Daniel's Ride Along With the MCFRS Safety Officer

Waking up at 7:00 AM is bad enough but 5:30? That is unheard of. However getting up was a breeze as I had an exciting day ahead of me, or so I thought. The Safety Officer who oversees significant emergencies in all of Montgomery County, is stationed at the Chevy Chase fire station and allowed me to ride along with him to emergencies for a 12 hour shift. Even though a 12 hour day was longer than anything I had ever done, how slow could it go when you are jumping from one emergency to the next?

Out of the whole year, Tuesday was the day for the safety officer to go to the Fire & Rescue Occupational Medical Services. This is where all the personnel of the MCFRS go to make sure they are healthy and fit for work. As we entered with the mindset of it being a quick and easy visit, it was soon shot down as their equipment was malfunctioning. Almost two hours later, we had that obstacle behind us and were on our way back to the station.

When we got back to the station, I got a very interesting tour as it is one of the old fire stations. In Hollywood, every fire station has a pole that the firefighters slide down but that is not always the case. Many firefighters have gotten injured either falling or sliding down so it is rarely present anymore but they still have one at station #7. There is also a tower that was once used to hang wet hoses to dry but now it is used as storage for extra ones. After the tour, I sat down to watch TV as I anxiously waited for the siren to sound. As minutes turned to hours, it was already time for lunch.

After lunch, we went to the Public Safety Training Academy near my house that I have seen from the outside many times. As we drove around back, we noticed an experiment in full force. Two people from Good Morning America were filming the exothermic reaction that occurs when linseed oil is left to dry. It is amazing how a liquid can catch on fire just by drying in an oxygenated environment and it is important for the public to be aware. After spending an hour or two there, we were on our way back to the fire station.

With the day winding down and not one call, I was starting to wonder if I would ever get to see some action. As dinner was served, we were positive a call would come in right as we sat down to eat but to our surprise, it didn't. It is like it was announced that an intern was going to be with the Chevy Chase station and everyone should be extra careful so as not to give him what he came to see. As we finished dinner, it was time for me to depart and we were surprised that I had not gone on one call.

While it is a good thing there were no emergencies in the area, it would have been nice to see one. Hopefully there will be some more action if I get to do another ride-along. I thank the people at Fire Station #7 for their hospitality as I was there almost all day.

Life as an Intern: First 2 weeks

My first day begins with the buzzing of my alarm clock at an hour no high school student wants to be conscious at, especially during summer. Dragging myself out of bed, I soon find myself stuck in the infamous rush hour that I have only heard about in my parents’ complaints. Only now, at age 17, do I realize how frustrating it really is as the time I have to get to the office passes by.

Finally I arrive and enter the building in search of the office I need to find and luckily it is not far. On my first day, a group of young kids are scheduled to get a tour of the nearby fire station but first I need to get an ID card. It does not take long until I am sporting my own Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service badge.

Mr. Delaney informs me that we need to drive to get some handouts for the kids from a building not to far away. As we enter the parking lot, I have an idea of which vehicle we will be taking. Amidst many average cars, there is a large orange van with fire safety slogans on the sides. I climb into the passenger seat and look down on the cars around us as we slowly but surely left the parking lot.

With bags of handouts for the kids, we head over to the fire station to prepare for the tour. As we walk into the station alongside the massive fire trucks, it feels like this internship is going to be full of cool things. Soon enough, the tour has begun and even though it is for young kids, I find myself enjoying it too.

Eventually it is time to head back home and I can only hope everyday is as interesting as this one. In the days that followed, I have been introduced to a wide range of jobs in the Fire & Rescue Service.

Being with the resident expert of social media, Bill Delaney, we have talked to people about the uses of technology and different ways it can be used internally and externally. The potential the internet has to this organization is immense and it is just now being recognized.

We also have paid a visit to a local science lab to inform them of what safety precautions they should be taking. With chemicals that react dangerously to water and a wide range of other reactive substances, extraordinary steps need to be taken.

Finally, we spent some time with a group of senior citizens at OASIS to inform them about safety in their homes. Since people over the age of 65 have the highest risk of dying in fires at home, it is important that they are taught how to prevent or survive them. Having lived in their houses for a long time, the smoke alarms are most likely either out of date or are even without power. It is crucial that they are checked and replaced if need be but unfortunately it is often overlooked.

In the upcoming weeks, I hope to learn more about other jobs here, and maybe go out in the field. With the county fair in a few weeks, we are starting to prepare for a fun few weeks.

-Daniel

Adventures of Daniel the Intern

Note: Since last week, we here at MCFRS have an intern for the rest of the summer and possibly beyond. I thought it would be interesting for our rising high school senior Daniel to share some of his experiences with all of you as he will be getting an insider look at all we do here at fire and rescue. Many folks only see the fire trucks and ambulances going up and down the road and do not realize there is a lot more to the service than just that. Below is his first entry – a bit of an intro. More to follow.

- Bill Delaney

After having a relaxing first half of the summer, I have received an internship with the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service.

I will be a senior in this upcoming school year at a local Montgomery County High School. Having spent my whole life in this county, I am excited to see the behind-the-scenes of what has been protecting me for the last 17 years. In our everyday lives, we rarely get a sense of how much time, effort, and money is spent on protecting and informing the public. This rare opportunity will allow me to see how it all works.

What interests me about fires and other emergencies is that most of them could have been prevented or recognized earlier. People are generally unaware of the small steps they can take to ensure the safety of themselves and their families. Although when something unexpected happens, there are the brave and skillful people of the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service that dedicate their lives to helping the public.

As I progress through my internship, I hope to gain valuable experience in many different areas. I am honored to be a part of one of the most talented fire & rescue services in the nation.