Virgin Fire.

Wednesday I spent my morning sleeping and my afternoon working on homework and stuff for the party. I got my fire homework part way done and made up the bid sheets and cut out the bid numbers for the party. Also sometime in the afternoon I got a shower and got ready so when Zach got out of work and was heading to the hall I could go as well.

We had made plans to meet up there and work on homework and study while I made the Jello Shots for the Fireman's Party (I had to make 1000 of them!). So, when he called he said he had to run home and grab his book but that he would be at the hall in an hour or so, I packed up all the stuff I would need and headed down to the hall. I started working on the Jello Shots. I'm pretty sure I had my first batch done, or just about done, by the time he got there. We worked on homework for a bit, then I went back to making the Jello Shots. I was just finishing pouring them out when Alverno (our neighboring department) got called to a fire. Zach had started helping me put lids on and I looked at him and said, "you know, if thing goes fully-engulfed we are probably going." It came across the radio that it was was at that point a fully engulfed structure fire. We were both so excited. Then Dad came in and said that we probably wouldn't be going. We were rather disappointed at that point, yet we held out hope. Just a couple minutes later they said they needed Station 67's tanker. Zach and I high-fived, I grabbed my gear out of my car (which Dad said I wouldn't need) and we headed that way, before we were even technically paged out we were out of our barn.

When we got there, I was putting my gear on when it came across the radio that they needed to page Station 67 for man-power as well. (Zach had left his gear at home so he stuck with Dad and the truck hauling water while I was fighting fire.) So I quickly finished and Dad told me to walk in because they only could have one truck back there at a time delivering water and we hadn't been called back yet. I made the half-mile-plus hike through the non-plowed path with one of the guys from Alverno who is also in fire school with me. When I got back there I was put on as back-up on a 2 1/2 inch hose. I was there for a few minutes before I was pulled off and told to stand on the sidelines and that I wouldn't be actually doing anything. I was pissed and disappointed and began dreading the night at that point.

But have no fear, I stood there for maybe a minute at most when Alverno's Chief came up to me and asked me what I was doing. I told him and he said, um no you're not, you are here to work and here to learn. He took me over to one of his guys and told him to teach me to run the hose. I ended up being on a inch and half line by myself (with the guy watching me and giving me pointers here and there) for over an hour. I also spent some time backing up the other guy.

By the time I got there the roof had caved in and we were just trying to cool it down and get the fire out. After a while, they pulled me off the hose so I could go to the rehab station, get some water and relax for a bit. So I hung out with some of the guys. It was obvious when I first got there that some of the guys were skeptical of what I could do (hell I was skeptical of what I could do) but I definitely pulled my own weight on the hoses and held my own with the bullshit (not that that should surprise anyone). I got to know some of the Alverno firefighters and some of the guys in my class a little bit better (I already sit by the Alverno guys in class so I knew them pretty well already). While I was off the hose I helped put away equipment, walked around the scene and warmed my hands up on their outside wood burner (it was perfect because all of our hands kept getting so cold).

Towards the end, I was sent to roll up hose with the same guy that I was given to at the beginning. When we got to the back of the house we ended up on a foam hose. I will be the first person to admit when I'm just not big enough to do shit, and I was told to back him up on a 2 1/2 inch foam hose (which will kick just about anyone's ass). Earlier in the night he had told me that that same hose would throw him right to the ground. But since I was told to do it, I did and I let him know that I was the one that was there. So, he just didn't open it up all the way until someone else got there to help. I mean there are times when my 135 pounds (yes I've lost weight in the last week) just isn't going to cut it. After he was done soaking the basement with foam, again, we drug the hoses over and threw them in the back of a pickup. Then I helped, er tried to help and watched (there were like 12 of us doing it and at times my help just wasn't necessary and I wasn't the only one), empty out the port-a-tank and put it away. Then I rode out in the equipment van with a couple of the Alverno guys back to their station.

One of the guys took me back to my station. When I got there it was after 230. It was 2109 when we were paged out (so we were there roughly 5 hours at this point). I started putting away the Jello Shots away while still in my turnout gear because I had a feeling we would be going back with our Compressed Air Foam truck. I was right. About a half hour later we were called out. Dad, Dave, Jason and I went. Jason and I were the only two with gear on, so I ran the foam hose for a while, then he did and I watched the truck. Alverno's Chief also helped out some with the foam. We finally cleared the scene sometime after 530, went back, hung up our gear (mine is no where near clean anymore), I put away my Jello Shots and headed home. We didn't get home until 630. The next morning I didn't remember going to bed at all. I couldn't find my pants. I didn't remember putting my pajamas on. It was bad. And no, I wasn't drinking.

I do have to say I learned a lot, proved a lot and felt a lot on that fire call. I learned a lot about firefighting, none of which I feel the need to list out here because I think most of my blog readers would find that rather boring. I proved a lot in that I didn't know what I was capable of or if I was capable of enough. I proved that I was, not only to everyone else, but to myself. And I know there were some guys that were watching me like a hawk, just waiting for me to break. I'm happy to say I didn't. Yes, I was sore for a couple days, but so was everyone else I talked to. And I felt a lot. I felt like that was right where I belonged. I was happy, truly 100% happy at that point in time. That fire call and planning for the party has done wonders for my mood. I can't wait to see how I feel after the party! lol.

Pictures:

Day 339:

set up for the first batch to be done.

Day 339:

after I wiped most of the soot off my face. . . just after getting home from the fire.

Yesterday I slept until 11, got up and went down to the fire station. I made a couple batches of Jello shots while Mom and Dad went to town. When they got home Dad stopped at the station and dropped off my lunch then said he would come back to help me. When he got back he told me it was 430. I had to leave for class in an hour! And I hadn't showered yet. So I hurried up and finished covering the batch that I had just finished, ran home, showered and went to class.

Class was rather fun. We talked about the fire a lot and of course there was a lot of bullshitting going on, there always is. Class got out around 830. I went back to the station then and made Jello Shots until 1230. Finally finished all of them. All 1107 of them. *sigh.* So much work, but I was so happy to have them all done.

When I was done I went home and went to bed, hoping to get some much needed rest.

Photos:

Day 340:

the fridge at the station. FULL of Jello Shots.

Day 340:

at the station working on them.

♥ Sara

Random Fact of the Day:

Lobsters can live up to 50 years.

"I've had tons of odd jobs, but I think that I would probably be a fireman because you get to see the results of your job. You get there and there is a house on fire. You leave and there's not a fire anymore." -Luke Perry