Pete Hypes
One Anomaly to the Norm
By
May 21, 2008 - 2:32:17 PM

In order to have an entire crew that is capable of filling any position from Truck 14 operator to Engine 14 officer, we have switched up some people for a while. I am back on Engine 14, mentoring a young firefighter who is seeking to become an acting officer, while the engine officer is being cross trained on T14. This means that I either drive or ride in the jump seat. On my first day back on the engine, I drove. The engine went less than one mile and logged no calls that day. When you are on one of the busiest engines in the county, that is nothing short of a miracle. For the young firefighter who is trying to become an acting officer, it does very little to get him the experience that he needs. However, to you, that meant no unattended cooking-related fires, no candle-related fires, and no vehicle accidents that required our response, so GOOD JOB!

Yesterday, we were back to our norm at #14, logging seven engine calls and four truck calls. The engine responded to three vehicle accidents, two medical calls, a trash truck on fire, and a water flow alarm. The truck responded to two of the three accidents, the water flow, and a structural alarm. This is the call activity that we are accustomed to. Couple this with our PT (physical training), and site visits, as well as our apparatus maintenance, and you have a pretty full day; not to leave out the beef and cheddars for lunch, and the unnamed Mexican dish that was served at dinner.

Station 14 always has something going on. On Friday, we will train with the dive team, in order to be prepared to support them in the event of a dive incident. There never seems to be two days that are quite alike. Whatever the case, the job of a firefighter is a rewarding career for the person who can handle change on a daily basis. Our day-to-day goal is to make someone’s bad day just a little bit better.

I’m home now, looking to enjoy my two days off. I will return on Friday to see whatever unfolds. Until then…   

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