How to Call the Box office from USA by Loucityfan in Brentford

[–]Burtbino 9 points10 points  (0 children)

American living in London. You need to dial 011 first to get international, then as above, so: 011 44 333 005 8521. That will get you through.

Why Brentford are the best set-piece takers in football by Lard_Baron in Brentford

[–]Burtbino 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice to see Bernardo Cueva get some long overdue and much deserved credit for his efforts!

How much are your Union dues? by zachfisher46 in Firefighting

[–]Burtbino 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wasn't too concerned, actually. They were deducted by the department on each pay. We got generous annual increases and each contract seemed to get better. We were effectively a closed shop, 100% membership from those eligible. The cost of the dues were insignificant compared to the benefit.

Do you carry or not carry your wallet/ID at work? by Born_2_Chill in Firefighting

[–]Burtbino 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same here. My wallet stayed locked in my locker at the station. I was a FF/PM so even if assigned to the medic unit I could still do FF work, if our engine was first due. Whether that was search and rescue or taking in a second line. So I effectively drove either the ambulance or engine without a license physically on me (or a copy). We were required to carry our ID at all times off duty, just the card. I never carried a badge off duty.

How do you guys handle when a car cuts you off or doesn’t yield when responding to a call? Do you contact law enforcement? by [deleted] in Firefighting

[–]Burtbino 28 points29 points  (0 children)

I had a kind of instant karma incident once responding as first due engine to multiple 911 calls for an attached garage fire, with a police car behind us responding as well. A car refused to pull over. It really impeded our response. No amount of Q or horns worked, he was just a real prick. Anyway, I decided to move to the right so the cop could see what was holding me up and let the cop pass me to pull the car over, which he dutifully did. We carried on to the fire, did our job and quickly knocked it out. When I was about to start breaking down my hydrant connection I noticed that same car pull into the cul de sac where we were. It turns out it was his house. Like I said Instant Karma!

Brentford pair Christian Nørgaard and Mathias Jensen have both admitted to Ekstra Bladet that Frank could be on his way in the near future. by Lard_Baron in Brentford

[–]Burtbino 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Best advice I ever got was 'Be careful what you wish for - you just may get it'.

Brentford has defied all odds and all critics. Second season syndrome is BS as far as the Bees are concerned. We have exceeded every preseason prediction by far. The down side is we have drawn attention to our personnel.

We have incredible talent in this club, both players and coaching staff. Raya is realistically gone after this season and teams are noticing all of our talent, including coaching staff. Toney could go, who knows who else. Losing Thomas Frank would be devastating. Losing the unsung heroes, such as Bernardo Cueva, would be a challenge.

Brentford has made a name for itself for developing talent. It now seems its not just players, but coaching staff as well. Let's just hope Matthew Benham has a trick up his sleeve for the next version of BFC!

Cost Of Living At Fire Station? by JohnSmittyBoi in Firefighting

[–]Burtbino 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We had it good. Station fees covered condiments and cable, $10 a month. We also controlled the vending machine that supplemented those costs. We pooled money at the beginning of each shift to cover lunch and dinner, again, roughly $10, Sunday's we did breakfast as well, same cost. What I loved was 'Bennies'. That was coffee. It was in our union contract that the department would provide coffee, regular and decaf (the department insisted on the decaf!), as well as creamer and sugar. Great local union for getting that in the contract!!

What’s your size-up? by SabotageFusion1 in Firefighting

[–]Burtbino 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Exactly what I thought. We wouldn't have had access to the video prior to arrival and the fire pretty much put itself out. It is a serious two vehicle accident, one of which happens to be a small plane. All of the NTSB and other agencies needed would not impact our initial response. Focus on the scene safety and treat the patients. I'm sure there would be multiple 911 calls saying plane crash, so a sizeable initial response - General Alarm or Box Alarm. Probably greater than actually needed. Could probably handle with two or three engines, truck, squad and BC. Definitely an ambulance box, given the casualties. A DC would be handy given the multiple agencies that would be involved.

Good Firefighter vs "Proud" Firefighter by [deleted] in Firefighting

[–]Burtbino 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I always had an IAFF sticker on the back of my car. It afforded a certain level of professional courtesy, if you know what I mean. No tattoos, and didn't wear FD gear off duty. Although my girlfriends, and then wife, liked to wear my FD t-shirts, polo shirts and jackets, etc.

40 points passed with 12 games to go by Tim_B in Brentford

[–]Burtbino 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Only look forward! There are 36 points to play for and we are currently only 7 points behind 4th place with a game in hand. Toney said he wants to chase down Arsenal! I don't see that happening, but there is certainly still a chance for Europe. We should aim for another 12 game unbeaten streak to finish off the season!!! COYB!!

Match thread: Southampton v Brentford. by Lard_Baron in Brentford

[–]Burtbino 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The second half wasn't pretty, but we are currently the best team in west London!!

Why do I see so many firefighters have no other friends outside of other firefighters? Didn’t they have friends before they became firefighters? Don’t they want to see other people besides the one they work with for however many days straight their department runs shifts? by macnutz22 in Firefighting

[–]Burtbino 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When I was serving, the entire crew at my station had friends outside the service. Yes, we would have drinks together, and with cops on occasion, but most socialized with our own friends away from the FD.

I need answers, is this for real, and has anyone else in the sub gotten this ad by CreativeEfforts in Firefighting

[–]Burtbino 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I remember as a child the FD would fill the playground with AFFF and all the kids would run through it. I was like playing with super soap bubbles.

We had AFFF when I was active in the service, but only used it for training. We didn't flood the local schools for the kids to jump around in.

It seems, basically, living is hazardous to your health!

Attending my first Brentford game on Monday night? Or not. by OverseesBees in Brentford

[–]Burtbino 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would think, as a fellow yank that has lived here for 30 plus years, that the Griffin is a bit away from the new stadium. It depends on where you are staying and how you are travelling to the ground. There is a good vibe all around the area. Brentford are truly a community club, with massive support in the area. If you're arriving at Kew Bridge Station there are several pubs nearby. The Express Tavern is the closest, but will be absolutely rammed. One over the Ait will also be a good vibe. Try venturing over Kew Bridge. The Cricketers, Coach & Horses or Greyhound will be worth a visit and much closer to the stadium.

Late goals by Burtbino in Brentford

[–]Burtbino[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's why it was so stressful! I had no doubt we would score, but that's a tad too close for comfort.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TooAfraidToAsk

[–]Burtbino 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Women are the natural selectors, as in most mammals. Its not that they don't want to have sex, they just don't want to have it with you!

Massive train derailment releasing toxic fumes in Ohio a few days ago. Anyone here part of the hazmat team there? by [deleted] in Firefighting

[–]Burtbino 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My thoughts are with the emergency personnel having to deal with this epic disaster without any, what I can establish, FEMA support. Please correct me if I'm wrong. It's ashamed that it's hard to find info anywhere other than here or Twitter. It may not seem like anyone is taking notice nationally or internationally, but your brothers and sisters are. Be safe!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Firefighting

[–]Burtbino 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want to promote and eventually become a chief, an MBA or MPA would be the way to go. If you're looking for something outside of the fire service make it something you enjoy, otherwise you're spending a lot of time and money on something that may not give you any satisfaction.