FREEPETEY.COM

I am a firefighter in Chicago in a still district with approxmately 100 hi-rises. I am on a tower ladder so we often go out of our district for confirmed fires as well, especially downtown. The guys in our house all know buildings that cause us concern. I work on the shift with the tower's Captain He is a good and decent man who cares about his crew. But his hands are always tied.

Yes, it is the Captains responsibility to keep himself and his crew aware of potentially dangerous buildings but the Batallion Chief is responsible for his respective district. This Chief should have met with the contractors and drilled on and in that building with all the houses in that district.

Our new commissioner was a firefighter for many years. He is smart and well liked be the men. He would fight for us at all costs. I understand your boss was a cop. Has he ever even put on bunker gear and ate smoke or crawled floors. Has he seen what you go thru?

In our case, the building department is responsible for code voilation enforcement. If they find a discrepancy relating to the fire department they call our bureau. Do you know how long this takes and the cracks?

If you know any of these peope, you probably do not have much confidence in them. They took the position to "hide" and were put there politically.

With affirmative action, people who have no right being officers rise to the top of the pile. Not the best people, the right people are chosen. Our Chief is very good. Relief Chief's are another story. Some are plain idiots! We totally ignore them as our lives depend on it.

We also have no authority and always have to keep the business's and citiczen's rights in mind instead of ours and that of our brothers. How many buildings have you gone in with missing or broken smoke detectors? How many standpipes have been tampered with? How many staircases had no adequate lighting? How many unconfirmed fire calls have you raced to just to find "Meat on the stove"?

The city and its leaders are PC and do everything to stop the law suits. Nothing for us, just to stop the law suits and to win elections. Taing money from these contracors who care less about safety as their politician friend will take care of everything.

Your Chiefs had five years to pre=plan an incident at that building. They didn't and risked all your lives.

What about all the bs with certian buildings having sprinklers and other do not. What about antiquated or broken elevators. What about standpipes and sprinkler inlets not beingmarked or hidden with plants and bushes. What about shotty and lightweight construction. What about 15 immigrants living in the attic of a balloon frame dwelling. What about area fire departments taking people off the rigs to save money. What about manpower variances. What about non-qualified firefighters acting up as officers with little or no training.

What about all the BS runs we go on. We recently lost a brother responding to a "Cold Box" when he was hit by a school bus that failed to yield. It was immediately reported that the fire truck did not come to a complete stop. If we followed all the rules these idiots come up with it would take u a half hour to respond. We cant even pull out of the firehouse without worrying about getting hit. Right in front of the building! No one stops and the look at you like you are a fool.

I was there when the fire broke out. I was admiring the wall monument at 10 house. I was at the fire before any rigs arrived. I know all the bad buildings in my immediate district as well as bow string truss roofs. I would never enter these buildings unless the payoff far outweighed the risk. There was no life threat. Just a piece of shit building. Two beautiful men lost their lives because of all your politics. And the politicians slimed and slithered away and are trying to blame a hard working man. Figures. God damn are these people scum bags. They do not care you lost two heroes. All they care is who is to blame. I guarantee these were the first phone calls made. Who can we blame?

Why would your city let that death trap sit there. Poitical pressure not to implode it or knock it down. Why would your department not abandon an interior "offensive" attack and pull out to a defensive position. Why did your Chiefs not have a clue. Why did your bureau and building departments allow that building to be torn apart and not have a working standpipes. Why was there no communication from the engines hooked to the buildings system that thre might be a problem with water supply. They had to know they weren't pushing water up to the top floors. Wasn't anyone watching the gauges.

Why attack a fire without a charged line?

God love you guys. Your leaders and your city have shown you what is more important. I thought we had it bad. You guys got screwed!