New Suspenders

The suspenders on my bunker pants haven't ever really fit correctly. The good news is that here in Sheridan we don't get called out to that many fires and this problem is more a nuisance than anything else.

No, it's not like my pants fall down without them, but having the straps continually come unhinged and fall off my shoulder is simply annoying. And, like I said, I haven't worried about it too much.

Until Sunday.

Sunday we were called out for mutual aid with Laurin (La-RAY). It was dispatched as a structure/brush fire. On the way down, the Laurin chief radioed that he wanted us to take the brush fire. Done deal . . . being the first rig on scene, I set up the attack and got to work against the brush fire.

All the while dealing with a suspender strap that kept falling off my shoulder.

Now I will admit . . . sometimes a strategically placed off-the-shoulder strap can be a rather intriguing look. But not on the fire line. This really wasn't the time to be posing for one of those sexy Firefighter of the Month calendars.

So today I stopped by the station to check out my truck. Did all the typical things: checked the lights, horns, sirens, tires, oil, air packs and flashlights. I also ran down to the gas station and filled up the tank, swept out the bay, and put on the hose that we had washed and let dry.

And then I went into the office and found a decent pair of suspenders that will stay where they belong -- on my shoulders.