Seven years ago today...

Seven years ago today I was sitting in the student lounge at the University of Maryland skipping Fluid Dynamics class like i ususally did. My friend Elizabeth comes in trying to find a TV that worked, evidently a plane had just hit the World Trade Center in NYC. Like everyone else i think to myself oh it must be one of those small one engine jobbers and its an accident. Then as soon as we get the TV working we see the first images of the tower, then the anchor comes on as a second plane slams into the tower. Now we know its not an accident. Students in class know nothing yet, why would they. People start filtering out of dorms to congregate at the union, on the mall, anywhere there were other people or TV's. Just as everyone is finding out about the twin towers, the campus police start coming around campus telling us that there is something going on in DC that we should return to our dorms and they will make an announcement abotu what is going on.

As we're returning to our dorms we see the column of smoke rising from DC. We have no clue just yet that the Pentagon has just been struck. The campus is only 8.5 Miles as the crow flies from the pentagon grounds.

I lost a couple friends that day, all either marines or army, and one who was a contractor working at the pentagon for just that day making a presentation. The room he was in was in the outer ring on the side where the plane struck.

That day was one of the reasons i joined the fire service, seeing the heroism and knowing that i can make a difference, a small one but one none the less.

NEVER FORGET!

NOT the best night ever

Started doing testable evolutions tonight, first try through at pulling a crosslay off the engine out of the bucket. Textbook until i realized that i'd forgotten to don my scba completely and wasnt on air...automatic failure. At least this wasnt the actual test but rather test prep. Saving grace is I did it right the second time and in really good time.

We get through water supply and the instructors call the class early...uh oh!!!!

We get a talking to from our instructors for not having our hearts in the class...totally baffled by this as far as my personal effort, but can see the instructors point overall, there are some people in the class who need to step it up.

The most complicated part of class is coming up, how to confront the "problem children" in class without fracturing class unity.

Weekly update ... number... um... whatever!

Ok been a while again, i suck at this blogging regularity thing...

Since my last post we've finished ladders, and moved on to hoses. Wheeee HOSES!!! I can feel the hurt!

We learned about coupling hoses, uncoupling hoses, draining hoses, charging hoses, carrying hoses, rolling hoses, unrolling hoses, nozzles, appliances, pumps, commands and all that jazz. I guess this is the meat and potatoes of the fire service, at least when it comes to suppression activities.

The last two days and the next two should be filled with fun and excitement ranging from you guessed it hoses to ... um hoses. Kinda monotonous and repetative but its all about muscle memory.

Not much to blog about yet other than you really don't realize how much backpressure these things create. Nearly threw a couple people across the room the first time they flowed water.

I'll post more later in the week when we've done more exciting stuff, tonight is testing evolution night so we'll see how people are doing.

...and the other shoe drops...

shes right though... we are a sweaty bunch

See, i knew someone out there thought this way...

Too bad its a cartoon character...

Addendum to When Rhino's Fly

This is the 14 up a 35 that I mentioned in the last entry....

This is a photo of my friend Jeff, he was in the last class to go through academy.

When Rhino's Fly, and Other acts of Sheer Stupidity

Since the last update we've begun (and recently finished) the ladders section of the fire academy. Learning about laddering a structure for access, roof access, egress, and rescue. Its more complicated than i'd realized. And finding out that fire department ladders really are very very different than homeowner ladders, both in construction and function. Oh, and damn can they get HEAVY, ok all aluminum construction, its a light metal, usually. But 180 pound ladders ... thats a beefy piece of equipment, and unless you've got a really good crew you wind up basically doing a three person raise with 2 people. So long story short i have aches and pains that have aches and pains and i think i've chipped a groove into my shoulder from lugging around the 35' extension ladders all weekend. At least there wasnt a church raise (50' ladder sticking straight up in the air balanced by 4 stay lines and 2"tormentor poles" and you climb up and sit on top to "build teamwork" ) and we don't have any bangor ladders (45'+ ladders that require up to 8 people to raise). The hardest ground ladder based skill we learned was definitely something affectionately referred to as the "14 up a 35", we have 35' extension ladders which are the largest extension ladders carried in my jurisdiction, and 14' roof ladders so called because they have hooks that will hold them onto the slanted surface of a roof. So as the name would suggest you carry the 14' ladder up the 35' ladder and place it on the roof while you're leg locked into the extension ladder. It's not THAT bad but that 25 pound roof ladder gets REALLY heavy about 1/3 of the way up, and keeping your balance on the 35' ladder while its bouncing and swaying and creaking and bouncing and oh yeah BOUNCING while you climb is excedingly difficult. Got that done, nearly barfed the first time doing that one. that was fun!!!

So come sunday and we're thinking we're going to have another difficult but not impossible day. Then we're informed that we're just going to go do some rescues out at the burn structure. We do a couple conscious and unconscious rescues, practice the pregnant lady carry and some drags, and its getting a little later on in the day so we're thinking we're going to break for lunch. We all kinda do a double take when we hear a jake brake and a diesel engine. Sure enough they had pulled a fast one on us, they had brought in the 105' straight stick aerial ladder. We knew we'd have to do it eventually, go up that monster ladder but not sunday, it was scheduled for this coming thursday. I don't think i was mentally prepared for this very well.

They put out the outriggers and give us a tour of the truck showing us all the capabilities and tools the county truck crews have. And then the most disastrous words of the day. "I guess we should put the stick up and have you guys climb." OH C**P!!!!

Luckily i had my camera with me so i've actually got photographic proof that me, the one probably most afraid of heights in the entire class made it all the way up. To tell you the truth it wasnt that bad, i mean it wasnt the most fun i;ve ever had but i wouldnt hesitate to try it again. I know now that they're not as wobbly as you would think. I'll stop blabbering now and show you all some pics that we took .

From left to right: Arnab, Chris, and lil' 'ol me as you can see not too excited about this whole thing.

Kevin at the top of the ladder, oh look, its the moon too!

Proof I made it, yup thats my tubby butt all the way at the top!

Made it back down safe!

Just for scale, thats Rahil at the top of the ladder, And Jim kneeling about 75' in front of the truck. Yeah its really F'ing high!