It amuses me to no end to hear about the problems of the fire service today that we who have survived from those same problems that occurred in the last century. In those days we learned to read a fire's advance or action by using our ears, eyes, nose, and feel. With all of the gear they wear today they do not know when they are in trouble until it is to late. We knew when it got untenable or unstable and we got out. We had backdraughts and smoke explosions in those days as well but we learned to recognize them although I did get caught one time and got blown off of the porch roof into a hedgerow that saved me. It was a lack of communication, no radios in those days.

It was a cold winter's night and a strong wind was blowing from the North. It was a converted three story twin dwelling that was now comprised of six apartments. Apparently the man who rented the third floor Painted his apartment and went away for the weekend. Oily rags, brushes and paints were stored in the closet. That is a no, no and sure enough spontaneous combustion took out the attic and third floor before we got there. As a standard procedure in our fire district a house firecalls for a second alarm. The second in company takes the backside of the facility on fire. As you would have it, the house faced South. The rear of the dwelling had a fire escape built on as required by law. The fire was encroaching the second floor front from above. I had ,laddered upto the porch roof with a Pompier Axe. there was a hose team with a charged 1 1/2 inch behind me but still on the ladder. The way that the windows were blackened and bulging, very hot with a red glow and smoke through every crack and seam of the clap board siding I knew that we were going to catch hell as soon as I opened that window. What I did not expect was the fact the second in company opened up the third floor before we were ready and that North Wind blowing in on the third floor, oh my! when I applied that Pompier Axe to open that second floor bedroom window, I caught window frame, flames, and blast and got blown off the roof over top of the hose crew. There I was laying in the hedges and Doctor Fox and others trying to pull me out. I was not injured but I was one shaken individual. Doctor Fox had me sit on the running board of the ladder truck drinking coffee and smoking my pipe until I stopped shaking.






Frank D. Harrisson
Fire Chief (Ret.)

Hub911.com Exclusive Interview with... Dan-O (the 'O' stands for Original) Heidt - The Unique Dichotomy of The Harlem Phoenix. Author of Disposable Heroes and No Back Up

1. Where did you grow up & what was it like? I grew up in Brooklyn, NY with a country house in upstate like I mentioned. I am a die hard lifelong Yankee fan. My claim to fame in this regard is I have been in all 3 Yankee stadium's. My first game was in 1971 with my mom. I am what you call a section 39 bleacher creature. And I was at the World Series at the new new stadium. I was at the last game of the old stadium as well as the first game of the new stadium.

2. In your movie script you wrote: "Be a phoenix or a statistic", which are you? I made that up myself and my brother actually uses it. In motivational speeches. Of course I am a phoenix my whole life crashed. And I could have easily become one of these people who drinks 25 beers a day before noon. And does nothing but bitch about how bad life sucks. I define success by inner happiness. Another one of my favorite quotes. Is the mirror accepts no lies. It maybe hard to believe but many people seem to be able to lie to the mirror. I CAN NOT NOR WILL I.

3. How do you define success? My greatest job is not in the movie script. It is in chapter 31 of DH. A baby who was face down in the bathtub. The mother was so freaked out she thought she caused her child's own death. And couldn't bring herself to touch him. The firemen took the baby out of the tub. This is a big problem for me. The firemen get too much credit, paramedics are more than ambulance drivers. No disrespect intended but the only time they save a baby. Is if they pull that baby out of a fire. No disrespect intended to the firemen. I give them so much credit because it takes so much courage to run into a building everyone else is running out of.

4. What have you learned over your lifetime that you'd like to share with the younger generation? I am probably the only hippie who went to military school. I was at Woodstock as a 5 yr old. Perhaps that was the best perspective to see it from. You could literally walk to the stage from our country house in Bethel. Pretty funny cause my parents were hippies and now they are so far to the right they practically tip over. I am an Independent who goes down the lines of common sense. I don't like red state blue state. I say we blend together become 50 purple states. The color of royalty. After all we are the greatest nation on the planet.

5. What is your favorite hobby? I love to read and believe it or not I read Shakespeare. Especially Julius Caesar, For I too have been stabbed in the back by such honorable men. I love Stephen King he is my favorite author. And he is far from all gore and guts. Two of my favorite books are Hearts in Atlantis and The Stand. Throw in Black House and the Talisman. All his books seem to be connected to the tower. The books I mentioned I actually read slow cause I didn't want them to end. When I read I can easily read 5,000 pages a week. I'm starting to like Lee Child a lot. The Jack Reacher stories.

6. Who has had the greatest influence on you? The Kennedy brothers. Especially JFK for obvious reasons. John Lennon again for obvious reasons. I was at the Dakota as a distraught drunken 16 yr old. We all sang "Give Peace A Chance and Imagine." It didn't matter what color lips were on that bottle. And it still doesn't matter to me today. Come Aug 31st I will have 20 yrs sobrerity. I tell people I'm quite capable of making an ass out of myself without alcohol. Ok this is a biggie. Just like I used to go to AA and NA for the hugs. And to see and listen to people WHO I SHOULD NOT BE LIKE!! Adolph Hitler had a huge influence on my life. How so you may ask. Look at my last name. Although I am Irish/Italian/German my dad's father was the German. Hence the last name. When I was 7 yrs old my best friend was name Greg Gunzberg. His family was clearly Jewish and lost many members in the Holocaust. This would be 1971. You know what as a 7 yr old I was embarrassed to tell people that I was German. And asked my mom if I could use her last name Nocerino. We had a long talk about this but you can see how a negative person can influence a child.

7. What will be your legacy? Is the world better because of you/your work/your influence? Once a person has my loyalty they have it for life. I give everyone basic human respect. And I expect the same. If someone gets a lower level of respect from me. It's because they earned it. If someone wants a higher level of respect from me. Then also they have earned it. Respect it's more than a 7 letter word to me. And this has always been a problem for me. Because I could never work for somebody I didn't respect. In my books I mention that Lt bars are not based on experience. Intelligence or merit they are based on a 75 question multiple choice test. I'm sorry that's not enough to qualify you as my leader. And it certainly doesn't mean you can tell me how to be, what to say and how to do things. Especially when it comes to a triple shooting up on the 15th floor. I would like to be remembered as someone who did the right thing. Just because it was the right thing to do.

8. What's the funniest work story/ event you remember? I mentioned that I went to military school. That would be Xavier in NYC. That didn't work out to well cause you know what. I am a lone wolf and all of NYC was my backyard. I hung out in the Village at the age of 14. And hit all the clubs all the time. I can't tell you how many bands I got to see. Before they hit it big. This will make you laugh and then I have to stop typing. Electric lady land is on West 8th street. That was Jimi Hendrix's studio. I saw Bob Dylan playing harmonica and acoustic guitar on the street. He looked like a bum and people were just passing by and throwing change in his guitar case. I put a dollar in and I said I know who you are. He laughed and said don't tell anyone. Then he told me that song wasn't worth a dollar.

As for funniest job I had two floaters in my career. Both with Jason. The first one central asked over the air. "16 Victor do you have a drowning on that scene?" I responded back "No I think he's just been doing the back stroke for the last 12 days." That went out over all of Manhattan North. And Brendan said he nearly crashed his rig when he heard me say that. He laughed so hard. A few months later. We had another floater. And Jason said to me "He ain't doin the back stroke is he?" We went down on the rocks and I saw that his wrist watch was still working. I held up a purple bloated arm and did my impersonation of the Timex man. Standing over him saying, "There you have it folks it takes a dippin and keeps on tickin." Jason nearly fell into the water he was laughing so hard. There's really nothing funny about EMS but like I said. Sometimes you have laugh to avoid going crazy.

Brendan had a funny job that I showed up on. A known drug dealer was shot in the head behind the ear. Then rolled up in a rug. They left him under a giant billboard that had a picture of McGruff the Crime Dog. And that billboard said take a bite out of crime.

9. Is there anything I haven't asked about that you would care to comment on? I have some tattoo's one on my forearm is Japanese. It means, "Great talent; God given." You might know where that came from. The other is Celtic I wear it on the right side of my neck. It means, "Protector of Peace." If you're familiar with Stephen King then think of me as an Eddy Dean. If you're familiar with the Godfather then think of me as Clemenza.
I have a rare talent. Did you ever hear someone say they can slow the game down? Yes, I can do that -I can go on auto pilot. And think in pictures. Slow single frame pictures when everything around me is turning to shit. On that baby job my partner asked me. How did you know what to do so quickly? I told him the kid was the same size as my daughter. I knew what I would do if it was my own child. And I instinctively put that plan of action to purposeful use. I will also tell you when it comes to partners give me a street rat. With a GED who cares over a Harvard education every time.......

I would like to add. Is the world a better place because I am in it? You may never hear this in your life again, but getting busted was the best thing that ever happened to me. And I did tell my lawyer that. Before I got busted the answer would be a definitive NO. But after one day at a time. Sometimes one minute at a time. That will be for my higher power to judge. And I hope what I have been doing will tip the scales slightly in my favor. When I have to stand before him.

10. What is your favorite dinner & what do you drink with it? My favorite drink is Pepsi you know why. Because they donate literally thousands of cases a week. To all sorts of self help groups, local churches and low income people. My favorite meal is baked lasagna with giant meatballs. I refuse to eat veal for obvious reasons. And the best meal I ever had in my life was baked Swordfish with a secret sauce, under the palm trees in Aruba.

Check out the link for both of these books.

• Emergency Medical Diaries of a Harlem, NY Medic http://1ghettomedic.webs.com
• Please sign up to be a Member (when you become a member on our website. You WILL NEVER GET A SPAM OR AN EMAIL) - http://1ghettomedic.webs.com/apps/auth/signup
• We support many causes as you can see on our 'Links' page, causes such as A Safe Haven for Newborns www.asafehavenfornewborns.com/ & D.A.V Disabled American Veterans
• People can read the movie script and are free to leave their review, feedback and comments of the script.

After you’ve worked what seems like a hundred years at various jobs, you might one day look back and
have an epiphany something like this: “Holy crap, I’ve done a lot of stuff!” That’s what happened to
me recently, as I drove my ’97 Civic to work, thinking about the various things I’ve done in the towing
industry: Driver, Dispatcher, Manager, and now Parts Guy. I’ve done a lot of stuff, and I remember
most of it, and even better, I recorded a lot of it, in journals and newsletter articles.

As you work through the years, it kind of creeps up on you, this combination of knowledge and
experience, all you’ve learned from all the mistakes you made, and all the happy memories of laughing
with friends you’ve made. In our world today, that knowledge has become much more than a valuable
database for yourself, your boss, your employees, and your co-workers. It has now become something
for people to read on the internet when they are supposed to be working. If it happens to be on a
website like www.hub911.com, even better—you can claim you really are working.

My background: Parents owned a tow company when I was a teenager: at age 15, over the summer,
I answered phones, manned the storage lot, and ate a lot of fast food for $200/month. Started driving
tow truck at age 21. Began managing a tow company at age 35. Left the tow company at age 42
with 42% of my sanity intact, to run a parts company selling parts and accessories to the towing and
emergency industries. Still there six years later. Sanity has clicked back up to 63%.

Incidentally, if you want a really sobering moment, let your kids see you working, so that they can ask
you questions like the one my daughter asked me last week: “Dad, when you were in high school, did
you ever think you’d be working every night on your laptop on the TowPartsNow catalog?” Nice. Real
nice. The few details I do remember of my career plans when I was in high school, I couldn’t really share
with my 17-year-old daughter. It was something involving supermodels, I think.

So here we are. If you’ve read my e-newsletter for TowPartsNow, you know what you’ll be getting. If
you haven’t, I hope I can hold your interest for a few minutes a couple times a month. My goal is to
entertain and to inform, to display humor, and to someday sell out and become a bestselling author. I
have many interesting experiences from my years in the towing industry to share with you, including
those precious moments rubbing shoulders with law enforcement and emergency personnel, who
sometimes let us stand near them and look cool. I look forward to contributing to www.hub911.com,
and I invite you to contact me with your stories, comments, affectionate compliments, and derogatory
curses (I am married, and I do have kids—I can take it).

Have a safe and profitable week.

Nick Kemper
www.TowPartsNow.com
nick@towpartsnow.com

My father was the fire chief in a small town for 25 years. Some of my earliest memories are of waking up at night to hear him racing out of the house (still putting on his clothes) to get to the fire station to blow the town whistle & alert all the other members of the small volunteer fire department.  

My brother has followed in my father's footsteps & is a firefighter/ police officer. He took a double major & now serves in a city in Michigan's Upper Pennisula (yes, he is a Yooper now :) on the Public Safety Dept. Another brother joined the Army, serving in Iraq. His rank is Captain.  

I am proud of my family & their dedication to serve their country is their chosen ways. Which is why I began the hub911.com. I realize that there are many other stories of why each of these men and women chose their profession, care to share your reason?  

Please also include the link to your organization & we will add a free link to your site on the hub911.com  

(organzations only, not companies please)--

Sherry Wood

The National Fire Protection Association partners with Domino’s Pizza to deliver
fire safety messages 
Spring cleaning checklist offers reminders to keep homes fire safe

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 5, 2012 – The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), along with its partner Domino’s Pizza (NYSE: DPZ), the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, is honoring the tradition of spring cleaning by reminding customers what they can do in the home to stay fire safe. In participating markets across the country, Domino’s will utilize its pizza boxes to deliver fire safety tips throughout the month of March.

“Spring has arrived, and with spring cleaning comes a timely reminder to take steps to keep your home safe from the threat of fire,” said Chris Brandon, Domino’s Pizza spokesperson. “Domino’s delivers about 1 million pizzas each day – so we reach a lot of people in their homes, where fire safety begins. We are excited to work with NFPA to use our network of delivery experts to make homes across the country a little bit safer.”

According to NFPA, roughly two-thirds of home fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Domino’s is reminding customers that a great time to change the batteries in their smoke alarms is when daylight saving time begins in March. As part of the spring campaign, customers who order from participating Domino’s Pizza stores may be surprised when their delivery arrives aboard a fire engine. If all the smoke alarms in the home are working, the pizza is free. If a smoke alarm is not working, the firefighters will replace the batteries or smoke alarm and leave the home with a fully functioning fire safety device.

“Spring is the perfect time for a refresher on fire safety tips that should be followed year-round to make home fires less likely to happen,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of communications. “Keeping fire safety in mind when adding things to a to-do list, like cleaning a dryer’s lint filter after each load of laundry and keeping the stovetop clean and clear of clutter, will help prevent fires.”

Important spring cleaning home fire safety tips from the NFPA:

Fact: Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half.

• Ensure smoke alarms are installed inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• Test them at least once a month by pushing the test button.
• Replace batteries in all smoke alarms at least once a year. If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.

Fact: The leading cause of home clothes dryer fires is failure to clean them.

• Clean the lint filter before or after each load of laundry. Remove lint that has collected around the drum.
• Keep the area around your dryer clear of things that can burn, like boxes, cleaning supplies and clothing.

Fact: Most cooking fires in the home involve the stovetop.

• Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop.
• Always stay in the kitchen when frying on the stovetop.

Fact: Extension cord fires outnumbered fires beginning with permanent or detachable power cords by two-to-one.

• Check electrical cords to make sure they are not running across doorways or under carpets. Extension cords are intended for temporary use.
• Have a qualified electrician add more receptacle outlets so you don’t have to use extension cords.

For more fire safety tips, visit www.nfpa.org/safetytips.

About Domino’s Pizza®
Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery. Domino’s is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “DPZ.” As of the fourth quarter of 2011, through its primarily locally-owned and operated franchised system, Domino’s operated a network of 9,742 franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and over 70 international markets. During the fourth quarter of 2011, Domino’s had global retail sales of nearly $2.2 billion, comprised of $1.1 billion domestically and over $1.1 billion internationally. Domino's Pizza had global retail sales of over $6.9 billion in 2011, comprised of nearly $3.4 billion domestically and over $3.5 billion internationally. 

In May 2011, Pizza Today named Domino’s its “Chain of the Year” for the second straight year – making the company a three-time overall winner, and the first pizza delivery company to receive the honor in back-to-back years.  In 2011, Domino’s was ranked #1 in Forbes Magazine’s “Top 20 Franchises for the Money” list.  Helped by the launch of its Domino's Smart Slice school lunch pizza in late 2010, Domino's is collaborating with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to serve healthier school foods and beverages in the United States.  In late 2009, Domino’s debuted its “Inspired New Pizza” – a permanent change to its hand-tossed product, reinvented from the crust up.

Order - www.dominos.com
Mobile – http://mobile.dominos.com
Info - www.dominosbiz.com
Twitter - http://twitter.com/dominos
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/Dominos 

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

 Subscribe to NFPA RSS News feeds

Media contacts:

Lorraine Carli
National Fire Protection Association
+1 617 984-7275 (work)
+1 617 840-4180 (cell)

Jen Hug
Domino’s Pizza
+1 734 277-4287 (work)

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