Let's Get You Up to Speed (part 8).....

In April of 2006, I felt the burning of wanting to become a firefighter. I had already had my interview. I now waited to move on to the next phase....I found out what that was the very next month....the Agility Test.

For those of you who may not know, the agility test is kind of like an obstacle course...for firefighters. There are different stages set up, and you have to complete them in a certain order, under a certain time. Tests vary from city to city, district to district, but all complete the same motions in some way.

Because this was my first one, I was a little nervous. We had received instructions on what to wear, a layout of the obstacles we would be completing, and instructions to the test site, but that didn't ease my nerves. I got up early that morning, and headed to the site way too early. I remember as I pulled up to the test site I told my self that this was it, and there was no turning back. And boy was that true. Things haven't been the same since and I've never given up. Back to the test...

Around the start of the test, the instructors started gathering us all up. They explained each obstacle and what order we needed to do them in. They even had a volunteer firefighter run the course so we could observe.

We then lined up, in one of the bays. For this test, we had to wear a helmet, gloves, turnout coat, and air tank. While we were waiting, they took our beginning blood pressure. Mine (and I wasn't alone) was high due to being nervous. I suited up, and then it was time to hit the course running...

And I do mean running, we had to complete all the tasks in 6 minutes.

The clock started, and my time keeper kept right up with me. I grabbed the elevator pack (folded house bound together for easy caring on the shoulder) and headed up the 4 flights of stairs, carefully hitting every step and holding on the rail (time penalty if those were missed). At the top, I set down the pack, and headed over to the window ledge. There laid a hose. Hand over hand I pulled the hose through the window and into the room I was in. Once I got to the end, I had to lean out and actually pull the end over a lip in the concrete. I then picked the pack back up and headed back down the stairs. I dropped the pack at the required location and headed for the Sledgehammer drill. Simple task, strike a rubber pad, 40 times with a rubber mallet. I completed that quickly. After that, pick a ladder off of the ladder stand, walk it out around a cone, and hang it back up. Again, not a problem. The next step, was the hose pull. Sounds simple enough, pull a charged hose out past a line drawn on the concrete. I grabbed the hose, swung it over my shoulder and took off. I did really good out of the gate. The hose that was snaked out on the ground began to straighten out. I could see the line was in reach, but as soon as I went to cross it, the hose stopped and flew out of my hand. The hose had finished un-coiling and all that was left was for me to rotate the hydrant end of the hose my direction. A task I completed by turning around and pulling the hose. Task completed...on to the last one, the dummy drag. For this test, I had to drag a 135-40lbs dummy through the bay and out the door. I grabbed the dummy and began to drag him. Somewhere along the way, my feet got tangled up and I fell. I got up, grabbed the dummy and finished the course in 4:00 minutes. Not bad for the first time. They did a post-test blood pressure check, and sent us home.

I had done it and with that, the dream was escalated. I finally convinced myself that this may be what I need to be doing for a career. It would just take another 3 months before anyone knew anything....and when it finally did arrive, the news couldn't be better.

Here is a video of an agility test...In case you wanted to know. While different, it does show similar tasks.

Let's Get You Up to Speed (part 7).....

I remember it well. A letter in the mail. "Would you please report to station 2 for an interview with the O'Fallon Fire Protection Group's Volunteer program."

I was in Shock. Spring 2005 I drop an application off and was told by the chief that summer that no knew volunteers would be accepted until after the 1st of January. It was now March of 2006. I figured I was forgotten.

On April 1st, 2006, I got the birthday present of all birthday presents. An interview. I remember it well. I got all dressed up in a shirt and tie. They never told us what to wear or what to expect. I showed up, waited in line and talked to a few folks that had gathered around...

One by one, they called us downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs their was a door. I remember saying a quick prayer as I opened the door. I noticed the tables and chairs were set up in a u-shaped. One by one they all asked question after question. I did my best to make sure I was calm and that I clearly and honestly answered all their questions. I remember feeling very comfortable with my answers when I
left.

As I drove away, I got a call from my sister. I told her all about the interview. She wished me a happy birthday and a good luck with the firedepartment.

It would be a few more weeks before I heard some more good news.

Let's Get You Up to Speed (part 6).....

It's amazing what a talk with a fire chief will do to a person. For the rest of the summer, I knew I was going to be a firefighter. I would pass firetrucks on the road, hear sirens while mowing the grass...and I would always say..."Won't be long now..soon I will be joining you all..." I took my new confidence and headed to EMT-B school.

Well, actually I didn't head anywhere. St. Louis Community College offered its EMT-B course online. We did all our homework and quizzes at home, and had our practices and tests on the Saturdays. 8 Saturdays of the Fall of 2005 semester were spent at the Community College. We met from 9 to 5 - 8 hours of emergency medical training. I soaked in as much as I could from our instructors (who happened to be firefighters). I would listen as they talked about their life experiences. It was a great way to learn. Hands on training from the hands of those actively in the field.

From splinting, to traction, to back boarding and CPR, it was a fall to remember. But emergency medical assistance was not the only thing introduced to me that fall. Two blocks to the south of the community college lies the only thing I really miss from St. Louis....The Hill. If you like sandwiches (and I do) then this is your heaven. 8 Saturdays we met. 8 sandwiches I ate. Everyone of them different, and everyone just as good as the next. If you go to St. Louis, do yourself a favor and eat lunch in the Hill Neighborhood. You won't forget it.

Towards the end of the semester, (and part of every EMT Class) we started our Ride-A-Longs.

Because I lived in St. Charles County, I decided to do all my ride-a-longs with the St. Charles County Ambulance District. I wish I could remember how many hours I had to do, but I know it was a lot. I remember the first day I went. I was nervous. I mean after all, I was going to go on calls with a real paramedic team. I was going to be a part of their day...watch what they did...help when they needed an extra hand. I remember when the alarm went off for the first time, my heart was racing as I hopped in the back of the ambulance, and we took off...sirens blazing. We were heading to a neighborhood just north of the station...the call? A two year old child in cardiac arrest. Unusual yes, but not in this case. I was told by the medics that this young boy had been struggling for a while and that this was the third or so time they had been called out within the last couple of months. Even with their warning, it was still a shock to see a two year old boy, lying on the dining room table receiving CPR. I mean...Kolsten was also two at the time....I helped out the best I could. The little boy recovered and I got to ride with him in the back of the ambulance to the hospital. We had a few other calls that day. But believe it or not, we spent most of the day playing Halo on the X-Box.

By the end of the semester, I was quite comfortable with the modules that we had learned and practiced. The first few days of January brought the practical portion of the National Registry Exam. While the test was a huge deal, I remained surprisingly calm. I nailed both parts of the test, and passed with ease. I then took a three month break, and waited to take the written part of the exam. It wouldn't be until March of 2006 that I took the written part. While I didn't do the best, I still passed. And a few weeks later I got my National EMT-B Certification.

2006 ushered in a ton of new experiences. I became a dad for the second time, I was putting up drywall in our newly constructed basement, I was promoted to production supervisor at my job, and I finally heard back from the O'Fallon Fire Protection District. They were ready for new volunteers and they were finally ready to speak with me...

The Last Test....I Think

Today I completed what I think was my last medical test. It was the Stress Test. From internet research and tips from friends, I found out that this was nothing more than a treadmill test.

Last week I was called from the Chattanooga Heart Institute. I was told when to arrive and on what date. So, at one o'clock I headed to my car, and made the trip over to Memorial Hospital.

I had my work clothes on, so I quickly changed my clothes in the parking lot (in the car of course). I brought wind pants, a tee-shirt and my running shoes.

I walked through the door, into the building, and was blown away by a large indoor water fountain. Very nice. I explained to the help desk that I needed to take the stress test and they directed me to elevators. I was still distracted by the enormous fountain. The elevator opened up to glass, with a great view of the fountain. I headed up to the third floor.

After I checked in, I sat down in the waiting room. I looked around and noticed that I was probably the only one under 50. I also noticed that they had a small drink area. I saw cups for coffee, water, and small soda fountain. I think it had Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Dr. Pepper. I was surprised to see a soda fountain at a Heart Institute, seeing that soda is part of the obesity problem and obesity is a big cause of cardiovascular disease...but I'm sure it has it place.

5 minutes later I was called back by a mid twenties tech. He noticed my Red The Flash Shirt. He must of really liked it, because he mentioned my shirt to everyone we came in contact with. I laughed.

He lead me to a room that contained a computer, a treadmill, a bed, a large shelf with a chair, and one giant window. He had me take my shirt off. He then cleaned several areas of my chest with alcohol. He then placed little patches with metal buttons in certain locations on my chest. He then connected electrodes to these buttons and strapped the wiring harness to my body. Attaching all the wiring and watching it squish all my fat together, really made me think that I need to start toning. I'm sure it wasn't a pretty site. I also put on a blood pressure cuff.

To top it all off, He informed me that he was going to have a visitor come in and train. I didn't care. I know I don't have six pack abs.

The test then started. I was told to walk on the treadmill for as long as I could take or until my heart rate hit the target of 189 beats per minute. Every three minutes a new stage would be reached. This increased the speed and the height of the treadmill. By stage 5, I was jogging, and finally had reached my target heart rate. I then had to sit and wait 5 minutes. During that time, a doctor walked in, looked at my charts, said everything was great, signed the form, and then left.

I had finished the test. I left the room, headed back through the waiting room, back down the great glass elevator, out the door, and headed back to work. Once back at the TFP parking lot, I changed back to my work clothes and headed back in. One hour is all it took.

I now wait until Next Thursday....Orientation day...

The Physical of all Physicals

Today I spent most of the day getting ready for the start of my new journey. What I thought was going to be a routine physical, turned into an 8 hour extravaganza.

The early morning was rushed. Katrina and I got the kids up and dressed. I dropped them off at day care, got a splash of gas, and headed off to my appointment. I pulled into an empty parking lot a little before eight. I noticed the office was dark, so I waited a few minutes. Sure enough, the doors opened right at eight. I went in, introduced myself, and the physical got underway. Because the nurse was stuck in traffic, I was only able to have my blood pressure checked, my height and weight recorded, and my blood drawn. After a few minutes of paper work, I was told to head out for a chest x-ray.

9:15 I arrived at the Chattanooga Outpatient Clinic, checked in, and yes..filled out more paperwork. 40 minutes and two x-rays later, I'm heading back to finish my physical (or so I thought).

It was a little past 10, when I headed back through the door. There were a few more folks in the office. I was called back to the employee kitchen which also functioned as the hearing test room. After a few instructions, she shut the door on a small isolation booth..and away the test went. Three beeps here, a few clicks there and the test was over. And there I sat, in a small room. Waiting for someone to come back. Eventually, I went back into the waiting room.

11:00, I start the 1st part of the test. Did I forget to mention that the last time I went to the bathroom was 3:00 am. You see, I've had these physicals before. And one item on the list for sure is a drug test. I was going to be prepared. So I held it. All morning. After the drug test, I had a vision test, vital sign check, EKG check, and a breathalyzer. I was one test away from having phase 1 complete, when the lunch bell rang (well not really, but the staff was ready for lunch). So they kicked me out.

12:15, I went across the street to Burger King. What a lunch...a Jr. Wopper. What can you do. I also called work to let them know that I was going to be later than expected.

1:00, I went back inside the office. Instead of finishing up Phase 1, they ushered me to Phase 2. Phase 2 consisted of me taking off my clothes and putting on an opened back paper dress. What a site. The nurse did her tests, explained some things, and then placed me back into the waiting room.

2:00, I go in for the final test of Phase 1. The breathing test. Take a deep breath, and blow out through a tube. Three times. Finally I was done. I was given my paper work, and sent to the Chattanooga Fire Department's Supply Building.

3:20, I arrived at the front door of the supply center. From the note I received, I would be getting fitted for my SCBA Mask and Turnout gear. The fit for the mask was great. You put the mask on and completed several tasks...breathing normally, deep breathing, talking, etc.etc. From there, we gathered up a new pair of gloves, Turnout pants and coat, accessories, and a new pair of boots.

I've never been more excited to get custom fit gear. In O'Fallon, they did their best to get us gear that fit...but they only had what the had. I remember my boots, were too big. My feet would slide around in them. It made it really difficult to walk, let alone climb ladders. Today, they had boots that fit my feet. In fact, I changed sizes to get the best fit possible. What a great way to end the day.

4:35, I finally get to work and clock in.

8:35, I headed home for the night....All in all, a great day!

Let's Get You Up to Speed (part 5).....

On April 07, 2005, I received the e-mail on what I needed to do to begin my career as a Firefighter in St. Louis (see my last post). By April 20th, I had the information I needed to get registered for the next online EMT class starting in the Fall. On May 30th, I registered for EMT-121 at St. Louis Community College at Forrest Park. That class didn't begin until August. So I decided to take another step...

I e-mailed the Fire Chief of the O'Fallon Fire Protection District. And to my surprise I got a response:

From a e-mail dated 5/28/05:
"Keep up the good work. At this time it looks like we will not be putting
new volunteers on until January. Keep in touch. Don't let us forget you.
I would be interested in meeting you." - Chief Ballmann

I know...meet me? Little old me? Sure, I was bummed out about the volunteer wait, but the Chief wanted to meet me. I immediately contacted him back (he was on vacation so he asked me to contact him the first week in June. Because I wasn't going to miss this opportunity to get my foot in the door, I made sure to contact him back. We scheduled at time to meet, and on June 14th, 2009 at 9:00am, I made my way to Station 1.

The conversation was very casual. He asked about my education, my reasons for wanting to become a firefighter and my family. He told me I was on the right path, and as we ending the meeting, he told me that I needed to stay in touch. He didn't want me to fall through the cracks. To this day, I still think he is one of the reasons I got in the department as a volunteer. (but that is for a later post).

As I left, I felt better about my decision to pursue this dream of mine. The only thing left was to actually begin my EMT-B training. And in Mid August 2005, I did just that....

Let's Get You Up to Speed (part 4).....

It was the summer of 2004, but instead of preparing for new job involving a truck and hoses, I was heading to Missouri. With Kolsten being 7 months or so, Katrina and I both agreed that we needed to be closer to our family. We were the only ones living so far away. We chose O'Fallon, MO, 30 Minutes to the west of Downtown St. Louis. It was a wise choice.

I got a job at Business Audio Plus as a creative consultant, Katrina as a computer teacher in Wentzville. We were both excited to get started. Katrina told me to contact St. Louis City's Fire protection district. I did this before we left. By the time we got set up in O'Fallon, I had received a response. They were currently NOT hiring, but kept my application on file. So again, my dreams firefighting career took a backseat.

It would be the Spring of 2005 before I thought of it again. Kolsten was at a in-home day care. His teacher had policeman for a husband. I had a conversation with him about his career and firefighting. He actually had a firefighter friend. I supplied a list of questions, he gave me answers. Here is what I found out:

To become a career firefighter in the St. Louis area you:

1. Have to be in the best shape of your life
2. Be a paramedic
3. Have your Firefighter 1 and 2
4. Have serious connections
5. Gain experience by volunteering
6. Have plenty of time to wait.....

So while a career firefighter may be years away, I thought I would accomplish the things that I could do...

And that's what lead me to EMT school....

Let's Get You Up to Speed (part 3).....

In 2003 I met the man who made this journey possible. I don't remember the exact month, but I do remember where. Katrina was pregnant and being first time parents, we attended Lamaze class. It just so happened that Jamie and Misty Ratchford were in our class. I kind of remember them sitting by us a few times, but other than that I don't think we ever spoke to them. Kolsten was born before the class ended, so we missed the last few classes. Had it not been for the wives, I don't think our friendship with Ratchfords would have panned out.

After I found out Jamie was a firefighter for the City of Chattanooga, my interest in becoming a firefighter sparked back up. I started obsessing about it. I went to the library and read books on how to train for tests. I started riding my bike long distances. I ran the track next door to work. I even got my old climbing gear out of the attic to practice tying knots (like that was going to get me in). I was determined to get in, and I thought (at the time) that Jamie could somehow help me, even though I lived in Georgia. He and I even kind of talked about it. He didn't know how serious I was, and then Katrina announced that she was ready to leave and head back home...to Illinois...

So instead of aiding me in my quest to become a firefighter, Jamie (and Jimmy...another big player in my journey) helped me pack the moving van, and the family and I moved to Missouri.

It's then that I thought, this may never work. But little did I know that God was planning this whole thing out. And what he had planned next, was exactly what I needed.....

Let's Get You Up to Speed (part 2).....

I ended my last entry by smacking my biggest obstacle right in the face. I lived in Georgia, to be a firefighter for the City of Chattanooga, I needed to live in Tennessee. Well, that wasn't going to happen. We just bought a house. So I calmly packed the thought of being a firefighter in the back of my mind...but not completely away. I must of found every volunteer station in Catoosa County, but I never went any further than looking. And eventually I stopped looking all together. It seemed my dream to be a firefighter was nothing more than that...a dream. And I bought into that...hook, line, and sinker.

Than in the fall of 2003, Katrina and I met some folks that would forever change our lives....The Ratchfords.

(to be continued...)

Let's Get You Up to Speed (part 1).....

Because I have a few days before my journey really begins, what I want to do is go back, go way back, back into time.....

Well maybe not too far...how about 2003. I remember it clearly. I was sitting in the News Room at News 12 in Chattanooga. Sure I should have been working, but no, I was reading a newspaper (from a paper I would be working at later on down the road) from a big stack. I don't remember the section, but there it was...the new Chattanooga Fire Recruits demonstrating a live burn. I don't remember their names, but the article had them all listed. I thought to myself, wouldn't that be neat...having my name printed as one of the next firefighters for the City of Chattanooga. I finished reading the article, put down the paper, and found the nearest computer. To the internet I went. Finding as much information as I could on how to become a Chattanooga Firefighter. It sadly came to an end when I found out that....you had to live in Tennessee. Well that wasn't going to work...I just bought a house in North Georgia...Well one can dream right? If there was only a way...My mind kicked into gear, well maybe there is a way....

(to be continued...)