Police blogs

Today I’m featuring some interesting police blogs.

Officer.com Police Blogs & Podcasts
Listen to (he has podcasts) or read Tim Dees on Law Enforcement. A recent post was titled: One Nation, Under Surveillance. It’s about video surveillance and is an insightful article.

Police Magazine: Community for Cops
Looks like a brand-new blog offered by “Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine.”

The Policeman's Blog
This British blogger says about his site, "This blog will do more to put people off calling the police than anything, other than actually calling the police." But don’t let that put you off. I think you’ll enjoy the humor.

One of the other fire vehicles

I wasn't the only one using my cell phone to snap pictures on Friday. One co-worked sent out a batch joking about our company BBQ. Here's the other ladder truck that came to our site.

Our own fire excitement

Friday afternoon, we had some excitement at our office. The fire alarms went off. People were slow to get moving, but we evacuated the 3 floors of the building. Once outside wisps of smoke were visible from the roof and it was obvious not just steam as we could smell something burning. Fire trucks arrive from different cities and three end up staying, including this one. (I took the picture with my cell phone.)

As the firefighters set up, a pickup truck of 3 of the roofers screech to a stop in the middle of the parking lot and they race up onto the roof. Pretty soon 3 more roofers arrive and go up, too. We're wondering, did they leave something up there that caught the roof on fire? Shortly, all 6 come back down off the roof.

I watch the firemen hook up a hose to their truck from the fire hydrant across the street. A fire chief vehicle parks next to the hose to prevent anyone driving over it, which, of course, blocks the street, fortunately a side street.

All in all, its about 45 minutes before the firemen start packing up.

This morning, I come in (we're on the 3rd floor) and see some ceiling water damage in a small area. But it doesn't smell like smoke anymore.

Hope the roofers have good insurance!

Fire and firefighter related blogs

This week I wanted to highlight some interesting blogs related to fire and firefighters. These are in no particular order.

Mutual Aid – This blog is associated with Fire Chief magazine. It’s written by a gal who grew up in a firefighting family. She’s also involved with the Fire & Emergency Manufacturers & Services Association, the International Association of Fire Chiefs Foundation, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Fire Department Safety Officers' Association.

Firefighter Blog – Self-titled “Firefighter Stories, Fire News, Commentary & General Firefighting Content.” The most recent post (9/18/07) by Ret. Capt. Mike talks about the Butler 2 fire (near Fawnskin, CA).

US Firefighters – Firefighter/firefighting blog with photos and more. The past week has highlighted those lost in the line of duty. September 6th’s post shows some incredible photos of a car/train accident.

Firefighter Nation: the Social & Resource Network for Firefighters, EMS & Rescue – Okay, this one doesn’t quite fit the category. It’s not a blog, but a discussion forum. But still, there’s interesting talk in 12 different sections. Recent discussions in “General Firefighting & Rescue” included: emergency vehicle colors, when is it time to give up firefighting?, and the hot button issue... seatbelts. Another section is called “Tools of the Pros: Equipment & Product.”

Fire Geezer – Self-titled “the hottest fire blog on the web,” there were 4 blog entries for today. One included a video of a “hot” fire station outside demonstration; another a judgment awarded to a firefighter’s family; a third, about a new police chief in LA. Many blogs have links to further info.

Fire Sprinklers – “An online Shoebox for News, Notes and Information” focuses on fire sprinklers. Here’s what the author says about himself:
My lot in the “water based fire protection” industry is as a salesman. Mostly, I’m a student of the industry always seeking a new challenge trying to retain the information I’ve learned so far and keep up with changes that seem to come so fast.
But don’t think of this as a sales site!

Hampton’s Fire – articles and videos of fires. Each blog apparently has pictures or videos, often of recent events. The site also includes helpful links.

EMT Blogs

Welcome to the new 7 Suns blog. I’ve been checking around in the blogging world to see what’s out there for Firemen, Police and EMTs and have found some pretty interesting sites, as well as some dismal ones, or ones where there are no longer new posts.

Thought I’d share some good ones I found. First, I’ll focus on a few EMT blogs.

Looking for some details? Street Watch is a blog of notes from a paramedic's journal. The writer has a good sense of humor, and is quite detailed about what he tells.

This blogger, MacMedic, does an “end of the shift” report. Last report was a month ago, but am hoping new posts will be up soon.

Random Acts Of Reality – a blog based in London, England, written by an E.M.T working for the London Ambulance Service – I found it very interesting.