To start everything off, my duties in the fire department have increased dramatically. Greg over in humor can back me up on this one. Trying to keep up with OSHA, PESH, NFPA and many other agency requirements have takealotot of my personal and family time away during normal waking hours. So during early evening hours I try to find time for family around all the hazmat team, rope rescue team and fire department meetings. Mind you this is all volunteer anyoullll understand more later on. It just seems the faster you work at things the faster it piles up behind you. We have had a "regime" change since my last article, so working with all the new officers takes alot of time since nobodys schedule seems to match up with someone else's. But it's all worth it and the community depends on us. But all the inter-workings of the fire department (meetings fundraisers, responses and public relations)are well worth the time effort I put forth.
Besides all the fire department responsibilities, I've added the New York State and National Fire Academy to my plate of education and knowledge. I've probably spent the last month or so driving back and forth finishing up my national and board certification for Fire Service Instructor II (planning on going for Instructor III)and studying for recertification for firefighter II. All this is necessary so I can take the Fire Officer Series that my state offers and become nationally and board certified in such. You go to class to learn the basic materials, but on top of that you have to read 1000+ pages of text to prepare for the certification tests. The class work and studying for the test are two very different thoughts of teaching. What you learn in class may or may not be on the test. Aren't VOLUNTEERS great?
And as we march forward in the quest to serve the community. I have taken a job as a professional Emergency Medical Technician in the City of Rochester. And a requirement for employment, you have to complete 10 training shifts, consisting of 12 hours apiece. During these shifts, I had to learn a maze of streets, roads and hospital locations. And also become familiar with a entirely new set of paperwork, far different from the ones I use at the Volunteer Ambulance. Did I mention I volunteer for the local EMS agency tooFamilytimeilytime? what's that? Not to mention encountering medical situation I have never thought possible. The way we handle situations in the volunteer sector are far, far different from the commercial sector. So while we sit at our post waiting for the next call to come through, I'm sitting in the back either working on paperwork for one of the many volunteer agencies or digging through the pile of EMS paperwork I need to memorize for my job. Thank GOD for palm pilots, LOL. Without it, I wouldn't be able to schedule everything, including sleep.
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