Joint Training

Last night was our Third Thursday, and Arnoldsville FD brought their new pumper, their pride and joy, and initiated us into the mysteries of its operation.

AFD and Wolfskin have worked together before on the Mod 1 training class last spring, but not in our regular training sessions, and of course we meet often on fire calls. But those aren't so relaxed, and so this was a great opportunity to get to know each other and our respective equipment.

AFD Chief Joe Siegert and company put their pumper through its paces, introducing us to its capabilities. ATO Andy got scooted back a few feet when we upped the psi through a 4-inch hose to 250. And then we gave AFD the gift of a refill of water from our tanker to send them on their way.

I took the camera but of course completely forgot about it, and so don't have any memorabilia to offer. But you can surf right on over to Arnoldsville's new website and see some pics of the new pumper there. And leave a comment to let them know you were there.

And that brings to mind - I've added a section that I need to put in a better place - for any and all of Oglethorpe County's fire department websites. That now includes us, Arnoldsville, Philomath, and Salem.

--Wayne 411

New Firefighter Brian

I say "new firefighter" but Brian has been fighting wildland fires in North Carolina and south Georgia for some time now, so he already had more experience than most of us have in that arena. This experience overlaps nicely with his interest and education in Forestry.

The great news that we all congratulate him on is that he has passed the written Mod 1 exam, which he took as a challenge. This means that he didn't take the weeklong lecture part of the course, but passed (and more than just passed) the written exam studying on his own.

And last Thursday Mar 27 he spent all day proving himself by going through the required structure fire practical. From his description last night it sounded pretty rigorous, with basements and multiple rooms involved during various times of the day. Despite all that he was on his way to our usual training night at Wolfskin but was sidelined en route by a flat tire. Apparently there are no ten-codes for that.

Brian will be heading out west for a two and a half-month job starting in June (I think), where he'll be working with crews fighting wildland fires in Montana and Idaho, if I recall correctly. We might be hearing from him and seeing some photos that he sends us this summer, and we'll post those as they come in and keep everyone informed.

Of course we're all pleased with him and excited for the opportunity he has this summer but that means he won't be here in Wolfskin, and he'll certainly be missed.

(BTW - I haven't put last names - I never do unless it's clear that it's ok. I certainly will be glad to do so if it meets approval. Brian's efforts have been a great accomplishment.)

--Wayne