I feel it necessary to give props to my hometown buddies at the Mishawaka Fire Department in Indiana. Here are some of the heros that I grew up with..

I grew up in Mishawaka, Indiana, down Merrifield Avenue from Lt. Eric Norris, Firefighter-EMT, Engineer, Liutenant - MFD.

Eric and I always used to hang out together and even devised a plan to buy an Ice-Cream truck, convert it into the ultimate surf / skate vehicle, and drive it out to California. We even had a theme song that we made up to go right along with it.

Eric made it out there to go to the Guitar Institute in L.A. and eventually moved back to Mishawaka to become one of Mishawaka's finest.

It took me a while longer to get out to California, because I traveled around the world a bit before making my move, but I finally made it, and I still live in California.

I've been teaching since 1995, and decided to make a career shift and become a firefighter out here in California in 2008.  I've since become a First Responder, EMT, Firefighter (Cal Fire Academy #14)and now, 8 weeks from graduating from Paramedic school.

Most of my friends and former team mates on the Mishawaka Football and Wrestling teams went on to become Firefighters or Medics (Bucky Linson, Ian Jerret, Brian Thomas, Derron Hess, Joe Griesenger, Sam Bailey, Jason Brandenburg, Steve Shedd, Eric Hyatt, etc.). Several other fellow "Cavemen" went on to become firefighters.

The city of Mishawaka is steeped in tradition. Our fire history goes back to 1833.

In 1844, the St. Joseph Iron Company purchased "The Tiger" which was a very crude apparatus for fighting fire. Historian David Eisen claims that it had to be repaired after each use. The Mishawaka Mechanics Fire Company No. 1 was established on July 24, 1848, made up of 43 "firefighters" including a captain, foreman, assistant foreman, treasurer, clerk, hose master, and assistant hose master. It wasn't until February of 1857 that a Chief Fire Warden (Harrison Bement) was assigned to the crew. George Milburn and O.T. Niles were dubbed 1st and 2nd Assistant Fire Warden.

The famous "Fire of 1872" was started in S.H. Stevens' barn at 7:45 p.m., on Thursday, September 5, 1872. The fire destroyed 49 buildings and led to 82 businesses (along with several citizens') losses approximating $140, 000.00.

The city had one hand-operated fire engine, which was no match for the breadth and power of that fire... and so the birth of Mishawaka's Fire Department laid the groundwork for "Mishawaka's Finest", and the best city in the midwest!