Day 2

The patch for the training division.



This is one of the trucks I got to drive. Once again, we started at 0800, on the bus to the training grounds. This day (Tuesday, for those keeping track) we switched from what we had done the day before. We all got a chance to drive the trucks and flow water from the turret to fight fire. I did pretty well. The turret flows 350 gpm (gallons per minute), and can empty the tank in 5 minutes if there is no outside water supply.

The driver's seat is in the middle of the cab, with the officer's seat to the immediate right, and then the other seats just behind. Most of the size of the truck is taken up with the water tank. The turret is controlled by a joystick with buttons. It's really hard to remember the exact sequence of the buttons that have to be pushed to get water, and the joystick is really sensitive to movement, which makes it even harder. Unfortunately, we won't have these kind of trucks in Antarctica. Our crash trucks are really just big pick-up trucks with tracks instead of wheels and a box on the back with a water pump and hose in it. Nothing as sophisticated as these, which cost $700,000, by the way.

After everyone had taken turns on the trucks and in the plane, we all got together to work with some dual-agent hoses, which we will have down on the Ice. Dual-agent hoses are actually 2 small hoses in one. One hose uses water, the other uses what we call 'dry chem' which is the same thing as in many fire extinguishers. It's basically a white powder that smothers the fire and doesn't let it get any oxygen. The water helps it go farther. Down on the Ice, we will have dual agent hoses, but with foam instead of dry chem (I think...I should be getting the specs later this month).

Anyway, this is what dry chem looks like...just a big white cloud of powder.


And that was the end of day 2. Once again, it was back in the bus to the hotel to eat lunch, shower, and have lecture class time in the afternoon.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Monday night we went to Beni Hana's, a Japanese hibatchi style restaurant. The captain had found out it was my birthday on Sunday, so they got the waitress to give me some strawberry ice cream with a candle and a little paper umbrella in it and everyone sang 'Happy Birthday.' Then they took a picture, which Chris has.

Tuesday night I don't remember where we ate. I think it was down in the Gateway center again.

Tomorrow...Day 3, evolutions begin!