DAY WITH THE CREW AT A FIRE STATION

I have spent the last couple of months with my coach parked at my daughter and son-in-law's place in Apple Valley, CA.  I was invited by my son-in-law, who is a Captain with the Apple Valley Fire Protection District, to do a "ride-along" with him and his crew that consisted of an Engineer and two Paramedic/Firefighters.  I, of course, could not turn down that kind of invitation, so on the morning of my visit, I took my camera and showed up at the station at the beginning of the duty shift.

 

 

 The day was two days after Christmas and their decorations were still on display.

One of the first things they do at the start of a shift is do a good work out in the exercise room.

Not long after their workout, Dispatch toned us for the first of three medical assistance calls that morning. In the engine we quickly climbed and we rolled out.

 

 

By the time we had returned from the third call, it was lunch time and they were watching something on interest on TV news as they quickly ate.

After lunch they washed and dried the water tender that was parked in the bay next to the engine.

 Station 2 paid us a visit with their engine to pick up supplies.

Late in the day, they got a call from 911 Dispatch of a motorhome and car on fire.

 

 

 

In less than ten minutes after we arrived, the flames were put out. There was not much left of the car or the Class C motorhome.

This brought to a close my interesting day with the VERY professional crew of Medic Engine 331. Last year, the three active Apple Valley Fire Protection District stations responded to a little over 10,500 calls. In the first part of this month, Engine 331 responded to three (3) major house fires. In one of those house fires, they found a dead body after the fire was out. An investigation showed that the person did not die as a result of the fire. You just never know what awaits firefighters when that alarm goes off in the station.