I usually do not post or write thus far about any experiences I have had at work. I like to write more about the volunteer side of the fire service and brotherhood, But  yesterday….. yesterday I’m going to write about. I am going to write about this because it is a story that needs to be told, and everyone needs to read and think about when it comes to a “routine” call. As I’ve noted in past posts, I am a volunteer and a Career fire fighter. I work on the Engine crew at a station that houses an Engine (Crew of 3) a squad ( Crew of 2) and Battalion Chief. Yesterday we were dispatched to a reported fire alarm with an activated smoke detector coming from the Boiler Room. We respond to several of these a day…. as do most of you, and everyone in the city does. Upon arrival, we found nothing showing and the BC assumed command as we all made a 360 looking for anything out of the ordinary. With no Knox box, we had a key holder on the way with a short ETA. The only thing notable we found was the sound of what we suspected was a compressor of some sort, no smoke or hard rattles that would give away a problem with the compressor…. just that it was running. We waited for the key holder to arrive and let us in the building so we could investigate further. Alarm panel confirmed boiler room smoke detector, so we along with the key holder proceeded that way. When we made our way downstairs and opened the door to the basement boiler room, we all noted the odor of something, something mechanical or to that effect. We looked in to see a very slight haze at the ceiling level, nothing we’ve never seen before…. it was almost not even there. You could just see it in the light, and could see through it straight to the back wall. Our suspicion was that this was like every call we had seen like this, either a light ballast or maybe the pump, we could  now hear again, was overheated. When we proceeded down the  stair case to see what was going on, The squad Captain went first followed by my captain, me and the squads operator with the key holder close behind. As soon as the first captain made it down, he immediately turned around with a look on his face like he had just seen a ghost, and said ” We gotta get out of here”. Right as he had said that, his knees started buckling under him and he started to go down. My Captain reached down and grabbed him and looked back at the rest of us and told us to get out and get O2. Backing out, we saw that the squad captain was getting out with the help of the engine captain so the squad operator zipped out to get the supplies. The key holder didn’t seem to understand what was going on, so on my way out I grabbed his shoulder and pointed him to the door and said “Out… Now!” As I gently urged the man to the outside door, I also broke into a direct run to the engine passing the BC on my way. He was asking “whats going on?!?” as I ran by and yelled back “man down inside”. When I caught up to the operator getting supplies, I saw he had the med bag and O2 as instructed, so I went behind him and grabbed the Defribulator…. just in case. By the time we had got back to the door, Both captains were making their way down the hall and out the door. The BC was advising everyone assigned to the alarm what was going on, that this was now a Haz-Mat scene and we went to work on the Captain. He never lost conciousness, but In a short few second of being in that room, he had lost some motor function. After getting some O2 and getting outside, he was already getting better. We assisted EMS with packing him up and sent him to the hospital for observation.Working the scene now as a Haz-Mat, we were able to get crews in, shut down the system and begin to ventilate the room. The call is still technically “under investigation” but we learned that a malfunction in the AC system caused a freon leak in the poorly ventilated room, displacing all the air.

It was a simple call. “Routine” as some would call it. But in a matter of 5-8 seconds, we went from a routine lunch interruption to a “man down” situation. I am sure that everyone has been to these calls…. fire alarm…. light haze…. lets figure out whats wrong real quick and get back to the house type of call that happens every day, everywhere. But the stars and planets lined up just right to turn the routine into something we’ve never seen before, and it happened in the blink of an eye. Simply put, try to be suspicious of everything brothers and sisters. There is no such thing as routine in this job, and I don’t want you to see the same look in your brothers eyes when you realize you are in a place you don’t need to be, and have that sudden “Oh Sh*t” moment. Stay safe, but be aggressive….

-Matthew Ritter (Captain Chaos)

I have to admit, its been a little while since my last post for ELAFF. The busy season is upon us with part-time work, which I do many little odds and ends here and there with some of the guys at work. I have been slowly working on a small business project along with a good friend and fellow brother, Steven Sweatt who also posts web-netty nifty tid-bits he finds here and there on Facebook. Check out and like The Daily Hydrant on Facebook if you have a few mins. of spare time. He finds plenty of things to read about and watch when you have some time to kill instead of reading the recent “get Obama out of the white house” propaganda smeared all over the interwebz. On the front lines, I have been re-assigned to two different houses, and three different trucks in the past six months. The heads of the department have been doing their best to work with limited man power and a slew of other administrative obstacles that probably contributed to the moves. But the good part is that after nearly seven years, I am currently assigned to the Engine company I have been requesting, begging, and praying for since day one of the academy. With all the moves, I have been doing my best to study the streets, buildings, and many different little quirks and idiosyncracies of the territories I’ve been in. I’ll get to all that in another post though, as that is a whole thing all on its own.

Another of the many things that have been on my mind as of late, is how I want to proceed here on ELAFFHQ.COM. As our readers know, we’re out! Secrets over with, and our faces have been laid bare for all to see, although mine is much easier on the eyes! ( Just pickin’ Pete ) So I guess the real question has been, what now? Of course I plan to continue with my writing, just as before. Revealing myself has not changed how I feel, and it was never to mask myself to say things that I wouldn’t otherwise say any other time. It was fun. Talking with the Lt., we decided being anonymous was pretty much played out, and it was time to start working on a new chapter. I think whats best now, is to give the readers a little more on the face that can now be associated with the words. Eventually, I think people will lose interest if there is never a person behind the posts. So I guess it’s about time to let everyone in, just a little bit.

Before I get to that though, I wanted to actually write about something. A lot has happened, and although I wont get into it, that has shaken my confidence in the service lately. I have been having a hard time even with holding on to my on beliefs as to what the fire service is, how it works, and why. Its been piling up actually. Several years of hearing this, watching that. Reading all sorts of news from all across the country of brothers and sisters near and far making us all look bad. It almost seems for every GOOD thing we accomplish (or actually hear about accomplishing) to ensure the brotherhood and service shines like a new penny, There is a line of jack wagons to ruin it. The list runs from bored fire fighters setting fires, to Chief officers running their departments traditions and people into the ground on epic levels. I’ve been having a hard time as a union member, and whether or not its right for me to be in it. I believe in the IAFF, and their mission, so let’s be clear. What I am having a hard time with is being a member of a system of groups that have helped contribute to the condition our great country is in. There are those on one side who will point their guns to the other side and say “this is the unions fault!”, and there are those on the opposite side who point their guns and say “This is big business’ fault!”. This is a stand-off that’s been playing out for over a hundred years now, and its all being officiated by the Government whom promises both sides the world and delivers almost nothing but taxes and pacifiers. Once the big rubber nipples wear off those pacifiers, it starts all over again.

I guess I’ve been having a hard time living in between both sides. All are making valid points on whose right and wrong, but no one is coming up with real, tangible solutions to the problems. The same is going on with the service we all love. Sure, it’s not everywhere, but there are a lot of places where there is a big thick line between Administration or Boards and front line personnel that do the exact same thing. Firing off shots at each other, pointing fingers and blaming. The politics. I’ve been having a hard time with understanding this lately, and its taken a toll on my spirits. I do not understand it all really, and try as I may to do so, I’ve failed. I feel like I have been having one great big pity party! Well, I decided a few months ago that the pity party is over. I have to focus on whats real, whats right, and what I have to do to make sure it continues on the path of right. I am going to start concentrating back on what made me love the job in the first place. My very own north star. Keep the faith, is the term that seems to fit. Are there any struggles in your department, or life that feel like things have gotten beyond control? Maybe things feel like they have no end in sight, or that there is a better way but everyone seems to be too busy loading their guns with ammo to see it. Keep the Faith brother. Hold on to what you know, and what you love about what we do. Perhaps there is a corner to turn into soon, and once there its all down hill from that point. Just maybe, if you play your cards right, and keep at it, you will be in a position to make the change that’s needed. Remember this time in your life though. It may be your change that puts the guys in the same funk you’re in now! For now, its time for me to take inventory on what I have done so far, and make my plan for where I want to go. Prioritize. Keep the faith, and work towards one goal at a time. I’ll write more about them soon….

So the mystery of the faces and names of Lemon and Chaos now gone, WHO are they? Well, as seen in the video we posted a while back, my name is Matthew Ritter. A.K.A. Captain Chaos, A.K.A. The Shredder A.K.A. Tight Packer A.K.A…… well I  received numerous nick names given to me since I became a Fire Fighter in 2003. I fell in love with the job as a volunteer for Ramseur Fire Dept, and in 2005 I got a job as a Firefighter with a much larger department . I like to write mostly about the Volunteer end, though my experiences on the paid side have served me well in bringing something more to the table. Now a Captain with Ramseur, I am a second generation Firefighter, and 29 years old. Married to a wonderful wife of nearly 5 years, Gwyn, who puts up with all this fire fighting life not to mention my….. distinguished…… personality! You may have seen or Liked Captain Chaos on Facebook, I mostly post things there for fun. You can also follow me on Twitter @CaptainChaos001 . Now that I feel like I am getting out of my funk, and writers block, I’ll be back to posting on a more regular basis. Thanks as always for reading Brothers and Sisters! We’ve had a lot of fun with ELAFF, and hope you have too! Tell others about us, so we can all share ideas and keep things lively!

–Matthew Ritter (Captain Chaos)