Do you want to be a fire truck captain?

Thursday

5 January 20112

The new fire station

During the Fourmile Fire, one of our firehouses and fire trucks burned down.  The firehouse has been rebuilt, although it still does not have a bathroom.  I think that has something to do with regulations and how the building is categorized.  The new fire truck was delivered a couple of months ago and we had our first orientation on it in early December.

At the Grand Opening of the Fire Station

At the orientation, I asked who would be truck captain.  The truck captain is responsible for the truck.  Also is the expert on the truck.  The Chief and the training officer said that no one had been selected yet and joked that since I asked the question it would fall to me.  I laughed, but didn’t think much more about it.

After Christmas, the Chief called and asked if I wanted to be the captain of the truck.  Although I am an engineer, I don’t consider myself a mechanical person.  I had to go buy an electric weed wacker because I didn’t know how to use the gas-powered one we have.  I think we own a chain saw, but I would not be comfortable using it.   Being asked to be responsible for a $350,000 fire truck scares me to death.  But it is something that I want to try to master.  It’s a challenge. 

Being responsible is more than just driving and maintaining. I am also going to have to know how to operate the lights.  How to get water pumping out of the truck.  How to fill the truck with water.  Inventory all the equipment and make sure it is ready to go at all times.  I’m sure there are things that I am forgetting here that I will need to do.

Yesterday, the Chief called and said that we needed to go to the truck. I agreed to go with him.

We drove to Front Range Apparatus outside of Longmont.  They currently have the truck and are putting all the goodies on it.  Such as the axe, the halligan, the pick axe, the drywall puller, the hose and hydrant adapters and the fire extinguishers.  There was a lot of discussion on where to put everything.  Bret is trying to have a place for everything.  No crates and bin.  I like the idea.  It will make inventory much easier.  It was interesting to see how they can attach things almost anywhere on the truck.  We couldn’t turn on the engine, but Bret gave me a long tutorial in the cab. 

The trip made me much more comfortable with the engine and I can’t wait to be able to get some tutorials to learn to drive and operate it.