January 2011

Will whomever left the freezer door open PLEASE CLOSE IT!!!!! Question: What is the
Common term for someone who continues to work and refuses to retire? Answer on last page.

MEMBER REPORT:

Vernon Sims had a syncope episode in which he did not regain consciousness
Until he reached the hospital. Numerous tests were done and nothing conclusive as to why it happened. He is home doing well at this time.

Skip Cunningham had his shoulder replaced and is still in therapy.

Reggie Thompson had his right hip replaced and was released 4 weeks early from rehab because of the excellent progress he had made.

Tom Barton had a valve in his heart replaced and is home doing fine.

Arnold Haddock had an episode with his pacemaker and had to have it adjusted.
He is doing fine now.

Joan Foskey, widow of Fred Foskey (deceased) passed away on Jan 20, 2011.

Dan Hadden’s wife has been admitted to a nursing home.

Please keep the following members and their families in your thoughts and prayers:

Buddy O’Steen, Chief Harold Collins (our oldest living fireman) and Karen Love, widow of

Deceased Davis Love, on the one year anniversary of his death.

EVENTS:

Monthly Retired Firemen’s Breakfast, February 10, 2011 at Piccadilly, University and Beach.

Firefighters’ Fishing Tournament is scheduled for March 14—17, 2011 in Suwannee Florida.
Registration fee of $60.00 includes meals and brotherhood between firemen. For any information please call Wayne Doolittle, Tournament Manager at 228-9795.

The 7th Annual Firefighter’s Widows Luncheon will be held on Friday, April 8, 2011 at
Firefighters Hall. If any retiree knows of the location of a widow the has never been invited please call Linda at 210-6799 with the information. Linda is accepting donations for this event.

Guns “N” Hoses will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2011. Tickets can be bought on line thru
Ticketmaster's.

The Redknights will be riding to the hill country of Texas this year. The trip will be 9 days long. They will be ending the journey in Fredericksburg, Texas. They will be riding 4 ob the most beautiful motorcycle rides in the country. If you are interest in the trip call David Ash at
268-7032.

On January 11, 2011 the annual meeting of the Jacksonville Firefighters Death Benefit fund held their meeting. The fund has now grown to 930 members and they paid out benefits to 8 people. The following people have worked very hard this past year to organize and maintain the fund: Fred Ferguson, Nick Tison, John Peavy, John Long and Joe Smith. The fund is now incorporated. Kent Ward cooked chicken and rice for the meal with banana pudding as desert.

NEWS:

Your Association sent a letter to Chief Charles Moreland concerning the in –line-of -duty
Death of Travis Denmark, father of retired Engineer Donald Denmark. Travis was killed while performing his duties as a firefighter, in the military during World War ll. Travis will be added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Wall in Emmittsburg. Maryland. As of this newsletter we have not gotten a response from Chief Moreland.

On Thursday, January 20, 2011 at the monthly union meeting, Linda Treadwell, Danny Foote,and Wayne Doolittle cooked the meal. Linda prepared her Mother’s favorite recipe for chili with all the toppings and banana pudding that was kicked up a notch. The retirees were well represented with an attendance of 29 people. The union voted to endorse several local politicians in numerous races. Please remember that we voted in our by-laws to support the
union in their endorsements.

Here’s Linda stirring the pot again. Not really just cooking chili.

On Saturday, March 26, 2011 there will be a Firefighter’s Car Show with the benefits going to Camp Amigo. Camp Amigo is a camp for children who have been seriously burned. Local 122 and the Firefighter Charities are sponsoring this. The Show will be held at the Twin Hills Civic Association, 6743 Watoma Street, Jacksonville 32210.
Gates will open at 8:00am and judging to begin at 12:00 noon. Prizes will be awarded at 1:00pm. Pre-registration is $15.00 and $20.00 the day of the show. Cars, trucks, boats,
motorcycles are all welcome. Food will be sold by the Twin Hills Civic Association. If you have any questions please call Event Coordinator Buddy Harris at 786-7300, or firefightercarshow@firemanjax.com Any other information can be found on the website
www.firefightercarshow.com The Red Knights and the JAXRFA are helping to sponsor this event.

On Wednesday, January 5, 2011 a party was held on the 5th floor of headquarters
To honor Larry Peterson, Division Chief of Services. Larry retired with 31 years of service to the department. Cindy Davis and Haley Bebernitz spearheaded the party and Engineer Rex
Siemer cooked an excellent meal. Larry was honored by Mayor John Peyton as one of the hardest working men he had ever know. Mayor Peyton said that when others doubted whether a job could be done or not Larry would say “let me think about it and give me some time”. Wayne Doolittle spoke and told of early times when Larry would hang around old station 9 as a kid. Wayne and other firemen considered themselves as Larry’s fire department fathers. After high school Larry became a volunteer firefighter at station 35 (Oceanway).
Larry was hired on the job in 1980 and assigned to station 2 at 4th and Main, with Captain Billy Sands as his officer. Larry began to be known as a firemen’s firemen under the Captain’s leadership. Larry was appointed Chief of Services by Mayor John Peyton and was the most successful Chief of Services the Department had ever known. Larry was the key person in the acquisition of new stations, remodeling old stations and acquiring new apparatus for the department.

Annette and Captain Billy Sands(Larry’s best Friend), now a Judge in Folkston, Georgia.
Retirement party at Larry’s house with friends, co-workers and neighbors

In an attempt to reduce the cost of this monthly newsletter it will now only be seen on our web-site: www.JAXRFA.com. Postage is going up in price again in March. Only those that contact Wayne Doolittle, 228-9795 or Linda Treadwell, 210-6799 will receive a hard copy. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Answer: NUTS

JANUARY 2011 MEMBER PROFILE: District Chief Steve Gerbert, F-7 Active

Steve Gerbert graduated high school in 1975 from Bolles. He then went to Stetson University for two years to become a lawyer. Steve then finished at Jacksonville University in 1979.
Steve is married to Angela and has one stepson, Cameron who is 16 years old.

Steve became interested in the fire service after his brother Jeff, retired Rescue Lieutenant, asked if Steve could ride on Engine 18 one day to take pictures. Captain Ron Gore, (retired), Gil Mixon, deceased, Buck Buchannan (retired) and Rick Barrett (retired) was assigned to sta. 18. Robert Wyse was F7 at the station. Steve spent the day taking pictures and that night when the bell went off for a fire by the time Steve got his clothes on the apparatus bay doors were going down and he missed the fire. The next morning Chief Wyse asked Steve if he was scared to go to a fire and Steve simply replied “No sir, I just have to learn to dress quicker.” During his time at Sta. 18 as an observer a deep friendship was formed between Jeff, Steve and
Gil Mixon.

Steve’s Dad was a prominent lawyer in town with an office across the street from Sta. 21. Steve’s Dad had wanted him to become a lawyer and not a fireman. That all changed when Steve’s Dad had a heart attack at work and Buddy Macarages, and Rodney Cribbs responded from Sta. 21. The treatment went well and his Dad was converted and recovered. Steve said his father gained a great deal of respect for firemen at that time and changed his mind about Steve becoming one.

Steve was hired in March 1988 with the largest class ever hired by the department. He was assigned to Engine 4 with Jim Tuten as his officer. Steve left in 1991 to Eng. 5. In 1992 he was promoted to Engineer and went to Ladder 2. At that time there was no tower ladders in Jacksonville. Steve had heard of a used tower ladder in Ft. Lauderdale. Together with Bob Ivy they went to Ft. Lauderdale for the purchase of a used Baker. Steve drove the first tower ladder in the department back to Jacksonville. Steve served on the committee that wrote the specifications for ladders and tower ladders to be purchased in the future.

In 1996 Steve was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to L44 for 6 months and then went to L18. In 1999 Steve was promoted to Roving Captain. Steve then served at Sta. 21 as Capt. on the squad for a short time as he had his HazMat training.

In 2204 Steve was assigned as Captain of L18 and in 2005 promoted to District Chief Fire 7, where he is presently assigned.

Steve and several firemen visited New York soon after the attacks of 9-11, and attended
Funerals of firemen that lost their lives that day. Close friendships were made, particularly with the men at L157 in Brooklyn. These friendships have lead Steve to participate in numerous
9-11 Memorial golf tournaments in Myrtle Beach, SC in memory of those that lost their lives.
Steve then was key in organizing 9-11 Memorial Golf Tournaments in the Jacksonville area.

Steve says that the most memorable times on the department were spent at FS 2. Many friendships were formed at that time. The people that Steve considers close friends born out of that time at Sta. 2 are: Gil Mixon, Chip George, Ivan Richmond, Sam Granger, Randy Wyse, Johnny Williams and Kevin Miller. Steve openly admits that his mentors were, Gil Mixon, Gary Johns and Davis Love, these were the “Laddermen” that meant a great deal to Steve.

Steve will be going on the drop program as of February 2, 2011. He hopes to continue teaching with the recruits at the Training Academy.