GETTIN’ SALTY EXPERIENCE PODCAST Ep.171 | HOUSTON FD DISTRICT CHIEF MO DAVIS

You're listening to the Getting Salty Experience Podcast. Hello, Hello, Hank Malay, fresh off is European tour bro. He just got back from Europe. The guy come on blowout cruise big some blowout big some blowout. Ah. Welcome back to the Getting Salty Experience Podcast. We're the only one that brings the firehouse kitchen table to you guys from all over the country, over the world. I'm gonna say I like new co host. His name is Louis Refrano. Hey be here, good to be here. We're glad to have

you on the show. Sir, mean shaven, freshly shown Louis Rofrano. Look at him, looks like a young buck without the mustache, and be big some of blue at see you get a box? Did you get anything while you were you know? I didn't get anything in Iowa? Now, dang suck. I got to this year, though, What do you mean? You know? Where'd you get two? I got one in New York with the ball and one in New York with the gun. About it. I don't like to talk about you. I got hot dogs coming for you,

the hot love them Venison hot throgs. My kids go crazy. Those little Asians go crazy for the veg. Their tinderloin is like a couple of those two. All right, you got it. Nobody that shares that is a good friend. If you share tinderloin, you're a good friend. See take them as nose, big some of blue, A big some of blue? What was that from? He have keV doesn't have daughters. He don't know. Oh that's why now I haven't. She was older by then. Yeah, it was frozen? Right? Was that frozen? I think so?

Yeah, I see it was from Sweden. You said the kid. There was a kid in the in the in the chat from the chat from from Sweden in the in Frozen. That guy was from Sweden. Some of a blue? Oh, Michael Freeman getting in Sweden. He was here early too, like real early. Hopefully you're still here. We got the usuals of the show. What's coming going on here? What are you guys doing? You're holding down the house here, holding down to fourty? You got

back, he came back. The ship was falling apart and then happening. Who did you have in here? Gray? Was the seventy show very funny? Seven zero, I mean seven zero, the second busiest Swat and queens still were killing killing. We had hodgens while you were you were away, you know, we had all the big weeks. But this, this, this new year is is one blockbuster. I tell you we we ain't going into the new year with you know, too shabby either, by the way,

you know what I mean. We have We have some good guys. Yeah, our guests tonight. Man, I got nothing but good things about this guy, Bro Steers and queers, right, bro from Texas. I put on my best Texas shirts. Look at this, yep, I've seen no horns on you boy, right Bro, Yeah, get your grandma. I'm glad I could get some here. Joe Bysel. I'm glad somebody can be here to help take that with me, you know, come on. Yeah. Tank was a little like this all week though well I mentioned list

he lost his ship. I think he went his pants right there. But I said on Monday, what Davis, He's a real deal. No shame in my game, bro, none zero. You will not hear me apologizes. You didn't know this, but he's coming up. You know this. He's come to stay with me. Him and the old Lady, which I love, kids love him. Call Muchaele. Tank so we're going out to dinner and he says, well, you know you gotta invite, right, Oh no, I didn't know who we got invite. You got to invite

Frank. I'm like, Frank who Frank foota who? We gotta invite Frank his buddy Lee's oh my god, please dote ed two? Yeah, Peter who killed Duff? Type? Bro, It's it's Frank. It's not even the chief anymore. I mean, what's going on. I'm gonna call up Johnny Johnny Hodgens and say, hey, you want to come out to dinner? Johnny? He says, no, Bro, Yeah, all right, good stuff. All right, So roofs back. I'm happy. I'm happy. Roofs back. Everything feels like it's flowing now. It's right. We

got a little flow going. We gotta play commercials. First year, I didn't even talked to you about it, and the appreciow you know what we're playing tonight, right, Bro? We got the tough, where we got the fire. Still, let's go. We got you right here, Bro, here's a message from our friends. Are armor tough, Armour tough. Interlocking floor tiles are the best choice to replace new or aging, stained or

cracked concrete or epoxy floors. Here's why. Armour Tough tiles come with a lifetime warranty and are usually installed in one or two days, depending on the size of your station, with virtually no disruption in daily operation. Armour Tough interlocking tiles are guaranteed from chipping, cracking, peeling, breaking or staining once installed. The tiles are non skid and non slip and meet the ADA standards

for the friction coefficient. The tiles are stained resistant and impervious to any chemicals or volatiles that are used in the fire service. Once installed, your floor will be easy to clean with just soap and water. Install an Armour Tough tile floor in your apparatus, base offices, training rooms, workshops, exercise rooms, kitchens, banquet halls, or any other room in your station. Call Vince today for a no obligation quote at nine O eight nine one seven

seven six nine seven. Why install a breakable epoxy floor that will need replacing in five to ten years when you could have a floor that will last a lifetime. Drop a haligan on an Armour Tough floor and you won't see any damage. Don't try this with concrete or Epoxy. Join the hundreds of career and volunteer fire departments nationwide who have chosen an Armour Tough interlocking tile floor Armour Tough Interlocking tiles are half the price of epoxy and will last a light time

without issue. Again. Call Vince today for a no obligation quote at nine oh eight nine one seven seven six nine seven. I wish my underway I was staying resisting. I don't know that you could do that in floors. I'm hopefully can do it in underways. You know, we never really know what that is yet. Yep, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, right here we go. All right, thank Let's go in to our next one out of the way so you can bring in mister Moe and mister Mole

the fire Store equipping protectors with passion. Every decision we make as a company is about you, our customer. We wouldn't be where we are today without you, and we don't take that lightly. The fire Star started by simply seeing and fulfilling a need in the fire service. It's how we operate it then, and it's how we operate today. No matter how much we grow, we will always staff active or retired firefighters, police officers, empts and

paramedics with over one thousand years to combine public safety experience. We know our products in our customers and will never compromise on quality because your safety matters. We understand that having the right gear can be the difference between life and death. Our goal is to get you the gear you need, when you need it at prices you can afford. Visit us at the Firestore dot com for everything but the truck and shop our family of brands including Streamlined, ms A,

Lion, Flear and more. Everything but the truck, James K Tron, Roofie, you're going to fdi C this year. That's all you need to know. Yep, right, you know what you want to do our commercial now? Bro? You want to do the old school Gifts of the day while we're doing it. Old Gift of the Day Bro, because Roofie loves it. We got to push it, push it out, do it tank to show the pictures first, yes's old school gift of the day. We had the song a couple of weeks ago. But look at the Pulta

chipset but CODs drawn by Paul Hashagen excellent. Get salty pokeag chips. Can you ask for more and all go and what showan in its own little case? Look at that that yes to get in salty logo and it can be personalized with your name or your company number, or your company name. We're your fire department name. Whatever you want to get online to get in salty power, I'll give him. Let's ask Procachine you want to I drink it tonight, Bro. I invited Procaccini too, hoping he brings, hoping his

old lady can make it. When tank comes down, right, we can. We can take an old lady's pick. Yeah, let's get the chief from here. Let's get him in here rough, do your thing, bro, get him in all right, coming to the stage, all the way from Houston, DA. What's up, Chief? How are you hey? Man? Thank you guys? How a doing doing well? Man? You talk about fire of and this guy's face just be it lights up. It's like he just can't. It's like he's says six years old. It's December

twenty fifth. He came downstairs at four in the morning and he even wrapped at his face being it lights up. That's what the fire service means. And you're looking at the guy who loves this job. Better than anything ivery day. I want to go to work every day. You know what, before you go to work? Can we get patriotic? Which one you will?

I don't care which one. Here we go. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Yeah, man, but I didn't know you had Italians out there, bro Steve sang with most the best. I don't know Stevie sanguinece is, but he's yeah, hey, man, can I say something before we start?

We can say want before we start. We got to think those guys that fault for us, every military person throughout the world, gave us the opportunity to take just a second to say the greatest pledge ever. So I hope people never forget those guys. Brother remind him every every week. That's why we beat them over there, bro country in the history of this world. Man, it allows us to do what we do. Allows you to have that big fat smile on your face, But otherwise you'd be struck in

de Deutsche. You know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying bro, Yeah, yeah, you'd be spak speaking out or some kind of JAP ship you know what I mean. Thank God for amen. So let's go back. You know what, I watched so many UH tanks sent me a whole bunch of stuff on on Chief Davis, and I spent a good part of the day going through all his keynote speeches and all his YouTube stuff.

And I am highly impressed by this guy, not to mention that we got a ship ton of stuff right from FDNY guys saying this guy is the real deal. This guy's this guy is me. He fights for the guys. And what did you say before you're you known't say controversial? What did you say? What word did you say? Yeah, I'm kind of you know, I'm out there for I'm controversial to him, Yeah, I love it.

And somebody's got to stand up for the guys, right And if we stand up for the guys, they stand up for the community we serve, and that's all we need. Just you know what else to caught my attention, bro, watching your kinotes, not only the stand up for the guys, just standing up for the citizens of Houston. Man, That's why didn't exists, you know, we were talking earlier. I always ask people to hold their breath in my classes, and I'd like for people to do that

while we're talking telling the stories. Just see how long you can hold your breath. Let's do it. Now, give you a keynote speech. Because I said to him, I said the Tank too. I watched his keynote. Where was that keynote speech? Chief, I want to I think it's a revolutionary fire tactics, I think. Okay, So I listened to that, and I told Tank, I listened to a lot of stuff all the time, but this thing actually grabbed me into whole. Yeah, it really

resonated with me. So give the speech like you gave at that thing. Go ahead. So when I asked people to hold their breath and I'm not good at that, are we supposed to be holding our breath now? Yes? Oh, okay, okay, no way, all right about that thought? Yeah, And you know the importance of that is that's what little kids are going through in these burning buildings. And that's why we don't run around spray water and windows. We don't run around and look for reasons not to

go in. We go in burning buildings to get those kids out. And that's the soul purpose of our existence. And I don't know what happened to the fire Service a few years ago. We we got away from that. We've got people telling us that we're supposed to be safe for us, not them. Then we had some people come along telling me to go spray water and windows to stop the fire progression and push it back on them instead of going in like we were taut. And I'm sure you guys were doing fire

school. First line between the fire and the victim, and then we find the victom, we pull them out. Everything's good then, So yeah, we're taking this back though, We're we're winning. We're uh, we're changing it, and we're getting rid of the cowards. If there's one thing I hate is a coward. Put the card. Where's our uniform? And I don't care what you pat says, I found this picture of you. This class is not intended for cowards right there. Yeah, I freaking love that.

It's we've got to call them out. That's freaking awesome. Yeah, listen that you were saying, like everybody in the audience to hold their breath, and you said in that time, guys are getting the run. Well, actually, I'm sorry. The nine to one one calls comes in, right then, this is what's your address, what's the what's the emergency? You know? Oh, so it's not your address, it's next door.

What's the address next door? This bullshit? You know what? And then the guys get on the rig, and then he's got to find out do you know where you're going? And then he has to drive there and the guys get off. Are they ready to go? Do they have their bunker gear? Are they strapped? Are they ready to go? All that while there's a kid sitting there holding their breath? Bro? Right, and and

and you can't waste no fucking time. You gotta be fucking ready to go every step on that fucking ring, bro, Every every day when you walk in the back of that firehouse, you have got to be setting on got yeah, it is always yeah? Because that how many people you said, raise your hand if you're in out of breath, and everybody was raising their hand, and you go, well, they haven't even got there yet, bro, you know what I mean? So now they got to go to

work. Now you gotta find the fire They got a fourth entry, they got to find his victim. By that time, is that kid alive or we pulled my kid out there. Yeah, you better have your fucking belt strapped, you better have your seba on, and you better get your ass

in that fire as quickly as you can. Bro. I was like, hold that this kind of uh put it in uh playing context right there, right like as you're running out of breath when people like when you're giving them the whole speech about that, like all of a sudden, now it really makes sense, right, you could just say, yeah, yeah, you have no idea, but you're holding you I didn't even hold my breath thirty seconds. I don't think. Yeah I didn't. I didn't know he started.

So that's what's the most What's I don't know either? What's the most that you can't most people could a minute? Yeah, yeah, people. By the time usually you get through the call taker taking the call, everyone in the class is raising their hands and you're like, just prove the point, and you know, and that's why we drive fast. People don't understand why fire trucks down fast, but that's why they put siens lots and airborns on them, because those little kids are dying. I like this guy cool,

I know he gets it. He knows cat drive take chance a coward. That's what it's about, right, Yeah, right there in the nutshell. When you sign on to take and you take that off, your oath is to protect life and property. It's not to play cards in the fire house, which is great, it's not the fucking watch football. It's to protect life and property. As on that rig, be ready to go.

I can't tell you how you used to annoy me. People. If I were details somewhere, when I was in the squad and we'd have a call fight, I'd be ready to go. I have my belt off, i'd have my mask, I'd had my fucking hood on ready, And you're looking at me like, I'm like, yeah, I'm ready to fucking go. Bro. You should be ready every time you step on that rate because life that might be, you know, in the balance. That's right. They don't ask us a lot. They just asked us to be there when they

need us. Yeah, you know, people love us, you people love Fireman, and we can't let those people down. And we got the best equipment known to man, and yeah we're supposed to go get people. And yeah, that's I hope I never changed. I haven't changed in twenty eight years. I hope I never changed change. I'm sorry brother, as your department changed, like tactics, they a little bit. You know. They took our reed hoods away from us, and we had a great captain who

really got it. Clifford Reed was his name, and we were you know, Houston has always been very, very aggressive and we were always getting burned. And so he got his mom to sew like an old welders hood to protect his ears and throw. Well that he developed this reed Hoo got it. N f p A protect and you know, n f p A accepted it. We woren't for years and it's basically just like our bunker coat,

but it's on our head. So he felt like if we were cool in our head, we could remain calm and years and we we had so much success on pulling people out of burning buildings and we we we're lucky. We carried the Sino kit and we have a lot of success on saving people. So they took the reed hoods away from us a couple of years ago, and uh, we had to relearn how to fight fire because we've never done that before. So there's what what was the determination? Why did they take

that away from you. No, no one really knows. Yeah, as an administrative decision. I hear a rumor that I hit a rumor that they're actually studying bringing one back. So there's a there's a few guys doing a lot of research on it. And when when I see you, guys, I'll have one with me and it'll it'll make more sense when you see it. But it's basically just like your coat. And the Houston Fire Department,

they were always real good to us about our TPP ratings. They were always off the chart from like our nipple line above it looks like we have shoulder pads on them. And so we were well well protected in our upper body and and I think that led to a lot of good rescues, you know. And and that was a controversial topic. Man, we cut big ol'd holes, you know. We we uh, if we have a little puff of smoke coming out, man at that roof's coming off that house, and

so you know, we'd get a lift. And uh so we did a you know, we did a lot of a lot of things that you know, it was controversial, but we didn't know any better, and it always seemed to work for us. You know when I come off the tower, man, I was so lucky. I was around good guys who were great firemen, and and they always wanted you to be great. And they never, you know, withheld anything from us. They pushed us and they pushed

us. And we had a great chief, Chief Hooker I worked for forever, and he would let you go till you shouldn't be nowhere, even on the block working, and he would let you be in a burning building putting it out. But then if he always said back out, you knew you better back out. But that was the fire department I came up in that I grew to love. For those guys who don't know, the towers the academy, right, we said that in the pretty shoulders when you come Oh

yeah, so the tower means that's the academy. When we came off the tower, we call it as we get out of fire school, we go to our assignment. Yeah, so coming off the tower, you want to go to a good place. Chief. Most of the buildings there are what one story jobs or so in my territory we have anything from a small, you know, eighteen hundred square foot house to a high rise. So in

the area of town I work in. I think we speak one hundred and forty three different languages, a low income, a lot of apartments, but I would say eighty percent of our work is apartment fires, So we do a lot of apartment fires. Roof. You know what you told me in the appre show that Houston is the third largest in the country, the third largest five apartment in the country. Yeah, yeah, I think it's New York, LA than US. I think, right, how many members on

the Houston five apartment so we're a little bit less than four thousand. Yeah, there's that's the Reidhood there. Okay, wow, And me and Luis all use that when we go right with you on and man, you're welcome. I can't wait. It's a yeah, it looks and it was you never felt any heat, you know, you would you would never feel a heat. It was. It was good. But yeah, and you know what, we're lucky. We go to work a lot. You know, we still make a lot of fires. And I know people would like to

hear that, but we should like making fires. We should want to. I mean, you know, if you ever heard of a car salesman, so they don't want to sell a car No, they go to work and want to sell a car. Well, I want to go to work to make a fire. And the reason I do it because I know we're going to give them one hundred and ten percent. It's not that you want anybody to get hurt. You don't want need property bird, but you want to be sitting on goat and you have to have that mindset and you go to

work that, hey, I want to do something today. Right. You know we're getting a little ahead of ourself. Let's go back a little bit, Keith. Let's go back to yea, your early days, where you grew up, what early life was, your family life, and what got you interested in the fight department. Sure, so I grew up in a real rural area and we had a volunteer fire department, and my grandfather was a member of the Civil Defense. And so I remember as a young kid,

we were out and they were dragging a lake for a body. And I can remember, as an adult now thinking back, that I loved their uniforms. They had old grade jumpsuits. They had an old milk truck that was converted into a rescue truck, and I just can remember falling in love with that and so then my dad's job moved into Houston because it's a big chemical area in Houston, and then just played right into me because I wanted to be a big city fireman. And then I just once I got out

of high school, I just started applying. It just was like, please give me a job with the city. So you started applying everywhere, and when did you get No. I never applied to anywhere but to Houston Fire Department. Oh yeah. I was almost to the point of being hard headed that I was going to keep on until I got into Houston Fire Department. What's the criteria if we get on there? You take a test? How

does that work? So you take a test? When I tested, there was about nine thousand and something tested and we had like one hundred and eighty six job openings at the time. Very very competitive, and so you had to have a little bit of college military you get at points. I didn't have military, but I scored well on the exam and then you do your physical fitness and then of course your background checks. So it's it's very competitive now. Something we used to do that I wish we would do more.

We've got a way we did legacy firemen. And I know that's some controversial to some people, but I like multi generational firemen because they get it and they've seen their families do it. So in my academy class, I probably had fifteen, maybe twenty guys whose dad were firemen and who were you know, legit firemen, and several of them in my class their parents actually became assistant chiefs and the fire chief and stuff, which was pretty cool, right.

You know what it is about firemen too, Like I say this all the time on the show. I told you, like my father, my uncle, and my three brothers were My two brothers were fireman. You know what the culture is like, because it's inevitable that they bring it home. Yes, the house and the fire you'll kitchen table at home becomes the secondary firehouse kitchen table. So there's no shock when you get to the firehouse.

And guy Roofie, like we were kids, right, Rufie, you come over, we'd be breaking up. We'd be breaking I'll be kid, we'd be breaking each other's balls like we were in the firehouse. Yeah, a young kid. You know, my father'll be breaking my balls like it. Nobody gets us. Nobody gets us and that's okay, And I'm glad nobody gets us because that keeps us in that little secret society, you know, you think about it. We have our own language, we have our own

customs. Everything is unique about us, and I love everything about it. There's nothing that I don't love about the fire service. And you know, I don't like the line of dot, the deaths and things like that, but there's nothing that I don't love about the fire service. I like the smell of the fire station. I like the atmosphere of fire station. I like the guys loving each other at the fire station. That I love everything about the fire station, right includen running all night. So you just have

to you know what I picked up too? Like you only met me and Louis tonight, right, yeah, so you must have called Louis brother fifteen times already. Is that amazing? Like isn't that amazing? Like we called We don't even have to know you if we called what's up? Brother? You know, so you know we have to and you know we in Houston Fire Department. We've experienced a lot of line of duty deaths in my career. And you'll be a made New York City guys, sat down and helped

us out on some non of duty. Dallas helps us for word. And then when you guys had the when you guys got murdered and they attacked you guys on nine to eleven Houston Fire Department. Since so many guys up there to help you, we actually lost Captain Ports. He passed away a few years after that from lung problems. And they contribute to the World Trade Center. But we have to be brothers and sisters because you know, it's when you say that I'll lay my life down for you that has to be true.

That has to be the person you're working with, and the person besides you has to believe it as much as you mean it. And that's what makes us a brother. Or if you call me at two o'clock in the morning and you say I need something, that's what you get through it. Because we don't we are brothers. It's a different patch to do replaced. And I don't care how big or how small. Yeah, we got to be it's a if not, we've lost And you know, some people want

to some people don't want us to be that way. But I'm just hard headed enough to want to be that way more than they don't want me to be that way. Who do you think don't want a who? We had somebody from Houston on Oh what the hell was a vacant Yes Jenkins, Okay Jenkins. He was happing forever. So let me tell you this guy. This guy is to the core of firemen and we trained. His name was General General Jenkins was what people called him because he trained us so much.

But he never did it to be mean. He never did harass us. He wanted us to be great. So we would be coming back from an EMS run at night time and we would stop and we would ladder a house and we would walk the roof of the house where he could teach us what a weak roof felt like. Wow. Or he would be coming down the street and would be a quick drill because he wanted us to be one hundred yd that's a great guy. So you interviewed a guy that taught me a

lot over my career. I always say it an appreciable before you were saying that, I don't know like this guy when he talks about the fire So it's like a fucking kid coming down on fucking Christmas. He was excited. Oh my god, the love of the job. It just whoses out of him. Bro, like he's motivated. Oh, I'm lucky. I'm lucky to have this job every day. Every day, I'm lucky to have world. You go to a job where you're like, I can't wait to get back to work. Who does that? Who says, Oh, I can't

wait to go back to work. You can't wait. You couldn't wait to get back from your honeymoon, right, I mean you're like I told him, I called when I was on my honeymoon in Hawaii when I missed what honeymoon? Click? Yeah, that's where it's supposed to be. Yeah. Did you have any of your friends that were in on the job before you got on or you were like one and my grand my grandfather and of course my dad volunteered, you know, in our small town, but it was

nothing formal, but no, no one and all of my friends. You know what, I'm one of those guys. I don't have any friends that are not firemen, Like I don't have anybody I just say that's my friend. Everybody I'm friends with, everybody I associate with is a fireman. And I'm good with that, you know, And you go out to other places and you start trying to be like a fireman. Your wife says to you, Yeah, this is not the fire house, bro. They don't understand

that you can't turn it off, and you can't turn it off. You can't turn it off right, it's a you know, I heard his story and I've never asked, uh, the Lieutenant McCormick about this, but I was in I was in Saint Louis and they were showing me around town and the guy goes, yeah, man, everyone here. I think he had Kurt Isaacson and Lieutenant McCormick and they pull up on a fire and they said. Lieutenant McCormick got out and said, just like he was on the fire

truck, said he look. Told the guy driving and he goes, hey, man, I got the rear and so he took off to the back. So you just you can't turn off being a fireman. No, I got the I'll see you on the top floor. See. So tell us about when you come out of the tower and you go to which agos right in nineteen ninety six, Yes, sir, and so Houston Fire Department makes you go to paramedic school because we do fire based DMS and you have to ride the ambulance for a little while. And so when I come off the

tower, I went to paramedic school. I got assigned to Station twenty nine, which was on the southeast side of town, but we could ride for people, and so I started going over to District forty six and Station twenty six and thirty five, and I started riding and because I just wanted to make fires, and so I don't want to be a paramedic. I want

to be a fireman. So I fell in love. And my old senior captain, Captain Burtleson, he was from a real hot station, and he told me, said, man, you're going to disappoint me if you don't go to forty six's seven's or somewhere like that. So I went to forty six is as soon as I could. Now forty six is me is at the engine and the truck of both forty six. Yeah, forty six housed a chief, an engine, a truck, and a squad also had an ambulance. So I drove the squad for a while, and the squad basically

carries medics and we would get to work at fires. We had a great chief, chief Hooker. He would put us to work on fires. Matter of fact, Captain Jenkins used to always life and he goes man. My squad got an assigned before I did, so, so that was the thrill.

And then I was on the engine. And then when I made captain, I was lucky enough to stay at forty six and I stayed at forty six on the same shift as a captain and worked there several years as a captain, and then I became on the engine or on the engine, yes, sir, And the way we do it Houston Fire Department, they called

captains or on the engines, and senior captains are on the truck. So you take another promotion to get on the truck because we have we have dual roles, like were you guys, You're either assigned to a tru truck or an engine. We alternate on both apparatus. So today you may be on the engine, tomorrow you may be on the truck. And it works like that. But a senior captain is as signed to the truck. Always. How many guys does the truck and the engine ride with in Houston, so

the engine has four, we magnated four. It's a sad story. How we got four. When I first got in, we rode with three. Captain Yankee was killed in a high rise fire, and the Yankee family was very influential. I mean there was you know, I don't even know how many Yankees that was in the fire department. And right before Captain Yankee was killed, the chiefs went to city council and told them we needed four men staffing and all the dangers. So they had a chief that said, no,

that's not the case. They let us go back to three man staffing. And Captain Yankee and the civilian was killed just like maybe a month or so later. So after that they mandated four men staff and so we have four on the engine, four on the truck. Could you buy any chance to go back to that chief and say you dick a lot of people?

Did he? He'd left very quickly. I'm so, you know, sadly that was a bad decision made by the administrative level that hurt us, you know, and you guys the officer for yes, so yes, like we we count our officers a working member, yes, Like like he's not stretching hose, so he no, he usually takes the thermal imager and he'll he'll actually lead the process. But but he is still working, you know, working because I heard that some of the offers that are actually engage in fire

fighting practice. Is that true? They did tight because you pull a lot picture up of a random chief actually caught using a sore as a chief somewhere. I don't know as a chief. He picks up a saw and he's cutting the holes. I mean, I don't know. Is that what happened? Was that? So we had a donut shaped apartment. Is that a technical type of apartment thing that you got called? Yeah, it's uh, and so what it is they're just built in a big circle, right.

So the guys were working down to the left and some guys was working behind me, and you know, we needed to get that roof, I mean not the roof, but the underneath the ceiling and the breezeway out. And so there was a saw there. I said, I'll just start cutting away for him, and so I cut the I cut that away and pulled a little bit for him. That way they could get some lines in there and go to work. It's like, it's you know what, Chief Steve's shivering

right now. Hey, I I tell people I didn't take a test to do less. I took a test to do more. So uh yeah, it's a a lot of people goes man, that might be stud But to cut that pull, I'm like, well, we had to get water in there somehow, so it worked for us. Hey, if you don't want to ask you, I saw in the last I don't know, two weeks, probably like three. I like to call them like shed fires, like a one story building, and there's like three to four guys on the roof

right to peak. It's like it's not even a peak, but it's like just like a flat peak right right, Yet all of the windows are intact right. There might be there might be a line going in. I can't really tell all the time, but I think the one that I just saw, somebody like actually they weren't butting the ladder and I don't know if you've seen that one, and everybody just came tumbling down. The ladder kicked out

and they they all came tumbling down. But why, I'm not saying don't vent the roof, right, I'm just saying you got three guys on the roof or four guys on the roof. Every person who comes on here outside of the FDNY has manpower issues, yes, so what and all the windows are intact, like it's like a one story shed for God's sakes, Like

what's so we we we get a lot of people on our fires. So we have two trucks coming, and the first truck gets to make a decision if we're going to go in emergency rescue mode or primary search mode at that and then the second truck will cut or the first truck will cut, and we keep all windows in tight. And what we try to do by keeping windows in tight, as soon as we kept that hole, we'll crank a fan and we'll pressurize everything on that first floor and it'll push it up through

that vent hole. And so we carry this thing called a brick on a stick, and it's a big old Neanderthal looking tool. And so as soon as one guy cuts, the cleanout guy will come and he will take the celing under need for them, and then we pressurize that and we get it all up and out. And so it's either the first or the second truck

that will do that. So we have two trucks coming, and we will get one truck, and so the first line is always going to be the attack line, and then we'll put a backup line in place to protect the engine crew, and then we'll put a truck crew in search it, and then we'll put a truck crew on the roof. Now, if we pull up that being said, and I've got fire blowing out of a side window, we'll crank the fan up immediately and pressurize everything and keep pushing that fire.

It works out good like it works good, it does. You have to be real careful. Now, if you're not, if you're not used to what the fans going to do, and you're not, you don't have a real aggressive hose company, you'll burn it down around you. Foundation. Finally a guy gave you an answer. You've you've got to be working that hose line, and you've got to have some guys that's that's really getting after it. If you stump your toe and that fan is blowing behind you,

it will find you. So you guys are actually when they're in there with the line putting water on the fire, the fan will start to be in operation. When that's happening right right right right behind you, the truck, the fan, the truck chauffeur will crank that fan up behind that line. I got to see that like an action, how coordinated. I mean, obviously it has to be really scary, you know. And that was something that that we drill on constantly and as soon as a rookie comes in.

Now there's a lot of things that play in effect. Like if you make a common addict apartmer fire, you're not going to do that. Or if you make you know, say a roll home, you're not going to do that. That's just on scene story homes that you're going to do that with. If you make an old balloom frame construction house, you're not going to

do it there, you know. But if you just make a one story that's really burning good and you've got a vent hole already, you've cranked that fan up and and what it does is it seems like it pressurizes in there, and then all of a sudden you'll see the smoke start going to where the fire is and then it will push it out that exhaust point. That's why I hope I don't make your guests mad, But that's why I am

so against spraying water in windows. You will never convince me in my entire life that spraying water and a burning window is a good thing because you're just going to push the fire back inside. You're going to steam everybody. Now, there's occasions when you have to go defensive. I understand that. But the first tactic off the pumper to just go spray water in the window. Well, the only thing we've learned to you is that sometimes guys show up

with like one or two guys and they really have no choice. It's not like also you guys. So I do understand that. I understand that I don't want anyone one man engine go off in there with a fan. I would never think that, And I am totally okay with a one man engine doing what he has to do. You know. Sadly, I think the county and the city fell the citizens there, not the fire department, right,

So, but yes, I do agree with that. Now that's as it's kind of like, I mean, I've heard a little bit about the fans, but I haven't really heard like yeah, legit like protocol like this is what we're doing, like you would do that. That's happening every far. Really, Yes, look at that. If somebody answered your question that that tactic was huge and a lot of places like where I'm from throughout the late nineties and all the way up into the mid two thousands. I mean

the fan. Yeah, that positive pressure attack like that, as long as you had a vent point and it takes training. That's that makes sense why everybody's going to the roof then. But so that's the whole truck company, the whole second truck is going there. Or is that just so the the

the senior captain and the two firefighters. The guy driving he will usually he will usually go about halfway up the ladder and he will watch and make sure the roof's not getting soft underneath them, and he'll just kind of be their safety guy. As soon as they start coming up the roof, then he'll go get the electricity. We'll we'll cut the power real quick. No they're not they're not taking glass. No, see that's what that makes sense. Then to be lit for me, it's a hell of a lot easier to

just take the windows, ain't it? Then put an you got thirty five hundred guys showing up? Well, yeah, probably a little easier, you know, yeah, yeah, And so it's a Raymand Cormick was messing with me one time and we were talking about and I was asking him. I said, do you guys bust windows? He goes, no, we don't bust windows. We take windows. And so so, yeah, I say that all the time because every time I watch it, all the windows are inta. I must have said it a thousand times. All the windows are

intact. I see five guys on the roof, and it doesn't make any sense to me because those guys could be searching. Like you were saying, there's not much time. Yeah, and you know, to have all those guys on the roof just to cut a hole, yeah, it makes that much sense to me. But yeah, maybe it makes a little more sense. And so you know, and we're we're real lucky because the way that

the forefathers of us, the way they set our city up. In our response area, we have two trucks in the district, so by the time one truck gets to the root, the other trucks usually arrive at on scenes. So we're we're pretty lucky about getting a lot of manpower there quick.

You know, we're fairly close. We have very good water supply. We have, you know, a couple of plugs on every street, so we don't take manpower away from that we were able to, you know, and like all all engines are pulling up almost at the same time, and then the trucks are getting there just right right at the same time with them.

So that helps a lot. You know, if we had a delayed response time, we would probably alter our thinking a little bit, but initially and you know, and you think back our thinking and you know, and I think some some stations in Houston Fire Department. You know, you look at you look at at seven's, thirty four's, thirty one's. Those guys are great hole cutters. I mean they just like that's what they do. And those guys have probably because you know, when I was a young fireman,

we used to see a guy named Travis Quint and Captain Barr. And Travis Quint is a big, old, burly guy and you would see him carrying a thirty five foot ladder with a running chainsaw. That was his job and so he would make me look little and so and Captain bar was like the surgeon, you know, he just get there. But they instilled those values and when you went to those stations, that was really part of your early training is to work on that roof, work on it. Safely, you

know, like Captain Genkins made us walk on it. Hey where to cut? How to notice where to cut? And then they're in my district at sixty eighths. I've seen Captain Schroger cut some stuff that you know, it just just like scared me to death and the next thing, you know, everything looks better. You know, there's a there's a there's a video out there about ventilation on District nineteen and smoke is just like almost to the ground.

Well, Captain Baker and his guys are already up on the roof and you can see it just pressurized coming out of the rear, and then all of a sudden you just see the smoke leave and you could walk through the house and you could see Captain Baker and his guys on the roof and they cut this. I don't know, I could send it to you guys one day and let you see it and just see how how well that worked. But our thinking is, so you know, whenever smoke goes up, you

know, it meets resistance and all that. So our thinking is, if we cut it and we clear that siling out, it just goes right straight up and out and it gets up off the guys and then the hose line makes a lot better plus the victims too. Yeah. No, I mean we do that as well. You guys do that on flat groups, I think, yeah, we do that. We don't go on peak groups,

yeah, don't. Now is that just is that just legacy reasons or just that you just get in there a lot quicker with a line, And yeah, I mean most of the time, anything that's peaked is going to be a one or two story, so you know, yeah, we call those dollhouses. So well again stuff with Mann Powell, you know, most of the time. You know, very few times that I've seen, even in

I'm sure Kevin would say the same thing once in a while. If it's like a Queen Anne type or something like that, where it's got a lot of peaks and valleys and the fires in there and the guys can't get to it, then maybe they'll use a towel, ladder, bucket. But nobody would ever put up a ladder like I see you guys do, like the hook ladders and stuff like that. We wouldn't do any of that stuff ever. Yeah, yeah, it's a yeah. I think I just read a

comment that someone was talking about that that vertical ventilation rules. They just don't put the fan, and you know it. It doesn't work for everyone, and I'll be the first to say that, but it just works for us. Listen, if you coordinated, then it weren't and the guys are all on the same page and it works good, then you know, and so we always have just like everything else, we always have a backup plan. If that fan doesn't work, immediately, the chauffeur cuts it off. And

when I say immediately, I mean seconds. So you know, a lot of it is and it's coordinated and really something that's drilled on over and over and over. So yeah, you can be careful with the You have to know your territory. I mean, you can't go to a bloom frame construction home and do that, or you can't go to a row house or a common addict. So it's really got to be really coordinated. You got to

understand it and you've got to be on your toes with it too. Do you guys have those like I figured down in the South, maybe like the terra cotta roofs, like those tile roofs. Do you I've never seen one in my territory. I'm sure some of the richer parts of town may have those. I've never seen one, but I think those would probably be hard to vent. I mean, I wouldn't really where it started at busted? Where were we at coops? I just had a question. I forgot what

the hell it was. But all right, well you think about it. I've never in a long time, I've not seen the chat get so fired up about a specific topics. I got a boys in the chant. I gotta take a breath and love each other, and remember it's all about how you trained, what you trained for talking about they're fired up. It's venting on the fan. Well they're talking about my shirt too, so you start

to pick up. I saw stipend like like he was like going like this, you know, and and then he forgot his question because he was all fired up. I got off your old ladies. I never really had to make twenty minutes the type that. I've never been so happy to see a topic changes start making get right in there. It was needed. Oh yeah, all right, so listen, you go from where's the fucking thing right here? Bro uh captain of engine forty six, you become right yeah before

special ops. So there's no rank I would imagine in the it's uh so the special Ops was a senior captain position. And so we have three rescue trucks in the city and I was assigned the one rescue truck as a senior and two has captains. I was assigned to the one with a senior, and we pretty much do everything cool in the city. All major accidents, you know, structural collapse, all good fires, all multiple arms, we

go to trench you know, water rescues and things like that. So that was a that was a three year of earning experience, and you know, I was kind of I guess I was the weak link when I went there because I didn't grow up and rescue and I did it because I knew someday I wanted to be a chief. But I've never known any part of the city other than forty sixes. So I'm like, man, I better go

on the city, Yvh're gonna start learning the rest of the city. And so, you know, it's a good opportunity to see all over, you know, all over the city. All right, somebody in the chat wants to know if do you remember your first job. I was a very young guy It was at Belford and None Street, and it was like a little stopping gun burning. And I can remember thinking, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm scared to death, but I'm having so much fun. And

I stayed tangled up in wires the entire fire. Everywhere I went, I was tangled up to something. And so finally after we got it put out, and we got it, we got it put out, and my old captain, he he made me work harder at anybody. I wet that thing down and there's probably still wet woods somewhere out there, so much water on it. That's like, yeah, I still remember the address. What is it? Belford? None? Belford is on Non Street, right at Non

Street, Melford. So we saw you go as the chief take a saw. Have you ever wound up with the nozzle as the chief? I have? So did you expects? Like real? I really did. It was hot with the nozzle, and you know, so I work with Chief App, So a backstory to this. So Chief App and I we work side by side. We responded everything together. And Chief App was the one that was trapped in the high rise here on the northeast side of town a few years ago. And so he Uh, I figure he's given enough to the

city, he's earned the right to decide what he wants to do. So uh sometimes if it's real hot, I'll go take it because he can't he can't regulate his temperature. He messed his body up real bad in that fire. He he can't regulate temperature. He's got long problems, liver problems, of kidney problems. And he was such a good firefighter. And so I get to be a division. So occasionally you make these big apartment fires.

Guys are just war out, and so usually say, hey, man, take a little break, you know, let me let me get that nozzle, simon. I'll give you a break back, and I'll do it. But you know, nothing crazy, you know, just a little water squirt and then let them pick a break and go back. Can you imagine giving up the nozzle to the chief. I mean, I'm sure your paper would have to be in if once you came back to the firehouse. I don't know, to the chief, what's that chief? I'm probably the biggest fire

squirrel you ever met. I love making them, and I love everything about it. I mean I would even go overhaul one just to get to go one. So yeah, and the guys are good to me. I worked with some man I work with some good guys, you know, Captain Mario, Captain Schroeder, I got, Captain Cranchey and Captain o VICKI Capdena. Those guys are just good and they've built this this great team. So I'm don't have anything to do, and so they're good and they let me,

you know, they let they let me have Yeah. Yeah, so they're good to me. Let the chief get in there. Scratches it a little bit now, Yeah, probably take the nozle. At the one hundred and forty six, you go to Rescue eleven, Rescue most three rescues, Yes, sir, we have three rescues. We have Rescue forty two, which is on the east side, and they kind of divide the city up. We have six hundred and forty two square miles in the city of Houston it

is, and we have almost one hundred fire stations. So they put the rescue trucks in thirds. So forty twos takes care of the east side, Rescue eleven takes care of the middle part, and then Rescue ten takes care of the west side. So if Rescue ten or Rescue forty two has a significant incident, Rescue eleven will always go help because we carry a little bit of extra tools. We're actually on a tractor trailer. Tractor trail, you

got to find that. Look who's if you look up Rescue eleven, you'll see a tractor trailer come up. The busiest I'm sorry, who's the busiest? Fire duty wise eleven? So Rescue eleven. So when the rescue company eleven in my district is one of the busiest districts in the city, Station fifty one is always in the top. Station twenty eight, which is right by fifty one's top numbers, and then sixty eight's is always like third or fourth in run volumes and then working fires. So I mean the guys go

to work a lot. Yeah, there's a lot of you know across the city. You know, forty six is District thirty one's thirty four's those guys, you know, they go to work every day. And those are some really really good places. I mean, if you if you get to go somewhere like that or like District sixty eight or twenty eight, you're you're a lucky fireman. So these guys are vacant. Chief, No, so once once you get there, like Dustin Gray for example, at my station's probably

you know, he's a he's like an eighteen year firefighter. Wally Fleming is a twenty year firefighter. I mean Wally Hayes. I'm sorry, well I'm working with Wally flyn Day. But Wally Hayes is a you know, over twenty year firefighter. Shrover Marilo's both been in the district their entire careers. And then the other guys are looking at about fourteen or fifteen. They just nobody comes and goes. So once you get there, you want to stay there. No. No, always answered a good question. I was saying,

is there any vacants as far as like building building still? Oh? Yes, yeah, we have lots. Yeah, we have a lot there. Huh yeah we do, so we don't. The city is not zoned well, and so you could have a you know, you could have a high rise and right next to it you could have a muffler shop, or you could have a you know, a nice home, and right behind it you could have a chemical plan. And then we do have a lot of vacant homes and a lot of boarded up homes. They don't really they don't

really take them down often, you know what I ask you. Chiefly during it seems like during the sixties to seventies or early eighties where the war is. Did they have the war years in Houston as well? During those they did? And it was whenever they were cutting a freeway, they were cutting a freeway through sevens eights and forty sixties district. It's two eighty eight.

It's the main road. And that was in the late eighties and early nineties, and those guys were going to fires, you know, four and five a day while they weren't cutting that way through town, and they were just I think they were just burning those houses down to where they could get the road to go through. Oh, you don't want to sell us to us, all right, a little out there, it's uh. And then after the hurricane we had a pretty good stint of like they were getting to turn

them back on and I guess the insurance jobs and stuff. We were making fires just you know, constantly. But compared to your guys' war years, it would have to be the late eighties and early nineties. Really, Yeah, If I had a son and I was was going to Houston. Which firehouse would if I thought sixty eight or fifty one? There's no question. Yeah, you can send them over there. You got a bunch of guys that loved going to work. Uh. They were they were treating good.

They were anything in the world. You know. We get visitors come all the time and they're like, man, we just thought you were joking about the way you guys train them. Like these guys are These guys are all business all right. So when me and Louis come there in March, where we going sixty eight? Sixty eight? Roofie, you're ready for sixty eight? Any good coach over there? I'm sorry, ay, good coachs because we got to be fed the right way. You know, we have really

good cooks. And usually when we have visitors, we usually get steaks. You know we are from We'll spread out for you will buy the steaks. Yes, we'll promise you will have a good times by the stakes. Cool? Did Louis grow some hard his head from here to here all of a sudden. I don't believe all the hype. There's a lot of hot air. I've been on the receiving and I'm blessed. It's the new roofie is what it is. Bro, And I got I got eleven right here for

us guys. Everybody's like semi truck, semi truck. Let's go. I got you right here, show me that's it all way. That thing is fucking cud. Yeah you love? Are you rolling that thing? Yes? That's it's probably the world of a freeway right now making a run. That's crazy. The number eleven is right there. We carry a boat there and so we could have that boat blown up with a boat motor on it within like maybe four or five minutes. Wow. Does that to turn down a

block? Like? Man, it's those guys are driving are good? You know, I wouldn't want to have it dy put that back. Where are the guys sitting in that day, Bro? In the cab they're on the front the full cab. Oh ship that day is huge. You know what's crazy is it's not only the whole back section. It's like a little section on the back right in the middle. Right. Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, it's a it's something else. You know. In the Houston Fire

Department, we have apparatus day on Mondays. We have to clean all the apparatus tools. That's a bugger. So we split that up between several days, like one day we do our roads, you know, one day we do this. You got a bathroom of that thing? What's going on? Buck, that's what it's called. Yeah, what's the other rescue that you have over? I'm sorry, what's the rescue? Oh? The other rescues

are just like the ones you guys have with rescue forty two? Is we call it the fast truck rescue tens of fast truck and then rescue eleven. That's a track. See if you can find out so you can just compare what it is that Is that the only rescue that you know of that's like that, Yes, that's the only one I know we carry. We carry assortment of structural collapse material in there at the same time, you know, and we're going through a lot of building construction things, a lot of trench.

We carry a lot of trench rescue stuff on it, so that you know, when the guys put it together. I think they did a good job putting that together. Where are they're basic firefighting tools when they show up to a job. Is it in the cab that they're sitting in. Yes, so we keep those in the cab with us. You know. Uh, they might have to get a saw when they get out, but as far as you know, the halligan, the the axes and things like that, we carry our on and we a lot of us carry our on personal

tools. And like I carried a six foot New York cook with me. That was my that's what I liked. And so but then you know, whoever is there, they like their own personal tool. We don't really have like you know, like for example, you guys have somebody on the cans. We really don't do that. We Uh well, I was gonna ask you how many guys I'm sorry, how many guys right on that ring? Oh? So that one has five? So there's there's three firefighters, a

chauffeur and an officer on that one. Yes, right, And if they carry their that's what they're regular. That's the fast truck. So what what do you call it? The fast truck? They go to every job as a fast truck. So I'm not sure. That was way before I came along, and I think it was just because they didn't want to call it the little truck since we had the big truck. So they still getting called it a fast truck, and the third rescue looks like that one. Yeah,

and so forty twos is identical setup to that. And then of course you know we have our boats and they have jet skis and things like that. How long has eleven been a tractor trailer way before? Wait, before I went to rescue, it's been that way, so, but I'm not sure. Let me try. How do you fit that in the fucking firehouse? Yeah, you don't close the bay doors in the back, so as you came around, you run through the may word the bat today's open? Is it really? Yeah? I guess you can in Houston, right,

it's all the yeah, bigger stuff in Texas. Cool? They say bigger in Texas, right, Bro? I was someone just said they think Portland has one like that, So maybe there was a couple. I think Portland's is it said that they have a killer rescue. Actually it's not attractor trailer, it's an actual tiller. Oh check it out, tank, look at it? Look it up from I'm trying to missus Procaccini's husband saying that the belief Portland has one. Do you want to see that truck too? Yeah?

Bro, I got you. Well, y'all keep talking. Let me do my looking off. You're looking bro so as you do in the senior captain is in or eleven. I was either three or four years and then I went to chief. So you went to a lot of work there, no doubt, yes, yes, And how do they operate the rescues? So we operated a little bit different you guys like you know, like you guys just go on scene and you're going to do whatever needs to be done.

We usually get an assignment from the chief and he'll make us like a forward rid And depending on what chief we ran with too, but you know, like Chief Miller, for example, in the downtown area, if we made if we made something, he would he would assign us to a surge or to help somebody do something. If we made a high rise, we would usually go to the firefloor and we'd get a good look at the fire floor and then we may go above to see what it looked like. And

but but usually it was an assignment that the chief gave us. Right, so you're at the chief discretion really, yes, yes, and then a lot of times you just be rid. Like if you make a small house fire and you get there, they would make you rid because they try to turn to rescue truck loose as soon as they can and get them back in service. What positions do they have on the rescue? What are they?

So you have a chauffeur, a captain and three firefighters. So the firefight that set behind me with Sammy Castaneda and me and him stayed together at all costs. And then Foster Sauntoast was our senior guy. And everything that we did, like if we did a high angle rescue, Foster would give it the nod that yeah, the ropes are tied or let's redo this. And so before I would do anything, I would look at Foster. You know, he's old school and his arms are like this, and he and then

then Anthony Abbott and the chauffe Patrick Corton. They would usually do a three sixty and soft of the building up and then they'd catch up to Sammy and so. But yeah, Foster was he was the brains of the operation. I just kind of did whatever Foster said. What anythink you caught the most works? Oh, I say, as an engine captain and that was my most favorite job. I'll be honest with you. I love the engine you know, if if I didn't want to work in the fire department for forty

or forty five years, I would still be on the engine. But I needn't want to stay a long time, so I promoted. But yeah, I did more work as an engine cabin. It's still fun, you know. Uh man, this is something like pulling a hose off of fire truck and squirt water. I don't know. Well, they got ready, you got it. They've had it. Boys. Go it's a tailler and it's kind of knuckle boom crane the ca what is that? Yep, that's a knuckle boom crane. Behind the knuckle boom crane it come it's like I don't

know what that word is, but like comes out like that. You can't see me what it comes out like that? And what does it do? It's a crane for what I don't know. Maybe they go to crane operations. Important. Obviously they needed it. Ah ok, they had a little extra money back then for the boat or something. Wah too. Bro didn't even to rescue. It's a wow, that's crazy. That's interesting, man.

How many different drinks through our rescue A visit, I'll take care or let you look at it, well, do we're coming, bro, You've been a dude. I want that hood. I want to stink. I want to go to fire bro me Roofie are going to be forcing doors? Like Chief who is uh? If you had to think, who is the most influential guy in your career? So I emulated my career actor as Keith Hooker, So I had a bunch. So Chief Phillips was a big inspiration

to me. I'll tell you a story about him in a second. But Chief Miller, you know I looked at those guys when they were firefighters. Of course, Captain Jenkins and Captain Curtis most senior captain. And the reason I say that is they put a lot of time and effort into me when they didn't have to. You know, it's a they really really dedicated and Captain Jenkins trained us so well. But yeah, I had so many mentors I looked up to because I wanted to look out. And one of the

best speeches I ever had in my career that made me stay straight. So when I took the Captain's test, so we take a test. You know there's about a thousand or fifteen hundred people taking it, maybe two thousand, I don't remember. So you come out and your chief's there and they've got a notepad like this, and they're like, how'd you do? And so they're getting numbers, and so my chief saw me. He goes, how'd you do? I said, did good? He goes, what does that

mean? What number are you? And I told him, I said, I'm going to get promoted on the first go round. And so Chief Phillips was there. Chief Phillips told my chief, Chief Hugery goes, Fred, I've got him. So he walked me to my car, which was several blocks away, and he pretty much laid the law down to me that they invested lots of time into me and they would come get me if I failed them, and said, you better never let us down. You better never

forget you're here for the citizens. You better never forget you're here for the men that work under you. And so he gave me this mentor speech that I remember from like two thousand and four, two thousand and five when I made captain and I got to do a podcast with him actually on national talk radio, and I got to tell him personally that how much I appreciated that talk. And I never told him that, and I got to tell him to his face that I still remembered him walking me down the street telling me

that I better not let them down. And I hope I never have, you know. I try to still think about the values those guys gave me. And you know, there's simple values. It's just if you're an officer, take care of your guys, and then your guys take care of the civilians and so so yeah, I had a lot, and I hope I didn't let any of them down, you know. And I still call him from time to time to ask him, you know, what was you do for this? Or what did you do for this? Or you're having a

bad day. It's kind of nice to, you know, talk to one of the guys that so Chief Miller still in but the rest of them are all gone. You know, I miss him. I miss him a lot, you know. Katam Jenkins, we used to we never slept. We were always up, we were always awake, and we drank coffee and we just sat we talked and we were making runs and just the once you could get you know, people talk about the people talk about the kitchen table,

and that's so true. It would be four o'clock in the morning, and then he would be telling you something that happened back in the seventies or eighties when he was in and he wanted you to you know, he just wanted you to be better. And uh, he never never shut us down. It was just just I don't know. I'm a lucky guy. I guess that's the best way I can say. I can sit here and tell you fifty or sixty people, but I guess you know, I'm just a lucky

guy. Yeah. I've never worked around with slug. I've always worked around Topknox people. From the first day I got in the fire department to the day when I go into firehouse, I'm scared I'm gonna let somebody down. And so now I've got a bunch of people underneath me that I would let down for a million bucks. Chief we had many done. Chief done on the show a couple of times. Yeah, And at the end of the

show he said something the first I think it was the Faker. We had him on a few shows because he had such an incredible legendary career, but he said being on the job was like being on a magic carpet ride, and that you know, like when you say, like how lucky you are, right, like, how it's not until your career, it's towards the end that you or over said he realized that roof that was his last tour, right he was looking out it was and going, he said. He

the window was fogged up. He I mean, you can't ask for more. And he thought about how many people have looked because that window hundred years old, how many people have looked out? Oh yeah, and I'm blessed, you know. My my parents was good to me and they supported me and everything. And you look when you go down the street. And then

my part time job was talking about this. We had Santa on the fire truck and there was a little girl out here and she was probably three years old and Santa crawl on the fire truck and her legs was running in place. That I amount a hundred to nothing. That's what we're for, you know. And how many times have you ridden down the street and every little kid looked at you wanted to be And man, you know how many of

us are there? There's not a lot of us when you think of how big society is, you know, so uh man, yeah, And I've never I've never abused this job. I will love it to the day. Just face it. I loved the Chief's opinion would change if he had to work with Italians all the time. I don't think so, Brott, Chief, you ain't changing this guys. You know, I'll tell you something. Every time I've been up there to visit you guys, y'all have been so

nae to me. I mean I got to see some some of the coolest stuff, you know, and man, you guys are you guys are welcoming, you know. And I met a chief at squad to seventy and well his ideal back that he was telling me how he keeps his man power. I knew that in the mornings now. So we're all the same. Yeah, I don't care where we're at. You go to Atlanta, wherever you go, where the we're the same people. And to be in this country. You go anywhere in the world and guys are the same bro Yep,

no doubt. So you become chief, right, I don't think that will ever happen. You're not a chief, you're chief. Oh yeah, I Chief. I'm like, yeah, I don't think that. I don't know, chief, District chief. Yeah, we've talked about it, Michelle, Where does this controversy start? When? How does this uh head budding start? Where? I think it's always been that way, And I think that's for my dad. You know. My dad's a big union guy, and my dad said that you always have to take time to stand up for somebody

that's not being treated right. So I think it's always been the course of my my career. But whenever I became a chief, I just was able and lucky enough to protect a whole lot more guys, you know. And I think that sometimes you may have to make yourself look like a fool to let people know that you care about them. And how else can you let a fireman know you care about them other than standing up for them. And you're like, na, that's not gonna happen to them, or you know,

not does happened in your case? Because I was watching a couple of like, I said, you things and you didn't say who it was, but you said you actually liked this guy, but you were opposed to him, So who are you talking about? It was the fire chief. It was a fire chief, okay, and so and we were just making a lot of changes that I thought was bad for us. And then they talked about laying some kids off, and so I just didn't feel like that was

right. And you know, you take a kid that came in the fire department and he's probably wanted his whole life, and then they talk about laying them off and just because they're in a contract dispute, and I just I just didn't buy that, and so I had to say something, you know, and it's a yeah, I don't know, you know, you need

to have to say that. But at the same time, you wanted those two hundred and forty kids that was going to get laid off to say, hey, man, at least one person here thinks about me, one person cares about me. And so yeah, it was never anything personal, but it was one hundred percent that they'll go somewhere else as a job. But those two hundred young rookie firefighters will remember for the next and I hope to work about another fifteen years, So the next fifteen years, they'll say,

man, you know what, Mo Davis cared about me. Mo Davis was more worried about me than he was his career. And I think that's good and it's not patting me on the back by no means. It's probably a tribute to my dad, you know, and my mom and dad was like, you got to stand up for it, and you know, I think that's what fire would do. We protect the week, you know, we when the kids, when the kids laid in a causet and a kid's burning,

that's our out. We have to protect that kid. And if you if you don't have the guts to do that, then you got to get out. And that's why I say I hate cowards that wear our uniform. And you know we should come up with a sign on the fire truck no cowards allowed. It was period, so bro, there was coops, there

was you remember Monday, right, Yeah. So every time, like in the firehouse, they would, you know, they'd start like the chief was saying, this guy who wasn't that quick witted or whatever, and they used to you know, it was a little dog pound on the rabbit. And I always used to come in and I used to kind of stand up for the guy, you know, whoever it was, and he used to go like this, I'm gonna try to see if I can do it. Used to go like this, he used to do this as a cake he goes

up, here comes Roughy defender of the week. That's what he used to say all the time. It comes Roughy flying in defender of the used to do the you know, like the cape flying. You know, that's what the guys, all these people have been telling me, bro like, you stand up for the guys against the higher ups. Which, yeah, it's it's the right thing to do. It's the right you know what. As a matter of fact, Tank, I think we have a video of him standing up for the guys bro right, I think so, maybe I think

we do. Hold on, watch this. I think this was you. I think this was you talking to the chiefs. Do you know who I am? I'm I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleaders. Wait a minute more, I was so horrible I made that Davis probably made my bones when you were banging fucking cheering. That's what you said to the chief, right, And I like, yeah, it's yeah, if we got you. And I know you guys do too. I mean, you know, it's a it's just the right thing to do. So you're never

going to be a big chief. I don't think so. I know, I probably I've probably ruined my career. So many times I feel that I feel that it's uh, it's okay, though you know it's a I don't know. I like going to fires anyway. You know what if I if I could be, if I could be a really good one, you know, I would, I wouldn't mind it. But I don't know, you know, you at that level, I don't know how protection you can you

can be for the guys, you know, So I don't know. It's a probably not though you know I like them on dirty shirts, you know. Captain Dugan told me one time we were talking and I ask you what he missed about the fire station so much as your tire, who's doing it, Mike meting from you, from you guys. Yeah, it's a that's

a that's another guy that matters. Loved that guy. So he told me, said mo, he said, I miss getting the fire truck and turn around looking at the guys when they had a good old snotty fire and I do and I locked it and then you come out and your own dirty and stink, and you know, you go home and you stink. I love it. It's a yeah, you're like that, You're I was gonna say, we got more pictures. I said to this guy before the pre show roof, I said, you must have like fifty uniforms in your locker and

all picture. You're all started up. Let's go through them tight, all right? That's it when somebody text me is giving me a hard time? Who's giving you a hard time? I don't know. It's like somebody's like, hey man, it's but you know, if I could be like Chief Richardson like you guys have, I would probably be a fire chief. Then hey, Chief, tell me what this guy's saying to you right now is

giving you the stink face. So yeah, media were actually friends, but he wanted us to have a rehab set up, and uh, they wouldn't setting the rehab up fast enough. And you can see my old buddy right there behind me, Hire and he's got his head down because he knows I'm getting a good chewing and my shirt got a little dirty. And then uh, the guys that are back life and but yeah, he was pretty hard

the rehab. Look at her face, bro, he's like, listen to him, Davis, Chief Norman jan She said, he said, great man, great show. Thank you. That's someone else that I think a lot of it's uh kind an operation. I don't already had done that. I think he had his hip or his knee or something. So you had some more dirty pictures ship unders. This guy's got more dirty uniforms and you can chig a stick out, bro. He must have just come from a job

right then. Yeah, So I'm looking up at the guys and they won't know why I'm laughing so much after just just working so hard, and I'm like, who wouldn't want to be here? Now you're in rescue of loving there right, rescue eleven. Yes, I think that's that picture of Rescue eleven. We'd made a high rise and I'm ninety nine percent sure that's where

that was at, and it's probably, I guess ten years ago. I was a little bit skinnier back then, I guess, and actually a good friend of mine, if I'm remembering correctly, was a chief and his chief fisher, and he just kept giving me weird assignments, and I just kept doing that. I was standing in my head. I was like, man, this is a weird assignment. I'd come back. Then he asked me to go back to do like for once I went to check hip the sprinklers

was working at the other end of the hall. Then he wouldn't know if if it had a drain down there, and didn't want to know this. And then finally he goes goes, how long is he going to take if you realize that I'm messing with you? So he's just like walking through the smoke. But and so I'm looking up and I'm lifing. So they're like, how can you be so happy? I'm like, yeah, pretty good. Yeah, listen, what temperature did you use on that one? Bro?

I'm sorry, what temperature did you use? Temperature? Yeah on that helmet? Oh man, when I was when was it forty six? Is we went to work a lot and that was my p Yeah, that's my pride and joy. They wouldn't, they wouln't let us wear that now. But I love that helmet. If you don't have to explain to nobody know about that helmet? Where is it? Yeah? Is it my house? I know it was, Bro, I wish. I don't know. I'm not a big n F P A fan. I don't know if you'all can

tell or not, but you're not. Yeah, sometimes sometimes they're getting our way over. This man's all about going on another picture. We got a whole bunch of picks, didn't we Yeah, we did you. Here's one we didn't show in the pre show. A good friend of mine and the chiefs and he'll he'll probably know who's saying it when I show it, but

we'll see how it goes. This is a helmet camp picture from our boy John nanninga so the sixty engine and that's him and his crew and they're on air and I've seen the video standing there chief mode just like, hey boys, it's good feeling. Its conserving air. Yeah, save your freaking air man? What's that? How many things got to get in there and see what's going on? Man? No, maybe we shouldn't show that. Cool, Maybe we shouldn't. Yeah, why don't you keep showing? Yeah,

we'll put it back up. Tank another one attack, but he got that. We got a couple. We got a couple. Let's go through. Uh So this guy they weh we made a run south of us and there was the chief wanted to go defensive on this and the guys were working good. There's a good audio video audio that I'll see you and the chiefs like, mo, you think we need to go defensive. So now they got it. He goes, I don't know, I think we need to go

defensive. So I think we got it. And then Cavin Schroeder was working hard and you know, you see the sky, so you're not gonna get hurt, and so he so he stopped talking to me and started talking to the safety officer. So I ran downstairs, and that's me coming out, telling the safety officer, you do not pull these guys out. They got it, and so, uh no, that's what that one was. And the guy behind me is my driver. You're told you let him pull us

out. You're a chief dead, telling me I guess another chief that we got it right, because how many times, chief, just give us two more minutes? We got it. We got it. Ye can see it and see it. They get it. Yeah, they got it. Yeah fine, it wasn't that fine. You know it's uh Schrogan Mario was up there. I wasn't worried about nothing. I'm like, hey, these guys got this, so uh yeah, good for you. Go ahead. I mean, uh thanks, a working boys. Yeah, I'd say that bro,

he steals lines, he steal saw us. I say, he's a working boys. So the guys put that on my helmet for me, so I think that's pretty cool. I guess they like it. Is that your chiefs helmet? Yes, sir, Holy ship Man, that's pretty spunky, right, Rof. That's old school like, and he's got the old school like. I love be ing fireman man. Oh. I love for Christmases to be who's that old guy with the glasses. Yeah, I was teaching

a class in Florida there. I don't know. I don't even know what we were talking about, but it was what part of Florida are we in? Was in Pittacola at the County Fire Tactics. He puts on a really good conference here you get around. I'm very lucky like that. Shout out to Jillian Stewart. I may or may not have took that picture from her, but she's cool. She don't care. We were talking about what's he's gonna be out fd C. He said something like he's gonna buy Louis some

dinner or something. I don't know what he was talking about. So as long as you don't cramp up, you got balk uh tank. Let me see what you got. The same conference, the same thing we were talking about. Search and rescue. Yeah, yes, that is a third story balcony on a hotel. So that's a thirty five footer to the third story balcony. And these instructors, as a student in that class with them,

let me just tell you what those guys did for us. Right, we got this hotel and they were tearing it down, and I think the only things we couldn't do were break glass or break the main rooms to the room, the main doors to the rooms. Other than that, we had free game. And these instructors took the weekend before the conference, in days before and they built out props and so they put a window prop on the balcony.

So when we came up off the ladder, we dove into this window prop and into the room, and we had smoking everything and we were searching. And I don't know if my remembers this or not, but when my group got to his group, it was he was up top and then Clyde Gordon, who will end up talking about in this podcast later too, was on the ground and they were telling us what the evolution was going to be, how we were going to go, And then Clyde was like, who's

going first? And the guy one of the guys from my group just shot up and Clyde looks at me. He said, well, Tank, I guess you better get your ass up there. I was like, oh, I guess, So, so here I go. We dump in. My team's in were searching, and I fill a bed and I go to sprawl out on the bed because I just listened to uh to Champ and his story about searching and you know, getting up on the bed and making sure you feel and coming up and feeling for the bunk. This is my first experience

with doing this, my first exposure to this. And when I dove, I'm assuming we're in a hotel room. I'm assuming I'm at the foot of a queen bed. Well, I was sure was on the side of a twin bed. And when I zoomed over this thing, I just zoomed over the side and dumped into the bath. I was in there, and he's got a thermal because it was fake smoke, but it was stick and he's looking through the thermal. He's like, you're good. Good, He's like,

there's nobody on the bed. Good to go bro around. Yeah, we were doing man, And that's a testament to the investment that guys like Moe and Clyde and Chief County Fire Tectics and all these other great dudes are putting into making us guys like me better fireman, realistic training as possible, and doing it right and still loving it and doing it. You know, we still got to have a little laugh and have a little fun in that moment. And that's just a testament to what they're doing for us and to

continue making a job better. I'm blessed to be able to be a part of that. Yeah, I'm gonna go on recond and said, I'm not Roofie. We haven't had a guest who smiled as much from fucking beginning to end as this guy right here. This guy loved the job. Smile a lot, he did. But I don't know, I think Chief Davis just smiling the whole hell of a lot. Bera. He is excited, he is. You got any other jobs you want to share with us? Yeah? I you know, man, I was always so so lucky. Man.

We just it's like we always made we always made fires, you know. And so when I first made Chief, and I decided that I was going to stay on the southwest side because I've never been exposed the Southwest Side. First of all, all the guys were aces when I got there. I'm like, man, these guys are round tight in a good way. So one night, I'm I'm running a two eleven fire on this street. Across the street from us, there's another too eleven fire went on. So

the shift commander gets there and he starts putting his board up. So he gets his board put in. I'm a young chief, and so I got a notepad like this. You know, I've just made a couple of notes. So the chief gets everybody else. So he leaves and goes to the second to eleven and takes his board, and so chief out goes, hey, man, who do we have? And I held up my notepad and

I had like two companies on it. The shoe commander took everybody with us, and so before the night was over, we had a two eleven a too eleven, and down the street we had another multiple alarms going on at the same time. And I'm telling those guys, I said, I'll never leave Southwest Side, so I'm been there ever since. That's what we'll be ruffy when we go down there. Oh yeah, doing it all right? Run out and ask you some questions that I've asked a ton of guys,

including the chief of department. Got your thinking cap on? You're ready? Yeah? Firehouse meal, Bro, I like state stay all right? Best fire House movie? Uh? I don't know something with John Wayne in it though, Sean, he's going to old school, bro, John Wayne cowboy man. Come dude, I forgot he is a cowboy. Bro. I'm gon sand to Ewo Jima guy. Actually, why do you know that about you? Bro? John Wayne? That was awesome? Yeah, strike boy.

Couldn't we use him now a little bit? Ship man? We actually talked about this in the pre show, right Bro, how we got to take back the country back the fire Department. I mean we definitely have to just take it back. Yeah, what were you what were you saying about it? Like we have to you think we are actually right? Yeah, we are. We're coming back. We're coming back. It's a I don't

I don't think for one second we're not. Look look at what we're doing, and I'm looking off to the side here, You've got thousands of people listen to you. We're we're we're taking this, We're taking this profession back. You know, they set us back a couple of years ago. And I'm not gonna mention it any names because it ruffles people's feathers. But we had guys telling firemen to be nice. You don't have to tell me to be nice. I'm a nice human being because I'm a fireman. Who else

goes to work tomorrow morning. When I go to work, my chances of not coming home is better than coming home. So you don't have to tell me to be nas And then you can't tell me not to go in burning buildings and it's going to be okay. And then you can't tell me that my safety is more important nerves. So and everybody knows who I'm talking about without using names. We're taking it back, man, saw it here. Maybe we're taking the same back, dude, we're taking it back. That's

what we are for. You're here for, Roofie, say it. We're taking it. Yeah, we're taking it back. That's what we need to do to get these stories. We needed to get guys like both David's song here and say we're taking this ship back. We're taking this back. We're taking a fucking job back. That's yep. Oh no Shenanigans to some glass get in the building. But well, you know, cuttom holes in the roof, throw whatever you gotta do. Bro, who is that? It

is the best job in the world, it is. Look at this guy right here. Can you imagine doing something else for a living bro? I can't, no, want to no, I'd probably be these guys down the street here washing glass for twenty five says to go get something to drink if I didn't have a fireman's job. All right, Bro, there is no better job in the world. There's no better career. I say this all the time. Bro. It is the closest, absolute, closest thing to

being a living superhero. It all comes in for help. You respond, You go in, right, you put your gear on, or you put your Batman uniform on. Right, you're get me batmobile. You start fucking riding through town to go help somebody in need. You are an absolute superhero.

So that's very else of the time. You fixed the problem. That's that's why when you retire and you're sitting at the table staring across from you kids and like, hey dad, get me that fucking milk out, all right, all right, You're just like any other asshole, right Bro. The Superman is gone, Oh shit, all right, I think it might be. I think it might be that time. Do you have anything else, Chief, you wanted to talk about anybody else? If I could say

one thing, that's something I'm passionate about. Chief D. You guys know cheaf D. Yes, you guys. You guys lost a lot of people, a lot of people over the years, and we have cheap Chief Chief D, Lute, Jos, Jeff Cool, you guys are doing some good things for the fire service. And I would like for everybody to try to remember March in November, because you know, the city took some ropes away from you guys, and you paid a dear price for it, and on

the Black Sunday. So if guys could just remember November in March. Every year, those guys put on a phenomenal training series and one hundred percent of the proceeds go to help brother firemen. And you know, they don't even And I told Jeff Cool this, and I truly meant it when I said that he doesn't even know how many lives he's probably saved by doing that. And so the bailout systems and stuff, they donate all the money too. So I would just like for people just to remember that. Secondly, we

got to remember that we're into this for the citizens we serve. I mean, it's cool and all that, we've got to remember those poor people need us. And then at the last one, we gotta love this job and love each other, you know, when you were life and earlier. When I call you brother, When I call you brother, I truly mean you're my brother. And then if you're not into that and you're in the fire

service, get out because we don't want you. You know, if you're that three foot inside the door, three foot to the rock where it's safe, where you can get out, we don't want you. Get you know, don't make yeah, exactly. So that's what I would say to the guys. And just if you're good to this job, man, it's going to be good to you. It's going to be good to you. And man, just fire like a wild command the Indian every time you make a run, and you're going to pay dividends. Yeah. I think that was

this old school Tipic speak speaking to yos. We got coming on the twenty eighth, Kevin Yos, it's a twenty guy. Yeah, you guys throw a rock set I don't know, all right, So let'sten. I was told I was told to ask you you guys, and I don't even know how I got set up with this. Were you guys on paid units? Were you all right? I don't hear what he said? We all what? Well? Was that real said? Yeah, you got a cancelation for yours? I think that's what? What what you say? Are well?

What on a paid paid unit? Paid unit? Yos? Who? What? Kevin? Who? Anybody? Anybody available? We got the twenty eighth open. Anybody want to come up? Now? I think it's time. Tank. You ready, I'm ready. I think it's time for I'm not saying it's not ready, all right, So Tank's time ready. I'll play it again. Hold on a minute. I think he gave its old school no, we guys got another one. This guy, this guy's smiley Mo. Smiley Mo's got I'm ready for real. Now now it's time for the

old school tip of the day day. Go to work every single day ready to make a fire. Having the back of your mind you're going to make one, and then when you do, you will be ready. I like it. Louis learned that that lesson the hard way when Captain Murphy gave him the fucking steak. Right, look, our first run is the squad first round mobile was going to be a yeah, and he had his fucking hood on ready to go, and he pulled over the rig. Right, He's

like everybody out of the rate. Half the guys weren't. At least I had my stuff on someone, but none of the guys else. And he said, you know, you're gonna respond as if there's a fire every time we go over the worst case scenario every time we go like you're a affecting the worst case scenario every time. And from that time on, I was always prepared. Always there really was. I have to say that that's not even like a bullshit thing. I was always ready. Yeah, you're ready,

man, That's why you were successful. You know, let's look at your career. Pretty good career, he did, all right, mediocre. You can't go roll in mediocre, right because you're neutral? Then right? Yeah, nice, you had a good career, bro, I mean Canada ninety one o three came back to the squad. You did, you did good. I'm not saying that year, my buddy, Chief Chief Davis, thanks for coming on, man. I left my think you guys, this

meant a lot to me and it was a lot of fun. Really, you really touched a lot of chords any tonight, probably, I hope. I hope. Brother. Yeah, man, And we'll see you out in ft I c when when you're buying dinner. It'll be great, man, Crystal. Was we tell all wise we're going out to Nathan's every night. Meanwhile we're going out. Yeah. It's like my wife calls, She's like, what do you guys doing tonight. I'm like, yeah, we're going to Auby's in a little while. She's like, you are not. Yeah,

what do you think? We got a yagg you wag you tomahawks about this big plate I got? Yeah, I was the how was the ho was the aubis? I was a little n They have the fine? Yeah you when you're coming up, uh this Friday. Actually I will see Tank on Saturday. He'll be staying at the house with the kids. Uncle Tank is coming. The kids are excited. Sleep in your driveway Friday night, May ladies. Somehow by myself I could be out like a light bro. Other than that, it's all good man. Uh, thank you, bro,

I really thank you. I really careful out there, keep pushing, keep pushing for they teaching the man. Keep you know what? Actually before we leave, I think we actually have you teaching the Proby's right tang. Maybe are you referring to the second video? Yes, I think this is what what he was teaching the young guys. This is what he used to say to him. All right, hang on, I gotta share this, bro, Come on, I gotta share the screen. Bro. Sorry,

it's difficult. This is what he used to say. What do you think I can do? I don't think I can do anything. What did you spend all day looking for those things? Hey? Mom, I don't think you could do anything. But we'll see you in indeed, Bro, Bro, you guys saying hey, thanks, take care of brother, pleasure take thank you so much. I don't have any last shout outs, chief,

yeah, shout man. Just be good to everybody, man and if anybody that's helped me along my career, man, how you know I appreciate it. And it wasn't you know, heartfelt that that what you guys did for me. And hopefully there's someone here and we're coming in and uh, we'll be there March third, fourth, and fifth. So you gotta get us ruddy and matter of fact, you next your room in your house. Old lady no mind, does she? All right? Fellas, we'll see you

on Monday. Until then, stay long ago, all right. Everybody will see it the big one again. Chief. Thank you very much, Thank you, guys. Chief is an honor and a pleasure. Appreciate you coming. Everybody see you on the fire floor. We bet we blessed few