Roland R. LaFrance, Sr.; Son of a retired firefighter from Nashua, NH, I spent nearly 20 years as a firefighter-EMT/Medic, and also as an LPN. My brother also had worked for two years on the Nashua, FD. I was a firefighter in the U.S. Air Force from 1972 to 1977 (which included one year of active USAF Reserve.) After USAF Fire Protection School at Chanute AFB, IL, I was assigned to the 42nd Civil Engineering Sqdn Fire Dept. at Loring AFB, Maine. While there, I was sent temporary duty to Andersen AFB, Guam in 1973 for several months. In 1977 I was hired by the Nashua, NH FD. In 1984, my wife and I moved our family to Northern New York State, to be near her family. There, I joined the Town of Saranac, NY VFD. In January, 1993, while Station 2 lieutenant and department chaplain, I was injured when part of a ceiling fell on me and another firefighter while crawling through the kichen area in a house fire. The ceiling beam missed my helmet, porbably after it had struck the other firefighter on his helmet, and had been re-directed, and struck me at the base of my neck on my left shoulder. After I aggravated the injury working as an LPN, I tried returning to work, as a nurse, three times, even after two c-spine operations to fuse C-4,5, & 6. After I fractured the fusions from the first sugery, my firefighting days were over! Now, after 16 years, and 9 operations, I still miss firefighting very much. I also miss working as a U.S. Army Reserve Medic and LPN, and as an LPN in civilian life, but that can't compare with firefighting. I still collect anything I can get my hands on, related to firefighting; die-cast models, badges, patches, etc, etc. Our younger son received an associates degree in fire protection sciences, and worked 7 years for the U.S. Forest Service, moslty in the big woods of northern California. In 2007, after having attained the rank of captain/crew boss, Mad River, CA, he left the U.S.F.S and is now a police officer in a small city in northen California. My wife and I also have other relatives on both sides, that work as firefighters, or are retired as firefighters, of have some other work in the fire-emergency services. I welcome emails form other firefighters, and am looking for pictures particularly those of U.S. Air Force crash-fire-rescue trucks from WW2 to the modern day. I am currently looking to make up drawings so I may scratch-build models of USAF crash trucks from WW2, The Korean War, and the era in which I worked, Vietnam. I am now working on plans to scratch-build the fire suppression kits carried by the HH-43B/F Huskie Rescue and firefighting helicopters. I do need as many detail pictures of the FSKs so I can get to do them up right. Thanks to any who can help! If you can help me with pictures or actual design drawings or Tech Orders, please contact me! It would be very greatly appreciated.
Roland R; LaFrance, Sr.
disabldfirefiter@hotmail.com