Mark Your Calendar!

Send additions, corrections, etc. to wayne@sparkleberrysprings.com. Please note that as of the beginning of 2015, my descriptions of training are accurate, but not official. For the official reports along with attendance please contact the new
Assistant Chief and Training Officer, Charleen Foott (foott@att.net).

January 2015

Jan 1: (Thu 6:30pm): First Thursday Business Meeting postponed to Jan 8. Note that our last December Thursday is Dec 25, and so it will be cancelled.

Jan 6: (Tue 7:00pm): First Tuesday Oglethorpe Firefighters Association meeting (Farm Bureau Office in Crawford).

Jan 8: (Thu 6:30pm): Business Meeting.

Jan 15: (Thu 6:30pm): Third Thursday Training Meeting. Final touches on inventory, after pumper dead battery meant we couldn't do the original plan. Recharged pumper battery.

Jan 22: (Thu 6:30pm): Fourth Thursday Training Meeting. Drained compressor. Also went through iterations (all but JK) of pumper departure with (1.0 minute average time) or without rollup door (requiring lockup, 3.0 minutes average time). CF said brakes did not work on pumper upon returning to bay on one occasion, but TM said they worked fine on his pair of iterations afterwards.

Jan 29: (Thu 6:30pm): Fifth Thursday Training Meeting. Repeated 1/22/15 training. TP, EF, MP went through most iterations. Pumper brakes worked fine, but still haven't been looked at, still out of service. JK suggested that might have been due to pumping of brakes before the failed braking attempt. Removed dead 9V battery from CO detector. Can probably consider 1/22 and 1/29 training as EVOC, with timing data and pumper bay exiting and parking as the challenges. Data are in excel file departure150129.xls

February 2015

Feb 3: (Tue 7:00pm): First Tuesday Oglethorpe Firefighters Association meeting (Farm Bureau Office in Crawford).

Feb 5: (Thu 6:30pm): First Thursday Business Meeting.

Feb 12: (Thu 6:30pm): Second Thursday Training Meeting. Host testing, beginning new round. Tested 10 rolls 1-3/4" from station (3), pumper(5), tanker(2). One antique roll failed at fitting, retired. Hoses rolled out and connected simultaneously, tested 250' and then the other 250' immediately after.

Feb 19: (Thu 6:30pm): Third Thursday Training Meeting. Dumpster fires. Very cold out so CF presented videos and suggested guidelines on dumpster type fires. GG provided projector. WH noted that while Wolfskin may not have many dumpsters, does have F4 Sanitation next door and therefore lots of garbage trucks constantly in area. They can catch fire too. Might want to ask Brett Fowler to give us a garbage truck tour.

Feb 26: (Thu 6:30pm): Fourth Thursday Training Meeting. Pumper pump familiarization. Looked for manual override(?) on panel and attempted to find lever on pump itself. ID'd the pump. Suggestion to contact Rusty Bennett Oconee VFD truck expert to ask questions. Hale Model QSF 100-2 Serial 54144 (very little on internet). Also discussed Ed's contact with Bruce Thaxton regarding Oconee VFD automatic aid to us (indicated on map).

March 2015

Mar 3: (Tue 7:00pm): First Tuesday Oglethorpe Firefighters Association meeting (Farm Bureau Office in Crawford).

Mar 5: (Thu 6:30pm): First Thursday Business Meeting.

Mar 12: (Thu 6:30pm): Scenario played out for 10-70 structure page to 28 Lakeview Dr. (prewarned residents in the area). Pumper and tanker responded and developed scenario as we went. Discussed events as they developed, communicating with central and fireground command as expected. Used TIC to examine for stray hot spots.

Mar 19: (Thu 6:30pm): Third Thursday Training Meeting. Communication: tested out commercial sony headphones for ear protection and hookup to radios - worked fine with CP200s but HT750s do not have a jack socket. Tested with pumper running, including pump operation. Also decided on standard hand signals for pump ops and vehicle guidance.

Mar 26: (Thu 6:30pm): Fourth Thursday Training Meeting. Host testing. Tested 10 rolls 2-1/2" from station and pumper. One roll #28? Failed, may just be gasket. Hoses rolled out and connected simultaneously, tested 250' and then the other 250' immediately after. Also used headphones/jack for pump operator hearing safety and radio communications (Motorola CP200 only - HT750 has no socket). Worked great.

April 2015

Apr 2: (Thu 6:30pm): First Thursday Business Meeting.

Apr 7: (Tue 7:00pm): First Tuesday Oglethorpe Firefighters Association meeting (Farm Bureau Office in Crawford).

Apr 9: (Thu 6:30pm): Second Thursday Training Meeting.

Apr 16: (Thu 6:30pm): Third Thursday Training Meeting.

Apr 23: (Thu 6:30pm): Fourth Thursday Training Meeting.

Apr 30: (Thu 6:30pm): A rare Fifth Thursday Training Meeting.