Firefighters

Took Son to Scouts last night. It was a fieldtrip to a local firestation.

I know what I want to be when I grow up.

It was all very impressive:

The protective gear the firefighters wear (heavy but way necessary).

The infrared cameras they use to find people in the buildings (in the dark and smoke) and hotspots in the walls (after all visible flames have been extinguished).

The vehicles: got to go up in the bucket of the ladder truck, and climb around on a pumper truck.

Found out that, at least around here, volunteer fire companies have many different jobs that don't all include running into burning buildings. Anything from ordering and managing equipment to helping staff fundraising barbecue, to helping out at the scene of an emergency (but outside the building).

It also makes me think about 9/11 a bit. Remember the world on 9/10? (Not too different from the world today, but that's a different subject.) Politicians and entertainers were the "important" people. Then 9/11 happened, and police, firefighters, paramedics and doctors "became" the important people. I put "became" in quotes, because they had always been the important ones, it's just our attitude that changed. Of course, time has passed, and politicians and entertainers are back in the limelight, but it doesn't change who is really important.

Anyway, I had mentioned getting back into the preparedness side of amateur radio (ARES, RACES, etc.), and this makes me want to do something like that even more. To help out in a way that actually matters.