This morning at the Houston Catholic Co-Cathedral of The Sacred Heart, the Houston Fire Department Honor Guard, together with mourners, gathered to remember the fallen Fire Fighters from the past year. Sixty-four names were called this morning. That's 64 men and women who died in the line of duty fighting fires in the city of … Continue reading Houston Fire Department & Honor Guard At The Houston Catholic Co-Cathedral of The Sacred Heart
Tag: first responders
For those who have been reading this blog, you may know that I've been driving a tow truck and working as a First Responder for the past couple of years. Truck Before I moved to Texas from Denver in December, I spent my days patrolling the Interstate Highway and working alongside the Fire Department and … Continue reading Driving A Forklift While I Wait For My Test
Last week while on patrol, I rolled up on a small car parked on the shoulder. The hood was up, and the driver was walking around and talking on his cellphone. After a short conversation, I discovered the vehicle stalled out while driving, so he'd pulled over to the shoulder. Unfortunately, the man locked his … Continue reading Morning Sledgehammer Scare
Once more, my job is rarely boring. Yesterday was Friday, and like most Fridays, I spent the day rolling from one highway crisis to another. Crashes, Disabled Vehicles, and other miscellaneous problems had our drivers working tirelessly for most of the day Around 2:30 PM, I received a call to move a vehicle to safety. … Continue reading From Flat Tires To Felony Theft
My job is highly unpredictable. Disabled Vehicles, Medical Emergencies, and Rollover Crashes are a few of the possibilities I may deal with when I clock in each morning. My day can go from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye. Yesterday morning, not more than 30 minutes after beginning patrol, I rolled up … Continue reading Getting There First
This week in Boulder, Colorado, another Police Officer gave his life in the line of duty. He didn't hesitate to race towards the danger while others ran to safety. There are people in this country who would defund Law Enforcement completely. I expect those individuals never to dial 911. Joseph Shanklin March 25, 2021
Well, here I go again, preparing for another series of dangers. This weekend we're expecting a snowstorm in Colorado. The forecast calls for 1-3 feet of snow here in the Metro Area and twice that in the foothills. I don't usually work weekends, but this week I'll be working all seven days. My employer went … Continue reading Playing In A Blizzard
I posted something recently about automobile accidents. In that piece, I wrote, "the two direct causes of crashes are following too closely and distracted driving." I'm going to add a third; selfishness. While patrolling Interstate 225 Friday evening, I was dispatched to a Multi-vehicle Accident [MVA] without injuries. Being dispatched to a crash during rush … Continue reading It’s All Fun And Games Until . . .
Following ten weeks of towing vehicles to the impound for law enforcement, my employer moved me back to the Interstate Highway a few weeks ago. Once again, I'm a Courtesy Patrol Driver for CDOT. When someone breaks down, runs out of gas, gets a flat tire, or crashes into another vehicle, we show up. For … Continue reading I’m Not Superman, But I Did Stay At A Holiday Inn Express Last Week
There were 104 murders in Denver during 2020. Crime here in The Mile High City is out of control. The metro area has become a Mecca for stolen cars and trucks. I recently spent ten weeks towing Stolen/Recovered Vehicles to The Denver Impound. Criminals are not being held in jail or given a bond. Instead, … Continue reading Responding To Crime In Denver
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