Fire Brigade

1st days training has been great!

The four of us were split into teams of 2, wearing full P.P.E. and B.A. Sets we were sent in turn into the smoke filled fuselage of an aircraft, to check for casualties and recover if possible.

Team No1 returned empty handed so then it was our turn.

Visibility was very low and so was the area we were in! Literally on our hands and knees we crawled through the darkness, through a narrow (thank goodness I'm a skinny bugger) tube and then tried to locate a ladder (which we did)

I climbed the ladder and found myself on a platform where I discovered the casualty. Passing him/her carefully down the ladder to Grahame my team mate, we then all made our way back through the way we'd come, checking our air levels, whilst taking our 'unconscious' casualty to safety.

We made it back and with air to spare too!

In the afternoon we were fire fighting. Our task was to extinguish a huge wall of flame, which I have to say looked both very impressive and very intimidating at the same time.

Lucky I don't scare easily :)

We took it in turns to tackle the flames, one at the front and the other close behind to support and take the weight of the hose.

The pressure of the water was 7 bar, enough to knock you off your feet, easily!

Then we swopped about so we understood how both roles were equally important to extinguish the fire successfully.

Our final task of the day was not to put out a fire but to push the flames back so our partner could isolate a gas valve thus starving the flames of their source.

This is what we're doing in today's blip, I am at the front of the hose, nearest the flames.

Lots tasks to perform tomorrow and as a treat Dave, our instructor will be taking us into the Hot Box, where we've been assured it will be incredibly hot!

All flesh must be covered!

Ah cannae wait!