefighting duties, they do not deserve to get the same 3% high risk pension as the rest of us, and they certainly do not deserve my respect. Administrative MUTTS is what they are and what they should be known as. I wonder my the fire department party cant be held over 2 days like the union does for theirs?
Received via Email 12.21.10 Hell's bell's, now the administrators have their suck ups calling around to the fire stations looking for food donations to be brought to the sit down. I was always told that this was the Head dudes big thank you gig, for all of our hard work. I guess it is BS too.
Received via Email 01.01.11 Its a real shame that because the payroll girl is out sick and the computer lady is on vacation and the administrators secretary is on vacation and because they just dont wanna be bothered, our r-days have yet to be entered into the telestaff. Tell me again how great this system is compared to letting one of our own stations handle it? I have never seen such inept people believing that they are running this show effectively.
Received via Email 01.03.11 Hey only one vacation pick this year. You just keep giving and they just keep taking. It will not stop until you tell them to. An ole chief officer once said. "I will keep taking and piling it on until you tell me to stop" Keep quiet and you will have a load on your back to heavy to carry.
Received via Email 01.05.11 Awesome, looks like they didnt like the last post so now we get 5 picks instead of one. And they say they dont read this web site.
TEAM: That single pick thing was just a mistake. That shoulda never got out. You shoulda never heard that. It was all a lie. They still love you in spite of what you think about what they want to take from you.
Received via Email 01.05.11 The real Bullshit is the new Gov in Tally, and the Right wing nutts in DC, we are all screwed.
Received via Email 01.06.11 So truth be told, SPFR held back a couple of spots with this new group of probies. Seems that the Chiep of Police has a son that is completing his fire acadamey class and needs a job when he gets out. Great, lets not hire what we need over a favor for what the Fire Administrator needs most (a friend). Now the city has 30+ attornies fighting us and now we have the possibility of an inside stollie watchin us too. BTW, has anyone heard about the first member of the Supervisiors unit being administered the Random Drug test?
Received via Email 01.08.11 Fire Admin has always held back spots, its their secret lol slush fund. They have never cared about anything more then showing the boss they can come in under budget no matter how bad things are. You might be in good hands with AllState but here in SPFR land you will never be in a fist that is always clenched around a dollar.
Received via Email 01.10.11 Is his kid as fat as him?
Received via Email 01.15.11 Did you hear that the Mayor's mansion burned down ?
'Yep. Prit'near took out the whole trailer park. The library was a total loss too. Both books went poof . . . up in flames and the Mayor hadn't even finished coloring one of them.'
Received via Email 01.15.11 So we got a new fire captain, I can see the surgical scars and the new implants already.
Received via Email 01.15.11 Did the Mayor show up in his bunker gear? Or did he just use his radio to call in a code red code red? Were there enough fire fighting personnel (ie.Bunker gear wearing)on scene? I am sorry to hear about his great literary losses. I think I have a fairly new copy of Hortnin hears a who, and Curious George around here somewhere that I can loan him until he gets a federal grant to rebuild his palace. BTW did you see the latest Large said it, so newsletter? It seems that SPFR has deceided to join in with the modern departments and apply for federal dollars. Will this be for staffing? or more swift water rescue and oil well blow out equipment? Maybe more bird flu stuff, who ever knows, what goes on in the minds of these bumbling idiots.
Received via Email 01.17.11 Wanna know what goes on? Just ask the MasterStation non union member JW, he is face to face with JL everyshift whispering sweet nothings in his ear....FTM
Received via Email 01.18.11 Funny how JW talks so bad about Large and then the next day he listens to him like he is his best buddy. Who needs enemies or friends with him around. He does a good job at being both at the same time. Large isn't that dumb, he knows JW.
Received via Email 01.21.11 Who is JW at the Master Station that is a non member?
Received via Email 01.21.11 This should be tough. There are only two low life dog scabs on the job. Jeff Wayne is one of them.
Received via Email 01.21.11 I love this site!
Received via Email 01.21.11 Ahhhhh dude there are 3. And if you count that stunt Mark Sweet pulled by using the city's email system to tell EVERYONE ON THE CITY SERVER to stop contributing to the pool time account then that makes 4. Mark Sweet is a scab who keeps giving us his hard earned cash.
Received via Email 01.21.11 correction, three low lifes, 2 have our Union Brothers giving them the easy way out by assigning them permenant Squad Driver duties and the other is a Lt at station 3. All 3 chose to go into the DROP and then turn their backs on the very organization that made it possible to get to where they are now. MUTTS< MUTTS< MUTTS< MUTTS, one and all.
Received via Email 01.23.11 Sweet only reminded people of the final date to opt out of contributing; he didnt tell anyone not to donate and Im not sure what the big deal is with him using the city email since the union did the same thing the very next week.
Received via Email 01.23.11 The automatic thing (support your union) was the right thing to do. Sweet was informing everone about the non automatic thing to do (not support your union) and I'm supposed to believe that you believe he was just being informative? Well I've gotsome information to share with you. If you lie down with dogs you get fleas. Sweet is a MUTT . If he can't have it his way he runs and hollars to the world that the union is a bad thing and that you shouldn't support it. Sweet you and your buddy the fire chief can go to hell for not supporting us. FTM
Received via Email 02.04.11 I cant believe it, I just cant believe it. Once again another city has thumbed their nose at the idea of hiring one of SPFR's task masters. I just cant believe it. Weren't they informed that SPFR is an accredited department? Dont they know the J.O. Wimberly is one of our most dispicable administrators? I still cant believe it, SPFR administrators are at constant battle with the Union, and refuse to hold Labor-Management sessions together so a clearer understanding can be achieved? I refuse to believe that with all of this are administrators are so often overlooked when it comes to outside cities. Maybe they have all found out just how badly the 100 year history of Administrative incest has hindered the process of developing something that someone else would be interested in. Now I know what your going to say, the real reason the SPFR has been overlooked once again is because of this website. It has been said that with all the truths that are brought forth from the posters on this site, that it is the #1 biggest threat to the SPFR. I agree, thank our maker for providing 1st amendment rights for freedom of speech, and now that the rest of this cities higher up adminitration knows how unhappy the Punisher is to be employed here, maybe they can do something during this years upcoming budget cuts and maybe he wont have to be here any longer.
Received via Email 02.04.11 The truth will set you free and it will keep the assholes here with us.
Received via Email 02.24.11 Is it true that the mayor has put a freeze on all hiring and promotions? If so go back and look at the post of 1.06.11. It looks that once again SPFR administration has NOT made the right decision. Hey Invisibile man, get your head out of youpals a** and look at what you are doing to this Department. BTW, poor lil minnery #1 on the list and he continues to Blow.
Received via Email 02.24.11 Holy shit! This union is falling apart at the seams. Another person that never contributed anything other than complaints has quit pulling his load. Famous Canadian Rick Morris is going to go it on his own. Don't let the door hit you in the ass, complainer.
Received via Email 02.24.11 I wouldn't say the union's falling apart at the seams. I'd say some are frustrated with a lack of movement and can't show their contempt by leaveing the job so they leave the union. I talked with one of the union officials about today's negotiations session and it sounded like it got pretty hot at the end. The city is still offering boots but now they're offering a $1000 one time bonus (that's spelled BONE US) but we've got to give up the step plan (woo hoo!) to get it and they'll make EMT pensionable. Nothing for officers and nothing for medics. The union tried to get us down to a 50 hour week and apparently the fire chief isn't too interested in giving up any power. Scabs I don't look at and don't talk to. We have nothing in common.
Received via Email 02.24.11 I thought about crying for a minute and then I got over it. All better now.
Received via Email 02.25.11 Never heard of him.
Received via Email 02.25.11 Go to this link and listen to this asshole from the ICMA. This is the kind of shit we're up against. The city don't give a shit about you because they don't do what you do and the ass suckers in hq don't give a shit about you becaue they don't do wht you do anymore.http://blog.iaff.org/post/2011/02/18/You-Wone28099t-Believe-This.aspx
Received via Email 02.25.11 Rick who? I already forgot him FTM
Received via Email 02.25.11 I would like to offer some corrections to those posted about the outcome from Thursdays negotiations meeting. Also this will correct the rosie outlook that Our famous invisible administrator has again attempted to cast upon the unknowing followers. First off, The city is willing to let us make a decision to take the dollars that are presently paid to our members that are not at their top pay grade away from them and spread them amongst ALL of the Rank and File. Yes this includes Paramedics and Lieutenants. Unfortunatly those that still enjoy pay steps have to trade their step raises so the rest of us can get a 1% raise. In case your not good at math, that means $60,000 salary get $600.00 a year, $45,000. gets $450.00 a year and so forth. In trade for this generous offering, the Fire Administrators still want your soul and essance in a cup, and your 4th amendment rights buried. Some trade aint it. Yes the Union asked for a reduction in the work week from 52 hours down to 50 hours. Believe it or not, the answer was a resounding NO!!! Yes after the city received the paperwork from their actuary and it is proven that it wont cost them a dime, the city feels they can "do the right thing" and allow anyone that is not already in the DROP an opportunity to enter into a 7 year plan. The city did not however offer any guarantees that our great POS governor still wont shit can all DROP participants at his whim. The city also feels that extending your career time line by the same 2 years would be to hard on our old broken down firefighters. So in a nutshell your administrators still dont give a damn about any of us and as long as Large is still in charge, Wimberly is hoping to become the next boss somewhere other than here, and Pumpkin head is trying to figure out how to get rid of Wimberly so he can have a job when the EMS systems gives us the boning thats coming like a freight train, We have no hope at getting a fair shake. But hey, we can still sign up for the April bring our Children to see how we get screwed over day. Maybe they are all old enough that they can make the decision not to come here when they get older. Until next time FTM's, FTM's, FTM's, and oh yeah FTM's, Morris, Tokotch, Wayne, Brahm, and Watkins.
Received via Email 02.25.11 I listened to the entire recording of the ICMA meeting. I thought the IAFF was going to take a slamming but I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they fear us most. FTScabs
Received via Email 02.25.11 I think we should vote every four years as we do for the mayor and president, for a new Fire Chief. Let the firefighters vote. You and I both know what would happen. We would have a firefighter, for the firefighters, as Chief. And all the current losers would be history. Nah, that would take away our communist regime in power now. Ah the heck with democracy
Received via Email 02.26.11 How come none of the second r-day peeps have had to piss in a cup yet?
Received via Email 02.26.11 How do you like that new slap in the face that was just sent out from the Training Division ref the new Fire Helmets we will soon be wearing? I'm not bitchin about te helmets but the statement at the bottom of the states we will not be given our old helmet upon retirement. Our Administration at SPFR has found yet another way to slap us down to show who is in charge and to decrease the level of moral. So now it looks that any new hires upon their retirement in 30 years wont have city sponsered health care, a defined beneifit pension, and now no helmet. It sucks to be one of our administrators.
Received via Email 02.26.11 I heard that the bird flu captain at station 12 was the first to go. I hear that he kicked and screamed all the way there and back. I wonder why he let Chief Crumity negotiate that into his contract?
Received via Email 02.28.11 What concerns me the most about the new helmet thing is that we are going back to Pittsburgh black for firefighters. Can anyone produce a better reason than that? I say we just change the name of the dept and get it over with. If we call ourselves St. Pitifulburg Fire Rescue will can still used the SPFR and no one will no the difference.
Received via Email 02.28.11 2-28 #1 I once took a big shit and it spelled out Pittsburgh.
Received via Email 02.28.11 2-26 #3 He gets what he deserves. No more and no less.
Received via Email 03.03.11 Gee. Nobody could have predicted this:
Chief denies firefighter layoff rumors
Reports had former Bluffs firefighters ‘on the chopping block’
Received via Email 03.05.11 To 2/25 #2 if you'll listen at the 59:30 mark, the comment about there being some brave fire chief's out there is directed at St. Petersburg Fire Chief James Large. He's a 'them' kind of hero. For the few who don't know or care about politics just listen to the comments at the 1 hour mark and then again at the 1:01:40 mark. They try to take a shot at us but it's a really great compliment. FTM
TEAM: Yes! In the 1:01:40 time slot, ICMA consultant Leonard Matarese says, "The firefighters union, quite frankly is very very difficult to deal with. You all know that. It was the first national public sector union. It's very monolithic. Their leadership is brilliant in Washington. They know exactly what they're doing. They know how to do it. They can out-fox you, out-political you, out-think you. I mean, these are smart people running a very sophisticated union with quite frankly it's own political agenda. And its own agenda is to increase the size of the fire department, increase its membership and essentially to tell you how to run the fire department. That's the political reality that we have to deal with."
Received via Email 03.06.11 If the biggest reason the SCABS gave for getting out of the Union was because the Union could no longer do anything for them and their pension, what lies are they telling people now? Does this mean that they will now all come flocking back on their hands and knees? Maybe they will offer to give homage to the Union for once and realize that the drum that fire administration beats is not true and is in fact false as usual.
Received via Email 03.08.11 That was the best excuse they could come up with at the time. Tommorrow it will be something else, you just misunderstood.
Received via Email 03.09.11 There are two things that Jerry Knight could have done to greatly improve our department.
(1). He could have stayed longer.
(2). He could have declined to have children.
Callin' em' likes I'm seein' em' for over 500 years.
Michel "Hindsight" Nostradamus.
Received via Email 03.10.11 It appears that Daddy Knight may not have done as good a job at raising a master race as our Fire Administration hoped for. Is a sad day when even the invisible man is almost certain that SPFR EMS system is on the verge of collaspe. Lets all hope that somehow the County Commission can come up with a way to keep our 60+ employees.
Received via Email 03.10.11 WAIT WAIT!!!!!" WE ARE GOING TO TRANSPORT THE GODS HAVE SAID SO THEMSELVES, I gues those little boys were wrong about this one.
Received via Email 03.10.11 You know what they say. It doesn't matter that you look like a dick while you're tying to get there so long as you get there. Sadly though I think we've already arrived. They just don't know it.
Received via Email 03.12.11 Hell, Jerry Knights other kid, the one with the straight teeth sells carrots and lettuce. Big brain trust there. I have met him and he is the smart one. He has letters behind his name to. PRODUCE MGR. I guess he Produces and manages. I cant remember Pumpkin head being credited with both of those.
Received via Email 03.12.11 Oh come on now, Jack o latern always manages to produce confusion and chaos where ever he goes.
Received via Email 03.12.11 Large still paying back favors to daddy Knight. Ole man Knight new he screwed up promoting Large up the ranks so now comes the giant payback, little carrot top as a chief. Problem is, it is tearing up the department and has made our first class department into the laughing stock of the county. We are officially now lower than the old kenneth city volunteer fire department that once existed. Well, at least we got old photographs of our department when we were really great. My how a little time, and a little knight changes things.
Received via Email 03.14.11 Are we next? The DOJ just anounced that Dayton Ohio has to lower the test standards so that minorities could pass. Passing was a 66% Well if you thought they had dumbasses on the dept now wait till they see what they are forced to get. I mean how dumb are you that you cannot get a 66% on a civil service test?
Received via Email 03.14.11 Another great reason to drop right wing talk show..
Rush Limbaugh joins Glenn Beck in the annals of "despicable reactions to Japan's devastating crisis." Limbaugh seems to suggest that "mother earth" (he believes in that stuff? Isn't that pagan hocus-pocus in his eyes? very confusing) was actually punishing the Japanese for being environmentally-conscious. He made fun of refugees in a shelter for admirably starting a recycling program.And then in response to a caller, he elaborated: That is an excellent question. They invented the Prius. In fact, where Gaia blew up is right where they make all these electric cars. That's where the tsunami hit. All those brand new electric cars sitting there on the lot. I like the way this guy was thinking. It's like -- it's like Gaia hit the Prius in @#*X. It's like they were in the crosshairs, if we can use that word, it does. What is Gaia trying to tell us here? What is the mother of environmentalism trying to say with this hit?
Received via Email 03.17.11 I find it hard to believe that Limbaugh, Beck, or any of those other hawkers acknowledge that there is any form of a supreme being other than themselves.
Received via Email 03.18.11 I played it twice just to make sure and what I got was he was making fun of that moron Diane Sawyer. Not the Japanese. In fact almost, if not all of the talking heads I've seen were praising the people of Japan for their ability to cope with this. I don't think Limbaugh was making fun of the Japanese people. He was making fun of an idiot American reporter that could only find recycling astonishing at this time. I'm not a big fan of anything conservative or right wing these days but I just didn't get the anti-Japan slant. And I gotta say I wouldn't believe a word of anything that Arianna Huffington has her name associated with. The Post is a left wing rag that converts everything to hate speech. The author of that editorial is just doing . . . oh, wait, there's no author just a lot of words that we're supposed to accept as truth just because it's in the Post. The libs don't even have the stones to put their name to the drivel they spew. And in addition we, as the sheep, are expected to read an Ann Coulter blather where she tells us that "radiation is good". Yeah, maybe in an X-ray or something. But that's not what that idiot means. Sorry but I wouldn't believe anything printed in that rag any more than I'm believing anything those conservatives say. The whole place is a load of crap but you have to watch them because that's the only game in town.
Received via Email 03.24.11 IS SPFR still on the verge of losing 60 of its members? Would this include the 12 just hired? How about the ones that were let go and then brought back last year? Is it true that to reach 60 people you would have to go all the way back into 2005 to find enough to reach that number? Boy it sucks to be you. I wish you all the best.
Received via Email 03.24.11 I don't want to see anyone lose their jobs, but it would be entertaining watching the scrambling at headquarters when a few exempt positions get cut.
Received via Email 03.24.11 The ones laid off a few years ago were smart not to come back to this POS place just to risk losing their job again. Once a secure place to work. Now, about as stable as Bennigans. Oh wait, bennigans went out of business. You think about that. Oh, and thank the great pumpkin for all of our trouble with the county.
Received via Email 03.24.11 Who is the great pumpkin?
Received via Email 03.26.11 Thers is No GREAT pumpkin. Our pumpkin is just full of squishy stuff that stinks and shrivels up when exposed to the heat.
Received via Email 04.02.11 If what happens in East Lake happens here, I hope they let us vote on who the top two guys are that they should get rid of. I also like how East Lake is pretending it's to save money. Good stuff.
Received via Email 04.04.11 I would trade our top three positions for about five blue shirts. Hell, let the city keep the change. Let who's left at the top scratch and claw around until they get the place rolling again.
Remember, when headquarters is completely closed the calls still get answered and the fires still get put out. We need a fire marshall and probably a training chief, but neither of them really need to make the money that they do.
The rest of whatever goes on down there could be done by district chiefs. HQ likes to pretend they handle the county contracts, but the reality is that they just do what the city lawyers tell them to do. The bottom line is that not much really happens at headquarters that matters. It's important that everyone in the fire stations understand that.
Thanks for asking,
Martin Luther Bada Bing
Received via Email 04.04.11 What a crock of sh**....Why is it that our Department of overseers can put out memos about things that happen to others in states everywhere, but they somehow overlook things in our own backyard?
I was so surprised to see this story in the st. pete times but no mention of it from anyone else. Hey you guys and girls are the mouth pieces, if this was something that was perceived to be the fault of the union there would be rumblings and drop outs all over. How can we allow this to happen to our own and not give a DAMN???? We could have been planning a firefighters funeral right now instead of me bitchin about it. Trust me i am glad i am just bitchin but I am still P-O'd that this was just swept away. I am more and more afraid that we dont care for ourselves, our fellow workers, our pensions, or our future benefits. Have we just given up? Is this where we are headed?
Received via Email 04.15.11 Don't you think it's time to start a new page web master? This one is a little to long and has stuff from well over a year ago.
Received via Email 04.25.11 Our quick thinking mayor has come up with a new idea. If you folks would only contribute $2,500.00 to my general fund, I will give you all a $1,000.00 raise. If you dont fall for this, you get a Damn bye your name and then he sic's J.O. on ya. But dont be alarmed because JO really cares about you and will not miss a chance to make sure you think twice about sidestepping the Mayor.
Received via Email 04.25.11 Well well well, I see that the close call with rescue 11 has now been upgraded to recommended reading on the Near Miss website. Hey wait a minute, Near Miss, aint this the same program the asshole Bill Frain thinks is a waste of Union dollars to send out to keep its members informed? I'm sure it must be something different since what the union sent out was supplied at no cost by the system, but then again, this would not be the first time that Know Nothing Bill Frain was wrong. If Frain supported his Union with just a small amount of sweat instead of lip he as well as the rest of us would be better off.
