After talking with Ben, my site supervisor, about my past experience and training as a structural firefighter and EMT, he checked with his asst. chief on the Camp Meeker Fire Department to see if it was okay for me to sit in on drills, while I'm here! So last night I went to my first CMFD drill: Disaster Storm Preparedness. Unsure of what to expect, I spent the latter part of the day trying to recall training and events which have revolved around disaster preparedness.
CMFD has one fire house, right next to the post office, located on Bohemian Highway. They currently operate, running three rigs. The first and most used, is a early-80s Type 3 Ford. It has an open rear compartment, and will seat 6 men. The next piece which is to roll is a recently acquired 1989 Type 1 pumper (reminds me of Eng 9). The CMFD purchased it from a town nearby for $5000. The last engine, which hasn't rolled in years, is another Type 1, but much older. The fire house is one-bay, with all three engines packed in like sardines, and with wooden lockers to hold the firefighters gear behind the one engine. There is a "day room"/ kitchen/ meeting room attached to the side of the bay. It is also quite small, but does the job it is meant to do, very well.
CMFD currently has about 16 men and women on its roster. And like any volunteer department, there are people who do a lot of work, and some who do none. Last night, for drill, about 10 men showed up. The day room was transformed into a meeting room, as folding chairs were setup for people to sit, and Tim, the Asst. Chief, stood next to the small white board. The drill began with Tim displaying a piece of coax able he acquired from a crew of Comcast workers from that day. [side note: Yesterday was filled with really bad storms, which knocked the power out a few times, a couple times being a few hours long. A Douglas Fir about 36 inches in diameter fell across a stream and knocked all the lines down in its path.]
So Tim was able to ask the Comcast workers if he could take the 3 foot piece of cable, with connector on it, to show the guys at the fire house. I was surprised at many things about the cable; it was light - less than a few pounds; and it was unbelievably strong - none of us could even begin to bend it! He then went into the different types of lines and wires Camp Meeker has running on it's poles, and different scenarios they could, and have, encountered. Drill was very informal, but very informational. I was reminded of the drills with EGFD, when we had Andy O. come in and talk about power lines and different hazards we could face.
Informational drill only lasted about half an hour, but we stayed and talked for a while. The guys I met last night were great. The group seemed to be a tight crew, but I'm sure they have their problems, just like any volunteer department. It felt good to be in the atmosphere of a fire house again, and to be around a group of guys who are similar to me, in my interests and ways of life. It seems that no matter where you go in this country, or at least what I've seen, most volunteer fire departments are the same. They consist of a group of individuals who are determined to get the job done, in any way possible, while helping to serve the community in which they live.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
St. Dorothy's Rest
Nestled in the woods of Camp Meeker, CA, there is a whole world of beauty, serenity, and solitude all in it's own. During the summer months, St. Dorothy's Rest focuses it's functions on being a camp for critically ill children. However, year round, it is also an Episcopal Church retreat. I am proud to say I am Episcopalian, and it is becoming a more important part of my life, each day longer that I spend here!
St. Dorothy's Rest is built on a hill. Consisting of more than 10 buildings, each of which can be used to house kids or retreat groups / individuals. They range from small two bedroom cabins, to massive houses, overlooking a valley and the Coastal Redwood forest! Our house, Lincoln House, is a two story mansion - compared to prior living arrangements! The ten of us are spread out with no more than two or three people in each room! Two bathrooms and one small kitchen, which is no big deal because we get ALL the left overs from the retreat and camp kitchen staff - which is enough to feed all 10 of us for a few days!!!
After we got here, settled in, and spent the first night, we woke up the next morning and were tasked to BE QUIET! Our sponsor, Ben, asked us for 20 minutes of no talking. He also asked us to go explore the forest and the surroundings in which we will be living in for the next 8 weeks! I was excited, unsure of what to expect. My excitement was well paid off. After the twenty minutes, Ben rang the Chapel bell, which was a sign for all of us to make our way back to the Chapel. After a few minutes of Ben talking, he asked us what we thought. There was so much in my head, things I saw, things I heard, I had to go first! This is something along the lines of what I said (maybe a little more detailed now that I can write my thoughts out);
"As I first set out, I noticed the lack of noise - no cars, airplanes, or anything linking me to the civilized world. As I rounded the corner, and stepped off the paved road onto a dirt path, my firefighting boots sunk into the mud a little bit, connecting me even more to the natural earth. I noticed the sounds of birds chirping, and even noticed a blue bird perched in a Live Oak Tree. As I continued down the path, the songs of birds chirping was overpowered by water! The stream at the bottom of the valley I was walking down became very distinct to my ears. I stopped and listened for a while, trying to see through all the trees, down the 50 foot incline to the bottom, where the stream would be. And behold, a small stream, tumbling over fallen trees and mossy rocks. As I stood there, in peace and solitude, I truly took in my surroundings. An overwhelming sensation of chaos came over me! The old growth Coastal Redwoods were being crammed by different types of Oaks and other deciduos trees. There was an overwhelming number of fallen or downed trees, adding to the chaos. There were vines choking at the trees, and bushes covering most of what would have been the baren forest floor. However, in all of this chaos, came peace. It is a hard sensation to describe, peace within a forest. I felt that no matter how chaotic my surroundings may be, I can be at peace. It is also maybe the fact that I realized my reasoning to be here.. to create a less chaotic forest, a more healthy forest, and less of a fire danger for this magnificant place... and to quote a sign which hangs over a road in St. Dorothy's Rest; "God Has Made This Place Of Rest."
St. Dorothy's Rest is built on a hill. Consisting of more than 10 buildings, each of which can be used to house kids or retreat groups / individuals. They range from small two bedroom cabins, to massive houses, overlooking a valley and the Coastal Redwood forest! Our house, Lincoln House, is a two story mansion - compared to prior living arrangements! The ten of us are spread out with no more than two or three people in each room! Two bathrooms and one small kitchen, which is no big deal because we get ALL the left overs from the retreat and camp kitchen staff - which is enough to feed all 10 of us for a few days!!!
After we got here, settled in, and spent the first night, we woke up the next morning and were tasked to BE QUIET! Our sponsor, Ben, asked us for 20 minutes of no talking. He also asked us to go explore the forest and the surroundings in which we will be living in for the next 8 weeks! I was excited, unsure of what to expect. My excitement was well paid off. After the twenty minutes, Ben rang the Chapel bell, which was a sign for all of us to make our way back to the Chapel. After a few minutes of Ben talking, he asked us what we thought. There was so much in my head, things I saw, things I heard, I had to go first! This is something along the lines of what I said (maybe a little more detailed now that I can write my thoughts out);
"As I first set out, I noticed the lack of noise - no cars, airplanes, or anything linking me to the civilized world. As I rounded the corner, and stepped off the paved road onto a dirt path, my firefighting boots sunk into the mud a little bit, connecting me even more to the natural earth. I noticed the sounds of birds chirping, and even noticed a blue bird perched in a Live Oak Tree. As I continued down the path, the songs of birds chirping was overpowered by water! The stream at the bottom of the valley I was walking down became very distinct to my ears. I stopped and listened for a while, trying to see through all the trees, down the 50 foot incline to the bottom, where the stream would be. And behold, a small stream, tumbling over fallen trees and mossy rocks. As I stood there, in peace and solitude, I truly took in my surroundings. An overwhelming sensation of chaos came over me! The old growth Coastal Redwoods were being crammed by different types of Oaks and other deciduos trees. There was an overwhelming number of fallen or downed trees, adding to the chaos. There were vines choking at the trees, and bushes covering most of what would have been the baren forest floor. However, in all of this chaos, came peace. It is a hard sensation to describe, peace within a forest. I felt that no matter how chaotic my surroundings may be, I can be at peace. It is also maybe the fact that I realized my reasoning to be here.. to create a less chaotic forest, a more healthy forest, and less of a fire danger for this magnificant place... and to quote a sign which hangs over a road in St. Dorothy's Rest; "God Has Made This Place Of Rest."
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Next round project
You're in luck! Two posts in the same day!!! I just realized I haven't posted anything about my next round project, which starts in one week from today! My team and I will be leaving Sacramento, and travelling 60 miles north of San Francisco, to a small town called Camp Meeker. There, is a summer camp for ill children and an Episcopal Church retreat (all wrapped in one). It's called St. Dorothy's Rest. Nestled in the Sequoia forest, and about 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean (YAY!), we will be staying at St. Dorothy's Rest for about 8 weeks. Our work will consist of fuel reduction and trail maintenance/ building. They recently acquired 300 new acres of land, so there will be plenty of work to do! From everything I have heard about this place, the scenery is AMAZING, the people are AMAZING, and it's one of the best places we will go to! I'll just wait and see! Our living conditions will be pretty sweet too. They have fully furnished houses for us to stay in, complete with beds, laundry and kitchens!
Anyway, I'll post more when I know more. Here's the link to St. Dorothy's Rest:
http://www.stdorothysrest.org/index2.html
Anyway, I'll post more when I know more. Here's the link to St. Dorothy's Rest:
http://www.stdorothysrest.org/index2.html
Yosemiteeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Last week, my team and I drove the 3ish hours down to Mariposa, CA, which is just outside of Yosemite National Park. The roads were tight and winding. The scenery went from city-scape, to flat farm land, to mountainous and forest-scape. Talk about craziness! California has it all! Mariposa is a quaint town, nestled into the hills around Yosemite. Happy Burger is apparently the place to be at, with the largest menu (in CA?). We started working, however with a change of pace. We were no longer cutting fuel break. We were tasked to clear downed trees that were too large and difficult (due to slope, concept, and danger) for the parks and rec department. Our area of work was on a BLM access road (which is open to the public in the springtime, for access to campgrounds). The trees that fell over the road ranged from about 36 inches to 12 inches. I got to tackle the big one!!!! It was on a hill of probably 50-60 degrees in angle (very steep). Here's a link to the photo album. Some of my team mates took great pics too, so I'll post those up here when I see them.
We worked on the road for two and a half days. Then, we got to play!! We took Friday off and drove into Yosemite! We didn't even have to pay the entry fee, after some of my attempted sweet talking to the park ranger, he said he noticed our government plates, and that we could just go on in! Words can't even describe the sheer magnitude and awe inspiring scenery in the park. No wonder why so many men, like John Muir, fought to preserve the valley for future visitors! As we drove through the valley, and Half Dome and El Capitan rose near vertically around us, I felt smaller and smaller. Snow covered the ground, but the water falls were flowing magnificently! One was actually turning to snow as it reached the bottom of the fall! We decided to take a 3-mile round trip hike, to the bottom of this fall. The hike consisted of about 60 switchbacks (zig-zags) up the mountain. Tiring, yes, but definitely worth every step! The views along the way were some of the coolest and breath taking I have ever seen! Here's the link to my photo album from Yosemite-- enjoy living vicariously through me!!!! ;-)
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