Week 2: Day 4

Almost done with Week 2. The instructors were nice and decided we could do our pushups over 2 days. We did 225 of the 425 today. We did other pushups also...so it was probably a total of 275 today, but only 225 of them counted towards our 425.

We did our morning PT, then hit the tower for a nice 6 story run and some pushups at the top. Then we rounded it up with the combat challenge.

The remainder of the day was spent learning about the communication center, radio protocol, and the various apparatus used in the Department.

Week 2: Day 3

CPR Training (All Day)

I am starting to think that I am making the Academy sound easy. To shed that myth, I will share some information. The academy is very structured. The rules are simple....FOLLOW THE RULES!!

A recruit brought a cell phone into class: class does pushups

A recruit was late to class: class (minus offender) does pushups

A recruit left his book in the class and the Captain found them: class (minus offender does pushups

A recruit did not properly greet personnel at the academy: battalion had to do lunges around the perimeter of the building. After each lunge we said "Good Afternoon Sir"

A recruit did not complete his gear check: instructors disassembled our gear, put it in a huge pile, and we had ten minutes to find our stuff, put it back together, and get dressed in turnouts for a gear check. Each minute past the 10 minute mark, we would have to do 25 pushups.

TOMORROW, WE OWE 425 PUSHUPS. Our breaks throughout the day will be spent doing groups of 40 pushups.

.......and this is WEEK 2.

Week 2: Day 2

0700 PT.  

We had to do some extra PT because someone left their books in the class and they were found by the Training CAPTAIN!!

We then did the Combat Challenge.  It is similar, but different, from the CPAT.  The stations are:

1. Ceiling breach & Pull

2. Hose raise (a hose is attached to a pulley and you have to lift it 50ft in the air)

3. Ladder raise (the ladder is no longer attached to the ground)

4. Carry a large box fan

5. Carry a high rise pack up 6 flights of stairs

6. Pull a sled while on one knee (a distance of 75 feet), then pull it back to the starting position.

7. Kaiser sled

8. Remove and reinstall the caps on a fire hydrant

9. Dummy drag (you are on your knees while pulling the 165lb dummy)

We then had lecture from 0915 to 1200, and 1300 to 1700.  We learned about the history of the Fire Department, and the command and organization structure.

FUN FACT:

Horses were introduced into the Fire Department, to pull the steam pumpers, in the 1800's.  In order to keep the horses calm and chase away small animals that might frighten the horses, firefighters would have dalmatians run ahead of them.  This is why the dalmatian is considered the firehouse dog!

Week 2: Day 1

No PT at 0700.

CISM: Critical Incident Stress Management

We learned about how to identify stress, the dangers that can occur when you carry stress, who to talk to about stress and incidents you will encounter, when to talk about them, and groups within the county that provide assistance.

After lunch we had TEAM BUILDING!!

First we played volleyball using an oversized beach ball.  Each team had to hit it three times prior to hitting it over the night.

Then we went on to the 4-way tug of war.

We then went on to "deserted island."  Each team has to balance and hold themselves off the ground on a 9" x 9" square box.

Then we did a "board walk."  Teams position their feet on 2 4"x4"s with ropes attached to them.  You then have to walk as a team moving the boards along.

The last exercise was building something from memory.  We each had an opportunity to look at the object (a helicopter) and had to rebuild it using the parts that were on the table in front of us.

We went back to the classroom and lectured on team dynamics, the components of a team, positions people assume on a team, etc.

Week 1: Day 5

"On days that I want to exercise, I exercise because my life depends on it.  On days that I do not want to exercise, I exercise because someone else's life depends on it." - A Captain in our Dept

0700 PT (stretches and calisthenics)

We then moved into some training using resistance bands.  They simulate the same movements and skills that we did in the weight room, but rather than strength training, this improved endurance.  We then learned what the short runs would be like.  A loop through the academy grounds at a decent jog pace.  During the jog, we did "indian sprints" and "pole sprints."  Indian sprints are performed by having the person at the end of the line sprinting to the front, followed by the "new" last person running to the front...and so on.  Pole sprints are performed by sprinting when we get to a telephone pole, to the next telephone pole, then returning to a walk or jog.

After our morning PT, we had our first quiz on PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).  We then lectured on Health and Wellness.  We covered topics such as proper exercise, what to/not to eat, healthy habits, etc.  We were also issued our county IDs.  We received 2 IDs: 1 that is to be carried on our person at all times, and 1 that goes in our turnout gear.  The one in our gear is in case anything happens.

We get out early on Fridays....so that was about it for the day....we finished on a high note.  We did more push-ups because our friend with the phone decided to return late from a break.  This time he got to sit out of the activities and watch the rest of us do them.  10 total push-ups performed at a 1 (Down), 2 (Up), 3 (Down), 4 (Up) cadence.  So it was really 20 push-up.  In all, I think we did about 50-60 push-ups today.

With that being said....Week 1 is complete.  24 Weeks remaining!!

I am preparing to relax and enjoy my weekend while my body recovers for Monday.

Week 1: Day 4

0700: PT  

After our normal stretches and calisthenics, we went to the weight room for some circuit training.  16 stations for 1 minute each, between each station we did pushups, crunches, starbursts, smurf-jacks, or hello-dollies.  The stations varied, but had a functional application as some of them mimicked skills we would apply on the job, as well as some for strength and balance: (including but not limited to)

DB Bench Press

DB Incline Press

DB Military Press

One-legged DB Press

Crunches

Ceiling Breach

Forcible Entry

Hose Pull

Jump Rope

Leg Press

One-legged Squats

Side Step (wearing resistance bands)

Chest Flys

Squats (with weight)

Balanced Knee Raises

Rows

After that, we went into lecture.  We had a Chief and Captain present on Safety and Awareness on the job.  They presented videos, while we spoke and critiqued what they did wrong.  I thought it was wild that in one scene they showed a Firefighter without a helmet on, smoking a cigarette, while holding the hose to fight the fire (granted these films were dated circa 1998).  This took the better part of the day.......

Regulation 4.2.3 states that we are not allowed to have cell phones during the hours of 0700-1700 (during the day while in the academy, except at lunch), and no phones are allowed in the classroom.

At about 1700, when we were getting ready to leave, an instructor noticed a phone clipped onto the bag of a recruit......so we had to do push-ups.  Well....SUPER push-ups actually.  It is similar to a normal pushup except you hold yourself in the up and/or down position for as long as the instructor wants.  When the say UP, you raise...when they say DOWN, you lower yourself to where you are about a fist above the ground.

That was the conclusion of the day...

Week 1: Day 3

0700: Physical Training on the burn pad.

PT lasts 2 hours and consists of calisthenics, stretching, core exercises, a 2 mile run, a run up to the top of the tower and pushups at the top, and a cool down stretch.

Then Battalion 1 has approximately 35 minutes to shower, dress in Class C uniforms, and be in the classroom.  Battalion 1 has approximately 22 men, and 5 showers.....not much time.

We then went over PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).  We learned about the regulations, types/forms, groups that oversee the development, manufacturing, etc.  It led into us being issued our turnout gear after lunch.  If you don't know, turnout gear is what you wear to any structure or vehicle fire....(that's the simplified non-textbook definition anyway).

After lunch, we went into learning how to physically take apart the coats, pants, etc and inspect them.  Then we jumped right into donning and doffing drills (putting the gear on correctly and taking it off).  At first it was not timed, we simply went through to learn how to properly put it all on.  Then the ante was upped.  Battalion 1 vs Battalion 2.  The loser had to do pushups.....IN FULL GEAR.  After a ton of drills, we then went and did exercises in full gear: crawling on hands and knees, duck walks, stairs and crawling.  

I think I lost a few pounds, and I will definitely be in A LOT better shape...tons of running, stretching, pushups, weight training.....

Tonight I am going to relax!!