Feb. 25, 2008 - How to handle a bad day
A rough night
Fire fighting is a 24/7 business. It is not unusual to have a crew member show up in the morning having worked the day before at a different station. If said person has bloodshot, swollen eyes and a thousand yard stare, the rest of us know we are seeing the tell-tale signs of an “all night-er”.
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A rough call
It was a warm Sunday morning. A call came in for an “Auto Ped”. This is short for Automobile vs. Pedestrian. Guess who always loses in this equation. It ain’t the Buick. We pull up in front of a church; the congregation is on the steps, on the sidewalk, and in the street. They are swarming like bees; the energy in the crowd is high. We are directed to the front end of a car stopped in the street. A little girl, maybe two years old is lying motionlessly in front of the car. With my trauma shears, I sliced through her Sunday dress in a single stroke. Even the untrained eyes of the congregants huddled around me understood the gravity of what was revealed by my shears. The crowd wailed in a crescendo, and broke into disjointed prayer.
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By telling you this (sorry for the lack of fuzzy bunnies, Mr. R.) I’m trying to get the point across that Fire fighting can sometimes cut into a person’s reserves, both physically and mentally. Those are deficits that cannot be ignored for long. There are various ways of coping with our stress. We have a Critical Incident Stress Management Team, and some people find it very effective for getting through the tough spots. A lot of us (myself included) find the group hug, cum-by-ya methods of the CISM team to be unpalatable. We prefer the healing powers of distraction when it comes to recharging our batteries.
Let’s look at some photos to illustrate the point.
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What could be more healthful than participating in sports? Table tennis offers the proper balance of activity without interfering in our ability to respond to calls.
That’s me in the background. Scout around this image, and you will find few other ways that firefighters distract themselves.
Feeling a little less ambitious? How about a round of dominos?
Feeling a little more ambitious? Pickle ball is like playing ping pong while standing on the table. Terry isn’t really terry-fied, he just looks that way.
Our resident golfers like to practice their swing as a way to relax.
FORE!!
If you can’t take the firefighters to the soccer field, take the field to the firefighters.
Firefighters really do love the public, especially kids. Our time with people that aren’t in crisis is amazingly therapeutic.
Food is central to our personal time in the firehouse. We go to great lengths to prepare and enjoy our meals.
Food can bring a smile to even a crusty old curmudgeon like me.
When Keenan promoted to Engineer, we baked him a cake. He was being reassigned to Station 17.
I’m not proud of the fact, but even Nintendo has crept into the firehouse. This is one activity I abstain from.
My favorite theme in stress relief is silliness! It can take all sorts of forms, requires creativity, and always gets a laugh. Laughter is the best.
Take my friend Jason. What could be sillier than walking around with Smurf blue hair?
Haven’t got any hair? No problem, we can improvise.
What’s the best response if the other shift leaves their cash box unlocked? Why, fill it with concrete of course!!
Of all the practical jokes we pull, those that involve water seem to be the most popular. Water is plentiful, cheap, recyclable and readily available.
This poor fellow was set up. He was asked to pose for a picture. Little did he know that the guys were on the roof with an ice chest full of H20.
Water sport usually targets new kids as the victim, but here we see veteran Firefighter Chris bringing his freshly dried laundry upstairs.
Direct hit!! Chris put his laundry back in the drier.
Here’s a tip for you. If it is garbage night at Station 8, don’t volunteer to push the dumpster out. Most new kids know that they are obliged to perform this task. They also know by now what to expect.
Life in the firehouse has its tough side. The ability to relax, distract yourself, work up a sweat and have a little fun is how we prepare ourselves for whatever might be coming next. I like to think that there is a little girl in Heaven, laughing right along with us.
Be safe,
Hec @ 19
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