Ride-out with Ladder 3 yesterday!!

One of the many great benefits to being a Fire Explorer, Is being able to do ride outs on companys for a shift. The ride out period is usually 0800 hours to 1000 hours but I go into work with my Dad and ride from 0600 hours to 2000 hours, which is a 14 hour shift. You can also shorten that however you need to. I have been doing the Explorer program since 2006 so I have alot of experience. Yesterday, I was on Ladder 3, which for is where I primarily ride at. My Dad is the engineer on this company and I have know the rest of the guys of the crew for a majority of my life. The day started off with the regular truck and equipment check offs, then we went to the store to get stuff for breakfast and dinner. When we returned, breakfast was started and Lt., Kyle, Ryan, and myself played some Beatles Rockband. Breakfast was then served, Sausage gravy and biscuits, bacon, sausage patties, eggs, and hashbrowns. Good eatin! Ladder 3 was rolling 5 deep yesterday and it got a little packed in the back. My favorite place to ride is the seat riding backwards. Here is my gear sitting ready to go on the truck:

I like riding backwards because of the traditon, all of the older Engines and Ladders, etc., had backwards seats. I also like it because there is more room and it is faster to get out too. Anyways, back to the shift, the majority of the day was slow and boring. Rain and storms were starting to make our way but the were smaller than predicted. We were dispatched to an MVA near the entrence of the mall, shortly after we arrived on scene, we discovered that it was only a little fender bender, with one patient complaining of back pain; the Ladder placed themselves back in service while the Rescue stayed behind to assist EMS with patient care. Then we went back to being bored. I managed to finish my book, oh how I love just sitting on the apparatus floor and read a book! We played some more Rockband and later got dinner cooked. For dinner we had Mexican food, Yum! After dinner we just hung around. Oh I forgot, before dinner, we watched the movie "Brotherhood, Life in the FDNY", Good movie, I highly recommend it. So after dinner, I went over the equipment of the Ladder and Rescue. Got to love haligan tools!! That is my favorite tool. That pic is of one off the Ladder and two off the Rescue, the Rescue actually has three of them. Then, We were dispatched to a lift assist at a local assisted living home, went and help an old fella up and then went back in service. Shortly after that, Station 6 was dispatched to an MVA on the interstate and then dispatch changed it to Station 2, we rolled on it. One thing that sucks about being an explorer is that you have to stay in the truck, but oh well. Engine and Rescue 2 arrived right before us and canceled us. Then they got on the radio and said that it was a medical call. Sucks for them. After returning to the 3 house, my shift was over and I headed home. Sorry about the long post, I guess I get that from reading Capt. Wines' blog! Thanks for reading, so long till next time!

KMG 365,

Beau Doss