The Norwich Bulletin and other activities of Marc's weekend

[Marc]

If any of you CT people get the Norwich Bulletin (easter CT paper) look at Sunday's (yesterday's) front page and you'll see my ugly mug at the end of two ropes in Class 4 rapids (formerly known as the Natchaug river) wearing a red cold water suit. I'm hard to miss. Also made the Channel 30 and Channel 3 news Saturday or Sunday... haven't seen it yet but someone taped it for me.

This one of several flood and FD related activities that decided to grace my weekend, others included:

-Not sleeping from Friday at 5:30 am until Sunday at 2:00 am.
-Pumping out basements Friday night/Sat. morning
-Standing in the rain for 5 hours Sat. morning pumping water to a dump fire (go figure)
-Disconnecting and dragging a full 300 lb propane cylinder to "shore" to from four feet of swiftwater keep it from being driven into someone's house
-Searching for a woman (presumed drowning) in the same river that is on the NB frontpage, Saturday night and again Sunday morning
-Finding the body Sunday morning
-Pumping more basements
-Standing at the intersection of CT Routes 169 and 197 for 5 hours directing traffic because of a tree and powerlines down (missed the Pats game)



Now I'm back at work for the week for a vacation. I'm still hurting from lack of sleep but at least I have evidence if I'm caught napping at my desk...

 

[smitty77]

I (used to) feel your pain. Was a volunteer EMT for 5 or 6 years. We had one night where I went to bed and woke up one hour later for a call. While returning from the hospital, we were "toned-out" for a second call. While putting new linens on the stretcher at the ER, the dispatcher calls on the radio: "Rescue 2, I'll be toning another call." Jeez! It was just me and one other guy all night long. Guess everyone else managed to sleep through the other two calls. :roll: On the way back from the hospital I told him to put the hammer down because I had to leave for work! Needless to say it was a looooong day at work.

Kudos to you Marc. Being a volunteer FF is not an easy job.

 

[skijay]

I have two questions...

Do fire departments normally pump out people's basements after a flood like we had this weekend?

If you have a flooded basement does that warrant a 911 call? I am just curious. I over heard some people in the local Dunkin Donuts giving advice to one another and saying if you have a flooded basement call 911 and the fire department will pump it out.

Tim

 

[Marc]

I have two questions...

Do fire departments normally pump out people's basements after a flood like we had this weekend?

If you have a flooded basement does that warrant a 911 call? I am just curious. I over heard some people in the local Dunkin Donuts giving advice to one another and saying if you have a flooded basement call 911 and the fire department will pump it out.

Tim

1) It depends on the department, but most do pump out basements as a public safety issue, not for homeowner convenience, and

2) Never call 911 for anything except an immediate, life threatening emergency. All other calls should be to the fire or police department's business line, normally found in your local blue pages. Most towns around New England will have one or two 911 operators/dispatchers on shift at once. And some rural regions, it's one or two dispatchers for a whole region worth of towns. Don't use their time on the emergency line, unless, like I said above, it is an immediate, life threatening situation.

 

[madman]

As I live about 1 mile from Dianas pool and went down too the river 3 times over the course of the day [stayed on the rd!]I have to say you are a bigger man than me. I probably saw you that day but not in the paper.It is very unfortunate what happened but anyone that went near that water was either stupid or crazy. That was some SCARY S@$#.

 

[madman]

Go to Norwich Bulletin click on past editions - Sunday. Photo comes up under flood headline

 

[Marc]

Huh, look at that... thanks madman.

That was pretty nuts how fast it was flowing. I went down to the Mansfield Hollow Dam the next day out of curiosity. They had 6 gates open I think... and it was flowing faast. Most of the blue trail was under water.

Link to the story:

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051016/NEWS01/510160301/1002/NEWS17