The Ropes Course and EMT Evals...

Today was pretty good. I took a test. I did not get the grade back for it, but I'm pretty sure I received a 100% on it. I got flak for being the fastest test taker again. But that is okay. Afterwards we went to Memorial Park for an obstacle and ropes course. Below will be a few pictures of me plugging along through it with my partner. It was good, we had to crawl through tight areas and keep in constant contact with our partner. We got turned around a few times, it was disorienting not being able to see, I almost got stuck in the tire swing. Afterwards I participated in EMT scenarios. Everyone did well, but we were outside and it was freezing. I got backboarded and c-collared 5 times. It was a hoot. After that I participated in a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) as a fubar'd patient. It was a car crash, I didn't wear my seat belt. Always wear your seat belt. Anyway it was good, got backboarded and stuff again. After that I came home and thawed out. Other than that, there is nothing too exciting going on. I have one more day of classes then it's time for turkey! Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

What Failure Breeds....

Failure is a funny thing because it is a stepping stone into two completely different directions; one of despair, or one of triumph. Those who follow the first are doomed to live a life of sorrow. Those who follow the latter, will use failure as fuel to create a better life for themselves. We either learn to overcome it, or we are overcome by it. There is no middle ground..."

~ Anonymous

Today we spent the first little bit of class trying to figure out where everyone was. One of the instructors told us to go to the smokehouse, the other told us to go to the school through text messages. So as we went to the school one of the kids in my program was in charge of telling us to go to the smoke house. After we got all that sorted out we spent the first part of the morning going out the window, swinging down onto the ladder and sliding down from there. In the blog you will see a few pictures of me doing it. After that the morning took a turn for the not-so-awesome.

We were going through timed second story search tactics. Each group for every mistake they made had to do 30 push ups. For those who didn't go on air in time had to do 30 individually then after that each group mistake added 30. We didn't have the greatest of runs, it wasn't bad, but we had a bunch of little mistakes. I wasn't in as good as shape as I was before apparently because I was struggling. I had a hard time lifting the 50 ft of house into the second story window and dragging the victim out. Then the victim wasn't placed on my arms properly and we dropped him. Rescue Randy died from trauma. He will be missed. All in all after everything was tallied up we sat at 210 push ups. The comments that were said by certain folks during and after were out of line and rude, but I won't repeat them because I don't want to dwell on them.

In that moment though, I realized a lot about myself, it was a serious reality check into why I am here, and if I really want to be here. Most of my life I have spent time with a few people in my life telling me who I was and how I would not succeed. I would be nothing without them. I tried to shrug it off but after years of it, these things kind of sink in. I overcame it, and got help. I am working on a lot of it still because these things don't go away over night. There is someone in my life that will tell you that. Sometimes when you believe that you will fail, you will. Today, I gave it my all, and it wasn't enough. Before I would shut down and give up, but today I realized that I need to push harder, I've been doing the gym and running two or three times a week, but I am going to hit the gym everyday working different groups of muscles, I'm going to run everyday. I'm not going to do it, but I know I can achieve better so I am going to.

What I learned today, I guess, is something that I have subconsciously overcome the worst in my life to make the best I can out of it for me, and I will do the same for this. I don't know how to give up on a grand scale and I just need to use my minor defeats as a way to improve myself. I want this more than I've ever wanted anything so I am going to work for it. It's that simple.

Other than that, nothing exciting is going on. I have spent a lot of time on a few of the machines at work, so I am no longer bumping into stuff. I spent some time slinging bathtubs which are more awkward than they are heavy, but after 10 of them you get a little sore. I got done earlier than everyone so I got to go home. I'm counting down the days until Japan, 34 at the last count.  I cannot wait to get over there and spend a near month exploring and hanging out. I'm excited. Other than that, stay tuned!

Holding My Breath... Part 3

Today was a good day for school. We had a test which I completed in like 30 seconds and received a 100% on. That was cool. Dave just looked at me all astonished like and shook his head after he graded the test. He didn't know what to say. After that we went to the Smokehouse. Apparently there is a chance that we are going to be losing that building. The Helena Airport folk do not like us. But not because of anything we've done, but because others who use the training facilities do not clean up after themselves. So we're in talks about that. If it happens that we can't use that place we will find something else.

Anyway, we learned today how to rescue fire fighters that have falling to a floor below. I watched but I didn't participate because I was asked to instruct the class on how to backboard a victim. It was nice to do but I am nowhere certified to teach. I just explained what I knew and how I did it. One of the instructors interjected a lot with how he was trained but it went well overall. Apparently I remember a lot more than I thought I did. So that is cool. But it was good. People actually listened to me. Then we learned how to change our own air tanks which let me tell you is scary. Working against your own panic button. Once you get passed the I don't have air thing, it takes a bit of dexterity to turn the bottle, get the tank off, put a new tank on. I didn't make it my first time. I died if you will. But it comes with time.

This weekend I will probably hide out, I've been battling a mild case of the flu, my roommate had swine flu but I don't think I have that, who knows, I'm not going to a doctor to find out. I'm laying low, drinking fluids and not overworking myself. I'm probably going to spend most of the weekend playing x-box. Homework is light this weekend, I only have a 500 word paper to write. So not bad. Anyway, Monday we get to do second story diving onto a ladder techniques so I can't wait for that. I hope I feel like I am in a Bruce Willis movie. But I'll have pictures and a blog up for that Monday! Stay tuned!

Next Year...

So today we spent most of the day running scenarios. I got to drag two heavy people in a first floor search. It sucked because we didn't have enough air for everyone so we had to pretend to be on air. But we did do well in rolling up on scene and going through the motions. I didn't do too bad at toolman either. Pounding and sounding are pretty easy. After that english went quick. I talked with my english teacher who thinks we are long lost relatives because we have the same last name. She and I discussed the proposal I have to write for my final paper. I asked her to critique it really hard as I am going to use it for a presentation to the City of Helena so I want it to be done really well.

Yesterday I forgot to write that I registered for classes for next semester. I wasn't supposed to be able to until next week because I am a first year student but being that I have credit for my EMT class I am considered a non first year student or something. The classes I registered are as follows:

• Wildland Fire Fighting
• Personal Physical Fitness II
• Hazardous Materials
• Electronic Communications
• Emergency Equipment Maintenance
• Fire Apparatus Operation
• Fire Fighting Tactics and Strategies
• Basic MS Office

So yeah, 19 credits worth but some of the classes are broken down into half semesters or quarters. I have 3 classes at 7:00am and one class from 8:00am - 4:50pm on Saturdays. Yeah it sucks that I don't get a Saturday to relax but I get to learn how to drive a fire truck and besides I spent a few years fooling around in Bozeman so I don't mind buckling down for these two years. Anyway my roommate is full of the H1N1 so I am bunkering down in my room and I am going to take a nap to battle that and prepare for work tonight, so stay tuned until next time!

A Whole Heck of a Lot....

So these past few weeks have been pretty busy. I started a job at home depot and I've been trying to get used to my new classes. Well let us just say I am trying to get used to one class.

So I recently got a job at Home Depot. Six weeks after I applied there. I know right, one heck of a wait. I got hired on as freight crew. Yep that's right I stock shelves. I spent 4 days straight doing orientation. Sitting there and watching videos and taking online quizzes for that long can be rather boring. But I learned how to use a "Home Depot Saftey Knife" which is like a utility knife, but for 3 year olds. Seriously doesn't cut through much of anything. I did go in on Tuesday and learn to drive a fork lift, OP machine, which i forget what the exact name for it is but it is used to get heavy objects up to the top shelves. If you're afraid of heights I don't recommend that machine. It gets awfully wobbly the higher you get. I worked on a few more machines and I became certified to drive 4 of them. It is fun tooling around on each machine but it can be nerve racking.

I am the youngest guy there by about 20 years so making work friends, not so much. I basically work by myself stocking shelves and I wish I could use my iPod, but oh well. My boss is pretty cool. I think he's part of the mafia. I mean he had his hair slicked back. OH! He also had a prison tattoo on his hand. So yeah, he's pretty hardcore. His favorite phrase to say is, "The numbers don't jive man." That means that the SKU product numbers don't match. It's a pain in the behind.

School is going well. We are week three into our second set of classes. One of them is basically a continuation of fire 101 but for school administrative purposes it has to be divided into two classes. The other class we are talking is Incident Command systems, that's cool. We are going through scenarios and learning how to do scene size ups and do tactical worksheets (see picture).

We learned to do pitched roof ventilation which consists of using a roof ladder, a chain saw and a big hole in the roof. We touched on punching ceiling and walls but we will do more of that tomorrow. I will have pictures of it then.

For our final we are going to participate in something called the Silver Nozzle Competition. Basically we are going to practice first floor search in front of the school. The paper and local news crews are going to be there. So that will be cool.

We started a Fire & Rescue club and I was voted treasurer. So I get to handle the money. Also we are getting a new faculty administrator that will hopefully push the program further. We were asked by the school administration to select one of the students to be on the hiring committee as a voice for the students. Some people told me to do it, so I will probably volunteer for that.

Other than that not much is going on. I'm impatiently waiting to go to Japan. It's coming in 47 days! I really can't wait. I'm going to see my sweetie and hang out with her and her family in Japan, I really can't wait. I am kind of nervous though. But I'm sure it will pass with time. Anyway, that is about it, stay tuned for the continuing saga of Smoke Before Fire!