The Gift Marker

I had been given a gift a year and a half ago. I knew at the time it was a gift, but did not begin to comprehend just how much of a gift those memories and reflections continue to be. These are my first few days back from a two week break from anything News or News Gathering. And boy, wouldn't you know, the soul needed that break.

Vancouver Island was the place that I would go to recharge the mental batteries and free the spirit. The drive to my final destination of rest and relaxation would spawn images and memories of this wonderful gift.

It first hit me as I am listening to some 80's hair band over the satellite radio, not thinking of anything in particular, when all of a sudden the place around me looks strangely familiar. I am on route 4, passing  through a very small village called Hilliers. It was at this rather rural place, which I had never heard of before, where the true meaning and spirit of what this "gift" was, beginning to take shape. And just like that I am transported back in time. Thoughts of me in the back of a modified Camper known as "Media One", my lens pointing out the back, toward a happy young man, his arm out stretched, holding the Olympic Torch as it passed through this small, yet excited, little community of Hilliers BC. It made me smile and think of just how lucky I was to be there at that moment in time, to bare witness to the beginnings of a Nation about to become a glow in the celebratory light of the Olympic Flame.

One of only Two Torch Bearers in the Town of Hilliers

Murman in the back of Media One as we enter Port Alberni 

That event was the beginning of Day 3 of the Vancouver Olympic Torch Relay. An assignment that will be one of my favorites of my long career. 

As I continued to drive toward Port Alberni, memories flooded my head of that day almost a year and a half ago. Little stops here and there, the Relay Team trying to maintain a strict time line so as to be at the Port Alberni Community Celebration by Noon. It would be at Alberni, where I would jump off of Media One and meet up with Producer Chad Varhogg, who had been driving my wheels, to continue onto Tofino where our SAT Truck and the rest of our production crew would be. From there we would broadcast our 6 PM cast and because of time conflicts and demands of both the Network and our Local Desks we would be challenged to get it all shot, edited and fed before the show began. 

Added difficulty to us was there was only one road to Tofino, so getting out infront of the "Torch Convoy" was a must. Very quick stops for a splash of gas and a petro-sandwich and we were off.

I smiled as I passed that gas station a week ago, remembering just how we scarfed down those rather bland sandwiches and how fast we sped out of the parking lot.

Continuing on that narrow winding road on that day, the weather began to sour. The sun which was so warm and inviting in Hilliers was now gone. Rain was now in the cards. Funny, I had been to Tofino on assignment before and I had yet to experience the place with any sunshine.

Chad and I discussed what had been shot and "in the can" and what needed to be shot. There were two things that could not be missed. Well I suppose they could be, but that would likely shorten or potentially  end ones Olympic Career. Failure would not be an option on this. The first "Mission Impossible" was to shoot a Torch Bearer at Long Beach surfing the Flame in from the Pacific Ocean. Chad and another Camera Op would draw that one. The problem was to then get those pictures back to Tofino and to the SAT Truck before the "Convoy" clogged the only road into town. 

In the end, Chad and his Camera guy got the shot, but just outside of town, Chad himself ran the disk past the roadblock and to the truck. His Olympic career was safe.

CTV Producer Chad Varhogg after his Run to the Truck

                                     

I had drawn more of a local assignment, I was to document and shoot CTV Anchor Keri Adams as she ran the Flame in Tofino proper. The trouble was, this was not supposed to happen until just before 6. 

Be that as it may, it was a great privilege to be the Photog to shoot my friend Keri and her moment with lighted Torch. 

As the time drew near Keri became more excited, she had her husband Jay and her two daughters, one around 2 and the youngest still an infant. She realized that she was about to carry the Torch not for her, but for her family. It was truly an emotional moment. 

Each of the Torch Bearers would be assembled prior to their big moment, briefed by Relay Operations people, loaded up onto a bus and then dropped off at their respective start points or hand off points. These were marked by an Orange disc with the number of the Bearer, stuck to a sign or pole. Those of us on the Torch Relay Assignment had become very familiar with these markers. Keri's marker was no different. After she was loaded up, I headed directly to her marker to wait. 

Tofino was no different than most in that the whole town came out to line the streets to watch as The Torch Runners would pass by. Plenty of flashes from cameras of every make and model. People would cheer. It was a very festive and happy time for a place when the Olympic Relay came to town.

It was now getting dark on that November Sunday, Jay and the children had found an awning to keep out of the drizzle that had become a bit more uncomfortable. Then all at once the flashing lights of a Police escort, and the tell tail lights of the Torch Bearer Bus. It stops at the marker which happens to be affixed to the first Stop Sign as you enter Tofino. 

Out pops Keri, to the cheers of all around. The only thing brighter that the headlights was her smile. It wouldn't be long. Folks posed with her and the Torch as she waited with her "Key Master". (These were guys on bikes that had the key to turn on and off the gas cylinders in the Torch)

Excitement grew and as we looked down the road the orange glow of a runner making her way to Keri's location. It was the moment she had been waiting for. Jay and the children looking on with pride.

All at once the "Flame Kiss" and Keri's Torch was alight. Her smile as bright as could be. She took a moment and let it all sink in. Her eyes catching the pride on Jay's face, then upward basking in the Olympic Flame's glow, she began her 150 meters of the longest torch relay in Olympic history. It was magic to be pointing my lens in her direction. 

Olympic Torch Bearer #153 Keri Adams

Keri as she carries the Olympic Torch in Tofino, BC

As fast as it began, it was over and the emotion was not lost on her as her Torch went out at the end of her segment. She looked at me and game me a hug, tears now rolling down her eyes. Even ol' Murman was a bit misty eyed. As she hugged me, I felt a burn on one side of my face. Damn Keri, that Torch is still hot. It made for a funny story for when we would get back to the office. I had been burnt by an Olympic Torch, how many others can say that.

Fast forward to last week. I am driving into Tofino, the sun is shining ( for the first time as I visit) and lo and behold, on the first Stop Sign going into town is a faded Torch Relay Marker, that bears the number 153, Keri's Olympic Torch Relay marker still there, the memories flooded back.

It was a gift indeed.

It's still there Marker #153

Return to Flight Status

Yesterday was my first day back in the skies for quite some time. The reason for my absence is not important, but it suffices to say, you don't know how much you enjoy something until its not there. That is an absolute when it come to my time aboard Chopper 9.

Chopper 9 Pilot Guiv readies for takeoff

I could hardly wait to get back in my seat, camera control panel on my lap, but the News Gathering Gods would not cooperate. I had to settle for a single beauty shot for the 6. It didn't matter, it was just good to be in the air.

I retired for the evening after the show flight, grateful for the ride. I hoped that something would happen this week that would warrant the unique features of news hunting from the sky.
At 10:57PM I would get my answer.

That answer came in the form of a phone call from my Ops Manager, requesting I get my ass out of bed at first light to fly over a high voltage power pylon that had collapsed into the Fraser River near the Port Mann Bridge. The lines were in the river and several other pylons were now in jeopardy of collapsing.

Needless to say 5am comes pretty quick and I managed to get myself in for a 6am flight to the incident. As we took off, again I was reminded of just how much I enjoy this gig.
We soon got a look at just what a problem this downed hydro tower was to the area. Authorities closed the Port Mann Bridge, a main crossing from the city of Surrey to the south side of the Fraser. Commuters   from the Fraser Valley going to Vancouver now have to detour to other bridges and via otherwise quite neighbourhoods to get to Vancouver.
The situation is one of "Traffic Armageddon". One radio report says "If you can work from home, then stay home." Who knew a simple downed line could cause such a mess.

A shot from my window of the downed Hydro Pylon

We flew over the scene along with all the other regular "traffic watch" aircraft. We did not have any particular show that we needed to service, but we gathered tape and the boys back at the station were ingesting our feed for items for the 5 and 6.
We flew for about 90 minutes when word came that the Bridge was about to be reopened. We stuck around for a bit longer and sure enough the trickle of vehicles slowly became a torrent across the Bridge.
I am sure we will be back on the scene before the end of the day and again for the 5 and 6.
Its not as sexy as a land slide or a riot or a big fire, but hey its a living and I love it!

I'll be blogging on a regular basis form here on in and as time goes on and I work the rust off of the keyboard. I hope to give you the reader some entertainment and perhaps some insight of what it is like to be in the chase as we try to bring stories to our viewers.

The Road

It has been quite a year, so where do I begin. I suppose I should start with an explanation as to my prolonged absence from adding to this blog.
I had every intention of taking you, the reader, through my Olympic experience as I covered the 2010 Winter Olympic Games from high above Vancouver aboard Chopper 9. Issues outside of my professional life, have, without divulging details, conspired against my motivation to write. I am hoping that I will overcome this as I do miss telling stories on this medium.

So how do I start again? It starts with a first sentence and paragraph, so please allow me to begin to tell you of my experiences during the most turbulent, yet rewarding and adventuresome assignment of my career, The Road to Vancouver 2010 and the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Lets set the "wayback' machine for October of 2009- dateline Victoria, British Columbia.

I was part of a massive CTV Crew that was sent to Victoria to begin coverage of the arrival of the Olympic Flame on Canadian soil. My particular assignment was at the CFB Victoria, where the aircraft carrying the delegation of VANOC, Government and Canadian Olympic Committee members as well as a special lamp in which a flame burned ever so small, yet ever so powerful. That little orange glow had been ignited on the slopes of Mount Olympus in an ancient Greek Ceremony, had now, with the watchful eyes of a team of Aboriginal Flame Guardians, about to ignite a nation.
It was my privilege to witness and experience it. The Torch Relay which meandered through out this country will forever be one of the highlights of my television career.

The SAT Truck outside the hangar as we await DAY 1 of the Torch Relay

That first day of the Torch Relay certainly had its moments. It began for me and my crew at 1 am. We were the location crew for CTV Canada AM. Man their crew calls are early. We set up camera positions and ran our lines to several positions so the network would not miss a beat.
Sarah G was our location reporter and would do a number of "prep" scene setter hits to tease and engage the audience to Stay with CTV for every minute of coverage as we begin this final stage leading to Vancouver 2010.

CTV Reporter Sarah Galashan as she readies for her hit into Canada AM

Word would come via Vanoc people, that the plane was delayed. This I am sure would cause certain stroke like symptoms for those further up the CTV Programming chain of command. I had learned a very long time ago not to worry about such things, that I should only concern myself with my camera position and making sure that my part of the greater picture is the best it possibly can be.

There was much gnashing of teeth with our field producer Jeff. No doubt, some of those stroke symptoms were beginning to manifest themselves to poor ol' Jeff. Finally the plane landed and the excitement and anticipation of what was to be an historic day was very measurable with the crowd that had come to the Hangar.

CTV Canada AM Field Producer Jeff Tam go "Black-tical" as we await the landing

But the wait continued. After what seemed like an eternity , the door of the aircraft opens and the deligation with its flaming cargo emerges. Things will happen very quickly now. The "Flame" is being carried by a specially designed miner's lamp, makes it's way to a podium inside the hangar where a short ceremony ensued. Then all at once it was over and onto Day 1 of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

After a quick debrief into the show, with National Affairs Correspondant Lisa LaFlamme, who travelled with the "Fire" from Greece, my Live duties were over and now a quick strike and reposition to our down town Victoria position for supper hour broadcasts into the Network and our Local, but that would come some 7 hours later. Our crew took a couple of hours to get some shut eye until our next Crew Call at 2PM.

My duties now would center on editing on a new HD disc to disc editing system that had never been used in actual field conditions. The fun was about to begin, and when I say fun, I really mean the stuff that hits a fan. I feel a repeat of the edit caos that defined my Torino Olympic experience. With the eyes of our network firmly on us , we would need to bring our A game. It would be a challange that would relish and it would make the beginning of the final leg of the Journey that would make or break us as a team, as we covered the biggest event in our Station's , dare I say the Network's history.

I will have more to come, in the days and weeks ahead.

The Countdown Is On.

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to 2010. This will be a monumental year for many. This is a year that I have been personally preparing for for some time. In just under 6 weeks the 2010 Winter Olympic Games begin in Vancouver,British Columbia a city I now call home.

This very blog began 4 years ago when I decided after being assigned as part of a Non- Rights Holding crew to cover stories relating to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. I wanted to bring each of my colleagues at CTV with me to that assignment, so the "Blog" would help facilitate that- World Wide Murman Adventures in News Gathering was born.

This time around, I am part of a Rights Holder- CTV- so I expect the experience to be different than that of the Torino Games.

As we count down to the Opening Ceremonies and continue into the Games themselves, I again want to bring you all along for the ride. You won't get scores or results, there are plenty of places to do that. I will however attempt to give you a perspective of someone behind or in my case ABOVE the scenes.

My 2010 Olympic Experience began more that a year ago at a general staff meeting at the home office on Robson and Burrard in Vancouver (CTV British Columbia). We were all told of a process by which each of us could apply to an "Olympic Consortium" which was headed by CTV, for Olympic assignments covering the games. During the meeting there were many questions asked by staff. Some were answered, some would be answered at a later date. But the opportunity was given, it was now up to me to apply.

And apply I did. My goal was to be a part of a national Rights Holding broadcast team and to have a different Olympic experience than my time 4 years ago.
As luck would have it, I made the team as did 6 of my colleagues. Now all I needed to know is what my particular assignment would entail. Would it be a mountain assignment- Skiing was asked during the application process- could it be speed skating- the Olympic Oval in Richmond is just down the street from the Chopper 9 hangar and was one of the jewels of the new competition venues - or could it be general assignment news gathering or field production.
I would not "officially" know until December of 2009.

Just over a month ago, my email informing me of my assignment arrived. I was assigned to be the CTV/Rogers Olympic Consortium's "Helicopter Camera Operator".
Wow, I have never met anyone who has covered an Olympic Games from the air. I wanted a unique Olympic Games Assignment, and I got one. Lets just hope the weather is good for flight operations.

Now the countdown is on.

The Cable Song-"Who's gonna tell our stories when the story tellers gone"

You may remember a fellow by the name of David Carroll. He was the fellow that took on United Airlines after they dammaged-check that- broke his guitar. He went public after getting the run-a-round from the folks at United and struck back with his song and video "United Break Guitars".
Well David is back and this time this Troubadour of Maritime ilk is coming out in suport of LOCAL TELEVISION. You gotta like that, well at least I do.
So for your viewing pleasure may I present David Carroll and "The Cable Song".
Enjoy.


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Brillant

Summer of Fire

We returned from our Kelowna deployment late Tuesday. Now we again find ourselves preparing Chopper 9 to go into yet another fire. Yes the fire season is firmly upon us. This time we are preparing to fly to the town of Lilooet British Columbia. A small fire there has grown to a large fire and evacuations could be imminant.

Word also this morning that a fire that we had flown on earlier this week near Terrace Mountain has grown to be a monster. There are now 2200 people in a nearby town on evacuation order. We still have crews on the ground in the area but the NOTAM has been modified to 12000 ft above and 5 mile around the fire.


The mission to Lilooet will not involve us overnighting at this point.
There is lightning in the forecast, this could be the mother of all fire seasons.

We're In!

Chopper 9 waits on the flightline with other helicopters at the Kelowna Airport

The call came shortly after 2PM.

"Murman, standby to copy frequency and code information"

The sound of the two-way startled me out of a daydream of happier times. I looked over at Guiv our pilot who suddenly came to life on his easy chair in the Pilots lounge at the Shell hangar.

"This is it, we're in." I said as I fumbled for my note pad to copy down the numbers. We had been waiting for a good part of the day waiting to gain access into the restricted airspace to gather tape of the fire areas being attacked from the sky.

Guiv climbs into Chopper 9 as we prepare to fly into the Fire zone.

We soon found ourselves in the air and heading into the fire zone.

There were a number of bucketing helicopters working the fire. We watched from our position above the firefighting helos.

I am working the FLIR camera and attempting to acquire targets to put to tape.

This is what we flew to Kelowna for, access into and around the fires. Up until now we have been relegated to the outer limits. As a guy who loves to get right in there, it was kind of difficult to be waiting for a call while the fire rages just a few miles away. But no matter we are in and now we can do what we came here to do - shoot directly above the fire.

A shot out my window as fly over the Glenrosa fire scene.

Mission accomplished.

Day 2 Kelowna Fires

We are now into day two. At least the smoke has cleared somewhat. We began the day with a full crew meeting to discuss and comeup with a game plan. We have a number of people here on the ground in Kelowna to cover these fires.

We are still working our forestry contacts to gain access into the restricted airspace. But for now we recon-ed all three fires from just outside the NOTAM restrictions.
It was a productive flight. We were able to get the first shots of the Terrace Mountain Fire. This fire is located about 20 miles to the northwest of Kelowna. This fire is not threatening any structures, but has produced most of the troublesome smoke that plagued flight operations yesterday.

This is a shot the Terrace Mountain Fire some 20 miles to the North of Kelowna.

Another shot as taken from my crew window of the Terrace Mountain Fire north of Kelowna. This non interface fire is producing most of the smoke in the Kelowna area and has ground crews observing its behaviour.

We continued to fly around the backside of it and headed to the backside of both Rose Valley and Glenrosa fires. Smoke on the back side was such that it made shooting from this position unfeasible.

This is a look from the east side of Lake Okanagan looking at the Glenrosa fire. This fire is an interface fire and has more than 11,000 people displace due to evacuation orders.

The flight was not a write off. We did return with shots of each fire location that will no doubt find their way to air during the cast this evening.

Hopefully we will have been able to get clearance to enter the fire zone at a reduce altitude and deliver some killer material for the team.

The Wait

We have been on the ground making calls and attempting to coordinate with the Air Ops side of the Forestry Service.
With the fire less than 24 hours old we are understandably low in the priority que at the moment.


The current flight restrictions around the area are 7000ft and below to the south of the Kelowna Control Tower due to smoke and air operations around the fire. As you get closer to the fire sites themselves the NOTAM (Notice to AirMen) calls for a 5 miles radius with a 9000 ft altitude restriction.

A look at the fire activivity as we lift off from the Kelowna airport earlier this morning

At around 11:00 we did a recon flight with these restrictions. We were able to get some shots of fire activity from a distance at an altitude of 7000. When we attempted to go to the 9000 ft level, smoke and cloud made further shooting unfeasible. We returned to our base at the Kelowna Airport to again wait.

Another medium helicopter arrives for potential hire by Forestry to support Fire operations.

I have noticed a number of medium helicopters arriving in the past two hours. They are all here with buckets awaiting to be contracted by Forestry to provide air support over the fire. They too sit and play the waiting game.

FIRE!

This has been a flight week that can be described in one word - FIRE.

House fire, boat fires and as I sat down to a chicken BBQ with my son, the phone rang with word of another fire. This time of the forest variety and it is serious. The call was to prepare the deployment of Chopper 9 and her FLIR broadcast camera to Kelowna.
The last time I got a call like this for Kelowna was during the hot dry summer of 2003 when a wild fire ripped through the outer parts of town destroying hundreds of homes and causing millions of dollars of dammage.

As we left at dawn to the fire zone, word of 12 homes already lost and thousands of people evacuated. The situation is very fluid at this moment and now that we have arrived we are awaiting further instructions.

The smoke rises into the horizon as we transit to Kelowna. This plume is from a second fire in the Kelowna area near the Rose Valley Dam.

A look from 8000 ft as we fly past the Glenrosa fire West Kelowna. This blaze was discovered on Saturday afternoon has already forced thousands to be evacuated and reports indicate as many as 12 structures have been destroyed.

A shot of the smoke lingering in the air as we fly into Kelowna

I shall attempt to keep updating with photos and give you an idea of what it is like to cover a wild fire from a news gathering helicopter.
But for now we wait.
For the most up to date information please go to the ctv web site by following the link http://www.ctv.ca/ and click on CTV British Columbia.

For now we sit and wait at the Kelowna airport until we coordinate with Fire Flight Operations.