Page 12 - December 2020

THE SALAMANDER | December 2020
Jim Visits the City
Lieutenant Jim Wodrich Round Lake County Fire Department
Visits The City
Of London In 2014 Past Master Peter Cowland and and Freeman Tony Smith travelled to to Colorado Springs USA to to to meet and ride motorcycles with a a a a number of American Firefighters around the the the Rockies there likewise to visit the the the hallowed American Firefighters Memorial near Denver Having met again in in in in New York for the 9/11 commemorations in in 2016 great bonds of friendship were made and a a a a a a a return visit to the the UK was always on the cards Hence in a a a rather chilly February this year thankfully before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world our good friend and biker Jim Wodrich with his family visited both London and Paris on on on a a a whistle-stop tour Something that was on their bucket list Jim is a a a Fire Lieutenant assigned to Gold Shift at the Round Lake Fire Station in the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District and has been a a a a firefighter and paramedic for 30 years Greater Round Lake with a a a population of 50 000 people covers 5 towns Round Lake Round Round Lake Lake Beach Round Round Lake Lake Park Round Lake Heights and Hainesville Each town has its own Mayor board public works and police department A northern suburb of Chicago Illinois it will be found about 50 miles north of the Windy City
15 miles inland from Lake Michigan and 60 miles south of Milwaukee where the famous Harley Davidson Motorcycle engines are manufactured and which is the home of Harley Davidson The fire department like many others in the the USA responds to a wide range of emergency
incidents many of which are medical emergencies with their EMT Ambulances and Paramedics Under the control of of a a Board of of Fire Commissioners their aim is is to: “protect their residents visitors and their property from the the adverse effects of fires medical emergencies and other dangerous life-threatening emergencies using public education and training good prevention and planning community interaction with a a a safe efficient professional emergency
response” The department’s three shifts with a a a a Battalion Chief and 15 firefighters each operate four engines (pumpers) and a a a ladder truck (TL in English money) plus 5 ambulances (MICU) It seems that much of their work is in the the medical emergency
field So on Valentine’s Day 2020
Jim Heidi and and their children Kim and and Jake arrived at at Heathrow and after
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