It was a nice sunny day, and my dad called my name and asked if I wanted to ride with him to town and I jumped in the truck before he could even turn around and get an answer.  I loved being with my dad because he was interesting yet peculiar, and he always had interesting things to say.  I asked what we had to do, and he said in his gruff voice “get supplies” and I just buckled up.  We hit a few stops in town including the 5 and dime to get our candy bars and then we started back down the pebbled roads to Chateau Vino (home).  My dad slammed on his breaks out of nowhere he said “son, I smell smoke!”  He yelled, start looking so as we drove we looked everywhere around us and there it was black smoke rising on a neighbor’s land.  My dad slammed on the gas, and we drove fast towards the neighbor’s land, and I remember just bouncing up and down from all those damn pebbles.  We got there and saw the old man holding a hose and we grabbed others laying nearby and started spraying.  It took a while before the fire brigade arrived from town with a portable water truck.  I don’t remember much after that as I think I was in shock as it was my first fire.  We had the help of other local farmhands and the brigade and after it was out everyone sat on the back of their trucks watching for hot spots late into the evening. 

Why is this important? Because when I was a kid my dad always told me that if your business involved the land you lived on such as a farm or winery then you know the most detrimental thing that can happen is a fire. He said within minutes a small fire in open dry land could decimate an area and destroy our family’s winery.  When we first moved to Texas I learned the city we lived in had Citizens Fire Academy, so I signed up.  We learned that a fire requires a flame,  air, fuel, and heat.  We learned a backdraft is caused by the sudden introduction of air into a fire that has depleted most of the available oxygen in a room or building.  Firefighters look for signs such as smoke being drawn in along with the air under doors, and windows.  They also look to see if the windows are showing signs of excessive heat, such as brown stains and cracking.  It saves them from opening a door or window and being caught in a backdraft of fire.  My experience as a young lad and my short time in Citizens Fire Academy gave me a whole new perspective on what these men and woman do. 

As a Frisco resident in 2017 and 2020 when the Frisco Fire Fighters endorsed Cheney I figured if they felt he was the right leader I would support him too.  Then in April 2021 you would have thought an El Paso dust storm full of tumbleweeds came through Frisco and upset the equilibrium of our city.  As we discussed in our earlier blogs Where There Is Smoke PT 1 and There is Fire PT 2, there has been a long standing point of contention between fire fighters and the city in regards to workers compensation.  In 2021 the city opposed House Bill 2242 brought forward by their own district House State Rep Jared Patterson.  In 2023 the FFA and Patterson brought HB 471 and they have been working very hard to get it passed in Austin and it would protect first responders across Texas. 

While our local Frisco Fire Fighters Association and State Rep Jared Patterson are working so hard to protect first responders, you can imagine our shock on May 2, 2023 when we learned a 27-year veteran of the Frisco Fire Department felt the need to speak at Citizen Input on how he was recently terminated by the City of Frisco while he was on leave and under medical supervision for PTSD.

Those that wish to watch the City Council Meeting, be sure to watch the end of citizens input for the disgusting smug pre-written response by our new City Manager, Wes Pierson to Assistant Fire Chief Cameron Kraemer’s passionate plea for the Council’s intervention and assistance.

The Frisco Fire Association also spoke on Kraemer’s behalf and on behalf of all first responders that may be suffering from PTSD or any other work-related injuries or illnesses.  You can watch the meeting in its entirety here.  Citizen Input begins at approximately 54:00 minutes. 

In a post of Chief Kraemer’s Facebook page he confirmed that since this meeting, the City has not reached out to him.  Then on May 16th Kraemer, along with the FFA President Matt Sapp, and Former Frisco Fire Chief Mark Piland, spoke out again at City Council during Citizen Input. You can watch that meeting in its entirety here.  Just go to Citizens Input at the 23:30 minute mark.

We are going to continue to follow Kraemer’s situation and if you want more information please visit the Fire Fighters Association Facebook page.  They will be posting updates on Chief Kraemer, House Bill 471 and the City’s opposition to the Bill down in Austin.  It has also been interesting following their page for daily updates on the Department’s Staffing issues that the city continues to deny exists.

As we always do every other Tuesday, my wife and I tuned in online to the council meeting on May 16 and as soon as the meeting started I wanted scream like Alanis Morrissette…

Isn’t it ironic?
Don’t you think?
A little too ironic
And yeah, I really do think

Ready for the kicker?  May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the city terminated a 27-year employee by email over mental health then Mayor Cheney presents a proclamation to Denton County MHMR for all they do for mental health.  Nothing regarding this has sat well with me so my wife and I did find Chief Kraemer’s email and sent him a note to say we support him.  We told him we didn’t expect a response we just wanted him to know as citizens we appreciate everything he has done for this city, and we hope for the best for him and his family. 

Lastly are my words for Wes Pierson, a man the city hired about a year ago that now sits up high in his lofty thrown next to our City Attorney.  I was shocked, stunned and dismayed at the absolute disrespect you displayed and spewed out of that mouth of yours to a man who served our city for 27-years. If my mom were alive she would say wash that disrespect out with a bar of soap.  In my 70 years of life, I have never seen anyone as cruel and callous with their words as you were that night.  It showed your character, and I am guessing you have no idea how Mr. Kraemer feels since you have never kept a job in the same place for more than 5 to 7 years and the good lord blessed you with perfect mental health.  I am sure you are very proud of yourself sir, but you showed me and many other residents something that night.  If you can have that much disdain for a 27-year fire fighter of this city, then how do you feel about us the residents who pay taxes here and your salary and the other first responders in this city?

If you live in Denton County and need help please reach out to the Denton County MHMR Center Crisis Line at 800-762-0157 or click on the May Mental Health picture and it will redirect you to their website.

I thought that I’d been hurt before
But no one’s ever left me quite this sore
Your words cut deeper than a knife
Now I need someone to breathe me back to life

You watch me bleed until I can’t breathe
Shaking, falling onto my knees

I’ll be needing stitches
Tripping over myself
Aching, begging you to come help

Shawn Mendes