How to Find them...
In my commentary last week I provoked a number of responses about guys in Santa suits. I thought I would share this one this week by Acting Chief Jim Blanchard of Saugus fire.
Recently, while driving my wife from store to store for holiday
Christmas shopping I pulled into a very busy shopping complex. I Desperately looked for a
parking space I would have settled for one even remotely near the store she needed. As I
cruised around the lot I noticed a pickup truck parked right in front of the store in the no
parking zone.It was so close to the main entrance that people had to walk around it to enter.
I noticed the truck because it had about eight fire related stickers plastered to the rear
window and I had to stop just behind it to let an old lady in a walker cross the street,and
negotiate around this truck.(god knows how far away she parked). Finally I settled on
a space that I think was in a different zip code. I say this because I
could'nt even see the store I needed to go to. As we approached the store that same pickup
truck was still parked there. I was now walking toward the front windshield of the vehicle,
and yes there was a sticker on it too,The driver, a rotund man, was sitting behind the
wheel,eating a hamburger and enjoying a super sized something. He was wearing a baseball
cap emblazoned with the Maltese cross, his jacket also had a large Maltese cross on it. I
recognized this man from drill school several years earlier. I remember him because he could
never do any of the physical aspects of the job, dropped out of PT, Had to be asked to
help with loading hose picking up ladders, and placing another cylinder in his SCBA to get
back in the building. I remember asking a member of his department how he was doing on
the job. The man told me he had been out injured several times (injuries incurred around the
station) and consequently he had not done much firefighting. I wanted to pull him out of the
truck but was afraid his turn out pants would get hung up on the brake pedal. Besides I
would need a crane to get him out. I would be willing to bet that this same person has at least
two fire related tattoos. One that says "NO FEAR" and another the proclaims.(my personal
favorite) '"I FIGHT WHAT YOU FEAR" We all have them, you know the ones, There is an
easy way to `recognize them off duty. this is how I do it, you look at the person and in your
mind subtract any fire department clothing they are wearing, if you end up with a naked
person you found one !
We are always going to be saddled with these people in their "SANTA TYPE SUITS" A
smart man once told me how to handle these people on the fireground and I have used this
technique. Expect absolutely nothing from them and they will never let you down. I believe
there are still way more real jakes out there.
Merry Christmas
Jim Blanchard
Jim, I believe you are right, there are more real jakes than fakers but their actions affect us all. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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