Big Rig Rescue

This past weekend, four of us, (Mike, Steven, Van and myself) rode on down to Sanford, NC for the Big Rig Rescue Class put on by the Central Carolina Community College. Registration started on Friday at noon, and class started at 1. Friday's portion was all classroom and focused on recognizing the different loads that we may encounter and limitations of different equipment we might use. The class is similar to the VDFP Truck Technician Course, just more in-depth material and emphasis on critical thinking. Alot of the information was centered on overrides and underrides and rollovers involving big rigs (hence, the name of class) All of Saturday was spent on the training ground doing different lifting and stabilization scenarios. We were split into groups of 10, So we joined up with 4 guys from Prince William Co F&R and 2 from Richmond. Quick side note, the guys we worked with were knowledgeable and experienced and great to work with.

Here are a couple shots of our first scenario in which a sedan was underrided by a loaded tanker truck.

We finished the day doing two more scenarios, one, an overturned cement mixer on a sedan, and the last a
bus that had rear-ended a small pickup truck and run it up onto a road tractor. Unlike other classes I've taken where the instructor tells you what to do, and you just have to follow instructions, we were challenged to think for ourselves as a group and find a solution. We wrapped the night up by going to the Sagebrush Grill and Saloon and met up with the guys from PWC, Richmond and Wilmington. If Applebees and Logans had a child, well, it would be Sagebrush and thats all there is really to say about that. The next day, we did three more scenarios, all building on principles from the day previous.

All in all, this was a great class, although we don't have alot of the heavy duty stabilization equipment that the Paratech trailer had, we figured we could still do alot with a little. I highly suggest that if you get the time or money, take this class as it is offered a couple times a year. We met a lot of good guys from as far away as Prince William Co, to Vail, CO. Side note, turns out one of the guys who was there from CO was also the guy who "won" the Bachelorette a couple years ago. And in win, I mean he married the girl. Naturally, after this became known amongst a few of the VA boys, a plan was made (at the Sagebrush) with the help of members of Prince William and Wilmington to place a single rose on the desk of you know who. Now, before you go asking yourself why myself or any other career fireman would recognize a TV celebrity like this, well, I'll be honest, there isn't one, its just easier to say I wasn't the only who recognized him. Ryan Sutter, Lieutenant/Reality TV Celebrity, Vail Fire Department. Needless, he was a good sport about the rose.

Thats all I got, also many thanks to Brittany, our beautiful waitress at the Sanford Ruby Tuesday for putting up with 15 fireman at one table during dinner rush. We were well fed, and never went thirsty. I'll be putting some pics up tonight covering a little of the snowstorm last night.

Curry