Bells!

First, another quick pic from my collection. This is the local landmark "Caged Mary" or "Roll Cage Mary". Found up on Hut Ridge. Mementos of Antarcticans present and past have found there way to this memorial.



Today has been a huge day in the world of firefighting here in McMurdo, Antarctica. The Antarctic Fire Department has responded to a total of THREE calls so far this shift. I'm also pleased to say that all emergencies were mitigated with no loss of life, limb, or property. I know you're all greatly relieved.

While three calls in one day would leave us all antsy, bored, and prone to mischief back home due to the huge amount of free time that it creates when you're used to about a dozen calls a day, this is a rare event here that is looked at with astonishment. We'll rub it in the faces of those B shifters tomorrow when we tell them how busy we were.

Now I will provide a brief synopsis of the calls today. The first call of the day came from the galley. We were toned out for the smoldering cigarette butt can which resides outside of the building. After a swift response from our diligent Engine Two crew (of which I was part, I can proudly say), we arrived on scene with smoke showing from a butt can. Our lieutenant then established the "Butt Can Command" and we jumped into action to save the day.

After getting half dressed and grabbing the can (water extinguisher), I heroically meandered over to the consumed cigarette repository, stuffed the nozzle into it, and unceremoniously dumped in two and a half gallons of water. The blaze extinguished, we picked up and returned to quarters, heroes for the day.

After lunch, the tones went off again, much to the amazement of all. This time we were dispatched to one of the dorms for the local fire alarm activation. After our run to the wagon, we sped to the scene at a top speed of about eleven miles per hour. At the sound of the air brake popping, we hopped off, myself grabbing the irons.

After making entry (by turning a doorknob), we found ourselves with an audible alarm down the hall. Racing there at breakneck stroll after waiting for the rest of the crew to converge, we came to an ajar door that I swung open. After stepping into a room full of fresh, clean air and lacking any flickering orange stuff, the occupant asked me to get out because she was busy packing.

As an aside, I have officially found people to just as irritating on this side of the world as much as back home when you actually show up after they call for you. The one difference is that back home, I don't have to be nice about it and can let loose with both barrels. Here, I must take it in stride and smile, keeping the good image of the department in mind.

After having our friendly neighborhood fire techs come out and diagnose a faulty detector, we returned to service and went back home.

The last call that we have received for the day came out at Station Two, the Ice Town Crash Shack. With an inbound LC-130 coming in on short notice with an engine out (not an uncommon occurrence here), Station Two was alerted for the in flight emergency. Though I was not there today, I'm sure that they scrambled for their Red units and their hardstand points in courageous fashion, making Antarctic firefighters everywhere proud.

The LC-130 arriving safely with no issues, our brave crews were finally given the order to stand down.

A busy day indeed, and we still have twelve hours left in the shift. Only the night will tell how much insanity lays in store for us yet.

Aside from day high call volume, we managed to accomplish several other interesting tasks today.

In addition to our usual schedule of inspections and PT, we got to watch as some of the residents of the town did some training for the mass causality incident team. In the event of an MCI, the bays of our firehouse are turned into a triage center staffed by recalled firefighters and volunteer stretcher bearers. These stretcher bearers had the chance today to play with the equipment that they will be using and got a demonstration from us as to how to package a patient for transport.

It's actually a rather interesting process to watch as the volunteers set up our steel plated bays into a makeshift hospital. I had the chance to take a series of pictures that showed the progress of their set up, though I have yet to download them from my camera yet. This leaves me with yet something else to show you all at some point.

In addition to watching and assisting the stretcher bearer portion of the MCI team, we also had some training for ourselves. While we were in the middle of a lecture on some EMS type big-words-mean-something-far-more-simple training, we were toned out for the "training response" for the vehicle into the building. After "responding" out the door, we found that some errant woman had not only stolen our precious Red 5, but had decided to prang it into our own building.

Comments of the social depravities known as today's youth notwithstanding, we jumped into action. Aside from the confusion of having many of the crew responsibilities reassigned at the last second (apparently I became the officer on the engine?), we went to work.

Everything down here is done differently. Not just because it's Antarctica (it is a harsh continent, after all), but because we all come from different backgrounds with different ways of doing things. This makes for loading and treating the slumped over and unconscious woman dressed up in moulage an interesting event. Especially when you're taking her out of the cab of a Ford F-550 that sits high enough on its own without factoring in the added height of the tracks.

Luckily, nobody gets outwardly frustrated and worked up about it, but it does take us longer than it should to load a patient up (at least from my PG load 'n go mentality). Hopefully with some practice and getting more familiar with some of the equipment (a lot of it is junk and the rest is often awkward to work with), we will drastically improve in the future.

After loading up our lovely and chilly patient, our ambulance crew did a full evaluation, started a line, and transported her to McMurdo General Hospital.

I would like to extend thanks to our patient today, who seemed to thoroughly enjoy her part in the action. Her willingness to get stuck with a line goes beyond the call of duty (and something I would refuse in a heartbeat). She proudly wandered around after with her IV bag until it was empty.


With firehouse updates completed for the time being, I would like to turn back the clock to the previous evening. Last night was beautiful and made for good time to go out. Since Thursday in Antarctica is American Night down the road at Scott Base, a group of us went out and walked over to enjoy their store, the bar (officially known as "The Tatty Flag" and loved for their incredibly cheap drinks), and of course the international flavor.

The walk down to Scott Base was pleasant, with the sun being out and the temperature up somewhere in the teens. These sweltering conditions made me glad that I left my big red behind, as I was breaking a sweat in my hoodie and jacket.

The view from Scott Base is much like the view from anywhere else in Antarctica; simply amazing. I could see Mt. Erebus puffing more than usual and the towering monoliths of blue that come from the pressure ridges in the sea ice.

Finally arriving over at the station of our Kiwi counterparts, we ventured into their store. Though it was small, it has a nice selection of things that we don't have back on the US side of Ob Hill.

After wandering around the small store looking for things to buy on another night, I went back into one of my wandering states again. Out the window, I could see a flagged path that wound in and among the pressure ridges on the sea ice. Being easily distracted and having restless feet, I went outside for what I expected to be a short jaunt on the ice.

The flags out on the ice are deceiving. While they do go straight out to the towering blue ice giving the impression of a short walk, they continue on for a ways. Not that I was disappointed, of course. I have pictures to show what I saw, and I wish they were able to be seen right now. Sadly, I am also getting tired and am beginning to lack the dictionarial skills to appropriately describe what I saw.

Also, as another piece of Antarctic amazement, I saw my first living creature that didn't walk on two legs and consume expired Kiwi beer. I saw a seal. It lay there looking like a big, dark brown lump until I got close enough to where I could start to make it out. Then, suddenly, it raised up, looked around, saw me, didn't care, and then proceeded to lay down again.

Pretty incredible to see when the only animals that I've seen are the tracked and huge wheeled "Cats" that constantly prowl about town since my arrival.

Following my small venture out to the blue ice, I rejoined everyone over at the Kiwi bar and enjoyed a fun evening with our funny speaking counterparts. I would like to note that their bar is much classier than anything that we have, with a quality pool table, digital juke box, and speedy service.

After enjoying the evening with several people from the firehouse and town in general, we caught the last shuttle back home and finally called it a night.

My apologies for losing literary enthusiasm towards the end of this, but my energy is waning rapidly. I have accomplished more than this, I do have more stories to tell, and I do have other thoughts that I may or may not share.

In sum, however, I would like to reiterate my constant amazement for this place. I hope I can still say the same in February.