Week 3: Day 3 & 4

Yesterday and today were very similar.....a LOT of standing around while people drove through the skills course, and then the road course.

The skills course was the same as the course for the ambulance....

Serpentine (Forward and Backward)
Back in and stop 6" from a cone
Diminishing Alley (100 ft alley ends at a width 4" wider than the width of the apparatus)
Offset Alley (Left and Right)
Turn around a corner, and back into an alley, parking 6" from a cone

The road course was driving down the road from the academy and then turning around and returning. It is about 3 miles total....no traffic, just driving on a small country road.

I thought driving the engine was easier than driving the ambulance. In fact, I did much better. I drove with the Lieutenant, he stated that I was a "natural" and was one of the best drivers he had seen in a long time (being able to jump in a new / very large apparatus and drive it without any issues).

Today, we stood around while everyone else finished up the course. We then received our "Progress Reports." I am averaging a 94% for academics (after about 6 tests). I am meeting all expectations, and I am not on any "hit list," unlike the guy with the cell phone. We will do another PT assessment in another week or two to see how things have progressed.

Towards the end of the day today, the Lieutenant pulled up in the engine and points to me and says "get in." I immediately think....WHAT THE HELL DID I DO!?! I jump in and he tells everyone else to clean up the cones and get ready to wash the engines that we'd been driving all day. We start to leave the academy grounds and he tells me where we are going...at this point I still think I may be in some trouble. He said that the engine needed to be fueled (they are filled up when they get to 3/4 tank) and I would be driving the engine back to the academy. He stated he "wanted someone to drive that he was confident and comfortable with their driving ability." We drove about 25 minutes to the West End Police Station to fuel the engine, and then switched and I drove back. I went from never driving an engine, to driving one yesterday on a skills course and on the "open road" for about 3 miles, to driving one 25 minutes across town making turns, merging into lanes, slowing and stopping in traffic, etc on busy roads. It was pretty fun.

I received my CPR Certification card....which must now be carried on my person at all times. I also completed my Class 2 and Class 3 EVOC Certifications.

A few of us spent a part of the day unloading a full hay rack and loading the burn building. We filled rooms, closets, built walls, etc in order to prepare for a controlled burn. They use hay bales and pallets to light the building on fire. I found out that local farmers actually DONATE the hay to the Fire Department for training purposes. That's impressive.....

Tomorrow we finally have PT again....I never thought I'd be happy for PT...but I am!!