Hi everyone,
I've been doing a lot of really interesting training with the Fire Department lately. On the weekend of the 12th and 13th we had a 2-day training session on Search and Rescue. We did awareness-level courses on Building Collapse, Confined Space Rescue, Trench Rescue and Industrial Rescue.
Our Fire Hall has a lumber mill across the street, so the Confined Space and Industrial Rescue information was particularly important. As a small department, our resources are limited, so we're not able to train to a technical level in many different disciplines, but since we are so isolated, it's critical to have at least a working awareness of the dangers involved in different types of rescue situations.
We trained with firefighters from about 5 other departments in the general area, which was really interesting. It's always good to meet some of the other guys, as you may be working with them on a mutual aid call at some point. The weekend was glorious as well, blue skies and 28 degrees. Too bad we were inside doing mostly classroom work - it was awareness level stuff, after all.
Fortunately, we were able to get outside on the second day for Trench Rescue and Industrial Rescue. We spent the afternoon at Kalesnikoff's Lumber Mill, getting oriented to the mill operations, identifying the hazards, and touring the area. Between kilns, stacked lumber and logs, the green line and shavings storage, there are a LOT of fire and safety hazards over there. To say nothing of the confined spaces, electrical hazards, explosive materials and generally sharp, nasty things.
Sometimes, the more I learn about the sort of things that Fire Departments are expected to do, the more I thing "what the hell am I doing?" I realize that money is tight, but relying in volunteers for a lot of this sort of thing is purely ridiculous. We don't have the time or money to be trained to the point where we can respond safely to the range of emergencies that can occur.
I suppose that we have to decide on a line between cost, safety and likelihood of events and try to walk it as best we can. Still, I can't help but think that local governments and regions across North America are over-relying on the willingness of a group of dedicated people to put themselves at great risk, with limited training, for the good of the community.
In every training course I've even taken with the Fire Department, they've taught us to protect our own safety above anything else. I can see that for a lot of people, the logical conclusion is that not being a Fire Fighter is the best way to ensure that safety - which leads us inevitably to difficulty in recruitment and retention. This is a hard, dangerous job, that we do with little or no compensation - not the best recruiting slogan, is it?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
MS Mountain Bike Tour
This weekend was the Rona MS Mountain Bike Tour in Hinton, Alberta. Doug and I were invited to participate by Jasper Fire Chief Greg Van Tighem. I had training all weekend at the Fire Department, so I wasn't able to attend (lack of conditioning and family responsibilities were also considerations…), but Doug made the trip and joined Greg's team, the Rockhoppers, for the 2-day event.
The drive up to Jasper wasn't as long as anticipated - only 11 hours from Nelson to Hinton. Leaving at 6 am and arriving at 6 pm (with a 1-hour time change), Doug and his friend Bruce Hardy enjoyed the amazing scenery on the drive, passing through Kootenay National Park and then up the Icefield Parkway through Banff and Jasper National Parks.
Arriving in Hinton, they found a campsite reserved for the Jasper Rockhoppers team and got set up. Later, the Jasper Fire Chief's truck pulled up, carrying Greg and a few other essentials, like a keg of Rockhopper ale. The next morning the team joined over 330 riders at the start line and set off by 8 am. The sun hadn't reached the trail yet, so it was a cool 8 degrees.
This is apparently the only mountain bike tour in Canada, so Doug was interested in the kinds of trails that they would see. The tour started on a gravel road, then headed through the forest on a single track, crossing a small foot bridge over a creek, then down another dirt road. After about an hour of peddling, the sun had joined them, so everyone stripped down to t-shirts.
The riders then turned onto the highway for about a KM so that they could cross the Athabasca River. The tour had closed 1 lane of the highway for the riders, and had a pilot car take traffic around. After crossing the river, the riders turned off onto another dirt road to the first checkpoint, which were all well-stocked, making the riding very enjoyable.
The rest of the day's ride passed through grassy fields, heavy forests and up old logging roads, covering about 50K and climbing 3500 ft. The ride finished at about 4:30, where buses were waiting to bring everyone back to the campsite.
After a fun evening (which I'm sure didn't include beers OR campfires) and a good sleep, all the riders were bussed back to where they left the bikes and set off for the day. They covered a lot more beautiful trails, including some real downhill, and reached the finish at about 1:00, where they had a BBQ.
Altogether, the group raised about $350,000, traveled about 100K, and climbed over 5000 ft. Bruce, Doug's riding partner raised over $2500, and Doug raised just over $1500. We would like to thank everyone for their generous donations in support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. If anyone else would like to donate to the MS Society in support of Doug, Bruce and the Jasper Rockhoppers, go to:
https://msofs.mssociety.ca/2009Bike/Sponsor.aspx?&PID=1143661&L=2
The drive up to Jasper wasn't as long as anticipated - only 11 hours from Nelson to Hinton. Leaving at 6 am and arriving at 6 pm (with a 1-hour time change), Doug and his friend Bruce Hardy enjoyed the amazing scenery on the drive, passing through Kootenay National Park and then up the Icefield Parkway through Banff and Jasper National Parks.
Arriving in Hinton, they found a campsite reserved for the Jasper Rockhoppers team and got set up. Later, the Jasper Fire Chief's truck pulled up, carrying Greg and a few other essentials, like a keg of Rockhopper ale. The next morning the team joined over 330 riders at the start line and set off by 8 am. The sun hadn't reached the trail yet, so it was a cool 8 degrees.
This is apparently the only mountain bike tour in Canada, so Doug was interested in the kinds of trails that they would see. The tour started on a gravel road, then headed through the forest on a single track, crossing a small foot bridge over a creek, then down another dirt road. After about an hour of peddling, the sun had joined them, so everyone stripped down to t-shirts.
The riders then turned onto the highway for about a KM so that they could cross the Athabasca River. The tour had closed 1 lane of the highway for the riders, and had a pilot car take traffic around. After crossing the river, the riders turned off onto another dirt road to the first checkpoint, which were all well-stocked, making the riding very enjoyable.
The rest of the day's ride passed through grassy fields, heavy forests and up old logging roads, covering about 50K and climbing 3500 ft. The ride finished at about 4:30, where buses were waiting to bring everyone back to the campsite.
After a fun evening (which I'm sure didn't include beers OR campfires) and a good sleep, all the riders were bussed back to where they left the bikes and set off for the day. They covered a lot more beautiful trails, including some real downhill, and reached the finish at about 1:00, where they had a BBQ.
Altogether, the group raised about $350,000, traveled about 100K, and climbed over 5000 ft. Bruce, Doug's riding partner raised over $2500, and Doug raised just over $1500. We would like to thank everyone for their generous donations in support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. If anyone else would like to donate to the MS Society in support of Doug, Bruce and the Jasper Rockhoppers, go to:
https://msofs.mssociety.ca/2009Bike/Sponsor.aspx?&PID=1143661&L=2
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Blogging and Baseball
After having a number of people comment to about my "blog postings" at the start of each Tip 'o the Week, I had an inspiration. Since I'm writing about my experiences as a volunteer firefighter on a regular basis, why not start an actual blog?
The new blog is located at http://hoseroll.blogspot.com/, and will also be available from our website, http://www.fp2.ca/. For those of you that get the Tip 'o the Week, there won't be a lot of new content at first, but I plan on adding some extra content there that you won't see on the Tips.
On a more Fire Department-related note, we did a departmental softball game and family day in August. Taira and Iris were visiting my sister and her kids, so I invited my dad Kevin to come along. Dad grew up playing baseball in Levittown, PA, and was part of some pretty amazing Little League teams as a kid, but he doesn't get many chances to play baseball anymore.
We didn't have enough people for two teams, but we had a great scrub game, rotating through positions and getting lots of chances to bat. It was a great time, and afterwards we fired up the barbeques and the ping-pong table at the Fire Hall. Dad and I had a lot of fun, and it was wonderful to let him experience the sense of community and family that exists at the Department. Plus we triumphed gloriously at ping-pong!
Ultimately, it's that sense of community and family that I like the most about being a volunteer firefighter. It's something I got used to growing up in a small town, and something that I missed living in the city.
The new blog is located at http://hoseroll.blogspot.com/, and will also be available from our website, http://www.fp2.ca/. For those of you that get the Tip 'o the Week, there won't be a lot of new content at first, but I plan on adding some extra content there that you won't see on the Tips.
On a more Fire Department-related note, we did a departmental softball game and family day in August. Taira and Iris were visiting my sister and her kids, so I invited my dad Kevin to come along. Dad grew up playing baseball in Levittown, PA, and was part of some pretty amazing Little League teams as a kid, but he doesn't get many chances to play baseball anymore.
We didn't have enough people for two teams, but we had a great scrub game, rotating through positions and getting lots of chances to bat. It was a great time, and afterwards we fired up the barbeques and the ping-pong table at the Fire Hall. Dad and I had a lot of fun, and it was wonderful to let him experience the sense of community and family that exists at the Department. Plus we triumphed gloriously at ping-pong!
Ultimately, it's that sense of community and family that I like the most about being a volunteer firefighter. It's something I got used to growing up in a small town, and something that I missed living in the city.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Don't Get Used to It.
Ever since I became a parent, I hear people tell me the same thing, over and over. "Don't get used to it". Babies, and indeed, lives, go through lots of stages. Sometimes they go very fast indeed.
Not too long ago I was feeling overwhelmed by my responsibilities, juggling family, fire, fun and work was tough, and it felt like something had to give. I thought it would be fire fighting, and was planning to take a leave and concentrate on other things. Turns out, that didn't need to happen. We got more comfortable with our new routines. Iris started sleeping through the night (until last week, anyways - good thing I didn't get used to it…). Life smoothed out a bit.
There was still stress, and distraction, but it felt more manageable. The support I got from the Department was also great. Not only was everyone very understanding about my changed responsibilities, everybody also wanted to help - and to hold the baby, of course.
This all goes into one of the things which I think is critical to a volunteer organization looking to retain members. Roll with the punches. Things change, so be flexible and supportive, and if you do, you'll probably be successful. So remember, "Don't get used to it".
Not too long ago I was feeling overwhelmed by my responsibilities, juggling family, fire, fun and work was tough, and it felt like something had to give. I thought it would be fire fighting, and was planning to take a leave and concentrate on other things. Turns out, that didn't need to happen. We got more comfortable with our new routines. Iris started sleeping through the night (until last week, anyways - good thing I didn't get used to it…). Life smoothed out a bit.
There was still stress, and distraction, but it felt more manageable. The support I got from the Department was also great. Not only was everyone very understanding about my changed responsibilities, everybody also wanted to help - and to hold the baby, of course.
This all goes into one of the things which I think is critical to a volunteer organization looking to retain members. Roll with the punches. Things change, so be flexible and supportive, and if you do, you'll probably be successful. So remember, "Don't get used to it".
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Fun vs Responsible
Having a new baby has got me thinking a lot about the idea of fun vs. responsibility. Obviously, my fun factor has gone down considerably, while the responsibility has gone way up. This got me thinking about volunteer Fire Departments, and managing social events.
One of the great benefits about belonging to a Fire Department is the social aspect. Summer BBQ's, golf, fishing, after-practice get-togethers and lots of other events are a regular part of the Department's social life, and a lot of these events include the occasional beer. Sometimes, as is the case with golf, they even involve a number of firefighters all going out of area at the same time.
The question is, how do you ensure adequate emergency protection during events like this? Clear OG's are probably a start, at least those regarding alcohol consumption. After that, it's up to the officers to ensure that people are available in the event of an emergency.
It's a hard balance. You want to encourage the department to bond together, but you also need to ensure that you've got coverage, and you usually need to do it without the benefit of a formal schedule. I see this as being a bigger problem for volunteer departments, since the numbers of firefighters available are fairly small, and everyone's work and personal schedules are different.
I know that many of our departments are volunteer - how do you guys (and gals) balance fun times with round-the-clock responsibility?
One of the great benefits about belonging to a Fire Department is the social aspect. Summer BBQ's, golf, fishing, after-practice get-togethers and lots of other events are a regular part of the Department's social life, and a lot of these events include the occasional beer. Sometimes, as is the case with golf, they even involve a number of firefighters all going out of area at the same time.
The question is, how do you ensure adequate emergency protection during events like this? Clear OG's are probably a start, at least those regarding alcohol consumption. After that, it's up to the officers to ensure that people are available in the event of an emergency.
It's a hard balance. You want to encourage the department to bond together, but you also need to ensure that you've got coverage, and you usually need to do it without the benefit of a formal schedule. I see this as being a bigger problem for volunteer departments, since the numbers of firefighters available are fairly small, and everyone's work and personal schedules are different.
I know that many of our departments are volunteer - how do you guys (and gals) balance fun times with round-the-clock responsibility?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
How Busy is Too Busy?
Once again I have utterly failed to post on a weekly basis. Although I guess this is "a" week, so it's not totally inaccurate. I hope you'll be able to forgive me, I've kind of had my hands (well, arms, to be precise) full.
That brings me to the topic I want to talk about today. How busy is too busy? I'm having a lot of difficulty balancing my responsibilities at home - my wife and baby daughter, with my responsibilities at work and to my Fire Department. Something has got to give, and lately, it's been my attendance at the Department.
Now, I'm not getting the sense from my Chief and Deputy Chief that this is a huge problem. They're both fathers, and they understand what is required of a new dad. I've definitely been catching a bit of flack from some of the other firefighters, though - and I know where they are coming from. We all rely on each other to be available and help out, that's the way a volunteer department functions, and lately, I just haven't been there.
There is a level of personal frustration, too. I want to be a good firefighter, to help out, to be available to assist a group of guys who I like and respect. But when I come home at the end of the day to a tired wife who needs a break, and a little baby… I just can't justify grabbing a quick bite to eat and leaving again. Besides, I only get a few hours with Iris before I go to bed.
So, I think I'm going to have to take a leave of absence from the Fire Department for a while. I don't want my responsibilities there to be an afterthought. If I don't have time, I should make it clear to everyone, instead of finding myself unable to attend practices or help out around the hall, week after week. I'm not happy about it, but it feels better than leaving things so unsettled.
That brings me to the topic I want to talk about today. How busy is too busy? I'm having a lot of difficulty balancing my responsibilities at home - my wife and baby daughter, with my responsibilities at work and to my Fire Department. Something has got to give, and lately, it's been my attendance at the Department.
Now, I'm not getting the sense from my Chief and Deputy Chief that this is a huge problem. They're both fathers, and they understand what is required of a new dad. I've definitely been catching a bit of flack from some of the other firefighters, though - and I know where they are coming from. We all rely on each other to be available and help out, that's the way a volunteer department functions, and lately, I just haven't been there.
There is a level of personal frustration, too. I want to be a good firefighter, to help out, to be available to assist a group of guys who I like and respect. But when I come home at the end of the day to a tired wife who needs a break, and a little baby… I just can't justify grabbing a quick bite to eat and leaving again. Besides, I only get a few hours with Iris before I go to bed.
So, I think I'm going to have to take a leave of absence from the Fire Department for a while. I don't want my responsibilities there to be an afterthought. If I don't have time, I should make it clear to everyone, instead of finding myself unable to attend practices or help out around the hall, week after week. I'm not happy about it, but it feels better than leaving things so unsettled.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Baby Brain
Well, I'm a father now. What an interesting blend of amazing, awesome and utterly terrifying it is! My wife has been great about letting me sleep in the spare bedroom on weeknights, so I'm not as frazzled as I could be, but I'm still pretty blitzed.
I've heard that being a parent kills brain cells. Our friends with kids have described "baby-brain" to us, but I never really believed them. I believe now, of course. The event that really brought the syndrome home for me happened last week.Somehow, I remembered that I needed to renew the car insurance, which meant a trip to town. My first trip to town since we brought Iris home, in fact.
I had a lot to do - pick up film, groceries, insurance, books (watching tv while breastfeeding gets old fast, apparently) and a few other things. After stopping at the grocery store, I pulled out of the parking lot and was waiting at the stop sign to turn onto the main street.
I glanced into the rearview mirror and saw Bob Slade, the Nelson FD Deputy Chief, trotting down the road towards my car… in his uniform. Rolling down the window, I blearily said "Hi".
Bob got to the car, smiled and said something like "New dad, huh?"
He knew we were expecting, so I grinned and said, "Yes, a little girl."
He laughed, picked up the package of toilet paper that I'd left on the roof of my car, passed it to me and said, "I could tell." Then he walked off. Bob is probably also a parent.
So I'll ask you to be patient with me in the weeks and months to come. You may have to repeat things, or speak slowly. I have baby-brain, and it's totally worth it.
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