week four

week four is in the books, and what a great week it was. several more tests, and no grade lower than a 96. this week was devoted to water sources, fire streams and fire hoses. a lot of class room time in the beginning of the week, which is always a nice break, especially considering the fact that the weather has been unusually hot and humid. Thursday we started actually working with the hoses, learning how do do various rolls and loads onto the engine. we had one student get taken to the hospital because it was so humid and he became dehydrated. he returned the following day with minor bumps and bruises from passing out a couple of times. we also lost a student at the beginning of the week due to a broken finger, and another due to grades. we are starting to establish the core group that will continue through the rest of the program. several weak links have been weeded out, and it is starting to make a difference in the performance of the group. Friday our class had the opportunity to take part in an annual ceremony that the college does to honor firefighters that have been killed in the line of duty. it was quite an honor to be able to play a part in the ceremony; it was also very sobering. this program has forced me to compromise the feeling of invincibility that accompanies youth. while the instructors are training us to be able to handle any situation that we find ourselves in, they also stress the possibility that this job can kill us. although it is not something to dwell on, it is in the back of my mind. we also started working with charged and flowing lines on Friday. it has given me a whole new respect for the power of water. we worked on advancing a charged and flowing 1 3/4 line, as well as 2 1/2. the 1 3/4 line can be advanced by two firefighters relatively easily. the 2 1/2 was another story. it took two of us all we had to advance it roughly 100 feet. we then had to aim it in different directions, witch is something that can only be accomplished if both people are on the same page and giving it all they have. we spent the rest of the day learning how to catch a hydrant off an engine. the program is starting to take on a new level of fun as we are getting to apply the knowledge that we have been learning in the classroom. next week will be our first burn: a simulated car fire. should be challenging but fun. i wanted to thank everyone who has been following along, and say to keep the comments and emails coming. it has been nice to hear from you guys, and the encouragement has helped more than you know. hope everyone has a great week. one more thing for those who are interested, my girlfriend Beth is currently studying for her phd qualifying exams. she has a blog chronicling her harrowing journey through academia. you can find it at http://massaintermedia.blogspot.com/