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Painting, scrubbing, polishing, mopping, organizing…
Yes, it's time for spring cleaning and firehouse inspections (and, ostensibly, the company pride that's held within).
Good thing we now have lots of extra cleaning rags. (Fox5, via Statter911's original summary)
Having misplaced my old, yet durable, point-and-shoot, I've been relying on my iPhone for my "work" camera. One of my dSLRs is too bulky for regular use; I find that the iPhone, while not having stellar image quality, certainly gets the job done.
You know what they say… the best camera is the one that's with you.
What's amazing about the advancement of technology is that the iPhone actually has more resolution than the first "pro"-level Nikon digital SLR (The D1, with a hefty price tag of almost $5,000 and a weight to match, sported a groundbreaking 2.7 megapixels). In comparison, my iPhone 3GS has 3 megapixels—I'll concede that the sensor size is different, but without going too much into the mechanics of it, it's still pretty damned amazing. Plus, I can do some post-processing in-camera by using an app called… wait for it… "BestCamera," created by photographer Chase Jarvis' awesome team. It's only $2.99, but you can get some amazing results with it. In fact, Chase's vision has started something of a neat community of iPhone photographers, whose work you can browse here.
Plus, this Apple hardware seems to have held up pretty well kicking around the inside of my bunker coat pocket, along with some door chocks and a few random tools. (Thanks, OtterBox.)
Regardless, it's always with me at work, and I enjoy those "ohmygodIwishIhadacamerarightnow" moments. Because I do! And I revel in going through my phone's photos every few months, because I forgot about most of the ridiculous stuff that's on there.
So here ya go. As always, click to embiggen.
Burn Foundation Fundraisers: a good excuse for firemen to get together and bowl at 8am in the morning.
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A poorly-built third story addition in NE… on one hell of a windy day.
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An early morning fire in our first-due area, from a few tours ago.
He had just put a new helmet in service that day, and said that he wanted to burn it up a little bit…
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Basketball, anyone? I think it adds a genuine Southeast touch to our firehouse.
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Potomac Gardens, up in Capitol Hill. An apartment off on the 3rd floor displaced quite a few residents. The woman from the fire apartment was (quite literally) dumped in my arms by Truck 7 for medical care, as she was found in the apartment with significant airway damage from smoke and heat.
View from the courtyard; the windows that weren't smashed out were coated with a thick, greasy soot.
I was pleasantly surprised to see other locals bringing coffee and hot chocolate to the displaced elderly residents who had to sit outside in the cold for a while; it looks like people from Capitol Hill have hearts, after all!
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Every firefighter in the city knows exactly what this is… but what it's doing sitting in someone's yard on Park Rd in NW, I have no idea.
It’s been a wee bit since I last posted; between wedding plans, a new dog, and writing a very in-depth post that I can’t seem to find the proper way to finish, it gets far too easy to say “ah, I’ll just write that thing tomorrow.” Well, too often, this hypothetical tomorrow does not come. Or I can say “Ooh, I have the first watch tonight at work. I’ll just sit down when it’s nice and quiet and bang out a quick blog post. Hell, maybe I’ll even write a few, to save for later!” (Yes, this is going exactly where you think it is.)
Smash cut: about two hours, three pieces of cake, four episodes of South Park, and five glasses of sweet tea later: it’s almost 2am, and I want nothing more than to wake up the next watchman. My focus at that point lies solely with entering hibernation mode: stealthily entering the bunkroom and quietly crawling into bed, in the hopes that I won’t make enough noise to anger whatever temperamental deity controls the bells. Staring in the flickering candlelight at that round metal bastard mounted oh-so-innocently on the wall, I drift off with one eye firmly planted on it as if to bully it into staying silent all night.
“Where the hell did the time go?!” I always ask. Well, I think it disappears because I’m far too torn on what to write about, and procrastination is always the easier option. On days off, it’s far too easy to go out and rack up miles on my bike than stay shut inside. There’s always a better option, it seems.
But not today, dammit! I shall turn my procrastination from the ugly obstacle that it is into the subject, nay, the very inspiration of this writing. I shall tackle it head on, killing it with explanations of creativity and process. My hope is that by delineating these (more for my benefit than yours), I can find my way back onto the track that led me to where RaisingLadders is today.
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The first thought is always: who or what can I write about? (Actually, the first real, visceral reaction is “Aw come on, what the f#@%. You lazy hump, you haven’t written a damned thing in forever!” After that subsides, however, my inner monologue becomes less crass and more rational.)
I could certainly report on firefighter-related news, but I feel I’m vastly out-classed by several of the veteran news behemoths on fireemsblogs.com. I’m just not a newshound, and I find it hard enough to browse the steady stream of information from various sources without having to compile it and write it up—it’s a hell of a task, and I give a lot of credit to those who do it with ease.
I could write about firefighting tips, techniques, drills & skills… but alas, with barely two years on the job, I haven’t amassed anywhere near enough knowledge to presume to pass it along. At this point in time, I’m better served absorbing the teachings of those around me to improve my own abilities. I learn a new way to do something almost every shift, but I’m in no position to be educating others, as I still have much to learn myself.
Ooh, I could tell great stories! I’ve a bit of a knack for making that which is benign or routine somewhat interesting, but the difficulty inherent in telling stories from work (be they happy, sad, confusing, disturbing, or any combination thereof) brings me to my next point: when.
The ebb and flow of interesting (or at least post-worthy) occurrences at work never fails to give me at least a little chuckle. Ever since I began writing down some of my more interesting incidents from my days as an EMT in high school, I’ve always marveled at how the universe seems to know when you’re just about to give up.
Case in point: I was working in an Emergency Room in college as a Tech (read: gopher). It was a lot of stocking, cleaning, and dealing with nasty staff and patients; but it never failed that just when the job was getting on my last nerve and I was ready to storm into the boss’s office to throw my stupid purple scrubs at him and strut out defiantly in my underwear, something awesome would happen. An attending would let me hold a squirming, fibrillating heart, between the ribs splayed wide open from a last-ditch attempt to save a gunshot wound victim. STATMedEvac would bring in patients all day long, but the one flight medic who I always talked to brought me on a ride-along with him. A woman would stun me speechless by abandoning her baby in my (not-so-capable at eighteen) hands out of the blue, a story I related long ago on this very blog.
It’s a strange pattern, the irregular irregularity of things my brain deems worthy of writing about. Day in and day out, the BS calls and the minor car accidents with no injuries; the food on the stove; the 2am alarm bells that we reset and go home. Many shifts are like that: reset, go home. Repeat. It’s all too easy to find yourself two or three weeks later, realizing that you haven’t written a single word from the past hundred-and-forty-four hours of one of the most exciting and satisfying jobs in the world.Am I slacking? Perhaps. Is it bred from laziness? Sometimes, sure.
As a writer, are these moments upsetting? Definitely.
The where is pretty easy. I long ago gave up on seriously writing posts at work; while I’d love the “as-it-happens” feel, I prefer to sit at home in front of a nice spacious monitor and craft a post several times over. Besides, there’s just too many distractions, and entries completed in pieces end up sounding very schizophrenic. Photos are another issue; I love photo editing, and that takes another good chunk of time. I’ll keep it at home, thanks. (I also suck miserably at putting out Twitter updates while at work; I’m trying to fix that, but it’s a topic for another post.)
Why is simultaneously easy and complex. The simple answer is because I love it. A more in-depth approach uncovers the subtle, nuanced thing that writing is; it’s like black and white putty, just waiting to be turned into exactly what I want. It might take forever, but getting there is half the fun, like a jigsaw puzzle into which you keep swapping pieces until one fits just right. And writing about something I hold a dear passion for is beautiful; with the right combination of flowing prose, the experience becomes almost ethereal (when it all turns out right). It’s what kept this blog going when I was absolutely certain nobody was reading it (yes, Google confirmed this several times)—and that thought stays with me every time I click “Add New Post.”
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The Five W’s were taught to me long ago by a wonderful teacher, writing partner, and friend. Much of my early inspiration comes from constantly asking these questions, day in and day out. It’s surprising I don’t have either more blog posts, or more black eyes from annoyed coworkers—luckily, most of ‘em are more than happy to talk endlessly about the job. Another bit of wisdom from the aforementioned source: do what you love, and the money will come later.
Well, I grew up to be a firefighter after many Halloweens spent playing in a plastic costume. I live in a vibrant, exciting city, and I work in one of the most interesting parts of it. I have complete creative control over a writing endeavor that I basically fell ass-backwards into after a bit of good fortune. I’m in a perfect spot, and I couldn’t love it more.
There’s plenty of exciting stuff coming up after a much-too-long hiatus, so I look forward to sharing it and photographing it and presenting it to you with a big RaisingLadders bow on it. No matter what, a writer writes. And write I shall, good readers.
So when’s all this damn money supposed to start showing up??
/RL
A fellow firefighter at my house is getting ready to shave his head bald. If you knew what kind of ridiculous mullet he’s been working on since last year, you’d laugh pretty damn hard.
THEN: This is him in September 2010, when he decided to start his “no-haircut” phase for St. Baldrick’s.
NOW: This time has not been good to him, as he has unfortunately transformed into a pre-pubescent pop star.
Setting his sights on a donation goal of $1,500 to St. Baldricks (an organization that raises money for children’s cancer research), he’s almost there! At the time of this writing, he is just $120 shy of his goal. If anyone is feeling generous at the moment, or even just curious about the organization as a whole, Rocky’s participant page is here. You have until March 6th, when he and many, many others will buzz it all off and complete their fundraising.
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In 1999, three New York City insurance executives decided to turn their St. Patrick’s day celebrations into a statement of solidarity for children currently being treated with chemotherapy. After shaving their heads and convincing a few others to join them in their off-the-cuff fundraiser, they coined their name as a portmanteau of “bald” and “Patrick.” One year later, they founded the official organization. Since then, the California-based charity has raised over $90 million in research dollars. Press packages are quite proud of the statement that the foundation has “shaved over 144,900 heads… in 50 U.S. states and twenty-eight countries.”
As it stands now, it’s only mid-February and the Foundation boasts the following impressive statistics for 2011:
Looking into it, I’ve found that there’s a handful of celebrities who enjoy supporting St. Baldrick’s—most notably, Jay Leno attends a fundraiser in Hollywood that is jointly hosted every year by the Los Angeles Fire and Police Departments.
More information is available at the official website; if anyone’s looking for a good fundraiser, it might be something to keep in mind for the future. Get some coworkers together, tell them that nobody’s allowed to get a haircut until the day of the shaving, and watch the hilarious hair hijinks ensue!
Again, Rocky’s page is here. He’s so close, let’s get his donations all the way there before the big day!
I’m extremely pleased and quite proud to announce that my photo submission for the 2011 Andy Fredericks Training Days was selected as the winning entry!
We received dozens of submissions featuring photographs from all over the country. In the end the photo we choose came from Alex Capece who is a firefighter in nearby Washington, DC and a talented photographer to boot. While his photo didn’t show a raging inferno or a dramatic conflagration I liked how it showed firefighters moving a hose line. A simple task that we all need to be proficient performing, and perhaps most importantly, something that speaks to Andy’s legacy — mastery of the basics.
A few weeks ago, a fellow blogger alerted me to a photo contest, the winner of which would have their photo utilized as the promotional poster for the three-day conference in Alexandria, VA. I sent a few of my best their way, and I received the good news this morning.
Thanks to Bill Carey over at BackstepFirefighter for the heads-up… the May 2011 conference has some great speakers (no, seriously… read this list) and is shaping up to be quite the event. Register to attend here! There’s deals on lodging, and the registration fee is a steal in itself for everything that you get.
It looks like a wonderful legacy from a great man—more info on Andy Fredericks is available on the homepage. Three days of learning more about the greatest job in the world? Plus helping out a heartfelt charity organization to boot? Sign me up, buddy.
It’s a yearly thing that I notice in my gym; right around this time of year, the stations seem to be busier, the cardio room is more crowded, and the wife can never seem to find an open elliptical machine. “What gives?” I always ponder, as I turn away from yet another several-deep line in front of a station. Then it hits me, just like it always does.
Ohhh. New Years resolutions.
I applaud everyone who wants to get “back on track,” as lots of them say. It’s an excellent goal, and I’m happy to help in any way I can. But sadly, I see far too many new, eager faces who disappear sometime around February—replaced by the familiar, down-to-business exchanges and curt smiles of the regulars as we trade benches and barbells.
“Are you finished with this?”
“Sure, it’s all yours.”
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Our is a physical job, and as such the need for fitness was drilled into us from Day One. Hell, even before that—we needed to pass a physical agility test just to be considered for recruit school.
Of course, being put through the paces of a fire academy is one thing.
At least nobody forces us to do crazy shit any more, like dragging truck tires all over the place.
I doubt there was a single comrade from class 358 who didn’t leave that (&@$#ing) Tower in some of the best shape of our lives. But we all know what happens afterward.
Not working out for several hours every morning for five days/week
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Three humongous meals/shift, usually of heavy comfort food
=
BFFs (no, not Best Friends Forever; the other one, Big Fat Firefighters.)
We’re all guilty of it. I personally packed on about 15-17 lbs in less than six months out of the Academy. It happens! But the good news is that it can be reversed, I promise.
It’s not just for looking good. Like I said, ours is a very physical job. Lifting, pulling, crawling, dragging… it’s a good idea to keep up with some form of regular exercise, either at work or outside of it. It’s a benefit not just to you, but also to your coworkers (who may need your help in the worst of circumstances) as well as your family (who of course want you safe and healthy for many years to come).
Is anyone in your respective departments trying to establish a more concrete fitness program? I know of a few firehouses over my way that have done their own version of “The Biggest Loser,” and I’ve heard of others whose crews all make a pact to work out together during their shift. These and many other ideas are all over the web: a quick search for “firefighter fitness” yields over a million results. Kettlebell workouts, simple weight training programs, military cross-training, CrossFit for Public Safety… the list is endless. I was working a trade a while back and on one run, the officer slid the pole just absolutely soaked in sweat. I asked him what the hell he had been doing upstairs, and it turns out he was in the middle of ExtremeFitness’s Insanity Workout. (The name, by the way, is in no way misleading. It’s painful, and you’re a bad mofo if you can make it through all sixty days.)
Amazon.com has plenty of results, too. If you’re more of a book fan, you’ll find plenty of manuals and healthy eating regimens aimed at public safety employees (the food issue, however, is a subject for another post entirely.) For the longest time, one of my favorite resources was a no-nonsense, fact-filled book aimed at police/fire called “Fit for Duty.”
Whether it’s for New Years or not, it’s never too late to put forth some effort into being in better shape. Some guys at work stay in shape, some guys don’t. You can’t change everyone, but the first month of the year is as good a time as any to make a decision for yourself.
Buy a bicycle. Go for a short jog. Even just start walking a few miles per day, a few days a week (you’d be surprised at how quickly your body can respond to just a slight rise in your activity level. If you have a dog, he’ll love it, too.)
Be one of those people who doesn’t fall off the wagon! And maybe I’ll see you around the gym… all the way through December.
Happy 2011, to all you readers and fellow bloggers alike!
I thought it might be appropriate, even as we venture into the second decade of the third millennium, to share some history that I came across just a few days shy of the New Year.
“Original artwork of Old Engine 15″, © Michael McGurk
Inspired by an image on the cover of the most recent Capital City Firefighter magazine, I re-read the brief history posted online about the DC Fire Department. Specifically, I was scanning for this:
April 15, 1898: Engine Company 15 was placed in service at Washington & Pierce Streets, Anacostia (these streets are now 14th & V Streets S. E. respectively). Engine 15 went in service with an 1883 Clapp & Jones 450 GPM steam fire engine and an 1889 McDermott Bros. hose reel carriage.
Well, since the street names have changed, what else about the area would have changed? My next step was finding a historic map, circa 1898.
Apparently, the University of Alabama has a serious thing about maps—their archive is quite impressive. I was able to secure three maps that I liked (as always, click for higher resolution):
The first is a portion of a US Army Corps of Engineers map from 1890. Originally drawn to show which parts of the city were damaged by sewage during a flood in June of 1889, this map had the best view of Southeast Washington on the far side of the Anacostia River. And wouldn’t you know it, there’s the intersection of Washington and Pierce Streets. I was, however, unable to find out when the streets changed their names. I suppose Anacostia (or “Uniontown,” as it was called when it was developed as a suburb) didn’t adopt the lettered/numbered street naming system until later—even though it had already been incorporated into the city of Washington by 1878. 
The second is a whole map from 1895, which is a detailed map of what they called the “main portion” (mostly Northwest) of D.C. This map looks very similar in style to the Rand-McNally maps we still use; even though the hyphenated term is a household name today, this map is so old that William Rand himself was CEO of the company for four more years after this was produced.
The final map is actually dated 1898, and it’s a chunk of an old US Geological Survey map. The streets aren’t written out too well, but I like how the neighborhoods are labeled in relation to one another.
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Anyways, I had a good time digging up these pieces of history and I thought some of you might enjoy ‘em. I’m sure there are some old photographs kicking around the firehouse that I could put up, too. We’ll see—I’ll be sure to check during my next shift.
Now, if I could just get my hands on a copy of the highly-desirable “100 Years of Glory…”
I’m off to the first of many holiday parties this weekend. While the holiday season brings its own issues for fellow street providers and our clientele alike, I feel that my FireEMSBlogs compatriots will be more than adequate in offering their own tales of responding in inclement weather, fires caused by Christmas tree lights, hilarious holiday shenanigans, etc.
I will, however, offer the following video I found at www.allhandsfire.com to bring some seasonal spirit to readers.
Even Bailout Santa knows: try before you pry! And if anyone’s an expert on getting into people’s houses, it’s gotta be him.
(Note: I am in no way affiliated with, nor am I being compensated to endorse any products on this website or any of its sponsors or media partners. They do have some cool gifts, though, if you’re shopping for a firefighter.)
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Merry/Happy [insert ridiculously politically-corrected holiday celebration of your choice and religious preference here], everyone!
As Facebook continues its Orwellian endeavor to monitor and infiltrate the lives of everyone on Earth, I grow closer and closer each day to deleting my own account.
Unfortunately, it commands such a presence within my demographic (not only by age, but also by profession—I’d be hard pressed to find coworkers who don’t have a FB acount) that I feel unable to get rid of it. Some of my associates who I contact regularly either a) are so ingrained in Big Blue that it’s pretty much their only form of communication or b) I have no other means of contacting them—either it was lost to time or never provided to me in the first place.
It is this chronic presence of social media, Twitter pictures, mobile updates, etc. within the fire service that I’m concerned about. It’s already bad enough that the citizens we protect can be all too litigious without warning; but if you spread something stupid around the internet, it’s certainly lights out for your career. Both the higher-ups and the general public can get you into more hot water than you thought possible.
Here’s a quick timeline of Internet-based screwups, just from 2010:
February 11th, 2010: South Carolina firefighter/paramedic Jason Brown posts an animated short film which he created using xtranormal.com (a site where you can make various characters interact with dialogue and actions of your choosing)—the video in question depicted a conversation between a firefighter and a doctor. The Colleton County Fire/Rescue Director ruled that “[Brown] displayed poor judgment in producing a derogatory video depicting a member of this department with a physician which is implied to be at Colleton Medical Center.” Amidst several allegations—not the least of which was outright racism—Brown was dismissed. His appeal process was unsuccessful, and he was escorted to his station to empty his locker while his officers watched over him.
“I felt like a criminal,” he said.
Source: WCSC News / Charleston
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July 17th: A 23-year-old female is involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident in Spalding County, Georgia. Responding firefighter Terrence Reid filmed the accident scene and the victim’s body with his cell phone, then passed it around to friends at a bar. After the video hit the internet, it didn’t take long for the victim’s father to learn of the video that contained graphic footage and firefighters’ conversations describing his daughter’s mangled body.
Reid has since been dismissed, for various charges including lying to his supervisors about the incident and conduct unbecoming a public officer.
Sources: Statter911; Blippit
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October 1st: A Florida firefighter awakens from a nap to find an unusual picture on his laptop computer. While he slept, a coworker had exposed himself and stood… unnecessarily close to the sleeping man, then uploaded the picture where the napper would certainly find it. FireGeezer reported more back in late October.
(Note: while I see that the issue is more about complaints of repetitive hazing amongst the High Springs Fire Department, it’s just an example of the kind of stupid uploaded photo that can get you in some serious trouble. )
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October 27th: Austin, TX firefighter Alejandro Garza is placed on indefinite suspension without pay due to the discovery of nude photos he had posted online earlier this year. In the “profile” area of his account, he had included information that revealed him to be an Austin firefighter. Despite arguments that he had posted the photos in 2006 and had since “taken them off the internet,” a second complaint indicated that he had posted additional photos as recently as August.
Source: El Paso Times / El Paso
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November 4th: A Canadian paramedic has been fired over a Facebook photo that showed people “having fun,” said an anonymous source. Spokesmen for various agencies (including unions representatives and county officials) refused to give details, as it may compromise investigations. However, Brian Gregg, the chief administrative officer for Essex County, said that “an employee would not be fired simply over a photo posted on the Internet, though a picture could lead to an investigation.”
“It’s not the photo itself. It’s the investigation that comes of it, if someone is conducting themselves in a way that’s inappropriate, based on either our employee code of conduct or our technology-use policy.”
Gregg also stated that Essex does not enforce nor does it have a social media policy, although it urges employees to be “judicious” in their use.
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Now, I’m not advocating that everyone trash their social media accounts and hermit themselves up with no virtual communication—far from it. I will continue to use Facebook and Twitter, and all of you will to. My only suggestion is that everyone be careful with what gets posted. The second you hit “post” or “send,” it’s all out of your hands.Go back and delete it all you want, but remember: a bad decision on the internet is like herpes.
That shit never goes away.
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P.S. – BusinessInsider put up two great features regarding everyone’s Facebook use; take the information for what you will.
10 Reasons to Delete Your Facebook Account
10 Reasons You’ll Never Quit Facebook (Even If You Think You Want To)
Edit: TheHappyMedic posted his own take on the matter today, venturing more in-depth into an interesting double-standard out in his neck of the woods. Head on over if you haven’t seen it—take it all together and let us know what you think!
In this photo released by China’s Xinhua news agency, spectators watch an apartment building on fire in the downtown area of Shanghai on Monday Nov. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Xinhua); via The Big Picture.
N.B. – in order to give due respect to Boston.com’s The Big Picture, higher-resolution images will not be made available on RaisingLadders. Additionally, all captions remain unchanged.
To see larger, even more stunning images, please follow this link.
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At around 2:15 PM, a fire broke out in an apartment building in Shanghai. Under renovation at the time, the twenty-eight story building quickly allowed the fire to spread to every single floor. According to a Chinese news source, it took around 100 pieces of apparatus from over 25 different stations to control the blaze (after four hours of firefighting, which utilized tactics such as placing hoses on the roofs of neighboring buildings).
Firefighters spray foam and water on the lower portion of an apartment building on fire in the downtown area of Shanghai on Monday Nov. 15, 2010. (AP Photo)
A person waits for rescue in the scaffolding of a burning apartment building in Shanghai on Monday Nov. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Xinhua).
Out of an estimated 150 families located in the building, firefighters were able to rescue approximately one hundred people. The official death toll (as reported by Xinhua) stands at 58.
56 more people are still missing.
A man prays for victims killed in an apartment block blaze, at the entrance of the building, in Shanghai November 21, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song)
Rescue workers carry a victim out of a burning building in Shanghai, November 15, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song)
People gather to watch an apartment building that was destroyed by fire, while flowers and wreaths are placed around in the downtown area of Shanghai on Nov. 17, 2010. (AP Photo)
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VIDEO
CNN put together an excellent minute-long newsreel, seen on YouTube.
Dave Statter also has a much longer, much more comprehensive video, available here.
“Victim, if you can hear me, keep tapping on something!”
It started slowly, almost imperceptibly. I pressed the headphones tighter to my head with one hand and turned the volume up.
tap… tap… tap…
It was definitely there, and it was clear as day.
tap… tap… tap…
Whoever was under the rubble had heard us, and their soft taps of flesh on concrete were the only indication that they were still alive.
Nobody else could hear it—-only the Delsar operator wearing the headset. I turned on the electronic filters designed to eliminate electrical hums and the rumble of apparatus, and started to triangulate the sound.
We had placed three of the sensor “pucks” out in a three-pronged attack on the pile of destroyed concrete and rebar beneath us. The other rescuers stood dead still, avoiding making any extraneous noise during this most crucial of times.
Hmm… it’s not so loud on Number 1. A bit stronger on Number 2; and all quiet on Number 3.
“Alright, let’s move ‘em around; it’s loudest near Two.”
And so the process went, calling and tapping and moving and listening.
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Con-Space Communications, Ltd., the makers of the Delsar LifeDetector Seismic/Acoustic listening system (as well as the SearchCams we utilized that day to find our “victims”) was a company started in the early 90′s as a high-tech revolution to the methods of urban search and rescue in use at the time. Today, they’re one of the largest manufacturers of audio, video, and acoustic devices used to locate trapped victims in environments all over the world.
Utilizing the Delsar system and SearchCam devices, the Engine and Rescue Squad trained on finding victims in one of the simplest, yet most intriguing training sites I’ve been to yet. In Crofton, MD, there’s a pile of concrete and rubble that amounts to about one city block of destruction.
Arranged in a giant U-shape and up to twenty-plus feet in height in some places, the site offers plenty of void spaces for us to practice in.
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“I got one!”
The firefighter crouched down on his haunches and shouted back to the group. Cazo—our trusty K-9—had located a victim and alerted us; shortly thereafter, a SearchCam probe inserted into a dark hole revealed a human form. He was dusty, but he was there.
After we had removed the random mixture of pallets, old carpet, and torso-sized hunks of what was once a building, Mike stood up and smiled at us.
“Man, it’s dark as shit down there!”
We laughed as we helped him out of the hole, and moved onto the next evolution. Three hours later, it was clear that we have some very powerful tools at our disposal for the various situations that we may encounter on a true building collapse.
But the emphasis, as with most things, can be placed back on basics. Fancy toys are nice, but don’t always take the place of tried-and-true methods like hailing–just shout to any victims who can hear and listen for a response. Anyone trapped can then be triangulated by rescuers placed strategically around the site.
A special thanks must be offered to Sgt. Holmes and Lt. Kauffman, who helped all the companies out with the drill (especially the Lieutenant, who spent most of the day wedging himself into tight spaces as the victim!)
Also, we can’t forget Cazo! Some of you may remember my post about two of our own working in Haiti. He’s one badass dog.
Personally, I’m partial to the first one.
(Which you can find here, if you missed it.)
Photo courtesy of Reddit user Cpt2Slow; used with permission.
I know the weather’s been turning a bit colder lately, and not many people are thinking about climbing onto their bikes and riding in a D.C. winter (it’s possible, but given our last snowy encounter, you’d best be outfitted with these). However, it’s the perfect time to start planning for upcoming rides—once the weather evens out, the crisp spring air is a great environment to raise money for an awesome cause.
Photo © Jeff Gritchen, InsideSoCal / Long Beach Seen blog.
A simple Google search reveals several firefighter-centric charity bicycle rides, benefiting everything from multiple sclerosis to the families of those who died on September 11th.
The Chicago Fire Department’s fundraising organization, Ignite The Spirit, completed a 950-mile ride from Chicago around Lake Michigan in May of this year to benefit pediatric cancer research (WGN Radio article here).
The Fire Fighters Charity, a UK-based organization, is currently in the midst of an almost-300-mile, London-to-Paris ride that will finish on November 12th. They’ve already raised the equivalent of $16,413 USD.
Finally, the Tour de Force NY is a ride that started in 2002. Two hundred participants (both American and European, I noted) departed from the Pentagon in Arlington, VA on September 11th.
After riding through D.C., Maryland, Delware, and New Jersey, the riders arrived at Ground Zero on September 14th—a total of just over 200 miles. The route changes every year, too; in 2007, the riders cycled from Yankee Stadium to Fenway Park (flickr user moknits captured them as they were arriving in Boston).
Now, I’d love to attend one of these rides myself next year. However, I think the DC area has enough charity-conscious individuals that we could really get something going for the DC Firefighters’ Burn Foundation—I asked a few questions of the right people, and it seems that nobody’s ever done a charity bicycle ride for the organization. I think this could be a great opportunity to get a few fellow cyclists together and raise some serious money next year!
Uh, guys? I don’t think we have to actually be working while we’re riding. But I suppose it never hurts to be prepared… (Image source unknown.)
If there’s any interest/ideas that you’d like to throw my way, either email me or drop a comment below.
Besides, we could certainly make our presence known with a few custom cycling jerseys…
This was just me spitballing some ideas quickly… I’d imagine any actual jerseys might not be this diverse in the color department… we’d look like Skittles riding down the road.
Ronald Reagan International Airport, late morning. A 747 approaches runway 33 for a landing from the southeast. At the last second, an engine cuts out and a bad gust torques the left wing upward. The plane tumbled off-balance as the wheels touched down at an awkward angle. Smoking for the briefest of seconds, they snapped and disappeared under the body as the nose began its arcing path towards the ground. Just before the faded gray of the runway destroyed the windshield, the pilot glimpsed what lay not far ahead in a lush green enclave: the river.
Now in two sections, the fuselage tore through the airport’s chain-link fence like tissue paper. A net of twisted metal dragged across the GW Parkway, startling the lucky motorists and dragging the unlucky into the water. The remainder of the plane slid to a stop amidst stunned onlookers, burning neatly in the middle of the six-lane highway.
—————
The scenario was a grisly one, for sure. However, anything that simulates the need for DC, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, and several other surrounding jurisdictions in addition to the massive crash trucks kind of has to be.
I counted myself fortunate that I was able to make it; that Saturday wasn’t a normal shift for me. I was working a trade at Engine 33, home of several pieces of Mass-Casualty-related apparatus, and so was with one of the few companies who attended the drill from DCFD.
We were joined by quite a few agencies…
…even some of the big-league players.
Several Mass-Casualty Apparatus (apparati?) were set up near the treatment area; per MC Incident guidelines, each category of patient (red/yellow/green/black) had a colored tarp onto which patients were carried.
For part of the drill, I transported a red-tagged patient (flail chest, altered level of consciousness, okay-ish vital signs) to Arlington Hospital. They were actors, of course—but many of them were quite dedicated to their patient descriptions. I see daytime soap opera roles in many of their futures!
The “wreckage.” The airport FFs were the ones extinguishing this while we all waited in the staging area.
—————
All in all, the drill took maybe five hours. If I recall correctly, there were a few dozen patients to be triaged and transported. Afterward, the organizers were nice enough to feed us Potbelly sammiches, and then we returned to DC. Eight years ago, I was at another inter-agency drill at Dulles Airport. Both were pretty cool—I don’t get much exposure to airport firefighting stuff unless I see one of the trucks as I taxi down the runway when flying. Pretty cool to hang out in one of the stations—much thanks to MWAA, Reagan National/DCA, and all the other agencies that made this a well-put together drill!
Editor’s note: Yes, I know I’m behind the times. Several other members of the FireEMSBlogs network have beat me to their own reviews of the latest line of Black Diamond fire boot, the X-Boot. However, I would be remiss if I did not take advantage of their extreme generosity in offering me gear to review, and thus I shall shortly be submitting my own writeup for consideration.
I’ve always had trouble with shoes (unrelated: also, talking to women who look like this). I have tremendously flat feet, which are additionally difficult to size due to the fact that they’re also quite wide. For the most part, boots fall into the same tricky category, and have been that way since I first bought a pair of (Galls, I think?) at age 15.
My expectations run high for these boots, as they’re credited to be a lightweight, comfortable, “all-day” sort of boot for the demanding needs of firefighters. Granted, that’s just manufacturer’s marketing copy—but then again, so is this:
These are the BlackDiamond Boot Girls. If you look very closely at these screencaps taken from their promotional video page, you may in fact see a fire boot. Here, I’ll help you out:
—————
Black Diamond seems to have put a good deal of R&D into the comfort and fit of these boots—above and beyond the necessary NFPA requirements for structural firefighting boots. Finally, a sight for sore feet! I’m excited to see if this new technology can live up to its reputation, and there’s only one way to find out. Starting next week, I’ll be switching these out with my department-issue boots—a different but very well-known brand—for one month. Eight shifts in good ol’ Southeast. We’ll see how they hold up to the myriad of situations that we can subject them to, in both comfort and durability.
(click the image for a larger, more-readable version)
I’ll get back to you in about a month. In the meantime, enjoy more of the Boot Girls/Black Diamond on Facebook, and check out their full line of gear on their website.
The frantic, comical waving stopped as soon as I was within a few feet of him. “She just stopped breathing before you got here… and I think she used to have a pulse, too!”
That’s probably a safe assumption.
As soon as MPD’s latest hero stepped from between the cars, I could see the full extent of her injuries. No, she wasn’t breathing. No, I couldn’t find a pulse. Oh, and she had so many holes in her that I didn’t have time to count them all right now. Stomach, torso, arms… she looked like an extra in a B-level slasher movie.
The wounds that concerned me the most were currently making a faint whistling sound. Two new openings to her trachea had been made, and both were leaking air as fast as we could force it in with the bag.
Someone started chest compressions. The sirens in the distance told us that we had a minute or two until the ambulance arrived, so I glanced behind me and grabbed my tube kit; as I turned around and opened the laryngoscope with a neat snap, I saw the ramifications of our first round of CPR.
With every mushy compression, more of her insides became outsides. Her abdomen had been opened with such force and depth that various parts of her which were never meant to see daylight now became available for full visual inspection.
Dammit. Well, let’s see if this works.
The tube passed through her vocal cords. I withdrew the stylet and squeezed the bag; hopefully the cuff was placed far enough beyond the wounds to make it to the lungs. Her chest rose and fell, rose and fell.
After a few more breaths, I slid my hands under her shoulders and helped lift her to a backboard. She was slick with blood, and surprisingly heavy in the way that only a dead weight can be.
Straps, bloody sheets, the thunk of the stretcher lock slamming home.
We slapped big defibrillator pads and occlusive dressings on her torso with equal speed. Behind me, I heard a radio squawk out our destination hospital as I looked at the monitor. There was electrical activity present, but it wasn’t actually making her heart move. Keep pumping.
I listened with a stethoscope to make sure the tube was in her lungs. It was properly placed, but each breath sounded like a dishrag being wrung out. Her chest was filling with blood, and the pressure increased every minute as we bumped down the road.
Our verbal report felt futile. 31-year-old female, multiple stabbing. Trachea, chest; abdominal evisceration. Pulseless and apneic on our arrival. Still no pulse, got a tube for ya.
The ER only worked her for a minute or two. A nurse approached the bed with a chest tube tray, but was waved off by a tired-looking doctor.
No, no need for any of that… time of death, 1759 hours.
—————
The smell of blood mixed with stale tank water overcomes your nostrils quickly, almost overwhelmingly. A funny thing about being a paramedic on an engine company: sometimes our versatility confounds my impersonality. Usually, it’s not an issue for me to remain clinical and detached. As providers, we’re asked to treat young and old, grateful and ungrateful all the same. Dead, living, whatever the call is; do your job and go on the next run. But even before we heard the story of who did it and why, we could tell that this was a very hateful—and very personal—attack. It turned out to be petty shit; and although I wasn’t thinking about it at the time, there’s a bit of retroactive anger and disgust when the engine is called back to wash someone’s handiwork off the asphalt. Handiwork that we lifted not eight hours ago, dripping and glassy-eyed, into an ambulance for the first of her last trips. The hearse will come soon after; the final ride may depend on what you believe in.
The ancient Greeks called for a coin in the mouth of their dead to cover the cost of the ferry to the underworld.
I hear Charon is quite particular about paying up front.
When you abandon a bike near a firehouse dumpster, be prepared for what it may become. I dragged this bike into the apparatus bay one evening after taking out the garbage; several tours later, I found it out behind the firehouse like this. Apparently “Anacostia Choppers” had gotten their hands on it.
This bike is not, as they say, adult-sized.
I heard it in Crocodile Dundee’s voice: ‘That’s not a frying pan. This is a frying pan!”
Around 2nd and Constitution Ave, a worker fell into a hole. The Squad(s) and several other companies extricated the banged-up (but otherwise alright) patient in this fairly small construction site.
We came in one morning to find that not only had #2 run two fires (an apartment, and an upper floor off at St. Elizabeths Hospital), but they had burned clean through a section of supply line.
Firefighter Baldino says, “Safety First!”…especially on medical locals, haha.
The Great Race! These four pictures are from a competition posed between the Engine and the Squad. The challenge: Run a crosslay from the wagon to the back parking lot. Run back to the wagon, grab a rack, and extend the line out the gate to V St. First to call for water wins.
He almost had him, too. Our guy’s line got wedged under the metal gate in the parking lot, so he was hemmed up for a few seconds. Unfortunately, they were so neck-and-neck that a few seconds was all his competitor needed to pull ahead.
Last tour, the engine went on a walkthrough of a new building in our second-due area: 2323 Pennsylvania Ave, SE. I humbly offer my writeup of our exploration of the building, and ask that readers contribute their thoughts. What questions would you have asked that I missed? Any other details you’d want to know, reading as an observer? What things would be useful should they put out a box alarm at this address?
—————
The Grays on Pennsylvania is a 5-story, light-weight wood-frame (here’s a picture from the construction) apartment building. The ground floor is a combination of a market/retail space and apartments; floors 2-5 are apartments only. Beneath the building you’ll find two levels of parking, which are accessible from the Delta side of the building (right next to a loading dock for the retail space). From an overhead view, the building resembles a squared-off “U” shape, with each arm of the U terminating in a stairwell.
Upon initial entry (from the alpha/address side from Pennsylvania Avenue), you’ll approach an open octagonal space just past the alarm panel on your left side. From each side of this waiting area, you’ll find the leasing office, weight room, mail room, a bathroom, the elevator core, and a hallway leading to the ground floor apartments.
There are two elevators, which travel from both parking levels all the way to Floor 5 on electronic card access—a leasing office representative said they’d look into getting a card to the nearby companies. There are six apartments on the ground floor and 28 apartments on each of the upper floors, for a total of 118 units. Each of the upper floors are identically laid out; when exiting the elevators, apartments 01-07 are on the right and apartments 08-28 are on the left. Each unit has a full set of appliances (W/D, dishwasher, fridge, stove, etc.)
The two stairwells in the building, marked “A” and “B,” both reach from the lower parking deck all the way to the fifth floor. They are both standpiped on every level, and both offer access to the Charlie side via metal access doors. However, Stairwell B is the only one accessible from the Lobby. The hallway that leads to the six ground-floor units terminates in Stair B, offering immediate access to the rear of the building. Stairwell A is accessed from either the parking garage or the Charlie side.
The center of the “U” is a garden courtyard. After entering a locked gate (located midway between the two rear stairwell doors) and walking through the courtyard, you’ll encounter a door that leads to a a ground-floor maintenance hallway. Within this hallway, you’ll find a small electrical room, a back entrance to the market space, and access to the loading dock/trash area mentioned earlier. The two parking decks are identically laid out underground; one is for tenants, and the other is for patrons of the Yes! Market when it opens in late August. On the lower level—right next to the Stair A access door—you’ll find the main electrical room(s) for the entire building.
Thoughts: As far as laying out, the building is very accessible to hydrants. For first-due, there’s a hydrant located in front of the building. Second-due has a hydrant at Nicholson and Prout, a hydrant on L’Enfant Square directly in front of the car wash, and back up at Nicholson and Minnesota if those are both OOS for whatever reason. Thinking about a box alarm, it seems like second-due pretty much has the run of the building. If you have an apartment number, then you know which of the rear doors would be wisest to enter. Example: You’re second due, approaching the building. You have fire reported in apartment 424. You’ll know that if you are facing the rear, you’ll find apartments 08-28 are closest to Stair A (on your left as you face the rear of the building). The FDC is near the A-D corner on the Alpha side; instead of running all the way around, or relying on first-due to supply water, the wagon driver could save time by supplying the Stair A standpipe himself via the parking garage/loading dock access while the crew makes entry with racks (it’s only a couple steps away from the C-D corner). So although the Alpha access is limited to the lobby, elevators, and one stairwell, the Charlie side can get you to anywhere in the building with what seems like the least amount of travel.
—————
Thoughts? This is the first one of these I’ve actually written up, so I’m sure I’m missing a whole bunch of stuff. Help me out, and let me know what else I should be looking for!
My hastily scribbled notes while walking.
Thirty pounds. That’s a well-packed office bag, complete with laptop, paperwork, power supplies, etc. It’s a couple of grocery bags, gathered in a bundle to save a last trip from the car to the kitchen. Most people wouldn’t think twice about carrying thirty pounds of anything more than a few steps from the Metro to the office, or from Best Buy to the car. In truth, it’s not that much weight, for short periods of time. But try carrying it on your back while you run, crawl, crouch, climb, or even just take a bone-jarring step down from an elevated vehicle cab with more weight than your body was built to be spry with. However, regardless of the complaints or the conditions, firefighters do this several times each day; and there’s no shortage of members who will tell you the toll it can take on their bodies. The extended use of the Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) currently utilized by departments all over the world doesn’t seem to lead to friendly outcomes for firefighters’ knees or backs—two problem areas that plague many within the brotherhood, both past and present.
Future generations—perhaps even our own, within the next few years—may soon be forced to worry about something else. Vulcore Industrial, based out of Fort Wayne, IN, has been developing what they call the “Flat Pack.” With this new design, they’re setting themselves up to revolutionize the way firefighters carry their most essential tool: breathing air. Current systems are based around a metal cylinder with a carbon fiber over-wrap; at 7+ inches in diameter, the added bulk on top of already shoulder-widening gear can make confined or entangling spaces almost impossible to navigate. Accordingly, a significant portion of fire academy instruction is related to maneuvering with the SCBA; at times, areas can get so narrow that one must resort to removing a shoulder strap and swinging the system around to the side of the now “thinner” firefighter.
At a diameter of 2.75″ each, the multi-cylinder system provides firefighters with no more bulk than a mostly empty school backpack. The new system—based off of CEO Stan Sanders’s patented design and a material called Hytrel—is molded into the thin bottles and then wrapped with Aramid and carbon fiber. According to the manufacturer’s specifications, the first “808 model” weighs up to 30% less than current systems, putting the prototype at a hair over 20 lbs. The “Cobra” model is advertised as 30% lighter than the 808. Thus, the potential exists for a breathing apparatus with the same amount of air/breathing time; but at 14 lbs, it’s over 50% lighter than what the fire service is using now. Vulcore Industrial was unavailable for comment, although their full set of Frequently Asked Questions is available here.
Images © Vulcore Industrial, LLC
In 2008, the Department of Homeland Security offered a 15-month, $2.7 million grant to the IAFF for the purposes of equipment research; and although the technology and initial prototypes were born from Vulcore, they just didn’t have the manufacturing power to mass-produce their product. Mine Safety Appliances, more commonly known throughout the fire service as MSA, has been assigned the daunting task of making Vulcore’s dream an assembly-line reality. The grant money will additionally be used for field testing and fulfilling government/NFPA certification requirements. An advisory committee working with the IAFF and International Personal Protection, Inc. has recommended a 45-minute service-rated system for the initial wave, although Vulcore states that they have the ability to produce 30- and 60-minute systems for different applications.
According to the May/June 2010 issue of International Fire Fighter, “Several firefighters from the Washington, D.C. area, conducted rigorous field tests to determine how a new, lighter, and lower-profile system would compare to the traditional SCBA… [the] series of functional tests, including timing, donning and doffing, roof operations, ladder escapes, crawling through tight spaces and fire ground survival skills” appeared to bode well for the system’s future in emergency services. Initial reactions are overwhelmingly positive, due to the light weight and increased maneuverability:
Video © Bobby Halton, Editor-in-Chief of Fire Engineering Magazine.
Additionally, videos posted on Vulcore’s own website show how the Flat Pack simplifies many of the entanglement hazards present inside dangerous environments:
The IAFF is expecting commercial production of the Flat Pack within the next year, marking a new introduction to an application that hasn’t changed since the first firefighting breathing apparatus was developed almost forty years ago.
Ah, some of the many things that plague us during the hot months of summer. I worked overtime at E13 (just south of the Mall) the other day, and I witnessed the difficulties of trying to navigate the major arteries in and out of DC. I live in the city, so I’m well aware of how bad the traffic can be; but even with lights and sirens, struggling through 14th St Bridge traffic during rush hour can be infuriating.
Downtown difficulties aside, other areas afford their own set of troubles to us. It seems like this city is always under construction; ask any firefighter you know, and I’m sure each one will have their own “…well, they closed off this street,” or “…they just put in too many damn speedbumps on that road!” story.
The heat doesn’t help any, either. “Man down” is a popular call; as are the “unconscious” or “heat emergencies.” As the humidity and temperature climb, the calls certainly won’t stop coming. The elderly, pediatrics, perfectly healthy individuals; nobody is excluded. Mother Nature has no mercy, and takes its toll evenly on both the patients and the responders. (It seems that these days, the @dcfireems Twitter account has a rolling reminder to stay hydrated; excellent advice, if only people would listen!)
Lastly, the reason for the season: fireworks. Last year, I was working in Southeast on July 3rd, and I had my own mishaps while we were looking for the source of smoke in a sub-basement (long story); I’m sure somebody will have a good story from this holiday.
Let me know in a few days if anyone encountered anything interesting from the 4th; other than that, be safe this weekend—both on duty and off!
With an uneasy creak, the spools began to move.
The chains could be heard pinging as they tightened and eventually held fast—little by little, the heavy wrecker began to lift the mammoth monolith of masonry that lay before us in a jungle of weathered stone and twisted rebar.
Yes, it’s drill time again; however, instead of going down into a trench, we’re going up in the air. E15′s collapse drill focused on shoring up ceilings, breaching concrete, and using our behemoth of a heavy rescue crane/wrecker to elevate the chunks of concrete that are piled haphazardly behind the Training Academy.
I have not yet attended the Collapse Rescue class that is afforded members of my firehouse; however, I have always found the physics principles that are inherent in technical rescue fascinating.
That’s right. I’m a classical physics and engineering mechanics dork at heart. Reading about formulas put together by the Army Corps of Engineers is one thing, but applying them in a real-world situation and seeing the results happen in front of you is entirely another.
Today was certainly no exception to my eager thirst for geeky science stuff; pictures, as always, can be clicked for a larger size.
Our concrete jungle, complete with… all sorts of junk.
The big bad boy wrecker. The boom itself is rated for 60 tons, and each of the two cable spools is rated for 16,400 lbs.
Rigging our strangely-shaped concrete tube of choice.
The Captain looks on…
Success! Yes, this is what I did at work today. I love my job.
My tags: significantly more beat-up since the last time we saw them.
Yes, that’s right. The title says it all; not only have I completed my probation, but I’m willing to share all the stupid stuff I did while I was in that period. Some things are more serious than others, depending on where you’re assigned. Take each for what it’s worth to you.
While I was a Probationer/Rook/Sh*tbag/Stupid-ass Rookie/Probie/Hey-what’s-your-name/Dumbass-F*ckin’-Rookie-Paramedic, I have done all of the following:
I’m sure there’s more; certainly that can’t be everything that happened between Academy graduation in early ’09 and now. However, I suppose it will suffice to bolster my list of pleasant memories from probation, of which there are (surprisingly) quite a few—once you figure it out, it’s actually not so bad.
But now that it’s over, I can’t help but think that it’s kind of like having a birthday: people ask you: “So, do you feel any different?”
The answer’s always the same: ehh, not really.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad it’s over, but as far as anything drastically changing? I’ll still study, and mop, and do dishes. I’m okay with that. It’s part of this job. I just have a few more freedoms now.
It’s been a good ride thus far, and I only see it getting better. Just another milestone…
—————
Edit: Since nobody reads the comments anyways, I’d like to bring an exchange between a commenter and myself into the body of the post. For anyone who seems to read this and think that I’m simply bragging about how little work I can get away with, you’re an idiot. I love my job and I’m proud to do it; the fact remains that everyone gets lazy about stuff, and when you condense almost two years of hard work into three hundred words, it’s going to sound worse than it really is. Come work in my firehouse with me, then you can run your mouth if you still want to.
Commenter:
“I don’t think i have ever heard of someone being so proud of not doing thier job. It is an unfortunate and more common thing these days form the “new guys”. You can never know enough about a job that will kill you. Keep your head in the game and stop feeling this sense of entitlement.”
(In case you were curious, all these spelling and grammar errors are verbatim.)
My reply:
“[name], I’m not proud of any of it. If you re-read the post closely, I’m neither praising nor feeling entitled about any of my actions; I believe you may have misinterpreted my writing. It’s simply a fact of human nature that throughout a year of walking inside the lines of my probationary rules, occasionally my foot will stumble outside the boundaries. It happens to everyone, but I’m willing to admit my faults and slip-ups because I’m not hiding the fact that I’m human and have the capacity to err. Your intentions in giving me advice sound pure, however, and for that I’m appreciative.
The “new guys” should never turn down sage advice form [sic] thier [sic] more senior members.”
One of the unique things about being assigned to Engine 15 is the occasional need to support Rescue Squad 3 in their technical area of expertise: trench and collapse rescue. We’re expected to know more than the average bear about the various tools and concepts within the scope of these topics, and to be able to assist the squad guys with various aspects of each while on the scene of an actual incident.
Sure enough, I found myself back at the Training Academy on a dreary mid-week morning, slogging through the mud and dragging various lengths of lumber around.
It’s an entirely new set of skills (and a language that goes along with it, to boot) that I have yet to learn. Although from what I saw during this drill, I think it’d be something I would enjoy—hell, I’ve always loved building things, so combine that with some ropes, a bit of math, and a whole boatload of physics? I’d be a happy guy.
(Haha, you’ll have to forgive the weird vignetting on some of the photographs. I’m using a digital camera from 2004—which makes it electronically ancient—and the shutter leaves over the lens get stuck sometimes. I think it’s kinda cool, actually.)
Q: “Annie, Annie, are you okay?”
A: Hell yes she is.
I present to you: Super Sexy CPR (also coming in June, Super Sexy Abdominal Thrusts! Main link here, slightly NSFW). If they could have made a year-long paramedic course as riveting as the following video, I’m certain I would have entered academia to study this sort of thing instead of being a street-level provider.
Maybe EMS isn’t so bad, after all.
/RL
I think I’m getting sick… photos only today, with brief captions. All photos © me unless stated otherwise.
/RL
This was our view on approach as the third-due engine company. E15 brought the 400′ through the front door and backed up first-due E32. Photo uncredited; http://engine15rescue3.com/fullstory.php?107294
As you can see in the previous picture, the fire/smoke damage extends all the way up the side of the house.
An exterior close-up. As we examined the front room after the fire had been knocked, we saw that all the exterior bars had been cut except for this one set of white bars, looking like they were installed by the homeowner after the house was completed. Despite the fact that the window was laddered on our arrival, the bars would have made it damn near impossible to use this window for egress had we needed it.
Interior damage. When we left the scene, there was no official word on what started the fire.
E19 had a hoseline burst on them while they were operating in the basement. E25 brought another line in to back them up.
This wasn’t the last of it. The engine and squad stayed busy, running two more fires (one in E30′s area, and another in E27′s area) before the tour was over.
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