It was an interesting week. After the cradling the hose evolution on Monday I though we were through the woods but I forgot this Navy SEAL motto: the only easy day was yesterday.
We wrote our Hoses test, started into the next chapter and before we knew it we were in a convoy crossing the city. We corralled our convoy in the Station #10 lot and all piled into two passenger vans. First stop - Rudy's! What a great way to start a field trip! I seriously can't get enough Rudy's. Barbecue by the pound - fresh brewed iced tea - free jalapenos - and really great barbecue sause. We were sequestered in the 'party room' because it was the only spot that could accommodate our large group. Nbd. Stuffed full of barbecue we made our way to some far-flung Walgreens in the not-so-great part of town for our vaccinations.
I've seen more Walgreens than I care to admit. Almost everyday without fail, I end up in a Walgreens when I'm driving across the United States. Vitamins, instant oatmeal, cough syrup, water, snacks, stamps - you name it. Tuesday's visit was much longer than usual. Putting all 21 head of recruit through the turnstile to get their shots consumed the afternoon. Then, we went home early!
Wednesday was mostly in-class work on Fire Streams.
Thursday was skills. We completed our Texas Commission skills in the morning which left us with plenty of time for 'fun'. We played water polo which isn't exactly like it sounds. Two four-man teams each armed with a 1 3/4" hose stand opposite each another with a metal buoy on a guide wire 16' in the air between them. The goal is to use the hose stream to push the buoy across the wire to the other side. Everybody gets wet - but it was fun.
The afternoon was spent on a Laredo skill.* We ran 150' of charged 1 3/4" hose line 150' down the training field. The catch? The hose is flowing 125gpm out of the nozzle while you're running with it, alone. You don't have to aim it, but you can't turn it off. As the hose extends the resistance increases so it gets harder with each step. It's kind of like a tractor pull. I was 12' away from full completion when my 5min. ran out. Body mass is a big factor here, we had one recruit do it in 1min30sec. - he weighs 260lbs. Better make my whey to GNC. Ha-ha.
*above and beyond the state requirement, this is something the Laredo Cadets need to complete to secure their spot in the department. For this skill, there is no time limit - rumour has it the slowest cadet took 27min. 27min. dragging a hose without giving up. I can't even imagine.
No comments:
Post a Comment