re: Pen and pencil set, with gift box

It may very well have, Dave. I can’t remember if I got those from Penn State or from ExoticBlanks. Either way, they weren’t horrible to turn…not easy, but not terrible. It was my first time turning blanks like that and  I’m happy with how they turned out!

Ducky, most Chief officers wear a turnout coat over their dress shirt when the go to fires. Of course, it’s more or less just for show since they rarely do any work. They all stand around the back of an SUV with a white board and draw diagrams about leadership, and talk on one of their half dozen radios. In my mind, it’s like giving a kid an iPad. Keeps them quiet and lets the adults get done what they need to. Of course, the adults have to actually know what they’re doing! I was fortunate to work for an agency that gave its Captains a lot of operational latitude. And, as a senior Captain who spent a lot of years working in very busy firehouses, I was given all the rope I would ask for. That said, the younger generation struggles to take that rope for themselves. They all want to be told what to do…not a great trait for a field leader! Hopefully my buddy will find the balance between giving rope and giving directions…