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I don't know exactly what is happening to the DVD etc. but I have uploaded the videos I had from the recruit course to YouTube. If you want to see them in better quality just go to my YouTube Channel UltraSuperMaxPower or just search Recruit Course 74.

Graduation - UPDATE

ARFF Recruit course #74 (also known as the Hellbender Squadron) graduated on Friday. It was a great feeling knowing that all the guys I started with made it through the course. I have to say that of all the courses I have done, or think I will do, this one will rate as the most memorable by a very large margin. I have made some really cool friends that are now all over Australia.

I start real work on Sunday which I am sure will be an adventure in itself.

Well here are the boys all dressed up with the silver axe Tony in the middle.

I hope everyone has a good first day at their stations and I look forward to seeing you all at the 1 year reunion.

Recruit Fireman Brad - OUT.

Doin’ it for the kids

On Friday we finished the last part of our vehicle operations stuff. We got to use the dry chemical powder extinguisher that is on the trucks. The extinguishers are similar to the ones you see hanging on the wall, but a 225 kilo version.

We knocked off a bit early at the end of the day and went to the airport terminals to do a bit of fund raising for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. We did a good job of harassing the Easter masses for change and giving the kids Easter eggs (even if their parents didn’t approve).

This guy wasn’t giving us anything – I believe his facial expression is described as ‘nonplussed’.

High fives all round – is there anything firemen can’t do?


3 more days of the course then it is graduation day and party time.

A Day in the Life

With the course coming to a close next week, I thought I would give you all an idea of how our day runs. We all meet at the bus at about 6:45 and Mr Guy lets us listen to Gold FM, we normally arrive just after the 10 questions for $1000 segment. Gold FM is NOT our station of choice.


When we get to school we line up and do parade. We are leaning how to march in preparation for the pass out parade next Friday. We aren’t super awesome yet, but we will be. After parade we break up into groups and start our lessons.

For the next 3 days my group is doing pump operations. This is mainly so we don’t look like complete noobs when we get to our stations. Although the 3 days involve burning around in circles spaying the fake plane with the monitors, will still have time for fun.

Then I get Luke to pose in front of the station so he can show his mum where he works.


After that there was a brief ping pong tournament where Sam smashed all contenders. Melbourne Station even sent over some ringers that were sent packing.


The long weekend is coming up and I am heading to Mt Hotham with an old school pal Andres. I am looking forward to it because there will be horse polo.

Structural Fire Fighting Week

This week is all about structural fire fighting and rescue. We all get used during the drills so I haven’t been able to take any pictures. So instead of not having anything to post, I have decided to use some of the pictures the guys that did it last week took. When you look at the pictures just imagine the fire fighters being more tough, better looking and total rad.

Internal search team getting ready to make entry into the smoke hut.

Just about everyone in the internal team have to do ‘hot’ cylinder swaps – ‘hot’ seems the perfect word usage.

Did you say more hose? Lots and lots of hose ends up all over the place.

We have another 3 days to get through and it should be all down hill from there. I get to go home in 3 weeks – it can’t come soon enough.

Return to Moonee Ponds

We got back from Tassie last night with our bags smelling of kero and smoke – the explosives checks must not be very good if we all made it through. All up it was a good week of training, hard work at times, but very rewarding. On the Friday we had a mini speed competition, the winners of the grand final were team Chappy & Rushton.

This was one of the more impressive fires we had going.

Don’t fly on any ARFF airline – the planes aren’t very safe.

Insert Zoolander joke here.

On Monday we have another week of putting out fires, this time it will all be urban. From talking to the other guys the drills will be longer and there will be lots more happening.

Tassie

We flew into Tassie (as I believe the locals call it) early on Monday morning. There was no snow and no David Boon to meet us at the airport. There was only a Begal that was very good at finding the food we brought with us.

We got a few drills in on the Monday and then went off to get food and check into our accommodation. Woollies didn’t know what hit them – we jammed up all the checkouts about 5 deep and the locals weren’t too impressed.

The first drill we did was ‘the massive fire with black smoke’ drill.


We also did some engine and wheel fires.


All the time watched by our ever alert safety officer, Wilko.