Brotherhood Instructors, LLC Fire Training

Is your fire department looking for practical, realistic training taught by instructors with years of experience and diverse backgrounds?
Then be sure to check out Brotherhood Instructors, LLC for your FD training! They specialize in teaching the fundamentals of firefighting, from forcible entry to FAST team training, all with YOUR department's manpower and response area in mind. You'll find all the information you need at their website, as well as free online drills for your department to use today!

Buffalo Firehouses Map

I made up this map of the current (September 2009) locations of all the Buffalo, NY firehouses and photos of them. Enjoy!


View Buffalo, NY Firehouse Locations in a larger map

Electric Tower Fallen Firefighter tribute

Electric Tower Fallen Firefighter tribute, originally uploaded by Kevin Brautlacht.

Downtown Buffalo's Electric Tower was lit in purple in honor of Lt. Charles McCarthy of Rescue 1 and FF Jonathan Croom of Ladder 7. Both firefighters died in the line of duty on August 24, 2009. May the Lord watch over them and their family and friends they leave behind. You will be forever in our hearts.

Senior Portraits

Just a little preview of the photo shoot with Maggie. Very nice young lady and a great looking model.

Waldfest 2009

Waldfest 2009, originally uploaded by Kevin Brautlacht.

Spring Garden Park on Two Rod Road in Marilla, NY was the setting of the annual German "festival in the trees". Food, drink, dancing and traditional German music filled the valley along with hundreds of happy festival goers.

I was shocked to read this news story of a Columbus FF who shot and killed his two dogs in order to avoid paying for boarding them while he went on a vacation. He tied them to a pipe in order to shoot them in his basement. Anyone who has owned a dog will understand that those dogs probably went willingly with him because they trusted him.

He even had the nerve to brag to his co workers about what he had done!

Fireboat Edward M. Cotter at work

With the large fire June 12, 2009 at 364 Baraga Street I was finally lucky enough to get some photos of Buffalo's fireboat, the Edward M. Cotter at work. She is the oldest active fireboat in the country and is listed as a National Historic Landmark. For more information and history of her, check out the Cotter's webpage and this article from the magazine "Sea Classics", written by Sam Guadagna.