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.

Power Hawk Hellbender Squadron

I have to apologise for this post is about 2 days late. But I had to do some research to make sure all my facts were correct. I looked everywhere to find reference to the Power Hawk Hellbender Squadron on the manufactures website but found nothing. The VHS (yes VHS) we watched was obviously an older promo video that has since been updated and had all awesome names removed. Here is what the manufactures have to say about the system in the year 2010 - believe me when I say the original VHS presentation shat all over the future.

The 'Hellbender Squadron' ready to get to work.

I am not exactly sure who this is with the disc cutter - but he chopped that car good.

This is Ryan channeling the unbelievable power of the Power Hawk to do believable things.

I am off to Hobart tomorrow for a week of aviation rescue and fire fighting practical. There will be big flames and some really good pictures coming your way.

Power Hawk - da na na nah (that's the Star Wars music)

This week has been crazy with late nights studying for back to back exams over 2 days. The main theory is now done and out of the way and we are looking forward to getting into some solid practical work over the next 2 weeks.

This afternoon we got started on some of the rescue equipment we will be using. All the stuff we need to chop into planes and cars to rescue people. We were only in the class today, but we will get a chance to use this gear on a few cars that have been out the back since day one – woot.

But first, here is a picture of my new room mate for when we go to Tasmania. He is from Hobart so it will be good to get a local insight. He does know how to smile, he just forgot for a second.

The ‘Super Poser’ demonstrating the correct facial expression to use with the Power Hawk.

My current room mate Ross using the Powerpusher and Power Hawk in perfect harmony. They are technically called “The Power Hawk Hellbender Squadron” I wish the name was bullshit but it’s true.

Richard working the shaft as team mates look on in awe of his skills.

KA-BLAMMO!!!

We have been locked up in the classroom doing exams and studying new material for more exams. Despite the sleepy and at times gassy conditions in class, we were allowed out yesterday for a bit of 'extreme' fire fighting. One of the lessons we covered was LPG fires. These things are dangerous and can go ka-blammo if not acted on in an efficient professional manner (which is what we have now instead of blood).

As you can see the LPG cylinder is on fire - the instructors aren't huddling in fear, they are working out who they will place in extreme danger first.

It turned out Mr Griggs was the lucky man.

As Mr Griggs (or Griggsy) started cooling the cylinder an attack line was set up to get in close.

The attack line gets in close enough to turn off the cylinder valve by hand - which they do.

In the afternoon we came back to the smoke hut and did our first 'hot fire' session. We got to go inside when there was actual fire and feel how hot it gets. Just so you know ,it gets hot, so hot in fact you have to get down low and go go go or your ears will burn off.