“Reporter tries hot job” |
| Posted: 08 Jul 2010 12:35 AM PDT July 8, 2010 Reporter tries hot jobYou think it's warm? Gear up with city firefightersThere was a time when I was a kid where I dreamed of being a firefighter. Now, after spending a few minutes in the gear, I look at that job in a new light. While researching a story Wednesday about working in the heat, I stopped at the City of Plattsburgh Fire Department to try to get the idea just how heavy the equipment is. Lt. Todd Aley and some of the other firefighters had a bright idea. They thought it would be best — and funny— if I experienced the weight and heat of a fire suit first-hand during a gripping heat wave. Mind you, I am a person who has been sweating like a hog despite being in air conditioning all day. And the heaviest equipment I've ever worn was my high school football gear. So putting on 75 pounds of equipment that covers head to toe made me question what I have gotten myself into. First, comes the pants and boots, which I nearly fell on my face trying to climb into. These are not ordinary pants — they felt like you stuffed your jeans with two bowling balls and jumped in a river. I was already starting to sweat more than I'd like to when it was time to put on the jacket, gloves and hood. If the Plattsburgh weather was like it is 80 percent of the year — cold and colder — I would have welcomed these articles of clothing. I could barely stand when the two firefighters placed the mask, oxygen tank and helmet on me. They hooked up the tank with the mask, and compressed air shot into my face, making me breathe like Darth Vadar. This process seemed to take forever, but I was reminded that getting dressed needs to take seconds because lives are at stake. I was taking so long I was glad there wasn't even a kitty stuck in a tree. Now, simply wearing the gear was humbling enough, but I needed to get the full experience of a firefighter — and that means physical activity. They brought me out back and had me stand on a tire, where I was to repeatedly swing a giant sledge hammer. I lasted only a few swings before I called it quits, hoping not to embarrass myself anymore. Taking the suit off, it felt like I just jumped into a pool with my clothes on. Walking away from this experience, I've come to appreciate the firefighters across the country even more than I already have. There is a lot of discomfort and danger in saving property and lives, but those men and women know what they are getting into, and I'm sure they are proud to do it. Five Filters featured article: Headshot - Propaganda, State Religion and the Attack On the Gaza Peace Flotilla. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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