My former firefighter

Recently, we unpacked a box full of Tom's firefighting memoriabilia. There was little recovered from the Charlotte County Airport, where Tom was storing many of his things in his father's hanger, after Hurricane Charley rolled through Punta Gorda. What we recovered, we repacked and set aside until we could organise it. On Saturday, I finally got it on the walls and shelves in the masterbedroom. Some of the photos were scanned immediately to capture them before they faded. I don't know who took any of these photos. Here is a few:

Tom's FF Photos

Tom in gear next to the fire engine at the Punta Gorda Fire Department. He was a nozzle man, which is the position that sprays the water on the fire. This is the vehicle that he spent the majority of his work with.

Tom's FF Photos

Tom grappoling from the extended ladder of the ladder truck in the Punta Gorda Fire Department. This was during a special training session where firefighters climbed the ladder to the top and grappoled down. I know for a time he was assigned on the ladder truck but I don't know if this was during that time. This was a photo that I had to print at a larger size to put on the wall so I spent a good amount of time repairing the damage on the photograph so it was suitable to display. It came out rather well but I did not save my work, preferring to keep the raw scan on file.

Tom's FF Photos

A bit earlier, this is Tom's first firefighting gig, at Harbor Heights Fire Department before the department was absorbed into the Charlotte County Fire District. Tom is seated on the stairs in the middle and is surrounded by his crew. The gentleman below was his roommate and long-time friend. Recently, they got back in touch via Geocaching.