Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Veteran's Affairs Plus discusses the issues that veterans in Las Vegas deal with on a daily basis. Your host, David L. Washington connects listeners with relevant community resources and information that they need to help veterans or themselves.
Announcer 0:00
This is a KUNV Studios original program.
Wesley Knight 0:04
You're listening to special programming sponsored by Making Moves Life Coaching Services. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz and Moore, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Pick it
Music 0:28
back,
Dave Washington 0:30
pick it south. Come on, talk to me, so you can't see what's going on. Yeah, what's going on? Tell me what's going on. Great day, Las Vegas. Great day. This is Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host. I have Wes over there in the in the seat, keeping me on point, which I appreciate that young man so very very much. I am pleased. Just got back from Helena, Arkansas, down in with a good dear friend who will be on our next show for next week. That's Faye Duncan Daniel and also James White. I have they have some great information that we'll be sharing. Birthdays I always like to get into for the month. Two that I know right away are eldest daughter April's birthday is this month, and my dad Leon Washington Sr. He is an ancestor. His birthday is this month also, and you know I always Wes knows that I always have Marsha to to send me some information on birthdays. She just arrived down in in Houston, Texas, and I'll be heading down tomorrow to get my medical evaluation, the third one for 2026, if you will. Other additional announcements: Dr. Marsha Robinson and the Arts Center, their annual performances coming up on july 31, 6p.m. at the West Side Theater, and also same show will be on august 1, 2p.m. and the 31st, july 31, will be at 6p.m. again at the Art Theater. So it's always they do some phenomenal work, and this year said 30th anniversary. Believe and how time time flies. Additional announcements, as I've been telling folks, it is my intent to do a voter education program, and it's upcoming. I'm still got some tentative locations which I won't announce right now, but tentative dates are August 24 or 29th, and then october 17 or 24th, and both will be 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. I know people are busy, but I think it's absolutely essential that we know what our voting rights are, and that's something that I'm embarking upon and planning to to offer to community upcoming soon, soon, soon. And an additional and final announcement: Dr. Lonnie Wright is planning to put together a 50-year residency and 50 black men just to sit down and have a conversation. He hasn't set a tentative date even at this point in time, but I will keep you guys updated. So at this time, I am pleased to recognize and have to come on board with the Veterans Affairs Plus show, retired Addington Addington Stewart, retired captain with St. Louis Fire Department. Hey, how you doing, Cap? And former president of the IABPFL. How you doing, Stu?
Addington Stewart 3:35
I'm doing all right, Dave. How you, Chief?
Dave Washington 3:38
I am doing very, very well, and pleased that you were able to get on, I was hoping that you would have that young man that I heard you on the podcast with a couple days ago. But you will do just well. So, Stuart, give our listening audience a little bit of background on who you are and where you're from and all that kind of good stuff, if you would, please.
Addington Stewart 3:55
Yes, my name is, like you said, is Addington Stewart. I retired from the St. Louis Fire Department in 2013, been retired for the last 13 years, starting my 14th year.
Dave Washington 4:09
Okay, cool. So you were born, you
Addington Stewart 4:12
stated. Yeah, go ahead.
Dave Washington 4:14
Born and raised there in St. Louis.
Addington Stewart 4:16
Born and raised right here in St. Louis, Missouri. Spent all of my life here. No intentions on moving anywhere else.
Dave Washington 4:24
I heard that, man. If it's you feel good about where you are, why, why, why uproot at a certain point in life? So now, how long did you serve with the with the department?
Addington Stewart 4:36
I did 35 years. Worked in various areas throughout the department, from ad man to the airport rescue squad, you name it. I I kind of did it there.
Dave Washington 4:50
Oh, cool! All right, excellent. Now, again, for the listening audience purposes, and you have been on this show before, but those who may have forgotten, you. The former president of the IABPFF, give us a little bit of background on that organization and your role there, if you would.
Addington Stewart 5:06
Yeah, and the Internet Association of Black Professional Firefighters Incorporated. I served as president from 2016 to 2020, where I felt we accomplished a lot. I mean, we would coordinate some things with the Executive Development Institute and the Black Chief Officers Committee, some trainings throughout the country at the Congressional Black Caucus. So just, just I felt we did pretty good there, and that was my role was to manage the day to day, along with my executive director.
Dave Washington 5:44
Okay, great, cool. Yeah, you accomplished quite a bit there, and I was a part of watching you and helping where I could. And you mentioned the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute. We were pleased that you had Dr. Holmes during your tenure to come in and speak to, to the audience there, and that was that was helpful to us because we've got to always continue to be in a recruiting mode for the organization and that institute and what we try to do to ensure that we have folks move up through the ranks in the fire service. And you have been an integral part. In fact, talk a little bit about what you've done in terms of your instructor skills, if you will, at the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute and the team that you worked with a lot.
Addington Stewart 6:28
Yeah, and as you know, I worked with former fire chief of the St. Louis Fire Department, Chief Sherman George, and Deputy Chief William Spike Jones, or Acting Deputy Chief William Spike Jones from 2000, and I'm still there to present day. Of course, we lost my good brother Spike, and and Sherman retired from the training school. But yeah, I'm currently there, so this is my 26th year minus the pandemic years.
Dave Washington 7:00
Cool. Now that is again. I can tell you that all the students really appreciate doing that assessment center training that you and your your current team embark upon each year. It's solid, and it helps people because fire departments still, for the listening audience, still participate a lot in delivering the assessment center process, because generally speaking, overall from my experience in the fire series, you're generally going to get the best candidate coming from that pool and that testing process of assessment center.
Addington Stewart 7:33
Yeah, no, no doubt about it. And and normally you would get multiple choice tests that would determine who your candidate would be, which is a you know what you can remember based on questions that you read. I mean, based on what you read and questions that are asked and answered with the assessment center process, it actually measures your abilities and what you actually do on the job, and so we were pretty good at doing that particular class. And you know, you get a lot of sharp young people. I'd always say, "Hey, I think we can enhance what you're already knowing. But somebody who hasn't had any training or familiar with the assessment center process, we're we're pretty strong advocates that we can put them in the game, and they can be competitive in an assessment center type exam. And of course, we did what is a valid exam as well, where we talked about what makes your examination or promotional exam valid, which was another major part because a lot of people didn't know that they were just putting tests together in their departments, and they wasn't based on nothing that you actually do, and promoting people from it. So that was another important piece that we taught at the Executive Development Institute.
Dave Washington 8:55
Absolutely, and one thing we always talk about is that exam processes they continue to to move like I tell people that the goalposts are moved a lot. In fact, I think it was Gary Breeze that Brees that that came in and told us that. Do you know that now the assessment center process is not weighted the heaviest in the process? They're going back to weighting the written part. What are you kidding me? Because as you pointed out, Stu, it's most important to see what people can do versus just the multiple tours. Because anybody that's like rote memory, you know, going A, B, C, the answer is C or B. But when you got to perform, and I've known a number of people when they come in and and and you're training those assessors who go and prepare to be assessors, they expect you when you come into that room, you're operating at not at your current position, but at the current at the position that you're pursuing. And some people make that mistake. You go in there going for a captain, and you're acting like an engineer or you or a lieutenant instead of being the leader of the
Addington Stewart 9:59
crew. Yeah, and and and no doubt, and and and of course you need to know the position above and below you, whatever position you're you're applying for, and the piece you talked about in reference to the weighting of exams-that's another critical area that that's done on purpose, and and if you, well, I don't want to get too deep into it, but but variations of how they rate exam weight exams and score exams determine the outcomes of exams, and as industrial psychologists, they they know how to do that, and the last part I would say when we're talking about these exams, and especially with multiple choice tests, if if the training chief or anybody that looks at and reviews the exam before it's administered, those exams are compromised, and I don't care how many waivers you sign on your integrity. Those those exams are compromised.
Dave Washington 11:10
Agree 100% Now, there's something else that that that you do, and it's pretty. It's a dynamic youth program. Please share with our listening audience what you you got going there. In fact, it may, as they say, plant a seed here, there, and then maybe folks will cultivate somewhere in this country to to assist young folks enter our our profession.
Addington Stewart 11:32
Well, yeah. Years ago, we put together what's called our Captain George Baker Scholarship Key Scholarship Fund, and that was based on he was our first president. He was an educator in the University City School District in the St. Louis area, one of the suburbs outside of St. Louis. So that was the reason we utilized his name. We give away that scholarship to people age 18 to 30. We have. have been doing that since. Well, we had done it previously around 2012, 2013, when I was still an active member. But we started it back up since I retired, and we give away a minimum of a $500 scholarship up to paying for the entire class, at one entity is $1,200. At another entity, it's $1,800 for it. And we work with both. When I say both, one is the Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District, and the other is the St. Louis Community College. Through their foundation, we got a pot of monies or funds sitting there, and when somebody applies and get accepted, then they can access our scholarship, and it's as simple as that for for those. The dynamic thing that we're doing with the Northeast Fire Protection District-they recently started their program, and when I say recently, four years ago, they started their program, and we tied into them by financially supporting them. But what's unique is they recruit people and get them in the class with no money, and they do fundraisers. The actual students do fundraisers to raise money to pay for their scholarship or for their class there.
Dave Washington 13:30
And what is the class again? What is the class again?
Addington Stewart 13:33
It's an EMT class.
Dave Washington 13:35
Okay, EMT. It's an
Addington Stewart 13:36
emergency medical technicians class, and it's one semester, and if you complete that semester, most of the people in his fire district he's been hiring them part time. So if you get certified, he hires you part time. Now others go to other entities and and as well, you know, if they got connections or get hired in the city, some have actually went to the city after getting state certified.
Dave Washington 14:04
Great,
Addington Stewart 14:05
and so that's the unique part about it. But we've been given, respectively, over the last four years, we've expended extended maybe about $25,000, and that covered over 35 students.
Dave Washington 14:21
That's excellent, man. That is excellent work that that needs to continue on, and perfect segue into something that you guys have been doing in honor of two of our ancestors, Brother Bob Anderson, and and you mentioned earlier one of your teaching colleagues, Spike Jones, talk a little bit about what you got coming up in regards to the golf event.
Addington Stewart 14:46
Well, our August on August the seventh, we will host our fifth annual Memorial Golf Tournament in the names of Robert Anderson and William Spike Jones, and in those, that is really. Our only fundraiser that we do to raise funds for it, and so what's been happening is, or what's going to happen is, you know, we're going to do the auction, a silent auction. We're going to have 50-50 raffle and a general raffle. We're hoping to have, hopefully, we can get 60 golfers. I'm at around 40 right now, and since I've done the podcast with Miss Letitia and Dink, man, we've been getting more donations, which has been great. Which means people are just donating; they're not planning to play golf. Some are just coming to our lunch because you can do three things: you can play in a golf tournament. You could purchase a tea sign to advertise your business. We place the tee signs on each tee box, and then you could actually just come to the lunch, or just make a donation. Which we've had several people since that podcast that have made donations.
Dave Washington 16:00
That is excellent. So, tell us, our listening audience, once again, trust that you guys have some type of website how they can go on in. And as you've already mentioned, some people not even planning to come nor participate at all, but yet they're going to make a donation. So, what's what's that website information, if you would,
Addington Stewart 16:21
yeah. If if if you do the www dot athletes a t h l e t e s f r.com athletes to f r.com you go into the website and then at the top of the page you can see donations or you can see register for the event. Either one, or if you register for the events, you could get a tea sign or something like that in. But you could go directly to donations and make a donation. And then we got a sponsorship form that's attached as well. If people actually want to sponsor any parts of the event, but athletes to fr.com is the web address.
Dave Washington 17:03
That is excellent. So, any any closing remarks, any advice or or suggestions you'd like to share to any of our listening audience participants? Because we have a a number of veterans who listen to the show. They have grandchildren. Some are looking for employment. We know I'm a big advocate of it for sure.
Addington Stewart 17:22
Oh yeah, oh yeah, and I've been devoted to it. I would say any active firefighter definitely should be trying to get people to come into this profession. When we talk about an EMT, that's probably the lower level where you're just riding on a basic type of ambulance, and and you could be making 4050, depending on what part of the country, 60, $70,000 a year with one semester of school. If you become a firefighter, they have one of the greatest pensions in in America for sure, where you get paid for life, that that check hits your account every first of the month, and and and and and I I believe that we should all be as retired firefighters, active firefighters, explaining to our young people the type of benefits that you could get and the type of advantages, including your days off, not as an EMT or just a paramedic. But once you become a firefighter, they're working two days and four days off in some places. Right now, the EMTs are every other day, but that's that's what I would say. Do something to raise monies like we're doing with this particular program, and working with those fire department in North County into the St. Louis area, and and just support our our young people and guide them to some things that's really changing people's lives. And you spoke to the young kid, Marquise White. I mean, he let everybody know that this changed his life significantly.
Dave Washington 19:04
Excellent, excellent. Well said. Well, give him our regards, and at some point in time in the future, if you want to get him on again, we'll get him on with you or or alone, just to tell our listening audience a little bit about his experience. That would be great because I I think when you when you're in there as a young person like us old guys now people are more apt to listen, particularly the young ones because his stuff is fresh and mine has gotten stale. Because believe it or not, Stu, I've been out. It'll be 20 years next year since my retirement. 20 years. I can't believe
Addington Stewart 19:40
it. Yeah.
Dave Washington 19:41
So as we close out, as we close out, give a little bit about your thought on what transpired in terms of our 35th anniversary this past year.
Addington Stewart 19:51
Oh, brother, it was out of sight. It was an excellent program. We recognized you along with. My two colleagues that I work with on our Wall of Honor, the graduating class had a a new spin on their graduation, and where they did it actually on campus, which was probably one of the best ones, definitely one of the best after graduation parties that I've been to, and as well as participation, the curriculum is is none other than one of the tops in the country. Regardless of any school that you go to, the networking is is is 10 times better than that. You know, the class is one thing, but the networking is is another piece and an asset to attending the Executive Development Institute. And then, of course, yours truly, our our new leader over at Brother Gene Campbell, which I'm sure the your listening audience is familiar with, has taken on the reins and and doing some some good things right away. Not to diminish anything that you had done, right? But he's really taking some bold steps, and this new board is really. I'm impressed, but I'm glad I'm succession planning myself out.
Dave Washington 21:15
I heard that. Look, we got about five more minutes. Wes just gave me he gave me seven minutes about two minutes ago. So we still got some time. Let me say this: Yeah, you've been a major contributor, and I like the way that, as you talk about. In fact, Gene and Bert convinced me to come back into the classroom this year because I had been out for two years. I told them I'm basically done, and I don't intend to go back other than to visit from time to time. But sometimes just just just time to move along, and I think it's important for for you to do what you're doing in terms of succession planning because we got to bring on a new cadre of folks that's going to be around for a number of years. And yet, one of the key things to me is their commitment, their integrity, and overall commitment to the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute. That is most important because when Dr. Holmes was around, he was always making sure that people were there not for their own granddadesment, but for the purpose of ensuring that students got the proper training to assist them. And one thing I liked about Dr. Holmes, we know that some people would move up through the ranks, some people stay solidly where they were, as you did, and did a great job because you you you affected change within within your department. And I tell people all the time, Doctor Holmes is just as pleased and happy if somebody went from firefighter to engineer, because the important thing is that you're affecting change. And one thing Hershel and I always try to carry this mantra is that you know everybody's not going to be the fire chief, so don't be talking about what you're going to do when you're going to become when you become fire chief.
Addington Stewart 22:50
Right,
Dave Washington 22:50
affect change from the position as I watch you over your careers do. You helped a lot of people throughout this country, and I know y'all travel the road and help people throughout America to achieve greater success in terms of upper mobility, and that's commendable, brother. And and God gonna continue to bless you for the work that you've done, no doubt in my mind.
Addington Stewart 23:11
And and and one thank thanks for that. But the reason we were doing it in the backstory to all of that, and especially the training part was to let's share the information. We networked it, and and we worked with people who had set on assessments. We worked with different organizations across the country that were doing different things in reference to training, and and so that was the that was the key part that we were able to help a lot. And you know, we traveled to places. Just get us in there, get us back, and and and make a donation.
Dave Washington 23:48
Right. You
Addington Stewart 23:49
you know, it it was uh it was really that simple. If people didn't donate, ah, you know, they didn't donate. Maybe they didn't have the money. Right. But we'd always say if if if what we train y'all on is is valuable to you. Just throw something in the pot for
Dave Washington 24:04
us, you know,
Addington Stewart 24:05
for coming this way and spending two days with you, because we did two day trainings, and then just going through the commitment to the organization. Myself and Sherm, as you know, both took a hit. You know, we were challenging. I was especially challenging the system here in St. Louis, and and they kind of won, guys. You know, we made some headway,
Dave Washington 24:28
right?
Addington Stewart 24:29
But they never promoted me after I made captain either. They cut the list off in front of me twice, and of course, you know, they demoted Chief George.
Dave Washington 24:38
Yeah, and sometimes people sometimes people don't realize the sacrifice that that you have to make when you're in a leadership role. In fact, some folks told me I was way way too radical, too militant. They would never promote me to fire chief, and I just kind of chuckled because all I said when when I call Hershel, Doctor Holmes, who else I call a brother. Named Al Nero, of course, Chief Dutch Chief Bob Demmons, and all them told me stop whining, Dave Washington, get up off your knees and be more prepared for the next process. Because I was angry when I didn't get this motion to assistant chief. They said, man, just keep working, keep keep keep at your craft, man. You know what you're made of. You know that you have integrity, integrity, and just keep working. And that was valuable information for me. And I shared it with others. Ben, don't get frustrated. Just keep working. And I can tell you that once again, Stu, we're proud of you and and what you've done. Not only as the president of the IABPFF, but as a colleague and a fellow instructor at the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute, and you mentioned Gene Campbell. I am proud of Gene. I think both Gene and Ette and Carla. I've told all three of them, y'all gonna take it to another level, you know. And all y'all got to do is maintain, you know, some level of professionalism to include friendship, and just keep it working, man. Because one of the things I see next on our list, as far as I can see, and I'm only in the advisory role now, is going to some virtual training, and I just see it as a possibility. But however, one of the criteria have to be that you have to have graduated from the five-year program, because otherwise you can't just jump in there because you'll miss something if you don't. As you already mentioned, how important it is and the interaction that you get networking there on campus. Those are important matters. So, a couple couple minutes left. So, what anything else you'd like to say before we sign off? And once again, this is Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 Jazz and more. And I have former colleague with the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute and former president of the IABPFF, Addington Stewart. Go ahead, Stu.
Addington Stewart 26:48
Yeah, you know, I think just to tally this up, when you talk about a Dr. Holmes that I know you've talked about on this program multiple times, there there was no leader like him, in in my opinion, and and in that aspect of leading, I just would like to state to any other younger leaders across the country in these departments that aren't stepping up to take the the the the reins from everybody that's been at at EDI for the last 20 years, or in this organization, to take a leadership role and understand how important it is, especially in the politics of the day that we're being challenged by. And lastly, I would say, and and and firefighters and police officers and people in that respond to emergencies, whether it's Amron or I mean a gas company or your electric company, they're familiar with the National Incident Management System or Incident Command System. If we don't start utilizing that to manage us strategically through all of these challenges that are coming at us, I think we're doing a disservice to the knowledge of knowing about the incident command system, which is just a management system that helps you manage that helps us manage fires, major disasters, whether it's a tornado. For those in our listening audience that don't know, but that would be something that would be important that all us as firefighters need to be organized politically and in our communities to start addressing the the the concerns that are coming at us as Black Americans in the United States and and and others, because you know, you know, we can't do a lot without having some allies, whether they're white, brown, their sexual orientations, or anything else. So just make sure we get us straight first, though.
Dave Washington 28:55
Well said. All right, ladies and gentlemen. Once again, this is Veterans Affairs Plus on 91.5 jazz and more former president Addington Stewart, retired captain St. Louis Fire. We appreciate you.
Addington Stewart 29:08
Thank you, sir. Appreciate
Music 29:21
y'all. All the smoke in the air, feel the hate when they stare. All the pain that we bear.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai