Busy two weeks

Well it has been awhile since I posted and a lot has happened.  Attended the services for my friend, and rejoiced with his family on his home going.  His life was best summed up as one that brought honor and glory to God, one that valued and enjoyed his many friendships, and one that expressed great love for his family.  Mark, I will miss you greatly.  My firefighter has chosen to appeal the action taken in regard to his actions, so we are in a holding pattern until the fire command board meets.  I have a number of things that I need do before the meeting to have all of our ducks in a row so to speak.  We have training this week Monday, and are going to the new housing development to check it out.  I already know that we have an access problem in that what was suppose to be the emergency access, is now a walkway that takes a very hard 90 degree turn and runs right into a fire hydrant.  There is no way you will ever get a truck up that access in an emergency.   There is one way in and that will most likely be blocked with equipment and people trying to get out of the complex if there is ever a fire in it.  By the time our mutual aid aerial will arrive, it will have almost no access to the complex, and certainly have very limited usefulness to us.  I sent them a letter before construction started, and no one listened.  Now I will send a letter, telling them what will happen if they have a fire, and how our ability to cope has been severely restricted.    Had training and truck check last week, a third our my group was missing, so I had the three newest firefighters we have.  Had a good drivers training session, checked all the equipment, did some PR, and got cookies and ice cream.   I really like working with small groups of firefighters more so than larger ones.  Single company size.   The new format is working, though I think some groups are not taking full advantage of the opportunities.  Approached the fire board about giving the old 1980 truck away.  That isn't flying to good, they seem to want to sell it.  I think more because of what they think people will say if they give it away.  Not sure where this will go, but I think if the department that wants it, could pay even a little bit for it, they could get it.  Today was father's day.  My ex-daughter in law and her husband took my wife and I out for dinner on Saturday along with my two oldest grandsons.  Had a nice time,  her husband has adopted my grandson, and has been a great dad to him.  He is also on the fire department with me, and I hope some day becomes one of my officers.  He is very insightful and also very good at looking at a situation and seeing the problems and the solutions.  Got phone calls from 4 of the other 5 today, and the youngest daughter wished my happy fathers day at church this morning.  Wife took me out for dinner and ice cream tonight, so even though I only saw one kid, and that was for all of 30 seconds, did here from them.  Had a nice visit with two of my granddaughters and one grandson also today. On Tuesday of last week had a meeting with the EPA, as they have started to do something about the metal finishing shop that closed  up just down the street from our station, than a meeting in Grand Haven with the board for the WMRFTC. This is the board that guides and oversees the regional fire training center and its programs.  Then headed for GR, and stopped to pickup some parts for the department, and than on to the uniform company to order some.  As I was leaving there, GRFD went by on their way to a multiple alarm church fire.  Had a chance to watch them in action, and learned a few things from them, and also saw they have some of the same challenges that we have.  Learn one thing,  if and when we get an aerial, it will need to be at least 95'.  The 75' that was on the scene of that fire would have been of little value on that size of a building.  Soo, I'm back looking at used Sutphens.   Dinner that evening was with some old high school classmates, the group is getting slowly bigger, not sure I will make it every month, but a few times a year will be good. Busy week, besides fire meeting, have a meeting with FEMA on Wednesday in regard to grant writing, church board meeting on Thursday and an out of town business trip for Tuesday- Thursday.  Still need the day job so to speak.  Also, need to get ready for Sunday, as that will be a very special day.  We are recognizing and honoring a couple of missionaries from our church who 25 years ago suffered a tragic accident that force them off the field.  Their youngest son is my son-in-law, and I have know them both for almost 42 years.  The wife was our baby sitter for our oldest kids, and they are special to both my wife and I.  My daughter is having a family dinner for them, the one married to their son, on Sunday.  She invited us, but I don't feel right going. It is for the families of both of them, and my only connection is that my daughter married into the family.  I feel she is inviting us out of a sense of obligation.   Don't think I go.  Thoughts are with the Munice Fire Department and the DuQuoin Fire Department,  on the lost of their firefighters.  My prayers are for the two widows and the four kids who lost a father so close to fathers day.  For both, some years father's day will fall on the date there husband and father died.  We have found no new ways to kill firefighters.