rivalry yet one of the closest brother hoods that was ever assembled
One of those guys wasn't feeling too brotherly one time about 18-19 years ago. The Fire dispatch could be heard for several counties around, and there was a known "wildman" who responded to everything from anywhere (bless his heart for helping...not being critical of that) but was warned several times about running from 2 counties away at high speed. (Volunteers here are not allowed to speed, and must have a siren if they have red lights, and the public *should* give them right of way...but do not *have* to). Of course I always give them the right of way...might be me they scoop up next!
Anyway to keep us semi on topic....I was in the radio shop when he pulled his last straw...he responded from his work location, which was about 60 miles from the scene of a minor wreck in his area. The chief deputy caught it on the radio, as they had been having some issues and complaint about this guy...and the chief deputy had the dispatcher tell him not to respond "27" from that far away, he could go "27" when he entered the county, only if his fire chief or asst. chief said they needed him.
He replied back to the dispatcher and told her that he didn't answer to her, and he would be responding "27". He was a full 2 counties away from our county at this point. The chief deputy got on the radio and reaffirmed the message, and he told the chief deputy that if his chief called him off, he would "33"...but he didn't take orders from anyone else. The chief deputy, calmly, keyed his radio...and said "Well, I think your going to be a little late getting there anyway".
I later was told, as I knew the chief deputy, that he had the county adjacent to us bird dog this guy on the 2 lane highway he would be travelling on to get there...and they caught him doing 109 MPH and very recklessly passing cars and running people off the road...red light and siren blazing. In fact it took them 10 miles to get him stopped. He was arrested and was alter suspended from the FD for about 6 months. Not sure if he ever went back...or just learned his lesson and moved on. But, man, you got to use come common sense sometimes.