Winter has finally given way to spring. As happy as I am that temperatures have risen, there are many things that we must keep in mind with this change. Outdoor activities are increasing, which means our awareness must go up for what could injure us. I will touch on some things that come to mind, but know that there are many others that we must watch out for. One of the first things to remember is to stay hydrated. Temperatures have already made it to the 90s, increasing the possibility of each of us becoming overheated. Dehydration can come on…
Browsing: Commentary
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. Spring must be in the air; first there was one, then two and now three; Yes, my turtles have returned to the pond. Then there was the “winter legs” alert that went out to my neighbors. Yes, my first day outside wearing shorts while mowing my lawn. Draw the shutters and put on the shades; these legs have not seen the sun for a very long time. Along with turtles, shorts, and mowing…here comes the dandelions. I declare this the “Year of the Dandelion!” They are everywhere! It is…
I was reading the battalion comments in the Chesterfield Fire & EMS Daily Business Plan. The chief officer was writing about some of the recent fires that presented challenges to fire crews. In the fires discussed, units arrived to houses that had heavy fire involvement upon arrival. Let’s address the responsibilities of the fire service and the public once a fire occurs. Responsibilities of the fire service •A rapid turnaround following an incoming call by the Emergency Communications Center. •Once the call is transmitted to the stations, firefighters need to be ready to respond at all hours of the day…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. The other week I wrote about bringing back old TV shows and someone mentioned that it would be nice to bring back the American Bandstand. For the older generation, I think that is a great idea. How many times have you gone to a wedding or any other event where there is dancing, and there is always at least one couple there, usually older, drawing all the attention on the dance floor? Not the Dancing with the Stars-type of dancing with lifts and jumps, but a smoothly coordinated dance…
Last week, the news of a retired Chesterfield firefighter who was killed in Mesa, Ariz., reached us. The Mesa Police Department is not sharing many of the details of Charlton Hogwood’s death, but said it has been ruled a homicide. At this point, no arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Charlton spent 30 distinguished years with Chesterfield Fire & EMS. The news hit everyone who knew him very hard. A firefighter who graduated from rookie school with me stated that Charlton was the one you would want to come if you were in a fire. Charlton was…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. Do any of you remember the name Roseanne Barr? She appeared on TV for the first time in 1985 performing her stand-up routine on The Johnny Carson Show. A few years later, her hit TV show Roseanne hit the airways. It ran from Oct. 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Do you remember that show? It was one of most popular shows of its time, and they just recently brought the it back with a record figure of more than 18 million viewers. It is said that if they…
I watched a news report this morning about a rapidly progressing fire in a dance studio in New Jersey. Thankfully, no one lost their life, but some of the building occupants had to escape from a second-floor balcony. A rapidly advancing fire will cause people to jump from the second floor or the 80th floor. The fire in New Jersey was reported to have started on the first floor. There are many things that I do not know about the building, like layout, the presence or absence of smoke alarms, a fire alarm system or a sprinkler system. Let me…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. Now. I have to ask you a question. To be honest, how many of you watch professional wrestling on TV? Come on, no one is looking! I still watch it, and Sunday, April 8, was the ultimate wrestling match: Wrestle Mania 34 in New Orleans. Four hours of adult mayhem “soap opera” entertainment will fill the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with 75,000 plus screaming fans. John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Shane McMahon, Triple H and many more are in the lineup. (Note…a true fan would recognize all of these names.)…
Editor: I’m a homeowner who lives on Branders Bridge Road, right across the street from the proposed Motoaca Megasite in Chesterfield County. And because of it, I’m about to lose a lot of money. My wife and I put our house on the market last August, three weeks before the announcement of the megasite. And now we can’t get anyone to look at our house. We had a full price offer a few months ago, but the buyer backed out when they found out about the megasite. We’re gonna need to drop the price significantly to sell now. And if…
The longer I live and the more I drive, the crazier the things that I see people do. Of all the things that I write about, driving or riding in a motor vehicle puts one in harm’s way more than anything else. I will go in a few directions with this article, knowing that most of the offenders will not read it. It is important that we always drive defensively. The point of driving is to prevent a motor vehicle collision, no matter who has made the mistake. So fasten your seatbelts, check your rearview mirror and side mirrors and…