Your Momma...smack!!!

[SamsonFCDES]

Jerry Springer should so a special on dysfuctional fire departments...

Action from the Louisiana: Grand Coteau fire chief arrested after punching mayor

The Associated Press
The city's volunteer fire chief was arrested after he punched the mayor - who is also his uncle's ex-wife - in the face following a heated discussion over how to improve Grand Coteau's poor fire rating. Willie Troy Coco, 22, was charged with battery on a public official for punching Mayor Jean Coco. According to the sheriff department's report, Jean Coco fell the floor after Troy Coco struck her. After the incident, the mayor called Grand Coteau's chief of police, who just happens to be her son, Jonty Coco. The police chief then called the sheriff's department. Mayor Coco then went to a local hospital and was given antibiotics. She said she was feeling alright Tuesday evening. "I still have some swelling here," said Jean Coco, pointing to her eye. "I am just shocked."

It all began with a conversation about the fire rating. In late July, the city received a fire rating of 10, which is comparable to not having a fire department at all. According to the mayor, the rating was given because Grand Coteau firefighters lacked training time, and the town did not have records of maintenance or training from previous years. The mayor called a meeting with Troy Coco at Grand Coteau City Hall Tuesday morning. "I thought we had a good conversation," Jean Coco said. Troy Coco said he thought differently. He said he had asked the mayor and the town's Board of Aldermen for equipment to train before the rating's surveyors came, but he was denied. "They kept shooting me down, and the inspector came and saw we were lacking the hours and things. In so many words (the mayor) said it was my fault," Troy Coco said Tuesday after being released from jail on a $5,000 bond.

According to the mayor, Troy Coco's requests were too expensive for her to approve. Tuesday's conversation intensified after the fire chief and the mayor began talking about issuing beepers to two city workers. The fire chief said the two workers in question did not answer to calls. Eventually both the mayor and fire chief began calling each other names. Troy Coco said he became angry after the mayor said something about his mother. Jean Coco explained she made her comment only after Troy began shouting at her and calling her names. According to Troy Coco, the mayor tried to dismiss him from his position as volunteer fire chief. He said he did not mean to strike the mayor, but he had just had enough. "I have two aldermen and the mayor that are against me," he said. "I told her she needed to check the town's laws. She can't fire me without the council's approval." Jean Coco did defend her former nephew when all was said and done. "I know this is not all Troy's fault," she said. She said she wrote a letter requesting permission to suspend the fire chief until a special meeting of the Grand Coteau Board of Aldermen could be called to deal with the issue.

[firenresq77]

Wow......... Sounds like one big Family Affair........ Is there a cousin or something that's in charge of the streets? Grandpa is the Zoning Inspector?

[safetyhappy]

JERRY JERRY JERRY JERRY JERRY JERRY!!!!

[SPFDRum]

Sounds like one big Family Affair
At least they kept their clothes on!:eek: :D

[LadyCapn]

Why do I hear banjos playing in the background? :rolleyes:

[engine1321]

"What did the 5 fingers say to the face?!"

SLAP!!!!!!

[Bones42]

volunteer fire chief 22 :rolleyes:

More dysfunctional than Rescue Me.

[ff7134]

Originally posted by SamsonFCDES

Action from the Louisiana: Grand Coteau fire chief arrested after punching mayor

The Associated Press
The city's volunteer fire chief was arrested after he punched the mayor - who is also his uncle's ex-wife - in the face following a heated discussion over how to improve Grand Coteau's poor fire rating. Willie Troy Coco, 22, was charged with battery on a public official for punching Mayor Jean Coco. According to the sheriff department's report, Jean Coco fell the floor after Troy Coco struck her. After the incident, the mayor called Grand Coteau's chief of police, who just happens to be her son, Jonty Coco. [/B]

Welcome to Cocoville....Nuff Said

[Cpippen02]

Bones,

Dont always knock the youngsters. Obviously if he is the Fire Chief then the rest of the family didnt want it. All jokes aside thou...In this case age may have a BIG part of it. However, just because I am 22 years old doesnt mean that I cant be an effective and successful Fire Officer. I personally am 20 and a Lieutenant in my Fire Dept. It has helped me realize a whole new aspect of the Fire Service...I also have gotten to learn alot more about it from old jakes like yourself. Keep safe.

[Bones42]

Sorry, but you'll have a hard time explaining to me how at 22 someone could have anywhere near enough fire and life experience to be a Chief Officer. A Lt, maybe, but a Chief - Nope.

[SamsonFCDES]

Originally posted by Bones42
Sorry, but you'll have a hard time explaining to me how at 22 someone could have anywhere near enough fire and life experience to be a Chief Officer. A Lt, maybe, but a Chief - Nope.

Might as well get used to it.

The fire service is getting old. When all of the Jakes retire en mass there will be a huge void that needs to be filled...

With 20 something fire officers.

As far as the age/experience thing goes...

If age=leadership ability then why...

Do we have 20-22 year olds leading 18-20 year olds into combat in Iraq???

IMO that is a pretty damn serious situation, yet they do just fine.

[EFD840]

I just hope Cellblock sees this story.

It should prove to him that his department isn't the most screwed up in his state.



:D

[ameland]

Originally posted by SamsonFCDES

The city's volunteer fire chief was arrested after he punched the mayor - who is also his uncle's ex-wife - in the face following a heated discussion over how to improve Grand Coteau's poor fire rating.
[/b] [/B]

I Wonder why their rating is so low? :D

[Bones42]

Samson, I really hope you are kidding in comparing military groups to volunteer FF's. There is worlds of difference the in the amount and type of training a 20 something leader in the military receives vs a 20 something FF. Let's be real.

The fire service is getting old? Don't you recruit any new blood? Don't you let them learn before putting them in charge? "Let's let the kid be in charge since none of us want to." is not a safe way to operate. Let's stop being our own worst enemy.

[jboczek]

If their rating got lowered, they looked at training records for thepast 3 years. Surely he hasn't been chief that long. Like they say, if it's not on paper, it didn't happen. They don't need expensive equipment to train on. They just need to document what they did. If their rating went down because of training, it's the chief's fault regarless of how young he is.
Yes, I do thing a chief needs more experience than the 22 year old has probably got.

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

Originally posted by LadyCapn
Why do I hear banjos playing in the background? :rolleyes:

Lady I am surprised you would stoop to stereotypes. When something happens in Canada, I dont immediatley start thinking back bacon and toques. I happen to be a STAUNCH fan of South Louisiana. Great people and one of the most interesting cultures in the U.S.. Besides, BANJOS are not really the instrument of choice of that region.Accordians, frotoirs (rub boards)and fiddles are more like it. :cool:

[cellblock]

QUOTE
I just hope Cellblock sees this story.

It should prove to him that his department isn't the most screwed up in his state.
UNQUOTE

I saw it. When I first saw the headline I thought for a second, "Aw heck. That may be why the Chief hasn't been in all week." Then I clicked on the link and read the story. This time it was someone elses department. Thankfully.
As for the 22 year old Chief, I beleive it. I was at a Mutual Aid meeting last night and one of the people there was a 20-something Y/O who I had been in the FF1 class with me in the summer of 2002. He's now the first assistant Chief of his department, the next guy down from the Chief. As for how he got it, he doesn't have Fire Officer 1 or any of those certifications but the departments by-laws say they have to have a Assistant Chief and nobody else wanted the job so he stepped up. As long as the by-laws don't require any particular certification then ANYONE can be an officer. I was nominated and elected to 2 years as my departments parliamentarian because I had... "Book Learning". This GED having high school drop out with various vocational school classes and Army training was the only guy who knew Robert's Rules of Order so I got the job my first year in the department. We have so many board postions that nearly anyone who want's to be on the board can be. Often, when attending the monthly members meeting, I'm the only one there who's not on the Board.
Family affair? Many departments are just that. The Chief has several members of his family on the roster. Right now one of his daughters is working a paid shift at the station. When I go into work tommorrow evening I may be working with one of the two of his sons-in-law who work parttime there. I don't know which one it will be yet since I didn't check the schedule. Another of his daughters used to work parttime for the department but now is only a volunteer and the treasurer for the VFD. I just came from a EMS call, I responded as a vollie on my day off, and I was the only person on scene from the fire department, paid or vollie, not related by blood or marriage to the Chief. Family affair? You bet.
Be safe,
steve aka cellblock

[Weruj1]

Coocoo for cookoo puffs ............. GOOFS

[cozmosis]

I think most of us that post here are in an elite group. Simply because we care enough about firefighting that we take time to come here, post & learn more sets us apart. And because of that, it's easy to forget about the thousands of departments & firefighters that are in an entirely different dimension.

There are still a lot of places where being a firefighter isn't glamorous and isn't about bingo or firehouse bars. Unfortunately, those are the places where folks learn by doing and not by attending any sort of academy. They are the places where a 1960 pumper gets parked in an old service station and driven by whoever is close. Those are the places where the important details like proper PPE get overlooked in the name of helping a neighbor.

In my state, there are many departments that exist in communities with just one or two old pumpers, mutual aid 20 minutes away and an EXTREMELY small core of volunteers who are able to respond. Sometimes, the chief isn't the person with the most experience but the one person that's willing to do the job. Those departments function in a different world than most of us. I put an airpack on for every fire alarm. I know departments with trucks that have no air packs mounted anywhere.

I'm not making excuses for these folks... I'm just posting a reminder that they are out there. They are the departments that have slipped through the cracks. And there are many more of them than you imagine.

[BC79er]

I read the story and tried to draw the family tree only to realize it had no branches. :D

On a serious note, coz is right. There are tons of departments out there that aren't the ideal situation that the rest of us may have. The Chief is the person that is willing to take responsibility for the department. Farming communities are full of people that are related to each other, and if one family member does it, they all do it just to protect each other's farms. Otherwise they could lose their livelihoods because no one was around to respond.

As far as the age debate: training doesn't equal maturity. I'm sure we all know people that are well trained and highly immature, and some that are not well trained but mature enough to realize they need more and seek it when available. It's just not available in some areas.

I remember a story from Vincent Dunn who was visiting a midwest department when they got the call for a house fire. 3 first generation SCBAs, the rest had painter's masks and goggles, and no one had bunker gear. Jean, work boots, and multiple hooded sweatshirts were it for PPE. Be happy for what you have.

- Brian

[DrParasite]

hmm, the ex-aunt is the mayor, her son is the police chief, her nephew is the fire chief. all have the last name of coco... notice how close the spelling for all thress is to coocoo....
Troy Coco said he became angry after the mayor said something about his mother. Jean Coco explained she made her comment only after Troy began shouting at her and calling her names. now, where else would the mayor get away with saying something about the fire chief's mother?

I would say this is a bad situation from the begining, because along with their professional interactions, they also have the personal ones. especially with the mayor being the ex-wife of the fire chief's uncle.

I do think the ambulace that took her to the hospital was probably driven by fire chief's father, and the doctor treating her was the police chief's little sister :D

btw, there is nothing wrong with having family member on the department. we've had brothers, father and sons, husband and wives, and it's not a problem. on the squad, we once had the father as the captain, his son as the president, and the secretary was the captain's wife. and it just happened that they were the ones who were elected, and they all did a good job. it's only a problem when you have one family holding office or running the dept, and they continually prevent anyone else from gaining power or changing anything that would disagree with what one member of the department would want.

[SamsonFCDES]

I am suprised and dissapointed fellow Firehouse Forum members...

Not a single gentleman steped forward and procliamed his offence at the striking of a lady.

:eek:

:(

[protomkv]

Quote: I am suprised and dissapointed fellow Firehouse Forum members...

Not a single gentleman steped forward and procliamed his offence at the striking of a lady.


Who said she was a lady?

[EFD840]

Who said she was a lady?

Dangit, beat me to it!!!

[LACAPT]

Sounds to me that there is a little too much chlorine in that gene pool:D
All joking aside folks this looks like another classic case of the towns council not stepping up to the plate to back up the fire dept. They say that the requests were too expensive, here we go again putting a price tag on someones life. But you can be dam sure that if the fire was at their residence and the fire dept. couldn't put the fire out they would be the first to blame said fire dept. even if they didn't have the proper resourses to do the job.:o

[cozmosis]

Originally posted by LACAPT
All joking aside folks this looks like another classic case of the towns council not stepping up to the plate to back up the fire dept. They say that the requests were too expensive, here we go again putting a price tag on someones life.

Grand Coteau, Louisiana has a population 1,040 citizens with an average household income of $19,943. The city is only 2.4 square miles in size.

This sounds like a town that can aford very little -- including the fire protection that it needs.

[Weruj1]

Louisiana Town Trying To Figure Out How To Handle Fire Chief That Punched Mayor



Associated Press

GRAND COTEAU, La. (AP) -- The town of Grand Coteau is trying to figure out how to handle its volunteer fire chief who punched the mayor - a relative of his - during an argument.

Town officials said a 1961 law says that Willie ``Troy'' Coco cannot be removed as fire chief without a public hearing of the board of aldermen and fire department officials.

``It also says you can only remove him for just cause, but it does not say what that is,'' said town attorney Kenneth Boagni during a special board meeting Wednesday.

Coco was booked last week with battery on a public official for punching Mayor Jean Coco, his uncle's ex-wife, following an apparent argument about the city's low fire rating.

A fire department's rating is used by insurance companies in setting property insurance rates for an area. Lower ratings mean higher premiums.

The board set a meeting for Sept. 15 to have a public hearing and perhaps decide Coco's fate. On Wednesday, Coco issued an apology at the meeting.

``I am sorry for any embarrassment I have caused the town,'' he said.

The mayor did not apologize and said she had done nothing to justify an apology.

``He started saying ugly things to me, and he hit me,'' she said.

Coco has been suspended as chief, but he said he is still responding to blazes as a volunteer firefighter.

[5pts384]

My MAMA said "never hit a woman" but that was before a woman had "equal rights":D

[LADDERCO44]

Got a feeling here that we are not getting the whole picture. I would venture to say that there is more to this than what has been reported. (As in any media reported event) What intrigues me is:

How long has the current Chief,been chief. Did he end up becoming Chief,when a previous chief saw the problems facing him with the city council and either resigned or was discharged from the office of chief. Is he a new chief that just started in January?

If this chief took over office,it takes time to get things changed from what was to what needs to be. Prime example of why family and politics do not mix.

[cellblock]

Here's the update as it appeared in the Advocate newspaper Thursday.
Note that he had gotten pagers and was trying to get training videos for his department. When I showed the story to my Chief he mentioned that having a Class 10 is inexcusable. If you have trucks, a membership roster and pagers and you submit the proper paperwork you shuld be at least a Class 9 just for having the equiptment on hand. Sadly, there are many places which have trucks, stations, volunteers with pagers and radios and still have Class 10 ratings. The Chief or other responsible officer simply fails to submit the proper forms and get ISO review for a better rating. We have one such department in this Parish (county).
------------------------

http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/090204/new_firechief001.shtml

Grand Coteau board sets hearing on firing fire chief



By BOBBY ARDOIN

Special to The Advocate

GRAND COTEAU -- The Board of Aldermen unanimously voted Wednesday night to hold a public hearing before deciding whether to dismiss a volunteer fire chief who allegedly punched the mayor at the Town Hall last week.
Town Attorney Ken Boagni told the board that a town ordinance requires a public hearing and then a special meeting before taking action on a matter involving a department head.

Mayor Jean Coco said she convened Wednesday's special meeting to recommend the resignation or termination of Chief Willie Troy Coco, charged on Aug. 24 with one count of battery on a public official, according to 27th Judicial District Court records.

Coco said the ordinance gives her the authority to recommend firing Troy Coco, whom she identified as her nephew by marriage.

Boagni also said any action involving Troy Coco requires a vote of the volunteer Fire Department.

Boagni said the date of the public hearing and special meeting will be advertised in the Opelousas Daily World, the town's official legal journal.

Jean Coco publicly addressed the alleged incident between her and Troy Coco before Wednesday's meeting. Later during the meeting, Troy Coco apologized.

"I apologize to the mayor and to the citizens. With what happened, I don't know where that came from," Troy Coco said.

Jean Coco said she met with Troy Coco at the Town Hall on Aug. 24 to discuss improving Grand Coteau's declining fire rating. During the meeting, Jean Coco said, an argument ensued and Troy Coco eventually "got hostile."

They exchanged derogatory comments and she later requested a town secretary call the police chief because Troy Coco started cursing, Jean Coco said.

Shortly afterward, Jean Coco said, Troy Coco hit her and knocked her to the floor, just inside the Town Hall doorway.

According to the court records, Troy Coco allegedly hit Jean Coco with a "closed fist" in the left eye.

Jean Coco said she ordered Troy Coco's suspension as the volunteer chief, but he has ignored the action. Troy Coco has continued to visit the fire station and has gone to fires since the suspension.

Jean Coco also said the ordinance allows her to request removing any department head for "just cause" and that the incident merits Troy Coco's removal, because a town department head should not have hit a 56-year-old woman.

Coco said she wants the town's Fire Department to undergo better training to improve the fire rating.

She said Troy Coco has spent more than $3,000 to issue pagers for volunteer firemen and wants to spend twice that much to purchase training videos.

Click here to return to story:
http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/090204/new_firechief001.shtml

[Flamebuster]

Question, Cellblock: How do you respond as a vollie on your day off? If you work for the fire department, as a firefighter, and respond as a firefighter you have to be paid for it. This is mandated by FLSA and has been upheld by countless courts across the nation.

[cellblock]

DERAIL-
Flamebuster- I've covered this many times. I'm not going to eat up anymore bandwith on it. Feel free to e-mail me if you wish but we've beat like a dead horse the fact that I work in a crappy situation on the brink of multiple lawsuits. I won't go into any more details anymore because anything I say could be used against me in a court of law.
Be Safe
RERAIL-
But as bad as my situation is at least my Chief isn't punching the Mayor.

[codeblue81]

She said Troy Coco has spent more than $3,000 to issue pagers for volunteer firemen and wants to spend twice that much to purchase training videos.

In the article she was quoted as saying that she wanted to improve the town's ISO rating. Is it just me or does it seem like she is complaining about the FD spending money to get the equipment needed to make it a more functional?

So he spent $3000 on pagers, wouldn't it be nice if the FFs knew when and where a fire was? Twice that on training videos? It's nice if a FD knows what they are doing when they are toned out. IMHO she sounds alot like one of those things that has 4 letters and starts with M.

code_blue81
:D

[mjteague]

It appears their family tree is palm. No branches.

[cozmosis]

Originally posted by Flamebuster
Question, Cellblock: How do you respond as a vollie on your day off? If you work for the fire department, as a firefighter, and respond as a firefighter you have to be paid for it. This is mandated by FLSA and has been upheld by countless courts across the nation.

I have no idea of the legalities in the community where I got my start. However, we had a combination department where career staff had pagers and were required to respond while off-duty.

The career staff essentially received two paychecks -- one for their career position and another from the volunteer fire department (same department, essentially -- different bank account). They weren't paid overtime for responding to calls off-duty because the volunteer (paid-per-call) pay scale had them making more money in most cases than they would if they had collected time and a half. ($15 for first hour, one hour minimum pay.)

[Flamebuster]

Whoa, let me see if I understand your comment. You made more as a “volunteer” than as a “paid firefighter”? How can you call it volunteering when you are paid for it? And, how little did you make that you made less than $15 an hour when working at time and a half?

Either way, the law is the law and has been for many years. You can not volunteer for your own department. I think the reasons are obvious. I know some people would be shocked to discover unscrupulous fire chiefs and city managers using heavy handed tactics to get their members to volunteer on their off days but it does happen.

[cozmosis]

Originally posted by Flamebuster
Whoa, let me see if I understand your comment. You made more as a “volunteer” than as a “paid firefighter”? How can you call it volunteering when you are paid for it? And, how little did you make that you made less than $15 an hour when working at time and a half?

Either way, the law is the law and has been for many years. You can not volunteer for your own department. I think the reasons are obvious. I know some people would be shocked to discover unscrupulous fire chiefs and city managers using heavy handed tactics to get their members to volunteer on their off days but it does happen.

First of all, in many communities it's called volunteer but it's really paid-per-call. That was the case in the city I mention. Fortunately, that department didn't care what folks called them. They just did the job.

Second, the career staff started at near $18,000 annually. I don't know how that breaks down, but I know that I make nearly $30,000 a year and only get paid about $10 an hour. So, if I'm the career guy making $18k... you better believe I'm coming in off duty if my "paid-per-call" check will pay me more than my wage would have.

The system we had there paid $15 for the first hour of a fire and $10 for every hour after that. Any portion of an hour counted as a full hour. (A structure fire that took one hour and three minutes earned ya $25.)

[cellblock]

Flame and Coz,
I posted a description of my job situation over in the Career/Paid Firefighter forum section which you can check out in this thread- http://cms.firehouse.com/forums2/showthread.php?threadid=62532
I think that's better than reposting all of the same information to this thread too. It's complicated but somehow while I'm paid by the city I respond as a volunteer. The lawers will work it out after someone gets hurt or killed. Check the post and then come back here with replies.
Thanks,
steve aka cell

[Flamebuster]

OK Cellblock, I can see by reading your other post that you work in a very different situation than I do. But, be that as it may be; FLSA isn’t just for the “big city” departments. Everyone has to follow the law.

Perhaps in your situation it may be a mute point because you may be earning more than you would on overtime.

Your department sounds more like a business than a municipal emergency service, somewhat like Rural Metro in Scottsdale AZ. I know there are a lot of departments in the central Atlantic states that also operate like your department. I’m just don't understand why the citizens would allow it. But then there are many things that I don’t understand. I assume the city doesn’t have the funds to staff and compensate the brothers properly. Hopefully, they do provide the proper PPE and training.

I live in a town about twice the size of yours (15,000) and we only have two stations (need a third) but the city is committed to keeping four on both engines and two on the rescue. They cut one of the BC’s position to pay for it. They need help from the surrounding cites to fight a structure fire but they give assistance also. The agency I work for is fairly large and in a different county. They use to rely on paid call firefighters. The union killed that, thank goodness, and now we are working on bringing our staffing up to an acceptable level (e.g. NFPA 1710). And fortunately, we earn a bit more than 18K a year but not enough to live where I work. Such is life I suppose.

Stay safe!!!

[cellblock]

Originally posted by Flamebuster
Your department sounds more like a business than a municipal emergency service, somewhat like Rural Metro in Scottsdale AZ. I know there are a lot of departments in the central Atlantic states that also operate like your department. I’m just don't understand why the citizens would allow it. But then there are many things that I don’t understand. I assume the city doesn’t have the funds to staff and compensate the brothers properly. Hopefully, they do provide the proper PPE and training.

The city doesn't provide ANY PPE or training. They only hire FFs based on the Chiefs recommendations. So if you have been a Volunteer for several years and a paid slot opens up you can apply and the Chief will tell the Mayor to put you on the City payroll. You still go to the same Parish owned stations, drive the same Parish owned truck as you did as a vollie. The only changed is that now you are a paid City employee who has to man the station per a schedule instead of responding from home. And the City DOES NOT PROVIDE PPE. As I've stated before, that's how one of our fulltimers was threatened with termination. He said that he would still work his 40 hours a week but he was going to turn in his pager and quit the volunteer department. The Chief told him that if he quit the VFD he'd have to turn in his bunker gear which would mean that he would not have any bunker gear to use during his paid shifts since the city doesn't issue gear. So without gear he couldn't work. The guy kept his pager and still responds from home on his off hours and attends the VFD meetings like a good boy. It is true that we have recently hired FFs who live in Baton Rouge and work for paid departments there. They have to bring their bunker gear from their other department to work with them here. Otherwise they would not have the necessary PPE for the job. All training, paperwork and equiptment belongs to the Parish VFD. Want a copy of a Fire Report? Make the check out to the VFD not the City Department. Your lawer is issuing a subpoena for a EMS document? Make sure he requests it from the VFD not the City department even though they have the same mailing address and the same Chief. They are different entities. The only thing the City department has is employees. Enough for one or two people per shift. Last night, for instance, I worked the 12 hours alone. Tommorrrow I am scheduled to have a partner working with me. That's how it is here. For now.

[SamsonFCDES]

Hey Cellblock, put me on the payroll to.

I know I live in Montana, but I promis I will bring my bunker gear!!! :p

Not making light of you situation, but it does boggle the mind.

[cellblock]

Sure Samsom, I'll see what I can do. :D Do you have your FF!? Oh who cares? We don't require it. :eek: If you looked at the website you may have noticed that about half the paid people don't have that basic certification.
Another trick to pad your numbers...Sign up some of those police and deputies who are always on scene for traffic control. Make them members of the VFD and when they are at a wreck or fire you can list them as being on scene with you. Since there's no requirements for training or certifications ANYONE can be a vollie. :(
Take care. I'm going to work.
Cellblock

[5pts384]

Police and deputies for traffic control? call the VFD, trees down in road? call the VFD. We are the "handyman of the county", oh yes sometimes we even get to fight a fire:D