Firefighter Intern: Day 51 and 52
Dec. 14th, 2018 11:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grim23Tomorrow's victory is today's training. - Ken Fitzsimmons
We had a long meeting this morning about setting up the utility bays for inclement weather, when we don't want to take off our wet turnouts between calls and we want to have access to computer and television weather reports and charting options without going upstairs - so we spent the morning setting that up and replacing television mounts and cables in the utility bay. When I wasn't needed, I did housechores - I've gotten good at folding towels!
We were toned out to a gentleman with dementia and chest pain, and I rode with the Battalion Chief as Utility 482 and Medic 483 were already out. I was generally helpful and got to see a Mega Mover, for larger patients and situations where gurneys don't easily fit to transfer to the gurney. Unfortunately, when I got the gurney to the transfer point at the base of a few steps, I screwed up and had the gurney facing the wrong way. Patients when transferring down stairs go feet first, and I had the gurney positioned head first. *sigh* Lesson learned.
In the afternoon, we had a walk-in, a gentleman with dyspnea (shortness of breath and weakness) with a possibly dysfunctional pacemaker. I brought Medic 483 around and grabbed different bags and gear, and got to watch a paramedic get an IV, push fluids, and run the call. I sat in the Airway seat and got to monitor the oxygen at 4 liters on a nasal cannula and hand him things. I correctly cleaned the Medic unit after we transported, and restocked everything.
In the evening, we were toned out to a Mill worker with difficulty breathing, who had stopped taking his blood pressure medications. We ended up not transporting after a pretty extensive evaluation, and he agreed to transport himself. I again cleaned and restocked the Medic unit, and learned a bit more about the monitor in the process.
We slept hard when we got to bed - but we were up early because today is MERTS (Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station) with the Firefighter Academy, where we were planning on spending the whole day training in full company evolutions. It was good that we were up early, as we were toned out in Engine 481 for a brush fire that turned out to be a trash pile that had gotten out of control. I got a bit of an extra workout running an attack line suppressing the fire and getting the hot spots before we used the Master Stream water cannon on it.
At MERTS, we use a building that's half a simulated ship and half a simulated high rise apartment building, but with natural gas burners that can set everything in the building on fire over and over again. The building can also be filled with mineral oil smoke, that's actually safe to breathe but creates a pretty realistic IDLH (Immediately Dangerous To Life or Health) fire situation similar to what we would experience in a real initial fire attack.
We got lots of experience with our SCBA, some tactical and strategic planning with initial fire attack, and also with being the backup fire team protecting the egress of the initial attack team. We trained in multiple rooms, stairs, floors, and flashovers. We practiced wearing and using all of the gear, victim and rescue search, and some RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) training, which is a team rescue effort to rescue a downed firefighter.
Just after we were getting ready for a shower and bed after getting all of the apparatus back in service, we got toned out for a medical call of a 99-year-old woman with 'breathing problems' and once we were enroute we got updated that CPR was in progress, so we all went in a hurry. When we got there, we met the staff at the care home who produced a valid DNR order - so we checked for lifelessness with the Deputy Medical Examiner who also arrived at the same time, and waited until the investigation was complete. A sobering experience to end the evening.
I got back to the station, showered, and went to bed and slept hard until had to get up to drive to my private practice and see clients. Fortunately, we had no calls.
RECEO-VS: The first acronym taught to working firefighters is RECEO-VS. This stands for Rescue, Exposures, Containment, Extinguish, Overhaul - Ventilation and Salvage. This gives firefighters their actions on the fireground in order of strategic importance.
COAL WAS WEALTH – Construction, Occupancy, Area, Life Hazards; Weather, Apparatus/Manpower, Special Conditions; Water Supply, Exposures, Age/Access, Location, Time, Height. Addressing the issue of size-up as another operational event, a definitive list of on-scene considerations are enumerated in the acronym COAL WAS WEALTH. Memorizing this acronym and understanding its meaning is paramount to first arriving officers as well as any command staff.
We had a long meeting this morning about setting up the utility bays for inclement weather, when we don't want to take off our wet turnouts between calls and we want to have access to computer and television weather reports and charting options without going upstairs - so we spent the morning setting that up and replacing television mounts and cables in the utility bay. When I wasn't needed, I did housechores - I've gotten good at folding towels!
We were toned out to a gentleman with dementia and chest pain, and I rode with the Battalion Chief as Utility 482 and Medic 483 were already out. I was generally helpful and got to see a Mega Mover, for larger patients and situations where gurneys don't easily fit to transfer to the gurney. Unfortunately, when I got the gurney to the transfer point at the base of a few steps, I screwed up and had the gurney facing the wrong way. Patients when transferring down stairs go feet first, and I had the gurney positioned head first. *sigh* Lesson learned.
In the afternoon, we had a walk-in, a gentleman with dyspnea (shortness of breath and weakness) with a possibly dysfunctional pacemaker. I brought Medic 483 around and grabbed different bags and gear, and got to watch a paramedic get an IV, push fluids, and run the call. I sat in the Airway seat and got to monitor the oxygen at 4 liters on a nasal cannula and hand him things. I correctly cleaned the Medic unit after we transported, and restocked everything.
In the evening, we were toned out to a Mill worker with difficulty breathing, who had stopped taking his blood pressure medications. We ended up not transporting after a pretty extensive evaluation, and he agreed to transport himself. I again cleaned and restocked the Medic unit, and learned a bit more about the monitor in the process.
We slept hard when we got to bed - but we were up early because today is MERTS (Marine and Environmental Research and Training Station) with the Firefighter Academy, where we were planning on spending the whole day training in full company evolutions. It was good that we were up early, as we were toned out in Engine 481 for a brush fire that turned out to be a trash pile that had gotten out of control. I got a bit of an extra workout running an attack line suppressing the fire and getting the hot spots before we used the Master Stream water cannon on it.
At MERTS, we use a building that's half a simulated ship and half a simulated high rise apartment building, but with natural gas burners that can set everything in the building on fire over and over again. The building can also be filled with mineral oil smoke, that's actually safe to breathe but creates a pretty realistic IDLH (Immediately Dangerous To Life or Health) fire situation similar to what we would experience in a real initial fire attack.
We got lots of experience with our SCBA, some tactical and strategic planning with initial fire attack, and also with being the backup fire team protecting the egress of the initial attack team. We trained in multiple rooms, stairs, floors, and flashovers. We practiced wearing and using all of the gear, victim and rescue search, and some RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) training, which is a team rescue effort to rescue a downed firefighter.
Just after we were getting ready for a shower and bed after getting all of the apparatus back in service, we got toned out for a medical call of a 99-year-old woman with 'breathing problems' and once we were enroute we got updated that CPR was in progress, so we all went in a hurry. When we got there, we met the staff at the care home who produced a valid DNR order - so we checked for lifelessness with the Deputy Medical Examiner who also arrived at the same time, and waited until the investigation was complete. A sobering experience to end the evening.
I got back to the station, showered, and went to bed and slept hard until had to get up to drive to my private practice and see clients. Fortunately, we had no calls.
RECEO-VS: The first acronym taught to working firefighters is RECEO-VS. This stands for Rescue, Exposures, Containment, Extinguish, Overhaul - Ventilation and Salvage. This gives firefighters their actions on the fireground in order of strategic importance.
COAL WAS WEALTH – Construction, Occupancy, Area, Life Hazards; Weather, Apparatus/Manpower, Special Conditions; Water Supply, Exposures, Age/Access, Location, Time, Height. Addressing the issue of size-up as another operational event, a definitive list of on-scene considerations are enumerated in the acronym COAL WAS WEALTH. Memorizing this acronym and understanding its meaning is paramount to first arriving officers as well as any command staff.
