Wildland Jobs: The Beginning

With November rearing it's lovely face in less than 45 minutes the time has begun to think about summer employment for the fire season. The only positions that really enticed to apply for where the Fairbanks, AK and the Boise, ID smokejumper positions. Now, I really don't want to hear the "You can do anything!" or "You'll so get the job!" from those of you that are optimistic no matter what because apply for the GS-5 position is aiming pretty high for me and what I'm qualified to do. I mean, this is beyond high...this is pretty much aiming out of the park. I figured, however, that at this stage in my life, anything can happen and it wouldn't hurt not to apply. Anyways, I learned from last years application bonanza how not to recreate those mistakes I made so this year should be much smoother. As of right now, I am undoubtedly returning to Zion Helitack but I am keeping my options open for those extraordinary positions and opportunities that may arise.

Stressful Day and a Welcome Weekend

The day's been pretty stressful. Between Myself and another Lieutenant in class (with me still running things while in class), anything that could go wrong, did. Between last minute cargo coming into the station, juggling more tasks than I thought possible for us, and apparatus crapping out on us, I was ready to pull what little hair I have out of my head. I'm glad it's 6 and, for the most part, the day is done. The chaos of the everyday operations of the place, however, does keep life interesting and exciting down here.

Anyways, I've been trying to get out to Castle Rock to ski but because of various logistical reasons haven't been able to get out that way. A fellow firefighter is willing and excited to go tomorrow so hopefully I'll be able to get out and come up with photos. More opportunities to get out are starting to surface with the warming of summer. Between that and everything that has been happening in the firehouse, it's looking to be a good season...

First Skua!

I don't know about other days before today but today I saw the first skua of the season! That means that summer is right around the corner. I'll try to snag a photo of one shortly....

Antarctic Happenings

We've made it a week without injuring or sending home another firefighter. That, my friends, makes it a good week. It's been prettying interesting so far this past week. There's been a lot of activity at Pegasus Airfield recently. The last C-17 that had landed here on Monday had a malfunctioning computer that grounded it out at the airfield for a few days. Fortunately we weren't forced to spend the night out at the airfield to babysit it while parts were found and delivered to McMurdo from New Zealand. Today, a Kiwi P-3 Orion, the same 4 engine turbo-prop used in wildland firefighting as heavy air tankers, brought down the replacement computer for the brokedown C-17. The Bassler and the two Twin Otters operated by Kenn Borek Air, Ltd have been hanging out at Pegasus while Williams Field is in preparation to open at the end of this week. Monday saw the arrival of the Italian Passengeres heading over to their base in Terra Nova Bay. This week also marks the arrival of a South African C-130 That may be heading over to Davis Station, run by the Australians, for a Medevac almost 3 weeks in the making. As it was put to me by some of the more senior members in the McMurdo community, a major undertaking like this medevac for one person usually brings other bases/countries out of the woodwork who are looking for medical evacuations for their own people. So speaking along the terms of rumors, it looks like the Russians (after a fire that killed one person and severely burnt two others) are looking to medevac a couple people and maybe the Chinese but as of right now that's highly speculated considering the source of that information. It's amazing how many different countries we work with down here. Hopefully it will stay this interesting for the rest of the season considering it's only the beginning...

McMurdo - Friends and Family

I've been heinously slacking in the journal entry department and for that I apologize. Certainly a lot has happened since my last post on the 14th and it's had me on one of my regular emotional rollercoasters that both plague my life and describe and make up all that is me. Last week, one of our firefighters, a subordinate of mine and someone with whom I was becoming pretty good friends, was injured when his leg was run over by a matt-tracked vehicle. It was a hard time for a lot of us...especially thsoe that had worked with him over winfly. He was medevaced the next day and I believe by now he's bearing weight on it and is walking around. Within a week later we were medevacing another firefighter out for a serious illness. So far the more serious medevacs have been within the fire department which has taken a toll on us both mentall and administratively. On the positive side of things, I've definitely renewed my love for the place. Like I said before, when I first got here, I was inundated by a wave of relief. Not so much relief from traveling but more relief to be back home. I settled back into a normal routine of things. With Station 2 opening up on Tuesday and everyone getting up to speed and in their own routines, life is a lot less chaotic for a turn of, shockingly, organization and efficiency. I've made a lot of good friends and have rekindled old friendships. I've been thinking about my family a lot. This month mark's the one year anniversary of my uncle James Pittman passing away. This month is also my parents annivesary...the second one my mother (and I) have had to experience since he passed away in 2006. With the friends I've made here, I wouldn't have been able to stay sane and keep smiling.

Week One

It's been nearly a week since I've been back and I've been inundated with nothing but managerial tasks that have me catching up with the rest of the firefighters that have been here for a month or longer at a ridiculous rate. I'm slowly picking up where I left off as far as ideas and projects within the firehouse. At the same time, I'm taking on new responsibilities and forging new personal and professional relationships...both in and outside of the firehouse. This year has proved to be a hell of a lot warmer than last year. We've been averaging daily temperatures around 0 degrees plus or minus 5 degrees or so. I've been walking around in a normal ball cap and sometimes even a short sleeve T-Shirt. There seems to be a little more tension amongst people this year than last, however. Because of an apparently crappy win-fly season, there seems to be a lot of resentment from the winter-overs and winfly folks towards the summer employees...more so than last year. Hopefully this will all subside by the time Halloween comes around.

While I was away from Antarctica, I was constantly thinking about the place. I have certain "photos" engraved in my memory (some forever) but they don't compare to the real thing; actually seeing those images rather than imagining them in some lesser mental format.









It's not as cold as one would think by the looks of these pictures. With the proper clothing and acclimatization you'd be amazed what you're body can comfortably tolerate. Surprisingly I didn't take my first photo till about two days after I had gotten down here. I promise though I'll post up more as the season progresses. Everyone stay safe...

McMurdo Station

After 7 days in transit I finally made it to McMurdo. This time no shock from the cold air, no awe-inspiring moments that freeze you in place...just complete and utter relief. As I described it to a friend, not so much relief to be out of Christchurch but a relief from society. I also felt like I hadn't left the place. Riding back from Pegasus Airfield back into town just felt like I had been on an extended "boondoggle". The first thing I was able to notice through the frosted windows of the delta we were riding was the radar dome that sits above town. It was great familiar site. At first I didn't know why until I started to see the ice pier, the chain-link orca sculpture at the intersection of the transition road and the ice pier road, and the dorm rooms. Then it finally hit me, that warm feeling that brough ease to mind and smile to my face: the feeling of being home. For now, I'm pretty busy with trying to get squared away so more will come. Hell, I'm amazed I found the time to sit down in front of a computer...but I couldn't wait to share how great it feels to be back here at McMurdo Station.

Boomeranged

As figured, the second I get comfortable with the possibility of actually arriving in McMurdo we get boomeranged back to Christchurch. We made it to a point within 30 minutes of McMurdo when the decision was made to turn around. I didn't find out until a few hours after I got back to Christchurch that the weather down at Pegasus Field was actually condition 2 which explains the 9 hour joyride we got to experience this morning. So now, we sit and wait to try again for tomorrow. We're scheduled to fly out at 1000 tomorrow morning (which had been bumped up from 8) so hopefully I'll be eating dinner in Building 155 tomorrow evening. We'll see...

Crossed Fingers....still in NZ

Today is something like our 6th last day in Christchurch before we're suppose to fly out tomorrow morning. For some reason people are more optimistic over the possibility of the first flight actually making it down to McMurdo. I'll believe that when I that C-17 sitting on the ramp in front of the USAP hangar at the airport. It's been getting annoying, actually, listening to everyone ask the same questions and getting their hopes up only to realize that forces unbeknown to us keep delaying our flights. I can't bitch too much because I was one of those people up until 3 or 4 days ago when I came to the realization that I'll get down there when I get down there. Anyways, the first flight [supposedly] left at 0900 this morning. Us on the 2nd flight have to check out of our hotels by 2200 tonight to get ready to fly down at an absurd 0200 Wednesday morning. At first I was sorta dreading having an entire day with not much really to do after I unpack. I really just want to get to work to be honest. I figure I'll have plenty of time to work so I might as well enjoy the day. For now, I'm still in New Zealand. I'm not even going to pack until 2100 tonight so that I know for a fact that my flight will actually be leaving on time. In other words, my fingers are crossed.

Still in Christchurch...

Well, I was hoping to be sharing with you stories about reunions 9 months in the making and snow-swept scenery as well as absurd bitter cold...but I've spent the past 4 days in Christchurch and not in McMurdo like I was suppose be. As a matter of fact the first flight (I'm the second) hasn't even left Christchurch yet. Supposedly, there is an epic storm that keeps plaguing McMurdo and the skies in between us that hasn't allowed any of the prior attempts at getting down there to succeed. So now...we wait. Because of this situation, there are about 300 Americans running rampant around Christchurch running out of constructive things to do. Because of the back up, we keep filling up all of the hotels in town and we keep having to move hotels every couple of days. Between that and waking up early in the morning to receive our per diem money, this entire situation is becoming a huge pain in the ass. On the brighter side, I'm enjoying a paid vacation in Christchurch, NZ without having to pay for a single thing! Oh well...no ice stories yet but hopefully they will come....soon, I hope.

Weather Delays and Christchurch...

Our fears for the day were confirmed when we were informed that our flight for Thursday was canceled. As a matter of fact, the weather in McMurdo is so bad that the group of people slated to fly down on Tuesday were boomeranged back to Christchurch today (Wednesday) and it doesn't look like they'll be leaving tomorrow. Because of this situation, we all have to leave our hotels and await new reservations tomorrow when we pick up our per diem from the USAP Clothing Distribution Center. Some people see this as a blessing to receive more time to hang around New Zealand. Myself and a few others just want to get down there and start working.

Anyways, today was spent receiving my Extreme Cold Weather gear and walking around Christchurch. The city is a lot of fun. Friendly people, a DC-ish vibe (sorta like Georgetown or Adams Morgan minus the rich Abercrombie snobs, crime, and homeless people), and really clean, pedestrian friendly streets. The nights here have been spent at a couple of different bars around the area including a bar called Bailey's which boasts a lot of USAP paraphernalia and offers USAP Participant's discounted drinks. It even has slots from which I won $100 tonight. The one thing I truly value about being in another country is the opportunity to talk with other people about their opinions and views on the US. I talked a couple older Aussies about our current financial situation and the upcoming elections. Talking to people from other countries about our problems and hearing them talk in incredibly specific details about said issues only reinforces the fact that our world is entirely too small for our national issues not to affect other countries. Like my new found Australian friend said, "When Wall Street sneezes, the entire world catches a cold..."

I'm praying we get down to McMurdo soon. If there's anything I hate more about traveling, it's being in transit. Christchurch is a cool place but I can't wait to get home...even if it is a home I'll only be living in for 5 months...

Denver and New Zealand Finally!!!

It's weird thinking that after today I won't see the United States for almost 6 months. It's also a blessing in a way. I've always thought it was a relief getting away from the politics and other issues currently plaguing our country and reading up on them while I'm 9,000 miles away. I spent my evening after the first part of my orientation with my friend at a concert outside of Ft Collins, CO. I got back to my hotel around 4 AM on the day I had 3 hours of OSHA training and 20 hours of flying and waiting to get to New Zealand. Thank God I was able to use my time spent flying for sleeping. I was out before we left the ground in Denver and I woke up as we were on final for LAX. On our 13 hour trans-Pacific flight I slept for about 7 hours. We arrived at Auckland sometime around 0545 this morning. Despite what one would think, New Zealand Customs and Immigration is a pain in the ass to get through. Well, immigrations is pretty easy. You give them your passport and (for us Raytheon employees) your request for a 9 month visa to last you for your deployment, they stamp your passport, and you move on. The hard part is making it through Bio-security. Because I had been hiking through dirt with my hiking boots (as inquired on your New Zealand Customs Entry Card given to you on the flight) I had to step aside into the Bio Security inspection area, dig through my pack and show them that my boots were in fact clean irregardless of the fact that I had told them I washed them. A friend of mine actually had to have his boots washed by the inspectors before he was allowed to continue on. As if that wasn't a pain enough, Raytheon, in all of it's infinite wisdom, scheduled me for a flight from Auckland to Christchurch with an hour and 5 minutes to get my baggage, get through immigrations and customs, get through biosecurity, walk 15 minutes from the international terminal at Auckland International Aiport, wait in a line of 15 people to check in for my flight, wait in another line to pay for my excess baggage, and then make it through the security screening to get to the gate where my plane was waiting...literally waiting for me. They were calling my name over the intercom after they had made the final boarding call for my flight as I was walking up to the gate.

Now I'm in Christchurch and it feels good to put all of that behind me. The only thing I have left to do is pick up my cold weather gear tomorrow, organize my stuff so that I can fly with the alloted weigth I'm allowed and prepare myself for a 5 hour flight and 4 months down on the ice...

Last Night in VA - First Day of Orientation - Denver

My last night in the DC area was spent, surprisingly, at the firehouse. I left there and said my goodbyes early in the morning only to run around and take care of last minute errudns and pack...considering I hadn't truly "packed" at all over the pst week when I had been telling people I had. I've come to the conclusion that I've found a niche in life...at least for now. I managed to pack for 5-6 months away from home, fly across the country wih no hassle, and start a new (sorta) job without skipping a beat what so ever. It feel really good to be on my way to McMurdo. I ran into a lof of old friends from the last Austral Summer...a lot of whom I didn't expect to be returning. There are a lot of changes with Raytheon Polar Services Company and the United States Antarctic Program. I mean, a lot of changes. For the most part, I don't forsee them ruining my time spent down at McMurdo this season...oh well, 5 days to go before my deployment...

Friends

Today was spent visiting and hanging out friends. The afternoon was spent at a good friend of mine's house for his birthday. I met him at the firehouse and we've known each other since 2002. He's currently in Naval flight school so I definitely don't see him as much as I would other friends from the firehouse. At his party were several other really good mutual friends with whom it was awesome to be able to hang out with outside of the firehouse. Most importantly, I was able to hang out with one of my best friends, Christine Jefferies, who I gave a ride to said party. It was good to hang out with her just the two of us to talk about our problems and new found joys in our life. I feel I don't have as many people as I use to throughout the summer to talk to in that fashion. I left my friend's party in the evening to hang out with 2 of my best friends I've known since elementary school. There's nothing like people you've known since your childhood. You definitely share a special bond that you won't be able to recreate with people you meet after you turn 18. It was pretty cool to just sit and chill and be bored together...just like in elementary, middle, and high school. I even got a chance to talk to someone I use to be really good friends with in high school that lives around the corner from me. I sometimes forget how good I have it here at home with the friends I've made and kept....

Back at the Firehouse

I can't begin to tell you how great it feels to be back at structural firefighting. A season of wildland can be mentally draining sometimes. It's a near blessing to retreat to the comparatively simplicity of structural firefighting. I ran as the officer on engine 6 Wednesday night, my first night back:





I was surprised that our station officer actually put me up in the front seat being my first night back but I wasn't really worried that I had forgotten anything so I just did what I was told. Asides from an uneventful roll-over accident and listening to a triple shooting take place in a neighboring fire department's first due, it was a slow night. Tonight was no different. We haven't turned a wheel and I doubt we will.

It was good to see all the people I had been missing again. There are a lot of new faces around the firehouse but the old ones are still there as well. The one thing that sucks about going back to McMurdo is the fact that I'm leaving my family (both at home and at the firehouse) again for several months.

The Drive Home

I made it home early yesterday evening after 3 days of driving. I stopped in Denver (Well, Ft Collins, really) and crashed at a friends place after a leisurely drive from Cedar City then pushed it across the rest of the United States. Nebraska sucks ass. I'll just throw that out there. I'll never drive across the midwest on I-80 again. It didn't dawn on me how weird it felt to be back until at night when I could taste the humidity in the air again. It did feel good, however, to be back. The drive back was very uneventful. Monday I drove from Ft Collins to Peoria, IL:


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The next day, Peoria to home:


View Larger Map

Anyways, it's good to be back. Now, I count down the nine days till I leave home again for McMurdo....

Last Day at Work and Goodbyes

While at Bryce Canyon National Park working on the Puma Rx Burn, it was decided by my management that for the sake of simplicity regarding the logistics of getting me back to Cedar City from Bryce Canyon, I came back home on Thursday instead of Friday evening with the intention of handing my gear in Friday afternoon. After some saw work and a few other tasks, we had lunch at a decent restaurant instead of out of an MRE, I said my goodbyes to my crew mates that were staying there through the weekend and drove back home. Friday, I handed my gear in and took care of a lot of federal paperwork which made that day my official last day with Zion Helitack (at least for this season). I emailed the Board of Directors back at Ashburn to terminate my Leave of Absence on Tuesday considering I may do the crazy and run duty the night of the day I get back (I doubt my mother will be to happy with that). There are a lot of people I want to say goodbye to here but they're all out and about around the area and I doubt I'll see all of them. Asides from climbing in Cedar Canyon with my roommate, I didn't do a whole lot during these two days.

Never Forget....

For the past 7 years, I've constantly received a barrage of email and text forwards from friends and strangers "reminding" (or at least attempting to) me to never forget September 11, 2001. Coincidentally, none of them were firefighters. I can probably speak for every firefighter, EMT, police officer, and any other public safety official when I say that we don't need reminders. When you lose that many of your own brothers in an incident such as the planes crashing into the WTC towers, you'll never forget it. It's impossible. I thank those that do have the foresight to send me those forwards...I definitely haven't forgotten. For the rest of you, however, don't you forget either.

Wildflowers by Tom Petty

My roommate Karleen's fascination with this song has made listen to it to the point where I started actually hearing what was being sung. At this point in my life, the song makes a lot of sense to me and I'm feeling more and more that I can relate to what Tom's singing. Anyways...

Wildflowers
by Tom Petty

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free
Run away, find you a lover
Go away somewhere bright and new
I have seen no other
Who compares with you
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free
Run away, go find a lover
Run away, let your heart be your guide
You deserve the deepest of cover
You belong in that home by and by
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong somewhere close to me
Far away from your trouble and worry
You belong somewhere you feel free
You belong somewhere you feel free

WMI WEMT Quotes...

As I sit here sans stitches on my day off trying to earn some CE credits towards my EMT certification, I can't help but reflect back upon the valuable lessons I learned whilst in Yosemite taking my Wilderness EMT class. These are actual quotes from students and instructors in my class courtesy of the fabulous Haley Bercot...



"In emergencies, as in life, you have two choices: spread calm or spread chaos."

"NEVER perform CPR on Frozen people. It could break their frozen little hearts."

"WMI does not recommend peeing on any wounds in any situations."

"Let's say the situation is extreme, hopeless, no help around . . . can we, ya know, cauterize wounds?"

"if you want to survive to the age of 25, be female . . . or surround yourself with females who make good decisions."

"There are two reasons why that patient's treatment would be delayed. First of all, his respiratory rate is under 30, he's got a radial pulse, and he's following verbal commands. Second of all, he's trapped underneath a steel beam and we're not going to be able to get to him any time soon anyway."

"Sometimes you get pregnant ladies who are nice and in good health; other times you get crack hos who didn't even know they were pregnant."
"Is crack ho a mecial term then?"

"9am in the morning after a night of heavy drinking is not the best time to ask for an anal massage."

"Yeah, I think having lots of sex and spending lots of time outdoors counts as self actualization."

"If I ever faint as a result of 'baring down' for a bowel movement, feel free to shoot me."

"oh ha ha that's humerus"

"What type of EMT do you want to be?"