Firehouse Expo

So, I got to be home long enough to shower and change clothes before coming back here to the firehouse. It's Firehouse Expo day!!! It's been a fun day, very busy and so very warm for the first half of the day. I think it ended up being about +36 degrees for a high and then later on ended up cooling off quite a bit with lots of wind. One of the B-shift guys from New Mexico headed up the chili making of Frito Chili Pie with chilies that he brought from home. Quite tasty with a little kicker to it as well. That, mind you, is coming from a wimpy mouthed little white girl. The Expo was of course at the firehouse and is an open house type event for the community to really get to see and feel what we do. We had several stations and activities set up for the townspeople including such things as bunker gear donning and doffing, a confined space maze, search and rescue in the upstairs with the smoke machine going, extrication with old steel drums and filing cabinets, CPR with the training prop torso, intubations, ambulance familiarization, extinguisher training, engine rides throughout town and raffles to win department t-shirts. There was quite a turnout from the community and I heard numerous times from many different people, "I had no idea how hard what you guys do is and how physical it is!" It's good to have people realize that although not much happens down here, we are all well trained and prepared to deal with all sorts of situations that could potentially arise. I ended up spending the majority of the day in Engine Two driving around town and up Ob Hill giving engine rides. It was good drive time for me, but it got old driving the same route again and again and again. I'd have liked to have spent more time in the thick of it but was happy to be wherever I was needed. I must admit that I was surprised how many adults told me this was the first time they'd ever been in a "firetruck". Shocking! If only they understood the difference between and engine, ladder truck, tender, etc. Sigh... After the party ended the A-shift half of us finally got to pretend to have our day off. More like the evening off, but no worries. It was a really fun time, well received by the community and went off without a hitch. I think even if no one else had shown up the whole station full of firefighters would have had a fantastic party of our own. We do so enjoy hanging out, goofing off, joking around and the general mocking torments of all firehouses.

After a quick Superman-like change out of my uniform, we went to burger bar for dinner and then went over to the Tractor Club meeting at the coffee house. A great group of people, good drinks, funny stories, and lots of fantastic laughing with each other. Okay, sometimes at each other too! I left the "meeting" a proud owner of a new t-shirt and a lovely Ford tractor. I also left with the task to take one of the club flags, "The Jolly Caboda" and display it proudly in a subtle way the next day. How do you think I did?