Sometimes we're just silly

Last night at training I had a good look at how to check over the BA (breathing apparatus equipment,) to make sure it's all ready to go. Most of the information goes over my head as I'm already suffering overload with my wildfire suppression course. For that reason I didn't want to try using it, though I did put it on. It was heavy but relatively comfortable.

Spent half my time laughing at some of the brigade members learning how to perform different lifts on one another. (Lifts as in how to remove a person from a burning house safely, or from a dangerous place.) Some of the girls can be quite small and some of the guys are very big, in height and sometimes in width. It can make for some great viewing.

We also did a mock search and rescue. We were blindfolded and went upstairs in pairs of two, both connected to a guide rope with a smaller rope and clip attached to the guide rope on one side and to ourselves on the other. We had to guide ourselves around the room this way until we found the hidden briefcase. It was really difficult as you become completely disorientated. It was a good little exercise to demonstrate how confusing it can be and to practice being quick and adept at moving in places with limited vision.

It's a serious business, learning to be a firefighter, and it comes with many responsibilities, but it is nice, (and important,) just to be able to bond with each other over a bit of silliness I reckon.

Last Sunday I got to use the long town branch. The long town branch can pack a wallop. It was pushing out 1100 kpa, and can push out over 1000 litres in one minute and it will knock a structure over or blast through a window. It takes two or three people to hold it. One to take control of the branch with a special hand lock. The other two hold the hose behind him and the last person leans into the middle one who leans into the branch operator. They use their weight to counteract the weight of the water, which converts the hose to something that feels like a steel rod.