Duck all demands

Our Firehouse is one of the older Firehouses in San Francisco. Sure, we'll admit, sometimes we'd like to have a new and more modern and updated Fire Station. But we are quite fond of our Fire Station. We have so many great memories of this place. I'm not sure we are ready for any change.... although that could change at any moment.

My office is just down the hall from the kitchen...... about 500 feet. I am sentimental about this since the back of our Engine says "Keep Back 500 Feet."

Our Firehouse is adequately heated in the winter and somewhat cooled in the summer months. One good thing about the heating vents is that you can hear people talking in the kitchen through the vent in the floor from my office. Over the years, I have learned one thing: If you SMELL coffee in the Firehouse... you have to have some. We have great Italian coffee brewers here. THE BEST!

One day, I was feeling lazy. I smelled the coffee brewing one morning and I could hear some of the guys talking from the kitchen (through the heater vent). So I got on the floor and said to the heater vent: "Rick do you think you can bring me a cup of that great smelling coffee? Please???" Five minutes later he brought me a cup.

This scenario played several times over the next couple weeks with Seguace (our Firehouse duck mascot) watching and listening to each move and word I said.

One day, Seguace went to the heater vent and quacked for 2 minutes. He did this for several days with persistence. Then, the next thing I knew, Rick brought in a cup of coffee for him.

It dawned on me that Suguace had just ordered (and received!) coffee from the kitchen. To this day I still can't believe how smart that duck is. I have to be more careful in the future. I have to admit... I am so very happy I don't have to share MY cofffee with Seguace, since he leaves duck slobber in my cup every time he sneaks a sip when I'm not looking.

Still, the thought of Seguace copying my actions floors me. Who would think of a duck as a caffeine addict? :-)))

'Ya just gotta love this alternative "San Francisco Zoo" !!!!

Our Firehouse Mascots: Signore Seguace and Luca

Lately we have been getting many requests for photos of our Firehouse Mascots....... Seguace and Luca. After 60+ requests, we decided to post their photos. Neither one of them holds still long enough to take a picture so this was the best we could do.

Enjoy!
From all of us at the Firehouse

WHO LET THE DUCK OUT????

We are not a normal Firehouse. I have humbled myself by saying this many times before in the past. We don't have a dog, let alone a Dalmation at best... like several other Stations do. Rather, we have a duck. Yes, a duck. It wasn't by choice. He "followed" us back to the Station one day and we tried many times to persuade him the other way but he didn't listen. He flew onto our rig after a call and several times we removed him trying to get him to "go home." He kept flying back on until we got back to the Firehouse. He waddled into our Station that day like he owned the place and has called it "home" ever since. Hence, he was named Signore Seguace (meaning Mr. Follower in Italian).

Seguace doesn't like "intruders" who come to our Firehouse. He is keen on the color red and yellow. Perhaps this is one of the reasons he followed our rig all the way to the Station. He doesn't do well with things painted black and white or just white. This would include the San Francisco Police Department. The minute one of the Officers arrives at our Firehouse (official business, just to visit, etc) Seguace races out to the outer gate surrounding our Firehouse and quacks wildly and puts on a display of aggression. Mind you, it is the ONLY time he is aggressive and this is a duck whose best friend is a cat. They chase each other around the Station and paw (or peck) each other playfully. You couldn't separate the two if you wanted to!

The minute the Officer enters the gate, they are at the mercy of "the duck." Seguace attacks their boots first..... pecking and drooling all over the shoelaces until he unties them. When he finishes that, he starts pecking at their pant leg and eventually their legs. This gets the Officer jumping up and down trying to avoid the pecking and looking for protective cover. Then the race is on to see who gets into the Firehouse first and it is usually Seguace.

My men are in the upstairs windows laughing their heads off singing, "WHO LET THE DUCK OUT???" in tune to "Who let the dogs out???" and dancing around like fools.

Words cannot describe this scenario well enough. You'd just have to imagine a duck attacking a Police Officer in the City of San Francisco. But then again, this is San Francisco and anything can happen here. Life is great, no?