I am now officially a member of the Latir Volunteer Fire Department

            I am now officially a member of the Latir Volunteer Fire Department.  This means that I have completed 2 trainings and 2 meetings and shown that I was trustworthy, or as much as people can learn about you in that time.  I have known many of these people for 7 years and in a rural area you tend to know everyone’s business. 

            I began going to the meetings in September I went to one meeting and one training and then the life of a single mother came in.  My daughter plays soccer and twice a week she had soccer practice.  Every evening was something and I needed to stop going to trainings until November.  I began again last week attending my second meeting and this week going to a fire training at a burn building. At this point due to being busy I missed a helicopter landing training, an EMT training and other things.

            The meeting covered numbers and dates but the burn building was exciting.  Latir had about ten people show up to the Red River Water Plant on a cold frosty night, where the mini academy had been held in late summer.  Roy from Lama came and built a smoky fire in the burn building—an L shaped conglomerate of metal shipping boxes.  The entrance building has a second box on top that you climb to via stairs inside leading to an upper back door.  The structure has small walls, from what I could see to give the trainee some idea of going through a true building.  The structure creates an L with another lower shipping box pointing south, this is where the fire is built, either to create the feeling or the atmosphere of a true fire.

            I was not actually a member yet and hadn’t been taken through the building so legally I couldn’t go into the smoke.  I helped on the outside lowering the ladder carrying it with another man who doesn’t go on oxygen, carrying the generator fan which clears the building of smoke as well as returning the tools to their original positions.  It could seem mundane, but if you don’t practice then how will you know how it works and what to do in a true emergency?  I learned how to place the ladder and raise it while one person stands on the ends and another walks it up or down.  I climbed the ladder with a big axe to knock out a big metal window, having to lock my knee between rungs to secure myself.  The clothing made this awkward but geez I didn’t even have a pack on.  As a “truck crew” searched for a baby that a bad baby sitter had left in the building, I helped feed a heavy hose into the building for the  “engine crew” which carried it in to find and fight the fire. 

            While I learned details on the outside other people alternated in the search for the baby, carrying water, and being the IC or Incident Commander the one calling the shots on the outside.  During the final debrief even people who had been doing this for 25 years sited something that they learned or reinforced in the practice.

            After the training I was asked to walk to my car, just as I arrived and was about to grab a warm coat they called me back.  They had voted me in and asked whether I wanted to join the Latir Volunteer Fire Department. I said I do.  During all of these months people have been really helpful in offering a place for my daughter to go in the case that I’m called or for trainings.  Now I need to take people up on this and create the reality, I reckon.  I do worry a bit about being called in the middle of the night and that process, or even during work.  It’s all art and with a good imagination all of this can be dealt with….at least this is what I think now. 

An interview with Betsy Pierce

This is from an interview that I did with a vertran fire fighter Betsy Pierce.  

Volunteer Fire Fighters make up about 78% of the Fire Fighters in the US, this is even higher in rural areas.  We need more volunteers men, women, young and old there are a variety of jobs that people can help with from running in burning houses, refilling water tanks to feeding fire fighters at fires or even just cleaning the toilet at the station. 

Betsy Pierce has been fighting fires for over 25 years as part of the Latir Volunteer Fire Department.  She grew up in Albuquerque coming first to Sunshine Valley in the mid 70s leaving to go to college and returning to El Rito in 81.  Encouraged by a friend she joined the department because there was a need for people. On the day of the interview she said that there haven’t been many fires over the years but she explained that LVFD is called in to other districts, as they come into Latir as well.  Car wrecks are also a huge issue in the calls.   

One lasting impression on Piece has been going to national and international conferences for Women in Fire Fighting. Pierce spoke about the exception that LVFD is in having many women on the Crew.  She recalled a recent training where 80% of the attendees were women.  This is different Nationally and Internationally women may make up 3% of departments, “I’ve heard a lot of stories of women being tormented…. teasing and not taking care of the women in situations where they may need help, as any fire fighter needed help.  It’s hard to break into a boys club.  We’re really lucky in our department.”  When asked how they deal with the issue in other departments she explained that “there are a lot of lawsuits in other, so things are changing slowly.” Conferences that she has attended leave her grateful that she is apart of a department with so many women.  Other Women from other departments are always amazed at the high percentage of women in Latir. 

Pierce has attended fire schools and trainings for the past 25 years.  She takes part in the weekly trainings where crew continually reviews procedure and practice on equipment as a team.  When asked what changes she’s noticed over the years she explained that things have gotten more professional people are more up on techniques, the crew works together as a team more.  One great challenge that she sites is keeping the water going as there are no hydrants in the rural areas so shuttling water from a storage tank is a big part of it.  Fire trucks will empty in about 2 minutes. There are a number of jobs for volunteers.

Some of the challenges have been time, people aren’t paid and at times it takes a lot of time, but it’s rewarding to help neighbors. The department is also able to help the volunteers as after years of showing up for a major percentage of meetings and trainings and being active responding to calls qualifies the volunteer for a small retirement as well.  “It’s been great, I’ve learned a lot and it makes you more self sufficient and it’s empowering.”  When asked what it was like 25 years ago she explained that in Latir it was fine as there were always some women but when she went to other districts there were none, “people would stare and you would be under a lot more scrutiny.”  She explained that there were women where only women have responded and they did fine they did a good job.  “I think that women should volunteer I think that women can do it just as well as men its more about attitude about helping other people and contributing to your community than it is about how strong or how young you are.”

Oh My, Your Hose Sure is Strong...

     Ok so in order to become a volunteer fire fighter you must attend 2 meetings and 2 trainings and then be voted in, at least at the Latir Volunteer Fire Department...So I attended one meeting, remember at the guy burly men doing zumba, and now Ive attended my 1st training.

     Not many people showed up unfortunately which seems to be another indication that Volunteer Fire Departments need more recruits.  People have lives so in order to have a fully functioning department, where more than just a few people do most of the work, you need a fully rounded crew.  Departments need support people as well as Pyro Maniacs.  I believe that the Latir Fire Department does a good job in sharing the load but things happen in everyone's lives they need more back up.
     I came in with my daughter, Jona clothed me in full fire gear minus the boots and gloves as I have very small feet and hands.  The volunteers came in at 7pm.  People again were warm and welcoming.  Because the volunteers must be ready but don't go out to fight fires everyday like some career FFs, they practice doing the very basic things to insure that they are able to execute everything with familiarity and speed.  Everyone practiced putting on their gear two times, each person having a buddy to be sure that they were buckled and that their shrouds were beneath the suspenders to protect their necks.  I wore pants, coat, shroud, suspenders, and helmet.  I wore a blue helmet: it distinguishes rookies to all of the Enchanted Circle Departments.   Just for fun they had me climb up and down a ladder, this was more difficult than it had been in my normal clothing.  The pants were not easy to move in I think that I'll need to spend more time in them to adapt. 
     We then practiced pulling the new E1 truck out of the metal barn.  I rode
between the IC (Incident Commander) Chris Cote, sawyer and wild land fires
fighter; and the driver, Betsy Pierce, artist and VFF for 25 years.   All volunteers reviewed how the truck works.  The truck transmission and pump transmission are interchangeable, I hope that I'm saying this correctly.  Either the truck drives on the road or pumps from the 1000 gallon tank at high pressures.  We pulled a long heavy 11/2 inch hose from a side door pulled it to the back and hooked it to a separate hydrant on the back.  Chris opened another vertical sliding door to reveal a control panel of the pump and tank and I am not sure what else.  He pulled long levers and twisted them, the lights made it seem to come from Dr. Who's Tardis.
    Anne du Coudray was kind helping me put on an air pack showing me how to cinch in the buckles until it was snug.  At this point I felt as if I carried 50 extra pounds but it wasn't hard.  Anne, Jona and Betsy circled around me to teach me how use the air mask turning on the air which has a perpetual motion sensor on it, if a person doesn't move for 30 seconds an alarm goes off getting louder and louder if the person remains still.  To avoid this noise the "baby rock" must be implemented--that is the moving of the hips from side to side as if you are trying to calm your baby. 
    We did a house search, well a simulated search in and out of the Fire House.  Anne went in front I followed her and Betsy followed me.  This was a left left sweep staying to the left we crawled with the hose into the house.  Betsy told me through her air mask vedar accent, "don't let go of the hose this is your line out as well."  "OK,"I replied.  Crawling was not easy in the gear or with the hose that becomes heavy and stiff with water.  Chris worked the pump and Jona gave commands.  We came to the fire, a pile of old sage, asked for water, received the water and shot it.  I had to brace Anne by holding onto her left shoulder and the hose at the same time.  Next they put me in front.  I was glad that Anne was there brace me first on my knees and then standing up.  The water shoots out with so much force the sage brush had no chance.
    We came back out reviewed checked drawers and doors and gathered air packs to refill.  The Engine was backed smoothly into the House by Anne while Betsy showed me how to take air pack on and off of the back pack holders.  The crew reviewed the new truck and had an open room to discuss anything that needed to be brought up.  The next training will be with a Helicopter....
     So my daughter thought that we looked like a monster crawling in the dark with the hose.  She feels more and more comfortable with the idea of me volunteering.  I learned so much and was exposed to so much.  I'm glad that the volunteers practice doing these things so that they know what they're doing if someone's house actually catches on fire.  I have to say though from the people that I spoke to at the Enchanted Circle Fire Training all departments here and around the country need more volunteers.  This is really leaning me towards actually becoming a volunteer.  I have to encourage others to do the same.  High action and helpful volunteering....

Pyro Training

    I attended my first Latir Volunteer Fire Department meeting last week.  People were warm and welcoming.  The meeting took place at the Questa Gym.  The Latir Department buys volunteers a membership as incentive and security to be sure that their volunteers are in good shape.  Apparently the leading cause of death for fire fighters is heart attack after the fire.
    They recommended that people do training like ...Zumba.  Yes, I wish that I had had a camera but 5 burly men and 2 women, the fire chief and myself got into 2 lines and followed a nice woman who wiggled her hips and pointed toward the direction that we were all supposed to follow to hot Latin hits.  Burly hips move the best and most provocatively in gym shorts and with ear to ear smiles.  Other recommendations were Olympic Style weight lifting as its hard work in short intervals.  This is the issue.  A person can have great cardiovascular health but not be used to the rush of adrenaline that going into a burning building can produce.
    I felt welcomed but was struck at how few young people were there.


    This weekend I acted as the media person for the Enchanted Circle Regional Fire Association Structure Fire Training Academy, where 19 different Departments were represented.  The training allowed new reqruits to learn to and experience fighting fires and the conditions that they will be exposed to in an actual fire.  Women and Men were dressed in full gear.  They went into metal storage containers where the temperature was hot enough to bake cookies from 250 to 800 to 900 degrees plus.  They experienced the difference between a hot and smokey room to a ventilated room.  They had to search for and rescue a fire dummy and baby.  They had to lay on the metal ground as the fire rolled over them, along with other scenarios.  
    This was an amazing experience to get a glimpse of what people go through in a fire.  By the last day volunteers seemed to work like a machine, knowing what their jobs were and how to do them.  One woman that I spoke with from the Questa Department explained that she had been with the Dept. for 6 years as an EMT went through the training because they don't have many volunteers and she needs to know what to do if she ever had to go in and to know what her guys go through.  About a dozen of the instructors or people going through the trainings were from Wild Land crews that had been out on the New Mexico fires this summer.
    It looked like so much fun--being aware that it was a controlled environment and the veteran fire fighters would never let anything happen to anyone.  What is amazing is that this was all volunteer.  No one was paid and no one had to pay.  The state Academy is in Socorro, you go for 2 weeks and pay to stay and eat.  Who can do that?  Who can take off work for 2 weeks?  People received top training to help their communities close to home.  What could be better than that.
    One thing that is becoming increasing clear is that Volunteer Departments in this area need more volunteers of different types and ages.  One man told me that at 35 he was the youngest person in his Department.  A group of ladies took care of the fighters after each round in the Rehab area.  One of them explained that she brought food and water to the people going in and out of the fire in a real fire.  There are so many opportunities to volunteer.
    My daughter now thinks that it would be fine for me to join the department.  She is at times interested in hearing more and at times not.  She sometimes comes up with questions and thoughts of what if that are some what disturbing but rational.  We will see what happens...

What’s the Priority?

What’s the Priority?           

            Rick Perry lives in Austin, Texas, he’s the Governor.  Well Yeah, you might say, of course, why?  This matters because as FEMA statistics for 2008 ahows in areas with 25,000 or fewer people 39% of the US population is protected by at least 86-96% volunteer firefighters.  Perry lives in an area where there are mostly career fire fighters.  Like New Mexico in the early summer, Texas is burning.

            Still he is the Governor of a mostly rural state, this makes one wonder why he, fully backed by his state legislature, felt it appropriate to cut $34 million over the next two years from the Texas Forest Services. Specifically 75% of the funds that go to Volunteer Fire Fighters has been cut from $30 to $7 million. To clarify he's cutting the 80% of the force that fights 90% of the wildfires are volunteers.

            Ben Wemund from Reuters sited that since 2002 the Forest Service has given out $153 million in grants paying for 44,000 sets of protective clothing, 1,200 fire engines and funded training for 34,000 fire fighters.  A helmet runs between $200-$500 or more.  If a volunteer had to buy his or her equipment that alone would be a huge reason not to volunteer.

            Sunday September 11^th, the Texas Forest Service reported that 95% of the state is in extreme drought, and it’s expected to worsen.  In the last week alone the Forest Service reported 141 fires for 34,933 acres. 

            We need fire fighters. Fire kills more Americans than all natural disasters combined. Sadly in 2008, 118 Firefighters were killed while on duty in the US.  Districts around the country are having a hard time retaining volunteers.  FEMA provides grants to fire departments to offer incentives to gain and retain people who might do a whole range of jobs to support the needs of the community. 

            Rick Perry needs to reassess his priorities…anti-federal rhetoric or support of the state lands and rural communities.  We also need to be sure that we remember all of the firefighters that battled to save New Mexico wild lands this summer, and think about supporting our local fire departments by volunteering any number of our own skills.

Should I volunteer or Not?

Ok, this is the 1st entry into my exploration of the volunteer fire department.

Living in rural Northern NM you depend on the volunteer fire department for any emergency.  At the moment they need more volunteers.  Last week an emergency call went out and only two people were able to respond.

I want to do it, but as a single mom can I?  After speaking to the Latir fire chief and her partner, Jona and Jane, I am giddy at the possibility that it is.  The idea is to have a support network for my daughter in the case of an emergency.  I take my daughter to one of my support people and go to help the community.  Apparently, I can say no to certain scenarios, for instance I wouldn't have to run into a burning house.  I could be the person working the pump outside.  But I would still be helping.  A fire department needs a whole array of support for instance data entry, media liaison, bathroom tidier and support person for domestic needs when people are on a long call.

A new grant from the Federal Government may help volunteer fire stations and districts get more volunteers.  Our district will be offering physicals, gym memberships, they had asked for fire wood and driveway shoveling as an incentive but the people in the Southern US couldn't image why that would increase interest.  My eyes widened when I heard that, fire wood really too bad...

I want to volunteer because I want to help my community.  I also want to be trained in what to do for snake bites and car crashes.  I called 911 a year or so ago because I had an allergic reaction to some over the counter medicine that I was taking I was afraid that it was going anaphylactic, it probably wasn't.  But within 10 minutes my yard flashed in red and white strobes and my house was full of my distant neighbors.  They helped me with no worries.  Since then my appreciation grew even more.

When I told my daughter that I was thinking about it her first reaction was fear for my safety.  I explained that I could say no to really dangerous situations and she thought that it sounded better but she still wasn't totally convinced.  We'll see what happens...