Day 15, March 27, 2009
It was very windy in Cloverdale this morning when I woke up. Eureka, CA (about 180 miles north of here) had a minor earthquake overnight. We felt nothing here. Today is the funeral for the four Oakland police officers that were killed last week. Fire apparatus from departments in Sonoma County are meeting at 0730 hours for the drive down to Oakland. They were going to join up with apparatus from Marin County on the way down the 101.
Ron had some work to do at the Agatha Furth Center in Windsor, so I dropped him off there and drove the 12 miles down to Santa Rosa to do some buffing and get the car grease and oiled for the trip home. I got off the freeway near downtown Santa Rosa and found a rapid oil change type place and got that done first. After the oil change, I was headed to SR Station 1 when I heard the Sonoma County dispatcher come on with a pre-alert (which they do for every call). I was something like, "Santa Rosa medical. 5th and E Street." I knew I was on E Street, so I pulled over. Turns out I was at 4th Street. I tuned around and parked a block back as the dispatcher sent SR Medic Engine 1 to 6xx 5th Street for "trouble breathing". I waited a minute and then SR Engine 1 rounded the corner with a reserve piece.
After they pulled over, I got out of the car and got a quick photo as the ambulance was pulling up (non FD). I talked to the driver on Engine 1, who was very accommodating. He told me that Station 9 never got built, but 10 is open and 11 is opening in 30 days. I told him I was just headed to Station 1 to get photos. When I asked him if Truck 1 was in the house, he told me that they were at training all morning and that Truck 2 would be there too.
As it was almost 1145 hours, I headed directly to the training area before companies finished the morning session. The driver also told me that Engine 1 was going over to training in the afternoon. I arrived at the training grounds to find SR Engines 4, 7 and 11 out training (no trucks). I introduced myself to the training chief who told me I could take photos around the perimeter of the training area. I shot the three engines and noticed what I thought might be another fire buff with a digital camera shooting photos. It turned out to be the Santa Rosa Fire Chief, who introduced himself to me. He seemed very nice, but didn't give me his card, so I have already forgotten his name. I know the training chiefs name as he gave me his card.
The training chief knew the years and capacities on all the rigs. When they finished each drill, I walked up and got the serial numbers off the rigs. Then I went to the other end of the training area where a college class from Santa Rosa Junior College was training. I got photos of two rigs donated to the college for training purposes. I was asked by the captain of Engine 11 to take a photo of his crew (of three), which I did. He gave me his e-mail address so I could send him the photo later tonight.
I left for Station 2, around the corner, to try and get a photo of Truck 2 (which used to be at Station 3). The guys at station 2 were great and pulled the rig around behind the station so I could get photos (their ramp is too short for photos). I got some nice shots of their KME TDA. I headed to new Station 10, on the city's far SW side. It was formerly a manufacturing plant that the department bought, converted the front in Station and the rear section to FD headquarters. I met a very friendly female firefighter that said she remembered me from my last visit here (seven years ago). She pulled their new Haz Mat rig out for photos. It is cross-manned by Engine 10's crew.
My brother called around 1330 hours and said that he was about finished with his work. I headed back north on the 101 getting off briefly to take photos on temporary Station 11, which is just about completed. Workmen had just poured the concrete pad out front and were also working on the pole barn, which will house the apparatus. The dorms are temporary structures that have been fitted together. On the way back up to Cloverdale, we stopped to pick up some dog food for Ron's dogs and to do some shopping for dinner. It turned out to be another gorgeous day here, sunny and around 80.
Tomorrow will be my last day with my brother, and the halfway point of my trip. On Sunday I start my trip back with stops in San Jose, Los Angeles (a week), Phoenix, El Paso, Dallas-Fort Worth (3 days) OK City or Wichita, and then Kansas City.
