I have a new article published on firelink, check out the link to read:
http://www.firelink.com/benefits/articles/6840-firefighters-do-the-right-thing
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Drive Time
What's one of the most pure-fun parts of becoming a firefighter? Driving big trucks. Every little kid wants to do it, and it's for good reason: it feels really cool to be in control of something that big.
Yesterday I got to complete my first hour of drive time. In my department, before you can get your red helmet (you keep your orange recruit helmet until this point), you have to be checked off on every front-line apparatus at your station. This entails doing at least 10 hours of "drive time", which gets you familiar with your apparatus and with the area it responds to. My brother's station has an engine, a tanker, and a brush truck, so it could take a while for a new recruit to lose the "Probie" label, but my station just has 1 engine, so it should be a pretty quick process for me.
I met my station commander there in the afternoon, and while he was getting some paperwork printed off for to document the training, the senior Firefighter at the station pulled me aside for a second.
"Hey man, about your drive time...."
"Yeah?"
"It's like this: 1401 is the only truck we have, right? So, if you fuck up my truck, well; nothing personal, but I WILL have to fuck you up. Bad. Like, GI bleed, bad. And it's not cause I don't like you, it's just the way it is, right?"
"...right..."
Nothing like picking on the new guy. :)
So we started by the captain having me do a "360" before leaving. That's exactly what it sounds like: you just walk around the truck to make sure nothing is amiss before you start driving. All the compartments should be shut, nothing should be left sitting on the bumper, nobody should be taking a nap in front of the wheels, etc.
After that I jumped in and started her up, pulled outside, and got to talk over a real radio channel for the first time. This was something that was pretty cool to me. I've done plenty of radio traffic at the training center to other recruits and to instructors, but this was me actually talking to joint communications, so I felt my voice deepen a little as I addressed the city with the gravity I felt such a monumental piece of radio traffic deserved:
"Columbia from engine 1401"
Ok, maybe I deepened my voice a little to much. Oh well, can't worry about it now:
"1401 go ahead"
"engine 1401 is on the air"
"1401 on the air 14:43"
Woo-hoo! That was awesome!....Well, ok, now it doesn't seem so amazing after the fact, but at the time that was a serious rush for me.
We spent the next 1.5 hours driving around my station's runbox, the captain pointing out previous scenes where they had responded for interesting incidents. Vehicle extrications, fires, ice rescues, all kinds of exciting stuff. By the time we got back to the station I felt like we'd only been gone for 15 minutes, and I wasn't ready to get down off my power high just yet. Luckily, there's something fun I got to look forward to right at the end of the drive:
"Columbia from engine 1401"
"1401 go ahead"
"Engine 1401 is in quarters"
"1401 in quarters 16:24"
Yeah, that was fun.
Yesterday I got to complete my first hour of drive time. In my department, before you can get your red helmet (you keep your orange recruit helmet until this point), you have to be checked off on every front-line apparatus at your station. This entails doing at least 10 hours of "drive time", which gets you familiar with your apparatus and with the area it responds to. My brother's station has an engine, a tanker, and a brush truck, so it could take a while for a new recruit to lose the "Probie" label, but my station just has 1 engine, so it should be a pretty quick process for me.
I met my station commander there in the afternoon, and while he was getting some paperwork printed off for to document the training, the senior Firefighter at the station pulled me aside for a second.
"Hey man, about your drive time...."
"Yeah?"
"It's like this: 1401 is the only truck we have, right? So, if you fuck up my truck, well; nothing personal, but I WILL have to fuck you up. Bad. Like, GI bleed, bad. And it's not cause I don't like you, it's just the way it is, right?"
"...right..."
Nothing like picking on the new guy. :)
So we started by the captain having me do a "360" before leaving. That's exactly what it sounds like: you just walk around the truck to make sure nothing is amiss before you start driving. All the compartments should be shut, nothing should be left sitting on the bumper, nobody should be taking a nap in front of the wheels, etc.
After that I jumped in and started her up, pulled outside, and got to talk over a real radio channel for the first time. This was something that was pretty cool to me. I've done plenty of radio traffic at the training center to other recruits and to instructors, but this was me actually talking to joint communications, so I felt my voice deepen a little as I addressed the city with the gravity I felt such a monumental piece of radio traffic deserved:
"Columbia from engine 1401"
Ok, maybe I deepened my voice a little to much. Oh well, can't worry about it now:
"1401 go ahead"
"engine 1401 is on the air"
"1401 on the air 14:43"
Woo-hoo! That was awesome!....Well, ok, now it doesn't seem so amazing after the fact, but at the time that was a serious rush for me.
We spent the next 1.5 hours driving around my station's runbox, the captain pointing out previous scenes where they had responded for interesting incidents. Vehicle extrications, fires, ice rescues, all kinds of exciting stuff. By the time we got back to the station I felt like we'd only been gone for 15 minutes, and I wasn't ready to get down off my power high just yet. Luckily, there's something fun I got to look forward to right at the end of the drive:
"Columbia from engine 1401"
"1401 go ahead"
"Engine 1401 is in quarters"
"1401 in quarters 16:24"
Yeah, that was fun.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thanks to the Readers
These last couple of days have been amazing. Since my article went up on Firelink.com, I've gotten a huge influx of messages from firefighting veterans and recruits throughout the country. Some have sent stories of why they decided to become firefighters, others have just given me encouragement and advice for my training. I'm standing in awe at a community that is so quick to adopt and assist a newbie.
So this is my public thanks to all of the firefighters who contacted me either through comments or email, and to all those who were the inspiration for one of those individuals to join the fire service. I couldn't be more excited to be joining that family.
So this is my public thanks to all of the firefighters who contacted me either through comments or email, and to all those who were the inspiration for one of those individuals to join the fire service. I couldn't be more excited to be joining that family.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
New Opportunity
So, if you've enjoyed my writing so far on this blog, it's time to go take a look at my new platform as a featured writer on FireLink.com. I'll be doing a series for them on the recruit/probationary firefighter experience, and it should be interesting and fun reading. While you're there, if you want to support me, get an account with them (free) so you can rate my articles, comment on them, and connect with other members of the fire service community.
Here's the link:
http://www.firelink.com/benefits/articles/6802-firefighter-origins
Here's the link:
http://www.firelink.com/benefits/articles/6802-firefighter-origins
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Primary Search
It's amazing what the human body can do when you push it hard enough.
Last night at fire training was the first time that I really felt just how physically tough this is going to be.
Chief:"Crew Vizitei, we've got a working fire! I want a primary search on floor 1, right hand search! Get going!"
Work on the fireground isn't the same as doing the same level of physical labor at the gym. You can't breathe freely, it's so hot under your gear, there's so much weight.
Me (into the radio):"Command, from Crew Vizitei! Smoke and flames showing on side 3! Crew Vizitei is making forcible entry on side 1, executing primary search 1, right hand search!"
You have to crawl everywhere, the heat would be too much to stand in, and you can't stand to get any hotter than you already are just from the exertion.
Me (to crewmate):"This door is hot! Get that nozzle ready, I'll open it on 3!...1!...2!...3!" (The door swings open, while my crewmate points the hose at the door just in case flames come shooting out)
It's dark. Too dark to see anything, even your crewmate crouched directly in front of you. You have to keep one hand on him all the time, or you won't know where you are anymore, or which way is out.
Crewmate:"I need more hose! I can't move forward!"
Me:"Hang on! Keep your head up, I'll pull in as much hose as I can!"
There's so much stuff to take with you. Flashlight, Thermal imager, axe, halligen, radio, not to mention the hose. Before you even pick up any of that stuff, you're already carrying 30 extra pounds on your back from the breathing tank on your back. And a hose that's pressurized with water doesn't move as easily as you might think.
Me (shouting at the top of my lungs):"Fire Department! Anybody in hear!?!"
You have to move fast, but you have to be thorough too. Kids like to hide under beds. People might be unconscious behind a piece of furniture. Shuffle, feel, shuffle, feel.
Me (into the radio):"Command, from Crew Vizitei! Victim Found! Making Exit side 1!"
Nothing is as hard to move as a limp body. Limbs can get caught around stuff, the body is heavy. You can't stand up because of the heat, you can't see where you're going, every time you pull with all your might, you only move about six inches. Your breathing gets fast, your body aches, you can't believe you have anything left in you to keep moving, but you're starting to run out of air and you can't stop because you have to get this victim out of the building. Your lungs burn, and your mind screams that you're at your limit, but you don't have a choice. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.
Me (to crewmate):"Stone!(pant, pant) I'm stuck! (pant) The victims arm...(pant)...is caught...(pant)...on the hose! (pant, pant)...Help!"
Stone:Ok, buddy! Push on 3!...1! 2! 3! PUSH!
Even once you're out of the doorway, you can't stop. You have to get away from the building. It's SO hot. You can't breathe. As you struggle to keep dragging, you work equally hard to tear your mask off as quickly as possible. Even with fresh air coming in, you can't shed heat fast enough. You can feel your clothes soaked and heavy from sweat underneath your fire gear.
Instructor:"Don't stop, we aren't done yet! What do you do now!?"
Me:"Radio...(pant)...command!"
Instructor:"Well, your radio fell out of your pocket inside, so you'd better go talk to them face to face"
Gotta get the gear off. It's so hot. Can't breathe. Keep walking. So Hot. Keep walking.
Me:"Command, this is crew Vizitei! (pant, pant)...lost our radio....(pant)...Crew vizitei is par....(pant)..plus one victim...(pant, pant)...primary search complete..."
Command:"Crew vizitei, par plus one victim, primary search complete"
Me:"...affirmative..."
Now you can fall over. Now you can tear all your gear off. Now you can get your pack off your back. Now you can poor a bottle of water over your head. But don't pass out. Don't throw up. Whatever you do, just stay calm.
It's amazing what the human body can do when you push it hard enough.
Last night at fire training was the first time that I really felt just how physically tough this is going to be.
Chief:"Crew Vizitei, we've got a working fire! I want a primary search on floor 1, right hand search! Get going!"
Work on the fireground isn't the same as doing the same level of physical labor at the gym. You can't breathe freely, it's so hot under your gear, there's so much weight.
Me (into the radio):"Command, from Crew Vizitei! Smoke and flames showing on side 3! Crew Vizitei is making forcible entry on side 1, executing primary search 1, right hand search!"
You have to crawl everywhere, the heat would be too much to stand in, and you can't stand to get any hotter than you already are just from the exertion.
Me (to crewmate):"This door is hot! Get that nozzle ready, I'll open it on 3!...1!...2!...3!" (The door swings open, while my crewmate points the hose at the door just in case flames come shooting out)
It's dark. Too dark to see anything, even your crewmate crouched directly in front of you. You have to keep one hand on him all the time, or you won't know where you are anymore, or which way is out.
Crewmate:"I need more hose! I can't move forward!"
Me:"Hang on! Keep your head up, I'll pull in as much hose as I can!"
There's so much stuff to take with you. Flashlight, Thermal imager, axe, halligen, radio, not to mention the hose. Before you even pick up any of that stuff, you're already carrying 30 extra pounds on your back from the breathing tank on your back. And a hose that's pressurized with water doesn't move as easily as you might think.
Me (shouting at the top of my lungs):"Fire Department! Anybody in hear!?!"
You have to move fast, but you have to be thorough too. Kids like to hide under beds. People might be unconscious behind a piece of furniture. Shuffle, feel, shuffle, feel.
Me (into the radio):"Command, from Crew Vizitei! Victim Found! Making Exit side 1!"
Nothing is as hard to move as a limp body. Limbs can get caught around stuff, the body is heavy. You can't stand up because of the heat, you can't see where you're going, every time you pull with all your might, you only move about six inches. Your breathing gets fast, your body aches, you can't believe you have anything left in you to keep moving, but you're starting to run out of air and you can't stop because you have to get this victim out of the building. Your lungs burn, and your mind screams that you're at your limit, but you don't have a choice. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going.
Me (to crewmate):"Stone!(pant, pant) I'm stuck! (pant) The victims arm...(pant)...is caught...(pant)...on the hose! (pant, pant)...Help!"
Stone:Ok, buddy! Push on 3!...1! 2! 3! PUSH!
Even once you're out of the doorway, you can't stop. You have to get away from the building. It's SO hot. You can't breathe. As you struggle to keep dragging, you work equally hard to tear your mask off as quickly as possible. Even with fresh air coming in, you can't shed heat fast enough. You can feel your clothes soaked and heavy from sweat underneath your fire gear.
Instructor:"Don't stop, we aren't done yet! What do you do now!?"
Me:"Radio...(pant)...command!"
Instructor:"Well, your radio fell out of your pocket inside, so you'd better go talk to them face to face"
Gotta get the gear off. It's so hot. Can't breathe. Keep walking. So Hot. Keep walking.
Me:"Command, this is crew Vizitei! (pant, pant)...lost our radio....(pant)...Crew vizitei is par....(pant)..plus one victim...(pant, pant)...primary search complete..."
Command:"Crew vizitei, par plus one victim, primary search complete"
Me:"...affirmative..."
Now you can fall over. Now you can tear all your gear off. Now you can get your pack off your back. Now you can poor a bottle of water over your head. But don't pass out. Don't throw up. Whatever you do, just stay calm.
It's amazing what the human body can do when you push it hard enough.
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