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(continued from main page) What an excellent training opportunity I thought to myself. I wished I had been involved from the beginning so that I too could
have learned what they did during the exercise. I spoke with Capt Procknow. He said Ward had been wanting to do this for some time now and
they had an opportunity that day. Prock said they tried a couple different rigs before they came up with this one that seemed to
function and spread the load the best. I later learned that Lt Wrenn was down at the river practicing Z and pig rigs with his crew and they plan to do more river training
on employing the ropes and knots they'd practiced with at the river.
I often think about the experience we have as a whole in the department. I think about the veterans that are talking of retiring soon. I think about the
hole that will be left behind when they leave. The experience and knowledge that they will take with them. I wish I could partner with each of them and
pick their brains, listen to their stories, learn from their mistakes. I asked them to invite me to the next training and hope I'll be available to get dirty with them. One of my sleeves still has a firefighter patch on it that loves that aspect of the job as much as the other side.
I worry that we are going to let our veterans go and we'll be left with a young department, although competent, will we make the same mistakes not having taken advantage of what we could have practiced with the vets? I worry that
one of our family will be hurt unnecessarily. Are we as prepared for the structure fire as we could be? Have we pre-planned our district enough so that we are comfortable? If I'm acting engineer one day do I know where the FDC is on that building?
Have we practiced and trained together enough to be instinctive in our actions? Can we follow orders without a doubt? Have we studied and prepared with the knowledge needed to take that action? Are we waiting to be spoon fed? Is there anything more important than us using some time to train a little as a company today?
Look around your station, do you know how to operate every piece of equipment? Could you start it in the dark or with gear on? When was the last time you pulled an attack line? Could you invite another station for a drill today?
I commend B shift, if I could pick a station today to go back to work on shift, it would be under a Lt or Capt that trains. I don't want a Lt who let's everyone sleep during the day because they are asleep themselves.
I don't believe they have a great deal of respect for my life or our citizens. Give me an officer who is gung ho, makes me train, makes it fun to learn yet knows the seriousness of the job we must do at a moments notice. When the proverbial dung hits the fan,
you'll see who's been napping and who's been training. I only hope it's not the last thing you'll ever see.
-Capt Eliot
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