Cardboard and Coffee Publications

Issue #18

Fireground Anecdotes

The Work Before the Work

Free

Fireground Anecdotes

I’m (not) OK.

Free

Unpopular opinion: there’s no shame in needing rehab. There’s a time to push yourself beyond your limits and there’s a time to accept that you’re not as strong as you want to be. If your Safety Officer tells you to sit, you sit. You can’t help anyone if you put yourself in the hospital.

Fireground Anecdotes

Third Time’s the Charm

Free

The Volkswagen fire, part two. Sometimes you get conflicting orders. And sometimes plans change. Adapt and move on.

Fireground Anecdotes

Staging

Free

The VW Fire - Part 1: Staging. Work is where you park it.

Fireground Anecdotes

Stinky Pack Mule

Free

Sign language, duties, and distractions.

Fireground Anecdotes

Brush Truck Blues

Free

Sometimes our equipment can be a little temperamental and quirky.

Fireground Anecdotes

Soft Serve Ice Cream

Free

Everything is secondary to the needs of the call - even getting your ice cream back to the station.

Fireground Anecdotes

Drinking Problem

Free

Do you have a drinking problem?

Fireground Anecdotes

Assault and Batteries

Free

Bringing a fire extinguisher to a battery fire is just as effective as bringing a squirt gun. A journal about attending training on lithium ion batteries.

Fireground Anecdotes

Meanwhile…

Free

Just because units aren’t at a large fire, doesn’t mean it doesn’t impact them.

Fireground Anecdotes

It’s Just What I Do

Free

Being a fighter takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but especially sweat.

Fireground Anecdotes

Hazmat and Cookies

Free

Continuing my stint of temporary assignment to Engine 6 (which is also Hazmat 1). During training, we are reminded what is the primary goal is to safely mitigate the incident and return to the station to eat cookies.

Fireground Anecdotes

Hazmat Booties

Free

A funny story about not having the right equipment.

Fireground Anecdotes

Unnecessary Damage and What Am I Looking At

Free

A couple funny moments that happened on a shift I worked with Engine 6. Sometimes firefighters have a hard time, knowing how far is “too far.“

Fireground Anecdotes

Breaching Walls

Free

Have you ever busted a hole through a wall and climbed through it? It’s about as fun as it sounds! Granted, what that’s training for is not exactly fun. Wall breaching is also known as “self rescue” because that means you’re stuck in a dangerous situation with no escape but you ain’t taking that “no” for an answer. Chances are, it’s something you’ll never have to do in your career, but if you do, you’ll be wishing you spent some more time preparing for it.

Fireground Anecdotes

Egg Bakes and Brush Fires

Free

Sometimes -especially on weekends and holidays, we don’t have anything on the calendar, and the there aren’t many calls, but we’re always ready.

Chronicles of Earth and Sky

The Barron

Free

Labor camps. Conspiracy. Murder. The radical organization called “The Black Talon,” will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. And they just found a new bird for the job!

Chronicles of Earth and Sky

The Cauldron Boils

Free

A rat reporter investigates rumors of entire villages going missing. He finds an unlikely informant and uncovers a dastardly plot.

Fireground Anecdotes

Hot Drills

Free

We train hard and we rest hard, because we never know what we may be called upon to do next. This comic is a little chronologically out of order, but it’s a good introduction to some of the tasks and units involved on the fireground.

Fireground Anecdotes

The Shift-Change Fire

Free

We get a call for a structure fire with entrapment during shift change and I get left behind.