Arizona News

Jul 05 2014

Arizona Dust Storm Video

Writing can be a dirty job. I’ve said it many times. 2 nights ago, I did another dirty job. This one was different. The old adage, “somebody’s got to do it” didn’t apply. I didn’t have to do it. I wanted to do it. I wanted an up close and personal encounter with the first Arizona dust storm of the 2014 monsoon season. Others have asked me to write about it. Since I am cleaned up, I am doing so.

It was around dinner time. I was heading home to Chandler, Arizona from a good meeting in nearby Scottsdale. I got 2 alerts on my cell phone about a major dust storm approaching. It was warning me to get off the road. At the time it was sunny on the 101 southbound. But the more I drove south, the more I could see the weather was heading south, as in deteriorating.

At 7:00 p.m., I stopped a mile from home because it was time to speak on Skype with my boy who is away visiting his mother. I spun my phone camera around to show him what was coming.

The Baldrick Boys had been though a good Arizona dust storm a number of times together, most while we were at home. The worst was on our way back from Disneyland. It was terrifying. We were on I-10 just inside Arizona from the California border. Visibility was down near zero. There were fatalities in that storm. I chose to keep going, believing when it came to keeping my boy safe and alive I trusted me more than any other driver. On that long white knuckle drive we passed multiple collisions where cars pulled off the road were hit by visually impaired drivers. In trying to keep my son relaxed I told him the Buzz Lightyear line from the movie Toy Story, “Not today Zurg!”

Since I was solo 2 nights ago, after our father-son chat, the approaching Armageddon was so close I didn’t even have to “storm chase.” I decided to go to an open field area near my home. This way, I would be much safe from other people as well as any flying debris. I learned this years ago at ABC News. I covered a hurricane where a flying door decapitated a guy who ran out in the street during a neighborhood house party.Yeah I know. Ouch.

This most recent Arizona dust storm experience was amazing, but by no means pleasant. A “brownout” completely blanketed the sun, and the Chandler Intel facility I used as a landmark. Visibility was lost and my eyes weren’t too happy either. Having covered many hurricanes and tornadoes as a television journalist, I guessed the winds went from zero to 40 miles an hour in an instant. There were also gusts much higher which nearly knocked me off my feet physically.

Armed with only my trusty i-Phone, I created this Arizona Dust Storm video. Others have enjoyed it. I thought you might enjoy , too.

by Thomas Baldrick Google +

Jun 30 2014

Remembering the Yarnell Hill Fire – Not AZ Strong

Best practices aren’t always best. The first blog post on a website is important. It’s supposed to set the tone and a foundation for your niche and those you want to reach. Instead, I honored something more important. My fingers and heavy heart are with those hurting today from the Yarnell Hill Fire. The lives of 19 brave firefighters were taken exactly one year ago.

As for best practices, the Granite Mountain Hotshots knew them all. They were trendsetters. Kudos for being the first Type 1 Elite Crew in the country sponsored by a municipal fire department. Those guys were real pros. No question. They didn’t just work at their craft of saving lives and land. They worked hard to earn and honor their elite status.

I covered enough fires as a TV journalist to keep my nearby dry cleaner happy. I know firefighters are trained experts, worthy of respect for their knowledge and courage. They’re like all of our heroes. We expect them to win every single time.

Sadly, The Yarnell Hill Fire Won

The City of Prescott Fire Department is well aware of the dangers of fire. The hotshots were well aware of the dangers, too. Plus, they proudly carried the intense heat of having to prove themselves daily. But something went terribly wrong one year ago in the Yarnell Hill Fire. Many hearts were broken near and far from the heart of the small town of Yarnell, Arizona.

The “Best of the Best” were caught in the worst imaginable situation…a whole team of elite firefighters getting overrun in a canyon by the enemy they were trained to defeat, or at least escape. I’m sorry for the sense of loss today being experienced by all involved. I’m sorry for the loss of every friend and family member. I’m sorry for the loss, whether it was by blood or by bond.

I vividly remember that Sunday one year ago. I got a call from the ABC News Bureau in Los Angeles requesting me to cover the story. I had prior commitments and had to decline. Covering events like that are unpredictable. You don’t know where you’re going to end up and how long you’re going to be needed.

I wound up doing some work on the Yarnell Hill Fire story in the days thereafter. It really pushed my buttons. It brought up my memories of being entrenched for ABC News covering the September 11^th tragedies in New York. Sadly, my emotional baggage from that nightmare still doesn’t fit in the overhead compartment. In addition, what also crushed me being “Daddy” to my son, was hearing 7 of the firefighters killed in the Yarnell Hill Fire were fathers, while another 3 were soon to be. That burn still stings.

On this day, June 30, 2014, I’m excited this new website is now online. Best practices would say the first post should be all about your site. Hopefully, the Internet Gods will forgive me. Like the Granite Mountain Hotshots, I want to earn and honor the name AZ STRONG. Best practices commence tomorrow. Today, the Yarnell Hill Fire has a more important anniversary in Arizona worth remembering.

The Granite Mountain Hotshots