THE GOOD NEWS, THIS IS THE SITE OF THE FIRST ESTERO CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING. Did you know, the official Estero Christmas Tree is going to be replacing this dwelling? It is, on November 28th. Stay tuned. Contact [email protected] to volunteer for the lighting ceremony, and be apart of Estero History
Met up withe fire house 42 this morning at United Methodist, preparing for a "ventilation exercise". This dwelling has been sitting along 41 for over 50 years, on the property, and it is about to be gone.
THE GOOD NEWS, THIS IS THE SITE OF THE FIRST ESTERO CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING. Did you know, the official Estero Christmas Tree is going to be replacing this dwelling? It is, on November 28th. Stay tuned. Contact [email protected] to volunteer for the lighting ceremony, and be apart of Estero History VisitEstero had the opportunity to spend the entire day with The Estero Fire & Rescue team. As the story begins to unfold, the memory of this amazing day, was one most individuals never experience. So what choice of words does one select, to describe the heroes of the Estero Fire & rescue team? Hero’s, humility, professionalism, sincerity, loyal, pride, kindness and a whole lot of respect amongst each of them. (Go here for complete Gallery of Photo's)
It was one of those perfect “10” chamber of commerce mornings, as we arrived at the 3 oaks fire house, to meet Susan Lindenmuth, PR representative for 10 years with the department. Wow, what a field trip, (but one for adults), with a whole lot of bonding. The shift was changing, and it was obvious, they were extremely regimented with their individual roles as to the order, structure and routine of a shift change. First, the “engine” receives a complete wash from end to end, inside and out. This is not like washing your car, this would be an enormous challenge for many a person, but not this crew. The Estero Engine sparkled and their mission was accomplished, with humility and pride. The entire process also included a complete front to back inspection of all the equipment, along with a litany list of safety items, to inspect. The “Sutphen” (manufacturer), Engine 43, is an amazing sophisticated piece of machinery, and it takes an Engineer, namely Jason Richards to handle this monster. We were told, Jason, had the best job, ever!!! Maybe so, but one doesn’t just get behind the wheel of “Sutphen” and drive off. NNNNO!! Oh by the way, Jason has been on the Estero Team for 12 years, and prior to joining Estero, 16 prior committed years, from a Fire & Rescue team up North. Do you know the name of the station house on 3 oaks? House 43 Do you know how many station houses there are in Estero? 4 Do you know the name of the manufacture? Sutphen Do you know, their purpose is to be good stewards of the public’s monies? Not because they should be, but because they know their responsibilities, and it was beyond obvious. During the morning tour, we had the opportunity to meet more than just the shift team from house 43, but a whole host of Fire Fighters, that were off duty. Bond, bond, bond, they have a brother hood like no other, they exude respect, loyalty, and an admiration for each, that touched our emotional hearts. One of these off duty heroes was Lt. Scott Labree, who was returning from a run, a short run, only 4 miles. Lt. Labree is a member of “The Brotherhood”, an official group of national bikers! Lt. LaBree was part of the Naples to Ground Zero ride that took 9 days. Our boys are athletes, and not just any athlete, some are tri-Athletes. Meeting Scott was another moment of honor, (who also served 10 years in the Air Force) which we continued to experience throughout the entire day, So please go to YouTube and search the “Brotherhood ride"…. An eye opener for all!!! We also met up with our Fire Commissioner Dick Schweers, now that is always an honor. And knowing how humble he is, we have to mention, he received the man of the year award 2014, from the Estero Chamber of Commerce. Susan Lindenmuth, was a walking encyclopedia, what didn’t she know? Susan has an enormous sense of pride for her team; she is a natural, and a perfect ambassador for the Estero Fire & Rescue Department. It was an honor, just to be in her company, with a lady that epitomizes a true role model, for the entire department. It was an honor Susan! The tour of the station was more than any of us expected, from the entire floor plan of the station house, the quarters, entire fleet, and the operations. The Estero Rescue & Fire Department, has a business model, most American companies should parallel. The comradery alone was a breath of fresh air, these folks are more than just co-workers, they’re family and it was obvious. They are an uplifting group of individuals, who consistently and naturally demonstrated their humble appreciation to be an Estero Fire & Rescue team member. On a personal note, we were on cloud 99, not 9, with having this opportunity to spend a day with "OUR" Estero heroes. The three member team we spent the day with were; Engineer Jason Richards, Fire Fighter and Paramedic Chris Intartaglio, the most recent member to join, who no doubt, compliments the already existing team. The leader of the group is Grant Schwalbe an 11 year veteran with the department, where his career began in Ohio, and also has another important role and fire hat, as a fire commissioner for the San Carlos Fire Department. Did you know that approximately 75 percent of the calls are medical calls, and each engine is equipped as an ambulance, the only difference, they do not transport. So our fire fighters have multiple professional skill sets. Did you know there is one paramedic on each truck? Did you know there is one ambulance in Estero; they transport to the hospital, the primary difference between an engine and an ambulance. During the presentation and tour of the station, Engines 41, 42 and 44 stopped by, which was fabulous, because now we had the opportunity to meet some of the other hero’s within the Estero Fire Department. (For the record, they just don’t stop by; it was the Friday annual meeting of the minds with the house leadership team). So we were unexpectedly surprised to meet some of the other fire heros on the Estero Team, and a warm welcome at that. We met Tim, Laurie, and Lt. Michael, they reminded me of “smurfs”, they dress alike, talk alike, smile alike, pride alike. We wanted to apply for a job, what a fabulous place to work, this is the real deal, but we didn't have the qualifications. While speaking with this group of hero’s, Tim, was one of the responders, who was part of the dispatch team, to a very dear friends house fire. So of course, this wasn’t a pleasant story, but the odds to meet the hero who were amongst the rescue team, was beyond humbling. ( And the story got even better, will share this another time, but we were all “blown” away, with a photo he captured at the site!!) Did you know the Estero Fire Department volunteers to replace your smoke alarm batteries, especially needed for those oversized heights, that a standard house ladder is incapable of reaching. They will also take the opportunity to share fire safety awareness items with the residents. A win, win for both! Who does that, our heroes’ do, and they are so proud with making sure the residents of Estero are protected. Did you know, the reason why you periodically notice our awesome trucks at Publix’, because they need to stock their kitchen shelves (remember they work 24 hours shifts), and they can never be separated, never. If an emergency call comes in, thy rock n roll, always prepared, focused, and ready to SAVE & PROTECT the folks of Estero. · We appreciate the community (personal statement from the team) · It takes a fire department to raise a family (they are family) · Try Before you pry (philosophy with emergency entrance) · Front Row Seat of Miracles (that is what they all experience their entire careers) · Laugh a lot (they have to, they experience situations, most never do) · Best Job in the World (they all expressed the same sentiment, multiple times) · Lots of trust is put into the department from the people of Estero, and never do they want to displease that trust (wow, that was an amazing off the cuff statement) Did you know a truck will always stop, to help anyone in need? Did you know they are a rolling repair kit? (They have more emergency tools than home improvement stores). Did you know they retain “kitty Litter” on the trucks, to absorb fuel spills? Do you know what “RIT” means? Rapid Intervention Team; they rescue down fire fighter; every unit is assigned a “RIT”. Did you know engine 43 carries/stores, approximately 730 gallons of water and 20 gallons of foam? Do you know what a “TIC is; a thermal imaging camera”? (What's that? Next Story) Do you know the average additional weight including their full gear, ranges from 65 -100 pounds, with all the equipment? Did you know a fire doubles in size every 30 seconds? At the end of the day, we ended up experiencing a simulated fire, at one of their demolition facilities. It is impossible to explain the intensity of the experience, but there was a brief moment, we had to remember, it was not the real deal. You decide which photos are real or not!!! (Full Photo Gallery, go here) The entire experience was heartfelt, one that the visitestero.com team was beyond grateful. The group of men and women truly epitomized the true meaning of professionalism, pride and honor. Thank you Chief Vanderbrook and Battalion Chief Brownlee for authorizing visitestero.com’s "a day of honor with your team"!!!!
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