Just came back home from my shift work in the station.. Tired as usual for as i'm on 24hrs standby duty.. Not easy being a fire-fighter u noe.. *puffs*~! The day started off by doing our daily routine of checking equipment and stuff.. After that my Rota mates who were working in the station had to take their HRCT(Hazmat Responders Certification test) in CDA to maintain their extra allowances for the next 6 months..
Me and another guy who just passed out from CDA didn't have to go as we already took our tests back when we were trainees.. So we were ordered to stay in the station's watchroom while other station sent some of their personnels to cover our station in case of fire call... So we learned a few things and it took my Rota mates to come back at about 3pm plus.. I could see their faces that when they came back, they were all shagged as they all had taken their tests.. I was doing some maintenance in the station and when i went up to the locker room at about 4pm, found most of my Rota mates sleeping on the floor.. -_-~! LoL~! Well, i noe how they feel as i've been through it before.. And so at about 6pm everybody ordered dinner and was getting ready for night lecture at about 8pm later.. Night lecture was not really a lecture, instead we were watching some videos that SCDF made.. More on talking than action so wasn't that interesting.. After that it was about 9pm plus and we could call it a day already.. Headed to the bunk and when to sleep as its kind of a tiring day..
At about 1.45am, the fire alarm sounded.. WooT~! As usual everyone woke up and i was assigned to the DO pumper on that day, the pumper that goes out first when responding to fire calls.. So without hesitation, put on my boots and long 4 uniform, quickly slide down the sliding pole and ran to my pumper.. Could say i was the first one to reach the pumper as i was nearest to the sliding pole.. When everyone came up the pumper, had a little trouble as everyone started to put on the fire suit, we didn't really have the space to manuever around.. So it was kind of tight in there when i was putting on my suit.. When we reached the fire scene, the fire was already put out by the neighbours around as the fire is outside their houses.. Fortunately no one is injured and no houses are being burnt.. Just that their clothes that were hanging outside their houses were burnt by someone who played prank around there..
Did abit of investigation and headed back to station and went back to sleep.. Well, that's about it.. There's more actually but its not really important, just had a confinement til 12pm as some mistakes happen during our duty.. Anyway it was a nice midnight call experience.. Feels like i can't relax whenever i'm on duty..
Thursday, April 12, 2007!
Welcome To Tampines Fire Station
Just finish my 24hr shift this morning.. Wad can i say about station life? Hmm.. Its interesting but at the same time can be very tiring and shagged.. Well, its a 1 day work and 2 days off shift.. Can't expect to be complaining~! hEhE~! Its my first day on the job, but come to a surprise that actually the day itself was very happening..
First of all i started my work yesterday morning with a "lonely" face as i practically do not know any of my new Rota mates.. There were more Section Commanders(SecCom) then fire-fighters.. So basically most of them are my superiors and they can be as old as coming to 40 years old.. The age gap was there and its kind of hard to mix around.. Maybe just needed some time over the months.. So i did my work in the morning and in the late afternoon we had our own PT training, so some of us when to play soccer... Wad happen was half way through out the game, we heard a loud bang that was coming from the direction of one of the sliding poles.. Headed there and noticed a division personnel lying on the floor by the sliding pole, bleeding badly from the nose and he was having difficulty breathing.. Everyone expected it to be an internal injury.. Basically he was carrying a bag and some other electronic stuff which we are not supposed to when using the sliding pole.. The worse part is that the personnel who fell from the sliding pole isn't a fire-fighter, which means he isn't train to use the sliding pole.. Everyone was thinking y the hell he used the sliding pole when he's not supposed to.. Ambulance came and took him to the hospital while we all gathered back again to continue our PT..
It was early evening at about 7pm when everyone was going to order food so someone could go and buy it.. 8pm was night lecture til about 9pm.. We had dinner and that was sort of the end of the day and we could rest till the next morning's routine.. So about 9 plus, i went to take a shower before heading to bed and have a good nite's rest as the next morning we were going to have a tough drill.. I was lying on the bed about 9.50pm and i was busy playing with my phone before closing my eyes.. Here's the good part.. At about 10.10pm, the fire alarm sounded and we all quickly rush down to our appliances and get ready to move off.. I was appointed to the Duty Officer's pumper..(DO pumper is the fire engine that moves out first when there is any fire call, road traffic accidents or other cases) So i quickly put on my long 4 uniform, my boots and jump down the sliding pole..(It felt cool though~!) Quickly run to my pumper and get myself dressed up in my fire-fighter suit.. Left the station within a minute and rush to the fire scene.. The fire scene was located at Tampines St 91 BLK 915.. That was practically just beside Ver's house and Junyuan Primary School.. My SecCom assigned me to do as hydrant man while on the way there.. When we were about to reach the fire scene, we could smell the burning smell from quite a distance... Reached the fire scene and noticed there were many bystanders around there crowding the whole area.. The fire is on the second level, inside a unit of a HDB flat.. When the pumper stopped, everyone quickly jumped off and get the things they need to get and moved on.. I took the hydrant key bag and proceeded to the hydrant to get water supply.. The hydrant key bag was a new version to me since the one i learned back in CDA was the old type.. So it took awhile to get the things out from the bag.. Its cool u know when u are doing things, there are people around watching u doing the stuff.. Of course the pressure is there, but i can't afford to screw up as the water supply is important.. Was about to get ready to on the water, so i ran back to the pumper and get a hose to connect it from the hydrant to pumper.. Turned on the water and from there, my job was done and waiting for my crew to fight the fire.. (Wanted to do the fire-fighting, but it was my first day so i have not gotten my face mask yet.. That's one of the reason y i can't do the fire-fighting.. -_-~!) The fire was put out in about 10 mins or so and fortunately, no casualties were found and no one sustained injuries.. The police and my commanders went in to investigate how the fire started and where is the seed of the fire.. I went in later on as i needed to get torchlights for my superiors... I went in and noticed the whole unit was actually burned very badly as the were black marks all over the place.. The TV, chairs and other plastic appliances were melted by the fire.. The investigation took very long and the other appliances have already went back to the station.. Only the DO pumper had to stay behind to do more investigations and surveying..
Everything finished at about 1am so we reached back to station at about 1.20am.. Shagged and sleepy, i quickly took a shower and rush for the bed.. I slept at about 2am and had to wake up at 4.30am as there were briefing about the morning drill at 5am.. Definitely i had not enough sleep plus the drill started at about 6am to 8.30am.. The drill was held at Tampines COURTS where housing appliances were sold.. Its just a scenario drill where other stations come to support us with other appliances.. The fire is in a warehouse and we had to put the fire out and rescue 10 casualties.. 6 were dummies and 4 were live ones.. I went in to put out the fire and rescue a dummy out.. That was basically wad i did as there were other sections going in to do the same thing.. It was damn tiring as the operation was very long..
When everything was over, headed back to the station and did some maintenance to the equipments before we could leave for home.. Well, that's about it for my first day in station.. My first day on the job was so happening.. Great huh?! A sliding pole accident, a real fire call and a drill that consisted other stations to do with us as well.. My superiors and even my commanders told me "Hey, your first day very happening eh?".. loL~! Well, i told them that, this is maybe my "Welcome To Tampines Fire Station" for me.. :)
3:22 PM
NoWaKi
Thursday, April 05, 2007!
Not The Destination, But The Journey That Counts
Finally, things have come to a close and i'm an operationally ready fire-fighter.. Training was over and just finished Passing Out Parade yesterday night.. Parents came down to see me pass out as a fire-fighter.. But something actually bothered me quite badly since yesterday during my POP..
After the parade, everyone was with their family and friends and so some of us wanted to demonstrate sliding down the sliding pole.. So i went up and made my first slide down from the third level.. It was successful but it was kind of stiff though.. So i was unsatisfied and did a second slide down and this time from the fourth level.. So i started to hang on to it and slide down and suddenly my arm slipped off from the pole while on the way down.. Basically only my legs were gripping the pole tightly.. Shocked and panicked, i quickly did a switch to bear hug method and slide down the pole safely.. Sort of a stunt move there, but i made quite a reaction so it was kind of embarrassing since there were like parents and friends looking at me sliding down.. My parents got a shocked and scolded me a little for not gripping properly... From there i realised something, that i wasn't confident enough.. I wasn't even confident to jump onto the sliding pole as i was carefully hanging myself onto the pole and slide down.. Maybe i didn't want anything to happen and i don't want to ruin the whole ceremony if there was an accident, but to come to think of it, if i was thinking of an accident that could happen, that means i'm not ready yet.. I'm not ready to actually properly jump onto the sliding pole and safely land onto the ground level swiftly.. That's wad have been bothering me up til now.. And my instructor was actually right, three months of fire fighting training isn't enough.. I didn't make enough jumps on the sliding pole to make it a perfect one.. I felt uneasy when my mum lectured me about not carefully handling myself while sliding down.. It really pierced my mind and it made me think that the fire badge is not ready to be on me yet.. I just didn't feel good the whole night.. It really made me think that i wasn't ready to become a fire-fighter.. Had a Rota mate telling me something after the parade.. He told me that he noticed that the whole day i didn't have a POP "mood" in me.. He was right actually, i didn't have the mood.. Maybe because i'm gonna miss the training and the place.. Maybe there wasn't enough training to be conducted before passing out as a fire-fighter.. I dunnoe, i just dun feel that i'm good enough to get the fire badge..
I'll be posted to Tampines Fire Station as an operationally ready fire-fighter.. To be honest, i'm very nervous as its going to be another new environment, meeting senior fire-fighters and instructors.. Its a whole new level that i need to go through.. I wonder wad would my life be when i'm being posted there.. I'm seriously going to miss the academy and my Rota mates who went thru hell with me.. Its also thanks to them that i was able to pass out as a fire-fighter.. Its kind of sad, but we all have to move on to serve and protect our nation.. I could say that its not the destination, but the journey of becoming a fire-fighter counts in the story.. There are sliding poles in the fire station so if possible, i could try practising more to jumping on and sliding down swiftly and safely to improve myself.. Have to start pushing myself and gaining self-confidence so that i won't make that same mistake again..
My mum putting on the fire badge for me.. :D~!
Me and my dad!
With the Fire Bike~!
With the Red Rhino(LFAV)~!
My personal fire helmet~!
6:16 PM
NoWaKi
Sunday, April 01, 2007!
POP OUH~!
WhoA~! Its already 7pm and i'm going have to go back camp soon.. Overslept the whole day and my bro's been using the com so now i only got the chance to type an entry.. LoL~! 11 weeks have been completed and i only left with just the coming week, but going thru the 11th week was one of the most tiring week..
Most of the days were scenario exercise that we have to play in fire fighting.. We did High Rise Fire scenario, Ship fire-fighting, Vehicle fire and going thru choking gas that got me into a very "cool" state.. :P~! High Rise was fun as my team went into the fire floor and fought against the fire while my other mates rescue and evacuate the casualties around.. Though its damn tiring, but it was sort of a good experience.. There was a part when i was fighting the fire near the window when suddenly a rollover fire came above from the side of the ceiling.. Expected that and quickly fought with it.. HehE~! Can't really type wad i have to say now as i'm going to prepare soon.. But wad i can say now is... POP OUH~! Ciaoz!
Posing for the camera~!
Thinking moment... Actually i'm just waiting for book out.. :P~!
7:00 PM
NoWaKi
